historycircus

astro,

Here is another thought about the rising numbers of dementia and Alzheimers cases:

While some choose to believe - and it is belief - that living in industrial societies is worse for your health, than say, living out in the African bush, consider the following. Life expectancy in all of the industrialized world has risen dramatically over the last century alone. For the first time in recorded history we are faced with a large population over the age of sixty that one hundred years ago simply did not exist. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that as the population most afflicted with such maladies gets larger, so will the incidents of malady specific to that group.

Getting to the age of sixty in a tribal society out in the African bush is rare. Life expectancy is low. Old people are honored BECAUSE they have defied the norm and lived so long; they are often seen and celebrated as the objects of supernatural favor. The majority getting old, forgive my pun, is relatively new.

Ptha,

The paychecks I cash are for the study of indigineous cultures in North America. The particular tribe I study has a whole set of rituals dedicated to appealing to Wa-kon-da for relief from illness, and even more information about certain plants, minerals, and even animal protiens that make good treatments for specific illnesses. According to them, this knowledge has been with them for millenia. Native Americans have a strong tradition of medicine - for physical and spiritual illnesses.

Just some more food for thought.