現代社会における民間医療

断食医療の事例

抄録

　This paper has two purposes; (1) to propose the variables contributing to analysis of folk medicines in modern societies, and (2) to investigate “danjiki” (Japanese hunger therapy) as it relates to these variables.
　(1) My main concern here is with folk medicines under the professional dominance of modern Western medicine. Currently in Japan, modern Western medicine has already achieved a monopoly over medical practice. Therefore, the focal point of analysis should be on the question of how and why the former medicines are practiced in spite of, and under the condition of the latter medicine's predominance. This central question is broken down into 7 variables, which are as follows.
　A. Practicioners
　1. turning points which bring about their conversion from the popular idea that “folk medicines are ineffective, superstitious, and dangerous”; the way necessary knowledge and techniques are aquired
　2. strategies to legitimize folk medicines in relation to modern Western medicine
　3. steps in order to secure constant clients B. Clients
　4. factors peculiar to modernized and urbanized societies which turn them to folk medicines
　5. social strata to which they belong
　6. their needs which the modern Western medicine cannot meet C. Interaction between practitioners and clients
　7. the relative effectiveness of folk medicines to satisfy the needs of clients
　(2) Danjiki is one of the popular folk medicines in modern Japan. This therapy is mainly practiced at about 30 “danjiki doujou” (hunger therapy centers). The data are collected from books and pamphlets issued by the centers and through participation in a 6 day hunger therapy course. One important finding is that this therapy has several apparatuses to meet clients' needs which the modern Western medicine does not (e.g. having clients directly experience the process of recovery).