Final answer:
Traditional healers, also known as ethnomedical healers, possess knowledge not only of how to heal but also of how to inflict harm by physical and sometimes metaphysical means. Examples include midwives, herbalists, bonesetters, surgeons, and shamans. The use of traditional healers is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and belief systems, offering complementary medical approaches alongside biomedicine in many societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Traditional healers are commonly used in some cultures for their healing practices. These healers, also known as ethnomedical healers, possess knowledge not only of how to heal but also of how to inflict harm by physical and sometimes metaphysical means. Examples of traditional healers include midwives, herbalists, bonesetters, surgeons, and shamans. One such example is the !Kung San people in Central Africa, who practice n/um tchai, a medicine dance, to draw up spiritual forces within themselves for shamanic self-healing. Another example is traditional Chinese medicine, which relies heavily on traditional environmental knowledge and ethnopharmacology to create medicine using substances like cicada shells, tiger livers, dinosaur bones, and ginseng. Overall, the use of traditional healers is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and belief systems, offering complementary medical approaches alongside biomedicine in many societies.