Illness and Healing among the Sakhalin Ainu: A Symbolic Interpretation

US: Cambridge University Press, 1981. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. Originally published in 1981, this book explores the issue of how a society understands human illness in the absence of a germ theory. This is done th rough an interpretation of the illness categories and healing practices of the Sakhalin Ainu, a hunting and gathering people resettled in Japan. The t ext illustrates how illnesses relate to the Ainu view of the universe and h ow their medical system is intimately interwoven with their moral cosmology and social networks. Even such minor ailments as headaches and boils are m eticulously classified to mirror the classifications of such basic perceptu al structures as space and time. With the Ainu medical system as an example , this book probes questions central to research in symbolic, medical and l inguistic anthropology, structuralism, and the anthropology of women. Editorial Reviews Book Description Originally published in 1981, this book explores the issue of how a society understands human illness in the absence of a germ theory. Book Description Originally published in 1981, this book explores the issue of how a society understands human illness in the absence of a germ theory. This is done through an interpretation of the illness categories and healing practices of the Sakhalin Ainu, a hunting and gathering people resettled in Japan.