ABSTRACT
Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine practices that have been used for thousands of years by people in China, India, Nigeria, and many other countries. African traditional medicine is ancient and is perhaps the most diverse of all medicinal systems. Africa is considered to be the cradle of humankind, with a rich biological and cultural diversity, and marked regional differences in healing practices. The healer typically diagnoses and treats the psychological basis of an illness before prescribing medicines to treat the symptoms. The religious missions also contributed substantially to the training of nurses and paramedical personnel. A good example is the highly reputed nursing school of the SIM Christian Hospital in Vom. The mission hospitals in Shaki, Ogbomosho, Ilesa, and Eku, among others, performed similarly important health-training roles. Allopathic medicine and African traditional medicine: a clash of world views. The impact of colonialism in Africa is characterised in ways that range from “fortune” to “agony”.
