Roots of Folk Medicine Practices That Maintain in Anatolia in Old and Middle Turkish Medicine Texts

Abstract

When historical medicine texts of old and middle Turkish periods are examined carefully, it is seen that practices appearing in these texts are maintained among people today. In this paper, attention will be drawn to some components that form the basis of Turkish folk medicine and are located commonly in both old and middle Turkish medicine texts; and some treatment practices of these texts that are presently maintained among people will be focused on. Folk medicine is the method by which human beings have been trying to eliminate pain and promote good health since the beginning of humanity. Folk healers appear in the places where modern medicine services are inaccessible; particularly in rural areas. Folk medicine, which shapes up depending on tradition, experience and environmental conditions, works to remove or reduce physical and mental disorders by balancing the harmony of body. Folk healers can use many different methods to cure their patients. Main treatment practices such as ırvasalama, parpılama, kırık-çıkık and em are used in Anatolian folk mediciıne. It can be asserted that em treatment (folk medicines) is the most common and widely used practice. Folk medicines are made of drugs taken from plants or mixtures taken from animals, minerals or other elements. In this paper, em treatment (folk medicines) will be pointed out and some majistic applications will also be discussed. It is possible that practices of Eastern and partly Western healers of old and middle period which also contain Turkish healers become widespread among people and these practices are passed from one generation to the next; it also seems possible that, some folk medicine practices which are passed from one generation to the next through oral tradition are penned in old and middle Turkish medicine texts. It can be stated that, today’s folk medicine is actually the medicine of the past. © 2014, Milli Folklor Dergisi. All rights reserved.