A Comparison of Diné medicine and Western medicine
Diné medicine
Traditional Diné medicines are all from natural plants. The plant when used as medicine is basically unchanged. The plant is not processed into a different form, and the chemical compound is not changed into a different compound. The plant is used as medicine in its natural form and therefore does not create addictions or bad side affects other than allergies.
The plant is respected for what it is and its power of healing. The plant is carefully selected from its environment for a specific healing. There is a ceremonial process to collect the medicine plant using prayers and offerings of sacred stones (white shell, turquoise, abalone shell, black jet), corn pollen or other offering that is appropriate. Prayers are offered to ask for healing from the Plant People for a specific person and the specific aliment or sickness. There are sacred plants in the traditional Diné way of life that include corn, beans, squash and tobacco. These sacred plants represent all plants used for medicine, food, shelter, and other uses to live. Medicine people and other people use this traditional teaching to respect Mother Nature's environment.
Traditionally, only the amount that will be used of the medicine plant is collected to treat the illness. Because of the respect and the sacredness of the plant and the environment the medicine plant is not exploited or misused. The medicine plant is not collected in large amounts to supply many different individuals unless it is for a large group of people for example in a ceremony where there will many participants using the medicine. The patient's sacred named is used in a prayer before the plant is collected for medicinal purposes.
Traditional medicines have been tested through generations of use. Animals are not used to test the herb for its effectiveness. There is spiritual healing that is connected with traditional medicines. After the medicine plant is used then the leaves or plant is put back in nature again with prayer and offering of corn pollen. Corn pollen is considered one of the four basic elements of life in Diné traditional teachings.
Traditional medicines are used in several forms. Traditional medicines can be ground and made into salve or used as dry power. It can also be made into a tea concoction. The plant can also be used in its natural state. The most common form the medicine plant is prepared and used as is with water to make a tea to drink or to be put on the body like a lotion.
Western medicine
Western medicines are made from plants. Many of the Western medicines have plant compound that are changed by adding other compounds or changing the chemical compound. The plant chemical compound is change into a new or different compound to work with the human body. The plant chemical compound is also altered to work with other drug compounds for the human body to accept the medicine for the illness or disease. The drugs developed must work with the human body at the cell level for it to be considered a medicine for human use. Most drugs have many side effects that can be immediate or gradual from extended use of the drug. Western medicines can also have negative effects such as death from overdose or addiction.
There is an array of Western medicines available for human use. The drugs are available for use to practically anyone if a prescription is not required. For example, anyone can go to the drugstore and purchase drugs for headache and proceed to consume the drug anywhere. It can be taken at home, work, or other places without regard to its sacredness or the source of the drug. The accessibility of Western drugs allows for abuse.
Western medicines are tested hundreds of times before it is approved for human consumption and used for a specific disease. Scientists are constantly working to create new drugs. Initially, many chemicals are tested for an ideal reaction for an isolated disease. The chemicals are narrowed down until only one meets the desired reaction for the isolated disease. Once the chemical is identified as a possible drug it is tested on animals in several trials. It is then followed by testing the drug on a few human volunteers and if successful, testing is opened up to include more people with the targeted disease. If the tested drug is successful in treating the targeted disease the drug is approved as safe by the United States Drug Administration. The drug company patients the drug and profits from the sale of the drug.
There are a variety of forms in which Western medicines are prepared. They include injection, oral liquid or pills, transdermal patches, inhalant, and creams or lotion. Some drugs are produced in more than one form others are produce in only one form. For example, antibiotics can be given in oral pill and liquid, as an injection or a cream.
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