Directory of Folk Medicine Resources

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines folk medicine as "traditional medicine as practiced nonprofessionally especially by people isolated from modern medical services and usually involving the use of plant-derived remedies on an empirical basis". As stated by David J. Hufford, professor in the Department of Humanities at the Penn State College of Medicine: Folk medicine is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that relies heavily (although not exclusively) on oral tradition. Strongly influenced by cultural norms and values, folk medicine generally comprises the "unofficial" or "lay" health beliefs and practices found in all societies. (Hufford DJ. "Folk medicine and health culture in contemporary society". Primary Care. 1997;24:723-741, cited in Report 13 of the Council on Scientific Affairs (A-97), American Medical Association)

Resources in This Category

• A Brief Note Regarding Campa Medical Practices

  http://www.jqjacobs.net/writing/ethnomed.html
  Describes the author's experiences with Campa Indian remedies in the Amazon River Basin.

• Beauty & Health Natural Remedies

  http://allnaturalbeautyhealth.blogspot.co.uk/
  Provides suggestions for treatments of common maladies such as sunburn and indigestion.

• Cebuano Herbsman

  http://cebuanoherbsman.blogspot.co.uk/
  Suggestions for alternative treatments and cures.

• Curanderismo: Folk Healing in the Southwest

  http://soundprint.org/radio/display_show/ID/288/name/Curanderismo:+Folk+Healing+in+the+Southwest
  Radio documentary describing traditional healing with herbs, aromas, massage and rituals. Requires Real Player.

• Cure Cabinet

  http://www.curecabinet.com/
  Provides natural treatments for a variety of ills.

• Easy-Home-Remedies.com

  http://www.easy-home-remedies.com/
  Suggestions for treatments for minor and major ailments. Includes a section on menopause and growing herbs.

• Ebnere-Royale

  http://www.ebnera-royale.com/
  A treatment center in Thailand specializing in the use of natural healing methods and herbs to treat cancer.

• Food as Medicine

  http://foodsthatcure.blogspot.co.uk/
  Lists curative properties in food for common ailments.

• Healing Wonders of Philippine Medicinal Plants

  http://www.filipinoherbshealingwonders.filipinovegetarianrecipe.com/
  Also offers water cures. Lists ailments and their suggested treatments.

• Health 911: Folk Remedies

  http://www.health911.com/healthconditions
  Alphabetical listing of ailments, their causes and cures.

• Home Remedies for You

  http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/
  Information on causes, symptoms and diet conditions for common ailments and diseases. Also provides information on health benefits from common ingredients like honey, garlic, aloe vera and other items.

• Home Remedies Web

  http://www.homeremediesweb.com/
  Provides information on natural cures for a variety of common illnesses.

• Home Remedy Central

  http://www.homeremedycentral.com/
  Offers natural solutions for healing common health problems.

• HomeRemediesForYou

  http://homeremediesforyou.com/
  Offers treatments and tips for ailments. Also has articles on skin care, meditation and the immune system.

• HomeRemedyHaven

  http://www.homeremedyhaven.com/
  Offers natural treatments for various ailments. Also provides information on yoga, herbs and vitamins.

• India Parenting: Home Remedies

  http://www.indiaparenting.com/homeremedies/
  Cures for common childhood ailments and link to information about traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine.

• International Home Remedies

  http://susangaer.com/studentprojects/rem.htm
  An archive composed by students from around the world.

• Midwives and Maternity Care in the Roman World

  http://www.indiana.edu/~ancmed/midwife.HTM
  Comparisons between folk treatment and professional midwifery in Greco-Roman society, primarily based upon the writings of Pliny and Soranus. Includes references.

• My Home Remedies

  http://www.myhomeremedies.com/
  A forum where readers can submit their own home remedies as well as rate and comment on others' submissions.

• Old Cures

  http://oldcure.com/
  The history of old medicine, and an old medical book.

• Oral Thrush Treatment

  https://homeremediesfororalthrush.com/
  Provides tips and suggests remedies for yeast infections. Also covers beauty and lifestyle issues. Written in blog format.

• Pediatric Oncall - Home-Made Remedies

  http://www.pediatriconcall.com/forpatients/alternativemedicines/homemaderemedies.aspx
  Indian traditional treatments for common childhood ailments.

• Philippine Alternative Medicine

  http://www.stuartxchange.com/AltMed.html
  A study of various alternative medicines in the Philippines.

• Placenta Disposal Suggestions

  http://www.moondragon.org/parenting/placentadisposalrituals.html
  Describes rituals and recipes associated with birth products.

• Placenta Recipes

  http://www.twilightheadquarters.com/placenta.html
  Mothering Magazine offers an illustrated guide to preparing the placenta for consumption.

• Safe Natural Cures - More Than Home Remedies

  http://www.lacetoleather.com/safnatcur.html
  Suggests remedies for common problems such as stuffy noses, yeast infections, athlete's foot and hiccups.

• Self Healing Herbs

  http://www.self-healing-herbs.com/
  Information on benefits from common ingredients like Swedish bitter, garlic, sage and dandelion.

• Siddha Home Remedies

  http://siddhahomeremedies.blogspot.com/
  A herbal medicinal system developed in South India. Offers tips for a variety of ailments with local produce.

• Simple Remedies

  http://www.simple-remedies.com/
  Traditional folk remedies and ideas to treat common and not-so common ailments. Generated by readers of Simplitudes.com.

• Skin Cancer Treatment Alternative Using Topical Pancreatin Enzymes

  http://www.topicalinfo.org/
  Describes home remedy using a popular contact lens cleaning solution mixed with aloe vera gel.

• Some Common Medicinal and Poisonous Plants Used in Ethiopian Folk Medicine

  http://ip.aaas.org/tekindex.nsf/2a9c4e44835b04ea85256a7200577a64/99b535e7618170c485256ae100696f4c/Body/M1?OpenElement
  Treatise by Amare Getahun, professor at Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia. Includes introduction to Ethiopian medical lore, glossary and description of plants and their uses.

• Speedy Remedies

  http://www.speedyremedies.com/
  Provides natural home remedies for various diseases and conditions.

• That Heals That

  http://www.thathealsthat.com/
  Offers a variety of kitchen remedies, information about superfoods and improving quality of life.

• Top 10 Home Remedies

  http://www.top10homeremedies.com/
  Online resource for videos and articles on natural health and alternative medicine.

• Traditional (Native American) Indian Medicine Treatment of Chronic Illness

  http://www.healing-arts.org/mehl-madrona/mmtraditionalpaper.htm
  An article by Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona presentsing research on how traditional practices can integrate with medicine to treat chronic illness. Includes comparison and demographic charts.

• TSHA: Folk Medicine

  https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/sdf01
  Referenced article describing beliefs and practices among the Anglo, Mexican and Black cultures in Texas.

• Warts

  http://www.texasescapes.com/DEPARTMENTS/Guest_Columnists/East_Texas_all_things_historical/Bowman_Warts_82000.htm
  Archived article from the east Texas weekly newspaper column All Things Historical. Describes remedies the author experienced in childhood and lists cures for warts.

• Wikiwel

  http://wikiwel.com/
  Provides information about herbal remedies, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine and homeopathy.

Related Categories

• Home > Health > Alternative > Herbs
• Home > Science > Biology > Botany > Ethnobotany
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• Home > Society > Folklore

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