Ethnoveterinary Medicine: An annotated bibliography of community animal healthcare (Studies in Indigenous Knowledge and Development)

Livestock raisers and healers everywhere have traditional ways of classifying, diagnosing, preventing and treating common animal diseases. Many of these "ethnoveterinary" practices offer viable alternatives or complements to conventional, Western-style veterinary medicine - especially where the latter is unavailable or inappropriate.

This rich bibliography contains annotations of 1240 publications that deal with sociocultural, politico-economic, environmental and biomedical aspects of community animal healthcare. Entries span 118 countries of Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Examples of ordinary people's diverse knowledge, skills, beliefs and practices are recorded for some 200 health problems of 25 livestock species. The species discussed range from 'exotics' like reindeer, camelids, elephant and yak, through more familiar farm and pet animals, to micro-livestock like fish and bees. Reference is made to hundreds of plant species or genera, to inorganic items or compounds, and innumerable foodstuffs and household items employed as "materia medica" in treatments that run the gamut of medicinal, surgical, physical/mechanical and supernatural. In addition, stockraisers' many astute and often environmentally friendly health-related herding, housing, husbandry and breeding practices are documented.

The volume prioritizes twentieth century literature, with the bulk of publications dating from 1989 to 1999. It is designed to provide researchers, development professionals and policy makers working in agriculture, education, national development and human medicine with contemporary data, ideas and approaches for the practical evaluation, application and extension of community animal healthcare knowledge and resources to solving immediate development problems. At a broader level, the bibliography suggests the many potential benefits to people everywhere of systematically studying and building upon sometimes ancient - and sometimes brand new - local/indigenous knowledge.