These questions are investigated from a variety of professional and academic perspectives, covering both 'orthodox' and 'non-orthodox' forms of healing practice. The contributors look at health care as a whole and deal with specific areas of health such as midwifery, psychoanalysis, naturopathy, the relations between medicine and the state, and the appeal of 'quacks'. They also confront particular issues of current concern, including medical litigation, codes of ethics for complementary practitioners, and cooperation between orthodox and complementary medicine. Written by people from a wide range of backgrounds - medical sociology, anthropology, psychoanalysis, medicine, complementary therapy, the law - The Healing Bond is unique in taking into account the perspectives of the healers themselves. It will therefore be of great value to students, teachers and practitioners in a variety of disciplines, including medical sociology, anthropology and medicine, as well as to healers