title: Wasm: a traditional method of healing by cauterisation.
abstract: Wasm or kaii is a traditional method of healing by cauterisation. This form of healing, known to the Egyptians and pre-Islamic Arabs centuries ago, is still used in the Sultanate of Oman today. In Oman, cauterisation is performed by traditional healers. It is generally thought of as a special healing system which is used for particular diseases and on occasions when modern medicine fails to cure. The instrument for cauterisation is usually a metal rod, pointed at one end or often bent at the top into a crescent shape. Different parts of the body are cauterised for different ailments and diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ghazanfar
mesh_terms: D002425:Cautery / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009850:Oman