There is a raging dispute between the practitioners of conventional medicine and the practitioners of herbal medicine, which is sometimes loosely described as "alternative medicine". The dispute is being fuelled by claims on the television extolling cures for illness, which the medical doctors have failed to cure or ameliorate.
With access to quality medical care expensive and with no real guarantee of relief from what ails them, more and more people are turning to these new "doctors" who offer free advice on their programmes for any number of illnesses based on the symptoms related by the caller. These programmes generate a huge demand for their services for which the cost is not insignificant, even those "gifted" by God.
These herbal doctors advocate and prescribe the use of herbs for conditions such as hypertension, cataracts, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, for achieving weight loss, bedwetting, and various forms of sexual malfunctions, fibroids, arthritis, fever, colds, diarrhoea, various heart complaints and a host of other maladies.
Some of the more reputable of these practitioners belong to the Guyana Herbalist Association but this body has not been active for some time. A number of members are now pressing for the association to be reactivated.
They are not required to obtain a professional licence to practice as is required of the medical doctors and are not subject to the 5 per cent tax on their fees which doctors are required to pay.
Dr Carl "Max" Hanoman, the director of the University of Guyana Medical School, is critical of the practices of these herbalists whom he says are not registered and have no legal status.
More importantly he contends that because these herbalists have no scientific training they expose their patients to the danger of being overdosed since there is no science-based guide to aid them in dispensing the herbs to their patients.
Moreover, he contends that there is no data on morbidity and mortality to support the claims of the efficacy of the drugs they give their patients.
He cited as examples persons suffering from malaria being given massive amounts of boiled chicona bark without any regard to the consequence of possible overdosing, which could result in death as a result of an excess of quinine in the person's system.
Scientific Herbalists
Dr Harold Peters of Rainforest Herbs says these assertions are inaccurate and that scientific herbalists are required to take science courses at the institutions where they study. Also, he points out that there are journals that provide the scientific bases for the use of various herbs in the treatment of certain conditions.
As an example he provided Current Affairs with the three pages of citations supporting the use of Stinging Nettle in treating rheumatism, childhood eczema, nose bleeds and uterine haemorrhage, approving it being used in combination with Figworth and Burdock in the treatment of Eczema and the dosage to be used either as a tincture or as a liquid.
He said too that the World Health Organisation (WHO) also published regular updates of the contra-indications arising from the use of the various herbs.
Dr Hanoman explains that there are certain customs which our ancestors brought with them from Africa and India and the various countries from which they came and which have been passed down from generation to generation through the ages. He concedes some of these customs and practices have been beneficial in dealing with certain illnesses. However, he says that the rapid development of science and medicine now leaves no place for the guesswork of the herbalist, whose practices lack the scientific rigor of modern medicine. He says that his view is reinforced by the tragic consequences he has seen resulting from patients abandoning their drugs which have stabilised their conditions for the regime of herbs prescribed by the herbalists.
What is even more tragic, he says, is that the cost of these treatments far exceeds what they would have to pay a medical doctor and the cost of the medication prescribed. But he says "Guyanese seem to like to pay money for nonsense". Dr Peters says that not all herbal treatments are expensive, pointing out that some herbs such as Siberian ginseng, because it is almost extinct in the wild and now has to be cultivated can cost as much as US$700 a pound while the Stinging Nettle can be provided for pennies since it grows in most backyards.
However, he said that there are scientific studies being done on some of the herbal medications to determine their properties and to arrive at the proper dosage through science based methods.
Dr Hanoman said he did not know why these "doctors" were not being prosecuted as article 13 of the Medical Practitioners Act provides for their prosecution.
Dr Peters describes herbal medicine as being some 300 years old and says it is learned by experience and involves praying, herbs, incantations and exercises. It is, he says, also known as holistic or traditional medicine and has evolved from folklore.
He himself learnt his craft at the feet of his grandfather whose father was a witch doctor from Africa. He subsequently studied in the United Kingdom and the United States of America where he learnt his craft.
