Disease, religion and medicine: smallpox in nineteenth-century Benin

História, Ciências, Saúde-Manguinhos

Elisée Soumonni¹ 

[1] ,University of Abomey-Calavi Department of History and Archaeology Cotonou,Benin

关键词: smallpox;    Sakpata;    cult priests;    medicinal plants;    vaccination;    varíola;    Sakpata;    sacerdotes tradicionais;    plantas medicinais;    vacinação;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0104-59702012000500003

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

The essay examines, with special reference to smallpox, the perception and interpretation of disease in pre-colonial Dahomey, present-day Republic of Benin. Because disease is seen primarily as a punishment from the gods and not just as a medical problem or a bodily disorder, traditional cult priests play a leading role in making diagnoses and prescribing remedies, mostly based on medicinal plants. The prominence of Sakpata, god of smallpox, coupled with the influence of its priests is evaluated within the context of Dahomey's political history and the spread of the disease. This pivotal position was to constitute a challenge to the French colonial campaign to vaccinate against smallpox.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
 All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License