Dr. Donald Catino — Investigating the evidence for herbal traditional medicine

I am an an internist and have done a medical literature search 1950 to 2009,  gathering nearly 100 articles  which give objective evidence of the efficacy of these herbs in a wide variety of diseases: HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, other parasitic diseases, and common bacterial infections,  as well as diabetes, asthma, seizures, thrombosis, estrogen deficiency and even dental caries and periodontal disease.

Most of the current evidence is in vitro laboratory testing, but some animal, and a few human studies have been done.  I will be presenting this evidence to the Weill Bugando medical staff on Oct. 21.  My  goal is to begin to convince the medical staff of the value of Herbal Traditional Medicine, and to begin to forge a working relationship between the hospital physicians and the local healers.

Mutual understanding, education and respect,  followed by mutual patient consultation, and eventually cooperative clinical research are the long term goals.

Dr Donald Catino and his wife Pamela are visiting again and continuing their interests in Herbal Traditional Medicine in Tanzania. Dr. Catino has been practicing medicine for more than 45 years.