Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Western medicine

  • An uneasy relationship

    P. Ravi ShankarKuala Lumpur, Malaysia My paternal grandmother lived for nearly ninety-three years. She was a strong woman who faced life with courage and dignity. She developed some medical conditions later in life but was active, could carry out her activities of daily living, and lived a very disciplined life. Like many others in India,…

  • The life of a trailblazer: Ogino Ginko, one of the first female doctors in Japan

    Mariel TishmaChicago, Illinois, United States Ogino Ginko was Japan’s first female doctor of Western medicine. She lived a life full of struggles, achieved a flash of fame, and then quietly retreated into history. She advocated for the rights, safety, and health of women and today should be remembered as an activist and role model to…

  • Book review: A Brief History of Ayurveda

    Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, United Kingdom Ayurveda translates from the Sanskrit as “the science of life and longevity.” It originated over 4,000 years ago as a system of healing in the Indian subcontinent, where it flourished until the nineteenth century. The Harappan civilization in the Indus valley around 2000 BC saw its early roots in India.…