The folk medicine

Giedre Raugeviciute English 103 The folk medicine Folk medicine- it’s a long time collected knowledge how to take care about human health, how to prevent and diagnose diseases and to cure people. There is the whole separate part of folk culture, which is named folk medicine. The alternative medicine was started in the ancient times. A lot of years ago valuable knowledge was adapted to the whole process of prophylactics, disease etiology and process. The strong belief in unconventional therapies answered a lot of questions about human healthy being. Alternative medicine gave a new way of thinking of hygiene, inheritance and disease bonds with life style. “ Today there is an increasing trend in society to look outside the conventional role of medicine to find answers for one’s health care problems and of their family members. While conventional medicine is preferred in the treatment of trauma and emergencies, alternative medicine approaches unconventional therapies that are used in place of conventional medicine excelling in prevention and the treatment of chronic disease” , states www.alternative-medicine-info.com , proving that folk medicine is still alive. The methods of folk’s medicine are wrapped in a shroud of mystery and touched by irony. The truth is that namely alternative medicine gave the base for development of conventional medicine science. Lithuanian folk medicine is very archaic to compare with other European countries. Historians explain the reason is that Lithuania accepted Christianity very late. I have to admit that Lithuanian folks had a colorful and amazing view to etiology. Etiology is a word used to explain disease origin. The reasons for diseases were believed to be cosmic and atmospheric appearances, earth, fire and water. People thought that one could get sick of the exposure of the sun and moon shades. The belief that these shades consisted form mystic and hazardous mist coming from heaven frightened people a lot. They also spread the warnings about the wind, which brought and sowed the diseases. The sources mentioned that especially most hazardous and chronic illnesses were brought up by wind whirl. From such exposure people and even animals were severely ill. The huge amounts of horrible conditions were present: dizziness, paralysis, blains, edemas and blindness. People explained that diseases had a possibility to come from water and fire, from the earth and worms that were deep inside the human body and teeth. Lithuanian warlocks believed that the origin of illness came from trees or the spirits living there. They stated that these magic spirits were capable to get into human body and mess everything apart. According to ancient times medicine the etiology of diseases was witchcraft too. If the person were given an outtalked meal to eat (meal which was cursed by a witch) he would definitely get in trouble and became sick. I would agree that these stories sounds very unbelievable and at the same time ridiculous. However we have to take in consideration that Lithuanian people persuaded themselves to believe in mystical medicine more than three hundreds years ago. As the following of outtalked meal exposure people would suffer horrible apoplectic fit sometimes even fatal. The onset of the disease was widely believed to come from demon that assumed to settle in human organism. The demons derived pneumonias, tuberculosis and various heart diseases. There is no doubt that people were very creative at these times. They would give fabulous names and descriptions for transmissive diseases. Cholera was believed to be a presence woman. People also had an incredible fable about plague. The story was that the specters of disaster would bring various stuff, hair, horns and sculls on the top of the village hill and would fire them. The side of the village, which would get all smoke, would be the place for plague to visit. These specters would come to the door and knock…As many times they would knock, the exact amount of people would die inside. Some times they would call the names and one’s being called would have died. The other side of myth was that plague was a girl with a red piece of material waving threw the window and spreading the disease along with the death. People were very creative with the descriptions; they imagined disease to ride a horse or carriage. Pixies could bring sleeplessness for the children while they were not protected. For that reason parents kept the light, candle or sharp device to protect their newborns. Lithuanian folk’s medicine was important and progressing field in old times. People were gaining knowledge from each other to answer the question why people get sick. After the reason was found or at least believable explained, the treatment would follow. While people believed that disease was a personality (alive lady)they hoped that they could direct her from human body away. The hope was to send her to old tree forest, swamps, and places where nobody lives. People tried to trick oncoming illness by doing different actions. Women would gather together and spin the huge towels or blankets hanging it on the stakes and making a fence for the whole village. People would fell protected from outside and together with this ritual would sit near the smoke of miracle herbs, spry themselves with bear, eat garlic, smell the sweat from the armpits…The most exciting thing