Final answer:
Anne Fadiman's book discusses the Hmong community's ethnomedicine, including the use of txiv neeb or shamans who are recruited through a spiritual call to heal both physical and spiritual ailments.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, several examples of ethnomedicine specific to the Hmong community in Merced are discussed. Ethnomedicine refers to the traditional medical practices that are intrinsic to a particular culture, often involving herbs, spirituality, and rituals. One notable practice among the Hmong people is the use of a txiv neeb, or shaman. These shamans are typically called upon through spiritual encounter or after experiencing a serious illness that signifies a selection by the spirits. The process of becoming a txiv neeb is not a voluntary application; instead, one is recruited by the spirits in what is known as a 'spiritual call.' The txiv neeb performs essential roles in healing by traveling to the spirit world to negotiate the health of the person they are healing, addressing both physical ailments and spiritual disharmony.