Turkish FOLK- MEDICAMENTS

Local plants are used in the preparation of these medicines.

Bee-Sting

a) Ice is placed on the place stung by bee, otherwise it is put under cold water or mud is smeared.

b) One bundle of parsley is crushed, and wrapped around the place stung by bee.

c) Garlic is smeared on the place stung by bee.

For Dropping Fever

a) A piece of cloth wet with vinegar is placed on forehead, neck, hand and feet, body. This process is repeated until the body fever drops to normal level.

b) A lemon is squeezed, Aspirin is put in it and solved; this solution is smeared on forehead, etc. of patient.

c) Mixture of spirits, aspirin, one-two drops of olive oil is smeared on joints of the body.

Asthma

A pigeon egg is drunk on an empty stomach for a period of forty days.

Pains

a) Leaves of black cabbage are heated on a fire, and placed on the location giving pain. This process is frequently repeated.

b) Flax seed is boiled and become mush; having it mixed with a certain amount of henna and naphtha oil it is smeared on the paining location. This process is repeated several days one per day.

c) Dry tobacco is crumbled and added into a certain amount of Raki and made it as cream. And this mixture is smeared over the paining location as pomade.

d) Fine sand is fried over a fire, smashed olive with its seed is added; this hot mixture is smeared over the paining location and wrapped up. This process is repeated in three-four days.

Pain in Foot

Rock Salt is dissolved in hot water, feet are kept in this hot water for ten minutes.

Preparation used for killing pain inflicted by twists: Onion with salt or olive is crushed in mortar and this mixture is smeared over the twisted joint.

Headache

a) One potato is cut in circular slices, coffee is scattered over it, and wrapped on the forehead.

b) A lemon is cut in circular slices and wrapped on the forehead.

c) Animal bile and henna is are mixed up and wrapped on the forehead; kept for several hours.

Bronchitis

a) Flax seed and fever sugar are mixed and crushed in a mortar and eaten.

b) One slice of bread is toasted well on embers and dipped into vinegar and then placed on the chest.

Tonsil

Cotton is wetted with spirits and black pepper is sprinkled over it and is wrapped around the throat.

For Renal Stone

a) Leaf of medlar (pirus germanica) is boiled and drunk like tea; this process continuous until the stone drops.

b) Juice of parsley or yoghurt is drunk every morning.

Bleeding of Nose

Shell of egg is burnt until it becomes ash. In case the nose bleeds, this ash is sniffed

For Haemorrhoids

a) Garlic is smeared. This process is repeated continuously in every morning.

b) Core of wild roses is boiled and drunk like tea.

For Whitlow

Okra is boiled with milk and wrapped around the finger.

For Cold (Catarrh)

Mint with lemon or lime with lemon is boiled and drunk like tea.

Sty : Garlic is smeared over sty.

Diarrhoea

a) One aspirin is put in a glass of soft drink and this preparation is drunk, then diarrhoea stops.

b) One coffee spoon of coffee is mixed with lemon juice and drunk.

c) One tea glass of yoghurt is mixed with one tea class of carbonate

For Cancer

In summer seed and in winter dry of nettle is boiled like tea and drunk in every morning on empty stomach.

For mumps

Patient eats red “Halvah”. Black soot of frying pan is smeared on mumps.

Swelling of Stomach

Bran and vinegar are mixed and wrapped around stomach after heating.

Calcification

Fish oil is applied on places where calcification occurred.

Earache

One drop of leek juice is dropped inside the ear.

Bite of Dog

Bread yeast is strapped on the place bitten by dog.

Stomach Ache

a) Honey and milk are mixed and drunk.

b) Root of elecampane is boiled and drunk like tea.

c) “Tahin helvasi” (sweet made of sesame oil and sugar) is eaten on empty stomach.

d) Leaf of wart is chewed and swallowed .

Eczema

a) Egg-plant roasted over a fire is mixed with powder henna; this preparation is placed on eczema and strapped with a cloth.

b) Leaf of peach is boiled and drunk like tea for ten days

c) Meat of hedgehog is eaten.

d) Seed of elder tree (Sumbucus nigra) is swallowed.

Chest Disease Marked by Difficulty in Breathing

a) Nettle is boiled and drunk everyday as tea.

b) Black radish is carved and filled with honey. A small hole is opened under radish and same is placed on the mouth of a vessel. It is kept overnight, and then the leaked honey is eaten.

c) Pine cone is boiled and drunk like tea.

Coughing

a) One spoon honey and one spoon of lemon juice are mixed and drunk. This process is continued on several days every morning on empty stomach.

b) Apple, lime and skin of lemon are boiled altogether and drunk in every morning on empty stomach like tea.

c) Parsley is eaten.

Rash

Ash of dry reed is cooked and smeared.

Rheumatism

a) Horse chestnut and sugar candy for fit are crushed, mixed and eaten.

b) One tin of barley is added in one cauldron of water and it is boiled and then temperature of water is dropped to moderate level. Patient enters inside the cauldron and remains there for one hour. This process is repeated for several days.

c) One bundle of Sultan herb is placed in one cauldron of water and it is boiled and then temperature of water is dropped to moderate level. Patient enters inside the cauldron and remains there for one hour. This process is repeated for several days.

d) Patient is buried up to his/her neck in manure, and kept for one hour.

e) One glass of juice of grated celery root is drunk.

Hair

In Springtime vine stems are chopped and their dropping liquid is collected in a bottle and head is washed with this liquid for growing hair long and prevent losing hair.

Jaundice

Forehead or chest of patient scratched with razor blade.

Backaches

a) A cupping-glass is applied.

b) Honey is applied on aching places, and red or black pepper is sprinkled thereon. A perforated newspaper is placed thereon. On the newspaper a towel is spread; and patient remain one night in this manner. This operation is frequently repeated.

Malaria

A wild plant with small pink flower called “malaria weed” is boiled and drunk like tea.

For Boil or Wounds

a) “Ribbed Plant” (sinir otu) is applied on boils and wounds, if not found, leaf of cabbage or tomato is wrapped.

b) Soap, a piece of salammoniac (ammonia) are placed inside an onion and it is cooked; it is applied on boils or wounds at normal temperature.

For Bites of Poisonous Animal

Head of a match is rubbed, this substance is applied on the bitten area.