FOLK MEDICINE THEN AND NOW - CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HEALING PROCESS IN FOLK MEDICINE IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY ON POLISH RURAL AREAS, AND ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO PRACTICES DERIVED FROM FOLK HEALING

Abstract

Europäische Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft About the Journal Pee Home r Review Editorial Board For Authors Reviewer Recognition Archive Contact Impressum EWG e.V. Elektronische Zeitschriftbibliotek Logo Bielefeld Academic Search Engine Logo Erfolgreich durch internationale Zusammenarbeit HISTORY OF MEDICINE Cite as: Archiv EuroMedica. 2024. 14; 3. DOI 10.35630/2024/14/3.347 Received 28 May 2024; Accepted 20 June 2024; Published 25 June 2024 FOLK MEDICINE THEN AND NOW - CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HEALING PROCESS IN FOLK MEDICINE IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY ON POLISH RURAL AREAS, AND ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO PRACTICES DERIVED FROM FOLK HEALING Maciej Rumian1 email orcid id logo, Wojciech Koziołek2 orcid id logo, Alicja Kosel1 orcid id logo, Maria Antos1 orcid id logo, Angelika Wawryszuk1 orcid id logo, Grzegorz Łyko3 orcid id logo, Weronika Kaminska3 orcid id logo, Adrian Bobrzyk3 orcid id logo 1Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland 2Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Świętej Anny 12, 31-008 Kraków, Poland 3Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland download article (pdf) rumni1998@interia.pl ABSTRACT Introduction and purpose: Folk medicine is a vast subject, describing various actions drawn from herbal medicine, magic and folk beliefs, as well as conventional medicine, aimed at healing the sick. The purpose of the study was to characterize the main principles and components of the healing process in folk medicine practiced among the rural population in 19th and 20th century Poland, based on available literature. Materials and review methods: The PubMed, Google Scholar databases and available book literature were searched for studies and chapters describing the causes of diseases in 19th and 20th century folk medicine, the activities of rural healers, and the methods of treating illnesses practiced at that time. State of knowledge, results: Folk medicine has been a part of the tradition of polish rural medicine for a long time. Folk medicine included both preventive and curative procedures and interventions. Despite their significant differences and diversity, depending on the region of practice, many healing procedures were based on similar principles and had a lot in common. Even today, folk medicine remains alive and, although sometimes treated with a grain of salt, it still remains a practiced element of the medical profession. Conclusion: The review of historical and current literature conducted by the authors allows us to confidently say that folk medicine was very widespread among the rural population in the 19th and 20th centuries in Poland. Despite many differences, the methods used in folk medicine drew from similar principles and rules, which granted them healing power. Studies conducted by contemporary authors demonstrate that despite the intensive development of science and medicine, methods derived from folk medicine are still in use, although they are not as popular as in past centuries.