Folk Medicine Alternative

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)

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• Remedies - Herb drying, storage and preparation descriptions and alphabetical list of tips for easing common complaints.
  
• Ozarkian and Haitian Folk Medicine - Monograph with references describing the similarities between folkloric beliefs in Haiti and mid-western America.
  
• Home Remedies and Holistic Cures - A guide to home remedies and holistic cures for common illnesses and ailments.
  
• The Vinegar Website - Folk uses, medicinal qualities, home remedies, history, and beauty and household uses of vinegar.
  
• Skin Cancer Treatment Alternative Using Topical Pancreatin Enzymes - Describes home remedy using a popular contact lens cleaning solution mixed with aloe vera gel.
  
• Health 911 - Folk Remedies - Alphabetical listing of ailments, their causes and cures.
  
• Toenail Fungus Remedies - Lists several easy and inexpensive ways to get rid of toenail fungus.
  
• Warts - Archived article from the east Texas weekly newspaper column All Things Historical. Describes remedies the author experienced in childhood and lists cures for warts.
  
• Home Remedies for Common Ailments - 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.
  
• Folk Medicine, Amish and Swiss-Pennsylvania German - Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia article describing 18th and 19th century remedies and the proliferation of folk healing among Amish and Mennonite cultures.
  
• A Brief Note Regarding Campa Medical Practices - Describes the author's experiences with Campa Indian remedies in the Amazon River Basin.
  
• India Parenting: Home Remedies - Cures for common childhood ailments and link to information about traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine.
  
• Simple Remedies - Traditional folk remedies and ideas to treat common and not-so common ailments. Generated by readers of Simplitudes.com.
  
• Folk Medicine in Hispanics in the Southwestern United States - Treatise prepared by a Baylor College of Medicine assistant professor outlining some Hispanic folkloric beliefs and the importance of considering such beliefs during standard medical treatment.
  
• Cultural Diversity, Alternative Medicine, & Folk Medicine - Treatise prepared by a Penn State College of Medicine professor on the importance of recognizing cultural diversity of health beliefs and practices.
  
• Philippine Alternative Medicine - A study of various alternative medicines in the Philippines.
  
• Ascending Enterprises - Old Fashioned Remedies - By Lois Lenz, Medicine Woman. Offers solutions for a variety of everyday health problems.
  
• Lithuanian Folk Medicine - Includes sections describing the concept of health and illness, determination of illness, doctors and cures.
  
• Some Common Medicinal and Poisonous Plants Used in Ethiopian Folk Medicine - Treatise by Amare Getahun, professor at Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia. Includes introduction to Ethiopian medical lore, glossary and description of plants and their uses.
  
• Old Cures - The history of old medicine, and an old medical book.
  
• My Home Remedies - A forum where readers can submit their own home remedies as well as rate and comment on others' submissions.
  
• Alternative Cancer Treatment - A treatment center in Thailand specializing in the use of natural healing methods and herbs to treat cancer.
  
• Traditional Medicine - World Health Organization fact sheet outlining the place of traditional healing practices in modern society.
  
• Traditional Health, Medicine and Healing - Describes the practices of the Alaska Native people and their applicability today. Includes reports, articles and resources.
  
• Safe Natural Cures - More Than Home Remedies - Suggests remedies for common problems such as stuffy noses, yeast infections, athlete's foot and hiccups.
  
• Home Remedies Web - Provides information on natural cures for a variety of common illnesses.
  
• Pediatric Oncall - Home-Made Remedies - Indian traditional treatments for common childhood ailments.
  
• American Indian Traditional Medicine in Treating Chronic Illness - Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona at Beth Israel's Center for Health and Healing presents research on how Native American traditional practices can integrate with traditional medicine to treat chronic illness. Includes comparison and demographic charts.
  
• Handbook of Texas Online: Folk Medicine - Referenced article describing beliefs and practices among the Anglo, Mexican and Black cultures in Texas.
  
• Folk Medicine: UCLA Folklore Archive Resource - Includes searchable database by keyword, usage, condition, belief, date, region or ethnicity of origin.
  
• Midwives and Maternity Care in the Roman World - Comparisons between folk treatment and professional midwifery in Greco-Roman society, primarily based upon the writings of Pliny and Soranus. Includes references.
  
• Culturally Diverse Childrearing Practices: Abusive or Just Different? - Discusses non-traditional discipline and healing practices of various cultures as related to perceived abuse or neglect. Includes references.
  
• Herpes Relief - Describes home remedies for relief from the symptoms of herpes naturally, from a fellow sufferer.
  
• Curanderismo: Folk Healing in the Southwest - Radio documentary describing traditional healing with herbs, aromas, massage and rituals. Requires Real Player.
  
• International Home Remedies - An archive composed by students from around the world.
  
• Natural Cure Reviews - Visitor-rated folk remedies and cures. People can submit their favorite remedy and share it with others.
  
• RussianFoods.com - Folk Medicine - Includes suggestions for colds, constipation, toothache, insomnia, headache and breakdown as well as links to the full Russian cooking archive.
  
• International Home Remedy Secrets - Traditional treatments for ailments ranging from acne to vomiting.
  
• Folk Medicine - Referenced article by a home healthcare nurse from West Virginia about the history of folk medicine and practices still in use.
  
• Folk Medicine - Bordering the Future - Brief commentary on folk healing in the Texas border regions.
  
• Medicine Women - Writer Carolina Carlessi discusses growing up in Peru's culture of folk medicine and faith healing and how it affected her perception of modern medicine.
  
  

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