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ALTERNATIVETHERAPIESsepoct2011VOL.17NO.549HaitianVodouasaHealthCareSystemInadditiontoidentifyingtheagentduringconsultationthetherapistsuggeststhecausalmechanismspositingthatthevic-timhasakoux0dex0poudstruckwithpowderorakoux0dex0zonbistruckbythesoulofazombie.Nootherdetailsaregivenbecauseeveryoneknowsthatthesoulsofthedeadaresentthroughpracticescarriedoutatcrossroadsandingraveyardswiththehelpoflwax0Baronx0Samdiandhisacolytesforusinganesprix0zonbizombiespirit.Soulscanalsoreachtheirtargetthroughdirectcontacttheyareplacedonthegroundontheroadinfrontofadooratacrossroadorelsewhereintheformofapowderoracarefullypreparedliquid.Vodoupractitionersandthosewhowashthedeadcon6rmthatthesemorbidconcoc-tionsaremadebygrindingthedriedbonesorotherpartsofdeadanimalsinsectsmenorchildren.Dangerousliquidssuchasadeadpersonx19sbathwateracorpsex19sdigestiveexcretionsbavx0dex0mordeadpersonx19sspitandotherliquidsinwhichorganismshavemaceratedareaddedtothesepowders.Insuchprepara-tionsthelawofsympatheticcontiguitymakesitpossibletoknowwhatthespeci6cpropertiesofthepreparationareanill-nessordeathdependingonthemakerx19sintentions.Forinstanceadeadpersonx19sclothinghislastbathwateroranypartofhisbodythathasbeengroundtoapowderbringsdeath.Inshortelementsclosetodeathortoadeadpersonacquiredfromgrave-yardsusingspeci6cmeanscanmaterializesoulsandbeusedtosendillnesses.Totreatsuchaf7ictionsthesicknessmustbeeliminatedandsimilarstatesprevented.Thisinvolvesaseriesofcomplexoperationsaimedatdivertingwhathasbeendirectedatthesickpersonatidentifyingcontrollingandreturningtheevilagentsinthecrossroadandthenprotectingthevictimfromsimilarattacks.Ihaveexplainedelsewherethephasesandsequencesthatrespondtotheseobjectives21whichareaccompaniedbyothertreatmentsthatdealwiththephysicalenvironmentandasoiledbodysufferingandpermeabletosuchagentsmassagesyrupteadecoctionsorpurgativesinparticular.Thebodyiscleanedandendowedwithnewpropertiesthatencouragethesoulstoleaveandpreventthemfromenteringanew.Thewholeprocessisorganizedbyatherapistwhovisitsthevodoutopogra-phyforthesymboliccharacteristicsandpowersdiscussedabove.Itconsistsinaseriesofcomplexprocedurescarriedoutinamag-icalatmosphereinwhichthelawsofsympatheticmagicgovernthequalityandaimsofthegesturesbestoweachtoolwithspe-ci6cpropertiesandconveyrepresentationsthatgivemeaningtothewhole.ONx0THEx0VODOUx0HEALTHx0CAREx0SYSTEMGiventhede6nitionofahealthcaresystempresentedabovebasedonspecificcriteriatheseresultsconfirmthatvodouisindeedahealthcaresystem.Theyshowwhyvodoupractitionersmustbeconsideredtherapistsanddescribeavodoutopographyusedformanagingillness.TheresultsdescribevodoutheoriesonillnessandshowthatillnessexplanationsaregroundedinaHaitianontology.Thatontologydescribestheplaceoflwaandancestorsinhumanaffairsandspeci6esthenatureandqualityoftherelationshipsthatHaitiansmustmaintainwiththem.Itencompassesaworldviewawayoflivingandawayofbeingintheworld.Italsoreferstoacollectivelysharedde6nitionofreali-tyandofsocialrelationsimbuedwithdangerspitefulnessenvyandjealousywhichpromptHaitianstoattackthoseclosetothembyconsultingthevodoupractitioner.Thisde6nitionofrealityshapesday-to-dayexperiencesjusti6eshowmisfortunesareinterpretedandtransformsthesickintovictimsandHaitiansintovulnerablepeople.TheHaitianontologycircumscribesthe6eldofwhatisrealandpossible.Itsupportsandrendersintelli-giblevodouperspectivesonillnessandgivescredencetothemainexplanationsfoundinthetwolevelsofcausalitypresentedabovethatisindividualwrongdoingoranattackbyanoutsideagent.BecauseHaitianontologyispartandparcelofHaitiancultureandsocietythevodouhealthcaresystemisverywellintegratedinHaitithroughtheoverarchingontology.Thetherapistsx19practicesdescribedbrie7yheredrawtogetheralloftheelementsofvodoumedicineitsspecializedtherapiststheplacesinwhichitispracticedanditstechniquesprocedurescomplexityandmaterials.27Therapistsx19practicesareseentobecloselylinkedtotheirexplanatoryknowledgeofillnessandotherassociatedknowledge.Inotherwordsbothpreventive1andtreat-mentpracticesareorganizedincontinuityandcorrespondencewiththeexplanatoryscenariosidenti6edduringconsultations.Asaresultitisnotsurprisingto6ndthatthemagicalandreligiouspolesthatorientthedifferentexplanationsforillnessalsoorientthecontentandqualityofcare-givingpractices.Infol-lowingthedominantlogicsofthesetwopolesthetherapistreliesonspeci6cknowledge.Closetothereligiouspoletheoriginoftheillnessisemphasized.Themainmeaninggiventotheillnesswillthereforefocusonthesickpersonx19sdetachmentfromhisfamilygrouphispaternalandmaternaldwellingshislwaandhisancestors.Thetherapistwillthereforepayattentiontoboththeindividualandthesocietytheplaceofthesickpersoninrela-tionshiptoaninheritedsocioculturalorder.Thesickpersonx19sbehaviorisassessedagainstanethicalcodethatstructurestheconnectionsbetweenhumanslwaandancestorsthatreferstotheuniquenessandidentityofHaitiansocietyandthatpre-scribesawayofbeingintheworldandofinteractingwithothergenerations.Thevodoutherapististhereforespecializedinreli-gionandritualwhosepurposeisatoncetoprovidecaretotreatandtoprevent.Atthispolehisknowledgeofillnesscontainsastronglyreligiousdimensioninexplainingillness.Closertothemagicalpolefocusingontheagentsandmechanismsunderlyingtheillnesstherapistsconcentrateoninterpersonalrelationsthesocialorderwaysofbeingandofenteringintorelationshipsocialjusticebehaviorandsocialpro-hibitions.Herethetherapistisspecializedinmagicforcaringtreatingandpreventingillness.AlloftheclassicelementsofmagicadmirablypresentedbyMauss32comeintoplayinmanag-IntheinterestofbrevityIhavenotdiscussedthesubjectofpreventivepracticesofwhichtherearemanyjustascomplexasvodoutreatments.FormoredetailseeVonarx2005.27