Introduction: From documenting medical pluralism to critical interpretations of globalized health knowledge, policies, and practices

Medical anthropology has a history that covers nearly four decades. Although Charles Leslie’s career is much longer, this volume is devoted almost exclusively to recognition of his unsurpassed contribution to medical anthropology from the time of its formal inception in the late 1960s to the present day. The authors represented in this volume, three generations of social scientists, one or two themselves close to retirement, all acknowledge a debt to Charles for intellectual stimulation through interactions with him and reflections on his writings on Asian medical traditions. He has frequently influenced the course of our professional lives, facilitated many of our publications, and provided forums in various locations for an exchange of ideas, most of which have become central to medical anthropology.