**Abstract**

African traditional medicine is defined as one of the holistic health care system comprised of three levels of specializations namely divination, spiritualism, and herbalism. The traditional healer provides healing services based on culture, religious background, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that are prevalent in his community. Hence the current chapter focuses on the different types of african healing system, traditional healers, traditional practices and modern herbalism and also describes the phytochemical and pharmacological evidences of the traditional african herbs like Acanthus montanus (Acanthaceae), *Amaranthus spinosus* (Amaranthaceae), Bridelia ferruginea (Euphorbiaceae) etc.

**Keywords:** traditional African medicine, traditional healers, divination, spiritualism, and herbalism

### **1. Introduction**

As per World Health Organization (2002), The "Traditional medicine" may be defined as health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being [1].

Africa is one of the heritage continent also known as cradle of human being and the concept of traditional medicine in africa is existed long back with out documentation as a hidden evidence less practices for human beings who have been struggling with various unknown diseases. African people have their own ancestral practices to heal using different methods [2].

According to World Health Organization report more than 80% of the people in Africa depend on traditional medicine for their health care needs (WHO, 2003). The African people have been depending on various plants and animals source for their drug to treat various physical and mental illness. Nearly, 4000 medicinal plants have been documented towards their various Pharmacological activities [3].

Any Traditional medicine consists of medical treatment with an ancient roots that has been passed over generations to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat illnesses. Various cultural and historic conditions have been influenced in the development of traditional medicine. The common basis for any Traditional medicine concept is a holistic healing to maintain life equilibrium between the body, mind and soul with external environment. Even the Traditional African Medicine is not an exception from this universal holistic approach.

Some of the Traditional healing systems and concepts have been supported by huge volume of literature and are in transition towards evidence healing concepts. However

Traditional African Medicine is still has not been documented and under process of documentation as from generations to generations, this was hidden as secret concept of healing. Still to date, in most parts of the africa, the major population have been continue to rely on traditional medicine to meet their primary health care needs [4].

In Africa, Traditional medicine is a healing belief system having its own health and disease concept. This is considered as a hidden treasure or knowledge that will pass from father to his only one beloved son of that family. The various healing concepts in Traditional African medicine (TAM) includes herbalism, surgery, bone setting, spinal manipulation, psychotheraphy, hydrotherapy, occultism, hydrotheraphy etc. However, lack of indepth scientific validation of these african traditional medicine and their documentation is a greatest lacuna and very much attention is required by the modern herbalists to safegaurd this healing concept. In the herbalism, vegetable, animal, and mineral substances have been used. In the metaphysical healing concept, Spirtualism concepts like prayers, invocations, or incantations have been offered to some mysterious and powerful forces in the various belief concept system like exorcism, divination, libation etc., were also been practicing to heal several diseases, how ever, scientific validation and documentation is still challenging [5, 6]. Some of plants used in herbalism by traditional african healers are *Foeniculum vulgare* Mill [7], *Rauvolfia serpentina* Linn [8], *Cinchona pubescens* Vahl [9], *Digitalis purpurea* Linn [10], etc.

#### **1.1 Historical development of African traditional medicine**

As per the Traditional African Medicine, Illness is considered as disorder that having both natural and supernatural causes. This must be treated by both physical and spiritual means, using various procedures like divination, incantations, animal sacrifice, exorcism, and herbs. It is a type of holistic health care system based on three levels of basic principles known as divination, spiritualism, and herbalism. The health care services provided by the healers are based on culture, religious background, knowledge attitudes, and their community beliefs.

The historical Development of African Traditional Medicine consists of two periods/Eras:


#### *1.1.1 Colonial era*

In this era, the traditional medicinal practices have been considered as primitive and backward. Under colonial rule, traditional healers and their practices were not recognized by the scientific world as they were wrongly predicted as witchcraft and black magic. These practices in this era was considered by many nations as an illegal by the colonial authorities. Even in this period, attempts have been made to control the sale of herbal medicines. With the spread of colonaialism and christianity, christian missionaries built private ones and allopathy system of medicine is on widespread to treat various diseases [11].

#### *1.1.2 Modern period*

However, in this era, the modern world showed more interest in some of the medicinal plants that have been using in the african traditional healing systems as a bioprospecting tools towards discovery of drug leads and drugs. Still there are

#### *Traditional African Medicine DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96576*

many hidden mysteries that need to be learnt from traditional african practices by the modern world. In the writings of Dr. T. Adeoze Lambo, a Nigerian psychiatrist, stated in 1979, always there is a mystery in the african traditional healing concepts especially in the treatment of neurosis [12].
