So today I'm gonna talk about Folk Medicine from the Daily life section in stories of america cards.

(What is Folk Medicine)

Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the era of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as "the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness".Traditional medicine is often contrasted with scientific medicine.

In some Asian and African countries, up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. When adopted outside its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often considered a form of alternative medicine.

(Home-Grown Health Care)

The intricate gardens of herbs that grew behind many colonial homes were a kind of living pharmacy. They were well stocked with plants known to settle stomachs, cure coughs and colds, and treat consumption. The various salves and syrups were processed in the "stillroom" that adjoined most early kitchens, usually by the mother of the family or by some other specially trained women.

Anne Hutchinson's great skill with herbal medicine had brought about her initial influence in the New England area as a religious dissenter, And John Wesly, the founder of Methodism, had convinced the settlers that God had provided a plant to cure every ailment.

Cotton Mather tried to systematize this knowledge in 1721 and even tried to defend such "unnatural" treatments as inoculation against smallpox by referring to the folk medicine of other cultures. He pointed out that Africans were able to check the disease by cutting the skin of the non-infected and placing secretions from a pock in the wound to bring on a mild illness instead of a fatal one.

Future immunity was, of course, its primary benefit.

Folk medicine in early America was both a home remedy and a frontier for new research. For when medicine was finally taught in colleges in the late 18th century, it was the properties of new plants being brought back from sea voyages around the world that most interested physicians.

Also included were such American contributions as quince (an applelike fruit) and tobacco, which were used as narcotics.

In the meantime, average citizens protected themselves against the expense of a physician's care and the risk of quackery by looking to herbs and "simples" (medicinal plants).

The Shakers, whose religion forbade the use of doctors "from the outside world", developed these skills further by learning the special properties of American plants from the indians.

They established herb farms in the 20 major communities, where they grew and processed plant material, sold seeds and dried herbs, then added a dozen varieties of pills and syrups to medicinal products they manufactured and sold.

These included Family Cough Syrup, which had been recommended by a group of settlers who had used it enroute to California, and sarsaparilla which, when taken several times a day, was a general restorative that produced "Good Appetite and Rich Blood".

It was advertised as being especially good for "Mothers When Worn Out". The last Shaker medicinal catalog was printed in 1894.

(Criticism with Folk Medicine)

There has been Criticism with Folk Medicine over the years especially with regulations reasons, Although 130 countries have regulations on folk medicines, there are risks associated with the use of them. zoonosis, mainly as some traditional medicines still use animal-based substances. It is often assumed that because supposed medicines are natural that they are safe, but numerous precautions are associated with using herbal remedies.

There was also use with endangered species, such as the slow loris, which are sometimes killed to make traditional medicines, Shark fins have also been used in traditional medicine, and although their effectiveness has not been proven, it is hurting shark populations and their ecosystem and The illegal ivory trade can partially be traced back to buyers of traditional Chinese medicine. Demand for ivory is a huge factor in the poaching of endangered species such as rhinos and elephants.

(Ending)

And that is the end, so next time I'm gonna go over the Plymouth colony and the Lizzie Borden case so if those topics interest you stay tooned when I can make them.