Folk Physician Applications in Everyday Life in Turkey

Abstract

In this study, it can be easily applied for human in the  various region of Turkey about 80 cures/medication are  explained. A total of approximately 80 applications are  described, including 5 for infant and child health, 10 for  preventive medicine, 4 for pests. Numerous applications  like bad breath, dental health, internal organ diseases,  physiological and infectious diseases, hair loss or  removal, burns, various health problems caused by  nutritional deficiencies, accidental injuries, food and  animal poisonings, ways of protection from poisonous  animals etc. are described in the paper. View to  diseases and patiens of folk physicians are very  different. They give priority to environment and public  health with an ecological approach. We have been made  the findings based on observations since 1983, from  especially in Eastern Anatolia and Mediterranean  regions. Most of materials used in folk medicine are from  plant origin. Aromatherapy and essential oils, functional  foods have an important place in folk medicine. It is  indispensable for rural people as a necessity of daily  life. Folk medicine which started with a search for a  solitions to the health problems of pets, started to be  applied to humans in time. Scientific infrastructure of it  has been formed with the experiences of centuries. Most  important source of inspiration is Prophet Medicine  (Tıbb-ı Nebewi). It develops with the method of  nomadism, animal husbandary and trial and error.