is that you couldn’t avoid these ceremonies and even joke about it in these times. One’s who would even try would be called witches and would have been hanged or burned. This proves how cruel and ignorant Lithuanian people were in ancient times. Folk medicine believed mothers wedding ring to be very important and unchangeable. The best treatment for warts, erysipelas various birth marks was the rubbing with the wedding golden ring. Accurate mothers would save the umbilical cord of the baby, dry it and would use for lacerations, edemas and bleeding. Mother’s wedding ring power was a symbol of strong family binds. The total separate branch of Lithuanian alternative medicine was thermo therapy. The patient was settled in the sauna and exposed to heat and water. One would be sitting on the bowel full of hot water and covered with linen blanket; this was also followed by magic words. Oracles believed that the diseases would be scared of the heat and humidity, so would run away. Not less interesting branch of folk medicine was called irrational therapy. The origin of disease was associated with real or fictitious reason. As an example I could mention the case when a person would gets shakes from being scared of a dog, the witchdoctors would burn the dog’s hair and spray over the victim. People truly believed that neurological diseases come from black spirits, so they would take a black dog or cat and with it’s blood anoint the sick one. People knew how to treat diseases even in the times was there were no medication and unbelievable advanced medical equipment. Philanthropy or in other word herbal therapy was very widely spread and effective. It is proved today that herbal health products are not safer than other medication just because they come from plants. A lot of herbs have beneficial but as well poisonous effects. Witchdoctors were deeply interested in researching herbal world and it’s interaction with human body. Herbal therapy looks back to hundred of years of experience. People used raspberry leaves and lop to make hot tea. They would add some honey and give to the patient to treat flu, runny nose, and pneumonia. Surprisingly left over would be used by ladies, they would rub the face for lasting young and beautiful. I could non stop continue with all various herb names which been used by medicine men. Chamomile was an escape from hepatitis, renal failure; poppy seeds would be the medicine for sleeplessness. Apple tree leaves, peony blossom, birch, valeric acid and other herbal names were taking placed on the pharmacy shelves becoming essential for everyday use. The medical field belonged to the most respected old family members. Through the years of Lithuanian history oracles and warlocks continued practicing medicine and gained all wisdom though the centuries. However every generation brought something new to the field of treating people; every unique case of patient was an incredible opportunity to learn and improve. There is an explainable reason why folk’s medicine attracted the attention of a huge amount of scientist, medical workers, historians, ethnography workers and so on. All of them were hunting the experience and wisdom that came with the years of practice. When world’s technologies got advanced and people got more educated the scientific and alternative medicine parallel existence caused a huge demur. The same contradictions appeared in other science fields such as astronomy, astrology, chemistry, alchemy, psychology and parapsychology (science about unexplainable phenomenon). Despite the fact that alternative medicine used the same methods of treatment as conventional medicine did , both fields were also believed to be controversial. It is amazing that reflexology which accounted for complementary therapy when pressure is applied to the feet, took a significant place in conventional medicine field. The other methods such as homeopathy, hypnosis, and balneology coming form folk medicine resources were widely used treating patients conventional- the new way. Today more and more people realize that science that helped to save abundant amount of lives cannot be forgotten and put away as a history tales in archive. The wisdom of oracles and medicine men became more apparent in today’s medicine. The bright brain started selecting thoroughly and screening all information collected. Especially in cases when patients are left helpless because of a lack of information and research, people are getting a choice to get exposure to folk medicine. The scientists are giving opportunities for old time wisdom show its power. I have raised a question to myself where I could find the Lithuanian folks medicine today. Did people let ancient wisdom about human health just die? To my huge surprise folk medicine is still alive and even getting more popular and spreads out to every medical field. Jozas Ruolia a famous Lithuanian doctor doesn’t mind if people name him herbalist. He manages the hospital laboratory, which runs the program “phitotherapy and other supplements “. The M.D. invites everybody to his lectures and offers to share his knowledge.” If you listened you would understand the bases of biophysical and biochemical effect of plants “, writes http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/Health/article.php?id=4304600 , the electrical website that interviewed the doctor in Lithuania. “The biophysical side