Established Vendors
Amanda Thomas is a 35 year old vendor at Bourda Market, where she has been selling "bush" for 10 years. Her mother, a 78 year old woman is the owner of the shop, and has been selling these herbs for almost 40 years. They sell a vast array of bushes for an equally vast number of ailments such as diabetes, cold, cleaning of the uterus, gas, sinus, dysfunctional kidneys, Jaundice, "billiousness", high blood pressure, "excessively sweet blood", worms, rashes, back problems, spinal colds, heart conditions, lung dysfunction, fibroids, liver, pregnancy problems, thrush.
Amanda Thomas learnt the trade from her mother and by self study and her mother in turn learnt it from her mother. The knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation.
In addition to bushes they also sell liquid
bush mixtures. This is to accommodate their customers who would rather not have to take the trouble of boiling all of these bushes.
The bushes are much less expensive than the liquids. Bushes cost $20 to $40 for a single piece while the costs of the liquids range from $300 - $3000 a bottle.
Thomas says that one of the most important things to remember when selling or administering the herbs is the dosage. People should follow the prescribed dosage as overdosing may cause problems.
She said that the herbs are much more effective than modern medicine, though some herbs may take a while to work they get the job done. She said that some of her customers claim that they find the herbs much more effective than pharmaceutical products.
Dr Peters says that the two forms of the practice of medicine are merging and in some aspects the lines which distinguish the one from the other are very thin because some medical doctors have found the alternative medication effective. However, he said in Guyana the medical community tends to frown on traditional medication and a small group among them would like to see the practice of herbal medicine banned. But he says that there is a small group of medical practitioners who respect and cooperate with the herbalists.
Alternative medicine is the opposite of conventional medicine and scientific training which is only 300 years old. Herbal comes directly from the evolution of folklore. It is a type of medical treatment that has been practiced for centuries. Herbal medicine is learned by experience supported by a scientific approach and, unlike mainstream medicine which works against the disease, works with the body to enhance its ability to fight disease and return itself to good health. Herbs, the herbalists contend, are less potent than pharmaceutical drugs and dose for dose are safer.
Dr Peters is one of the pre-eminent herbalists in Guyana. He has studied in the United Kingdom and the United States of America and has practiced in both countries.
Cure claims can be checked
About the claims of some herbalists that they could provide a cure for AIDS, Dr Peters says that he believes "there is a possibility of a cure for most diseases in the herbal kingdom and as a result keeps an open mind on the issue."
He said these claims could be easily verified. He explained that the claimants should be asked to treat patients suffering with HIV/AIDS and if their condition is not improved then they should be prohibited from making the claim.
Dr Peters says that he no longer treats HIV/AIDS patients, as he does not have the resources to provide the long-term care they require. He explained that most of the persons who are suffering with this disease are very poor and their treatment would have to be provided at no cost or at very little cost. He says that he refers his patients to another practitioner who has been getting excellent results and whose formulation seems to be better even than the one he had used.
Dr Peters makes a distinction between the herbalists who use only folklore and the scientific herbalists like himself who have studied at established institutions and follow strict guidelines when administering herbal treatments.
He said that while there are no institutions in Guyana for monitoring that these guidelines are strictly followed, there are several bodies around the world to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines.
He explained that in the USA, herbs are considered dietary supplements with the result that there is no over lengthy approval process by the Food and Drug Administration.
Other regulatory bodies are the American Herbal Products Association and the National Nutritional Food Association both of which set guidelines.
Dr Peters agrees that there are charlatans who pose a serious risk to an unsuspecting public as they mix incompatible herbs. As such he says there is need for legislation which sets out minimum standards that must be met in terms of safety and for the inspection of sites where the various medications are prepared and the techniques used in their preparation with the objective of safeguarding the safety of the public.
Dr Peters stresses that the scientific herbalist's treatments are based on extensive scientific research and the approach to their work is grounded in science.
He points that according to the Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, "In India and China there have been university courses in herbal medicine for years. However, in Western Europe the process has been slow although the first undergraduate course in Western Europe was taught at Middlesex University, West London in 1944. In its combination of traditional herbal knowledge and medical science it parallels the development in China and points towards a future when patients might be able to choose between conventional and herbal approaches when considering what treatment will serve them best".