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Dr. Paul Cox is an ethnobiologist, who first visited Samoa on a Mormon mission. In the early 80s he returned to Samoa with his family to live in the village of Falealupo on the western tip of Savai'i. His field of specialisation involves studying plants and the way they are used as medicines by indigenous cultures to try and identify materials that could be of use as pharmaceuticals. The forests of Samoa contain a tree which has potential as source an anti-cancer treatment, and this book tells of the difficulties of trying to retain virgin rainforest in Samoa. It documents the damage caused by the 1982 cyclone which obliberated much of Falealupo, the attempts to create a rainforest preserve which would protect the forest from loggers and save the habitiat of the Samoan Flying Fox, and the struggle to raise money for a school when all around appear to be set against the idea. What is most encouraging about this book is that it shows that one man can make a difference.
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................... 1
The Islands ..................................................................... 1
Culture and History ............................................................. 1
The Flora of Samoa .............................................................. 2
Literature on Samoan Medicine ................................................... 3
I Traditional Samoan Medicine ..................................................... 5
The Medical Problems ............................................................ 5
The Causation of Illness ........................................................ 6
The Priest-Healers .............................................................. 8
Physical Treatment ............................................................. 11
Herbal Medicine Treatment ...................................................... 12
The Transition Period .......................................................... 14
II Modern Samoan Medicine ......................................................... 17
Health Care In Samoa Today ..................................................... 17
Concepts of Sickness and Health ................................................ 19
Samoan Ailments ................................................................ 20
Surface Ailments ............................................................... 20
Internal Ailments .............................................................. 24
Supernaturally Induced Ailments ................................................ 28
Traditional Samoan Healers ..................................................... 31
Herbal Medicine Today .......................................................... 33
The Future of Samoan Medicine .................................................. 51
III Samoan Medicinal Plants ........................................................ 53
Literature Cited ............................................................... 99
Glossary of Samoan Medical Terms .............................................. 101
List of Figures ............................................................... 111
Index to Scientific Names ..................................................... 112
Index to Samoan Names ......................................................... 114
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