consists of electromagnetic features: that energy is already measured with sophisticated apparatus”, philanthropist comforts nonbelievers. He explains, “ Biochemical composition of the plants is it’s active substances. The biochemistry of humans and plants is very similar. We are alike that is why plants can strongly help us”. It is been couple years that Lithuanian philanthropists collaborate with Ukrainian, Swiss and Austrian science institutions which put a lot of effort in exploring herbal therapy effectiveness in oncology. The program “philanthropy and other supplements” is dedicated to everybody that wants to avoid reoccurrence of tumors (people call it cancer). The laboratory has compounded eight herbal mixes, which would help to improve immune, digestion and nerve system work. Dr.Ruolia believed that ” by improving the mentioned systems work would activate the protection against cancer”. The interesting moment is that the laboratory used the recipes from folk’s medicine ancient books. The only thing they changed and improved with today’s technology was that herbs were placed in alcohol not in water. The leader of the laboratory explained that folk’s medicine belief that herb are active in water was wrong. The doctor is positive that alcohol helps to relieve and dissolve all active substances that are valuable in killing cancer cells. Today’s medicine doesn’t satisfy with success everybody. Folk’s medicine comes in the way. Home practitioners are people who are disappointed with conventional medicine results and are seeking for other life saving procedures. http://www.geocities.com/lmedicina/taisykles.htm lists very important rules for today folk’s medicine home practitioners. It offers first to make sure that the diagnosis of disease is clear. Folk’s medicine state that herbal therapies are not dangerous, bet it could provide adverse reactions. The therapy cannot be started if the patient is not sure he/she really wants it. The success of being cured is dependant on the belief to be cured. Herbal or other alternative therapies are not effective right away. The results could be seen only after 2-4 or even more weeks after start. For the treatments you have to use exact herbs and dosages. People cannot become creative in this field and replace missing plants with something different. Only sticking precise to the recommendations of specialist can become a key to successful treatments and well being. The big attention must be paid to unknown and occurring allergies, because not every person can be a potential patient to alternative medicine supplements. Folk’s medicine usually goes together with diet. Some food products such as vegetables o certain fruits have therapeutic effects and can improve the phitotherapy’s efficiency. As en example sugar and salt can be harmful. Herbal therapy must be followed carefully. The dosage and frequency of intake or procedures must be done as ordered. This mention website warns about adverse reaction of alternative medicine’s procedures if people do not take it granted. It also suggests that every person can follow the orders and be a curing person for your own body. Do I believe that just reading and fulfilling the orders of ancient wisdom would help? I don’t…However I strongly believe that ancient wisdom in today’s specialist hands would be a successful therapy. Another broad folk’s medicine field that is widely used in Lithuania is physiotherapy. Many years ago people called it massage. It was used for relieving the pain; keeping organs work in certain rhythm. The widely spread massage was various. Some therapies used feathers, some fists or palms to treat the patients. Certain diseases would benefit from cold environment some from hot or warm massages. The dry hand or various ointments could be used for therapy massages. Alternative medicine assigns two different forms of massage. One is a passive massage when a specialist is massaging a patient. The other form is an active one when people massage themselves. Therapist believed that this form is the most beneficial because a person massages effected aria and integrates to active workout other groups of body muscles and increases the metabolism. Every massage therapist was also a teacher to further generation in ancient times. The secrets and techniques were transferred with all details and today’s massage of physical therapy specialists are practicing this alternative way of curing people. http://www.williecolon.com/health/latinofolkremedies.htm writes: “while stereotypical folk medicine is often thought to be used by only poor and dark people, the truth is that all of us have used (or have had used on us) some form of folk medicine in the guise of home remedies”. No matter how skeptic we can be about dark times procedures and view to medical science. The growing field of herbal therapy, physiotherapy and other fields gave us undeniable example that folk medicine is still alive. The advertisement in media and also experience in conventional medicine builds up a trust in people’s minds. However unsuccessful outcomes of conventional therapies and disappearance of hope brings to the edge of last try…The belief that wisdom of the warlocks can safe the life raises to the maximum and keeps people motivated. Bibliography Your convenient online resource for alternative health. 15 may.2004

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