I intend to perform an ethnographic study on Indian or Sri Lankan traditional practices (mostly in Hindus methodology) in treating chickenpox, focusing on using "Neem", "Turmeric" in particular. Culturally many practices are highly irrelevant to modern science and superstitious, some practices seem to be effective.
Please assist me by offering your viewpoints on this
What are your research methodologies? I would recommend a social anthropological approach that does not immediately judge along the lines of 'irrelevant', 'superstitious', or 'effective', but tries to give first a through introduction to the whole set of practices, if available including also written testimonies and hsitorical texts.
Dear Rudolph !!
Many thanks for your response. As you advised, I am planning am ethnographic study on "the centuries-old Tamil (south-Indian) cultural practice in caring for those, who are infected by Varicella Zoster virus. My intention is, as you advised, not to justify that those practices can still be relevant or valid, instead, to get an understanding of how do they (Tamil people ) justify their action from a modern scientific perspective. For example, using copper household utensils is their tradition (and now scientists have discovered that COVID19 cannot live longer on copper surfaces). Another example is using neem oil. Scientists have proven that the chemical called Azadiactrin in the neem is an active component that disturbs the lifecycle of the bed bug, and some other types of bugs, which are active vectors of some types of viruses.
To be honours, the narrative of your reply clearly indicates that as a senior researcher, how far do you approach and embrace different ideas regardless of their antiquity. Thank you again for your valuable contribution.
Why not? Chicken pox is a serious, debilitating disease that may ravage such large populations as are found in India and Sri Lanka. Therefore, any recommendations, including naturopathic treatment with treatment efficacies is a welcome relief
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