Wild Health: Lessons in Natural Wellness from the Animal KingdomAs Dr. Engel emphasizes in this "enticing, well-referenced, [and] entertaining book" (Science), we can learn a lot about human health by studying animal behavior in the wild. Indeed, some of the natural, holistic, and alternative human medicine being practiced today arose through the observation of wild animals. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Engel points out fascinating parallels between animal and human medicine. She offers intriguing examples of how animals prevent and cure sickness and poisonings, heal open wounds, balance their diets, and regulate fertility. For instance, *chimpanzees carefully eat bitter-tasting plant "medicines" that counter intestinal parasites *elephants roam miles to find the clay they ingest to counter dietary toxins *broken-legged chicks have been known to eat analgesic foods that alleviate pain. By observing wild health we may discover (or rediscover) ways to benefit our own health. As Craig Stotlz of the Washington Post noted, this "highly readable assessment . . . triggers more outside-the-double-helix thoughts about human health than anything I've read recently." |
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User Review - KRaySaulis - LibraryThingThis book took me forever to read because it's so much information, I had to take it slowly... But I loved reading this. I loved the things it made me think of. Read full review
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User Review - juniperSun - LibraryThingWhy does anyone bother writing about a subject they don't feel passionately about? Or why was the passion edited out of the writing? Perhaps in this case it was to forestall a would-be-herbalist from ... Read full review
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
HEALTH IN THE WILD | 7 |
NATURES PHARMACY | 16 |
FOOD MEDICINE AND SELFMEDICATION | 24 |
INFORMATION FOR SURVIVAL | 39 |
POISONS | 51 |
MICROSCOPIC FOES | 76 |
GAPING WOUNDS AND BROKEN BONES | 92 |
GETTING HIGH | 151 |
PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLS | 166 |
FAMILY PLANNING | 177 |
FACING THE INEVITABLE | 188 |
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR | 202 |
ANIMALS IN OUR CARE | 211 |
HEALTHY INTENTIONS | 224 |
NOTES | 233 |
Other editions - View all
Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and what We Can Learn from Them Cindy Engel No preview available - 2002 |
Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and what We Can Learn from Them Cindy Engel No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
ability able active adaptive alcohol alkaloids amounts appear avoid bacteria bears become behavior benefits better birds blood body called captivity cattle cause chemical chewing chimpanzees clay common compounds consume contain deal death deer diet disease early eaten effects elephants example feeding female forest fruit gorillas grass healing horses humans increase individuals infection internal Journal keep kill known later leaves less levels lick live male mammals medication medicine minerals monkeys move natural nests normal nutrients observations pain parasites particular pathogens percent plants poisoned prevent primates produce protect range rats reduce reproduction salt scientists season secondary compounds seek seems seen selection self-medication sick similar skin soil species strategies stress strong substances suffer suggesting tion toxic toxins trees wild animals Wildlife worms wounds young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Wild Health: Lessons in Natural Wellness from the Animal Kingdom |
| Author | Cindy Engel |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0618340688, 9780618340682 |
| Length | 288 pages |
| Subjects | › › › Science / Life Sciences / Biology Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |