| Long before orthodox medicine took | | | | informally by word of mouth and were |
| center stage in the health care | | | | developed through observation and |
| practices around the world people who | | | | experimentation. |
| were sick used to visit different kind | | | | Illnesses ranging from the common cold |
| of doctors. These doctors were not the | | | | and sore throat to warts, cancer, |
| steth-wielding, tech-savvy, white-coated | | | | malaria, impotence and arthritis are |
| medical geniuses of today. Mostly, they | | | | said to be treated through folk |
| were bearded, wizened and gnarled humans | | | | medicine. |
| looking less like physicians and more | | | | Folk medicine largely depended on the |
| like witches or wizards. But they were | | | | use of natural materials such as herbs, |
| revered, loved and even feared because | | | | plant roots, trees, barks, fruits, |
| of one particular skill they possessed | | | | insects and food items. Therefore, these |
| the healing touch. | | | | practitioners paid a lot of attention to |
| In the early days of civilization, a | | | | botany. |
| vast majority of people were cut off | | | | But the advent of modern medicine saw a |
| from formal medical care. Competent | | | | decline in folk medicine as these rustic |
| physicians were a luxury, to be enjoyed | | | | practices were put under the microscope, |
| only by the super-rich and royalty. For | | | | dissected and then discarded as |
| everyone else, there was the local | | | | worthless. One more reason contributed |
| witch-doctor who was respected for his | | | | to the decline of folk medicine. |
| or her in-depth knowledge of folk | | | | Folk medicine started its downward slide |
| medicine. This was the man or woman who | | | | with the advent of magical healing |
| treated everything from boils to | | | | powers. Seedy people on the lookout for |
| gangrene, from cesarean to malaria and | | | | a few fast bucks were successful in |
| even small pox. | | | | capitalizing on the trust and faith of |
| What is astonishing is that many of | | | | large sections of the society. Once |
| these so-called doctors effectively | | | | their ruse came to light, people began |
| cured their patients. What is even more | | | | to lose faith in folk medicine. Soon |
| interesting is that these medicines have | | | | folk medicine was relegated to a gray |
| lost none of their charms with the | | | | area between orthodox medicine and |
| passage of time and more and more of | | | | quackery. |
| them are finding their rightful place in | | | | However, as more and more people have |
| mainstream medicines. | | | | started to realize, there is a wealth of |
| Remember how your grandma used to give | | | | knowledge in traditional folk medicine. |
| you wild cherry bark for cough, or boil | | | | As people have started adopting the |
| the twigs and leaves of red cedar to | | | | holistic way of life, there is a |
| cure your cold? Well, thats folk | | | | struggle to re-invent the precious folk |
| medicine! If you were to ask your | | | | medicine of yore. In recent years, the |
| grandma how she learnt those techniques, | | | | folk medicine of indigenous people is |
| shed draw a blank! These unofficial | | | | becoming more popular. |
| health-related practices were passed on | | | | |