Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 113-119 , March 2008

Feeling the Pulse in Maya Medicine: An Endangered Traditional Tool for Diagnosis, Therapy, and Tracking Patients’ Progress

  • Michael J. Balick, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding Author. Address: New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
  • ,
  • Jillian M. De Gezelle, PhD(cand)

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY
  • ,
  • Rosita Arvigo, DN

      Affiliations

    • Ix Chel Tropical Research Center, San Ignacio, Belize

References 

  1. Hall T. Pulse diagnosis and tonification in Japanese acupuncture. Acupunct Today. 2001;2:1–10
  2. Amber R, Babey-Brooke AM. Pulse Diagnosis: Detailed Interpretations For Eastern and Western Holistic Treatments. Santa Fe, NM: Aurora Press; 1993;
  3. Kuriyama S. Pulse diagnosis in the Greek and Chinese traditions. In:  Kawakita Y editors. History of Diagnostics. Osaka, Japan: The Taniguchi Foundation; 1997;p. 43–67
  4. Steiner RP. Tibetan medicine: part II: pulse diagnosis in Tibetan medicine: translated from the first chapter for the Fourth Tantra (rGyud-bzi). Am J Chin Med. 1987;15:165–170
  5. Arvigo R, Epstein N, Yaquinto M. Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer. San Francisco, Calif: HarperSanFrancisco; 1994;
  6. Arvigo R, Balick M. Rainforest Remedies: One Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize. 2nd ed.. Twin Lakes, Wisconsin: Lotus Press; 1998;
  7. Hsu H-Y, Peacher WG. Chinese Herb Medicine and Therapy. Taipei, Taiwan: Oriental Healing Arts Institute of the USA; 1982;
  8. García H, Sierra A, Balám G. Wind in the Blood. In:  Conant J editors. Berkeley, Calif: North Atlantic Books; 1999;trans.
  9. Lee R, Balick MJ. Stealing the soul, soumwahu en naniak, and susto: understanding culturally-specific illness, their origins and treatment. Altern Ther Health Med. 2003;9:106–109
  10. American Psychiatric Association. DMS-IV-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed.. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2002;
  11. Singer PN. Galen: Selected Works. trans. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc; 1997;
  12. Hanks WF. Sanctification, structure, and experience in a Yucatec ritual event. J Am Folk. 1984;97:131–166
  13. Wiseman N, Ellis A. Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine. Brookline, Mass: Paradigm Publications; 1996;
  14. Yubin L. Pulse Diagnosis. Beijing, China: Shandong Science and Technology Press; 1996;
  15. Deng T. Practical Diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In:  Ergil M,  Sumei Y editor. Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone; 1999;trans.
  16. Zhen LS. Pulse Diagnosis. In:  Huynh HK,  Seifert GM editor. Brookline, Mass: Paradigm Publications; 1985;trans
  17. Kaptchuk TJ. The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2000;

 Support for the ongoing Belize Ethnobotany Project, began in 1987, has been provided by the following organizations over the past two decades: The U.S. National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute N01-CM-67924 (MB), The U.S. Agency for International Development 505-0035-G-0PG-8001-00 (MB, RA), The Metropolitan Life Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, Grinnell College, The Edward John Noble Foundation, The Rex Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Healing Forest Conservancy, The John and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Gildea Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, The Garden Club of America, as well as, the Philecology Trust, through the establishment of Philecology Curatorship of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden.

PII: S1550-8307(07)00454-5

doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2007.12.002

Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 113-119 , March 2008