Anthropologie
Libre accès
ISSN: 2332-0915
ISSN: 2332-0915
Edmund J Kayombo*
Background: Ramli is an important diagnostic tool in traditional medicine, but being neglected by scientists and religious people by seeing as magic, superstitions and leading to some countries to be outlawed. The aim of this paper is to share experience the practice of ramli and assess whether the practice is magic and superstition or science and ritual technology denied.
Research methodology: Qualitative study was carried in Dar-es-Salaam, Njombe and Morogoro administrative regions in Tanzania. These regions were purposeful chosen for this study. In-depth interview guide was prepared for interviewing traditional health practitioners who were performing ramli services in their respective communities. Collected data were qualitatively analyzed using anthropological qualitative methods after cleansing.
Results: Twelve THPs were interviewed on the practice of the ramli service aged between 50 to 60 years and one of them was a female THP. Tool used in ramli services varied from one ethnic group to another but all had the same principle. The diagnostic procedures were both explained and to some THPs were demonstrated. Interpretation of the results needed critical thinking by well trained THPs on divination to come up with no reputable results. Results were reproducible by other THP showing science was involved and not magic or superstitions. All THPs agreed ramli services was an important tool in traditional tool for diagnostic of health and social problems occurring in the communities and the way out. Attitude of the people towards ramli had mixed feeling some had positive whether others thought it was magic or superstitions.
Conclusion: The present study and those reviewed have shown ramli has significance role in diagnosing health and socio-economic problem. There other health problem cannot be diagnosed by conventional tools and thus banning it will lead THPs fail to manage some issues in health and socio-economic problem.