Traditional Slavic Medicine

Treatment of a seizure patient with a knife and prayer by a witch doctor, Ryazan Governorate, 1914ru:Народная_славянская_медицина

Traditional Slavic Medicine is the traditional medicine of Slavic people. It has pre-christian roots.

Early Descriptions and Health

In historical records from Byzantine scholars, such as Prokopios, the Slavs are depicted as individuals of notable stature, lean build, strength, and resilience. Their capacity to endure a range of environmental extremes, from intense heat to severe cold, was particularly remarked upon by chroniclers between the sixth and tenth centuries. This portrayal finds empirical support in the analysis of skeletal remains from paleoslavic burial sites, indicating that males typically stood between 165-175 cm. However, it should be noted that the life expectancy during this period was relatively short, often not surpassing 25 years..

Practical situation

In the past, Ukrainians and other Slavic people treated sickness at home. Usually, an older woman in the family did this. But for serious illnesses, they went to doctors. They believed in magical causes of sickness. These included demonic possession and witchcraft. The Slavs thought that strong emotions could cause illness. They even believed it could cause death.

They used different treatments. These included hydrotherapy, massage, and blood-letting. Steam baths were important for prevention and cure. Massage was used to push out the disease. Blood-letting was used to suck out the illness. They protected children from evil spirits with amulets. The amulets were made from animal teeth, bones, metal, glass, and plants. They usually wore them around their neck or wrist.

Diseases and Conditions

The Slavic language contained a plethora of terms related to fever, indicating a high exposure to contagious diseases. The damp, moist climate of their homeland, replete with marshes and dense forests, was conducive to the spread of various illnesses, including malarial conditions. Pediculosis, skin rashes, and other skin-related diseases were also common, as recorded by ancient authors like Ibrahim ibn Ja'küb and al-Mas'ùdï. Skeletal examinations further revealed evidence of diseases like rheumatism, bone tuberculosis, and nonspecific osteomyelitis. Surprisingly, cancer metastases were also identified in one instance.

Dentistry

About 2.5% of teeth from the tenth to thirteenth century Slavs had cavities, with significant percentages of individuals having at least one decayed tooth. There was a noticeable shift from the Middle Ages to modern times, with increasing percentages of dental caries, a higher incidence in children, and a transition from molars to the front teeth being affected.

Vocabulary

The ancient Slavic language reveals much about the health conditions prevalent at the time. Terms existed for ailments like hernia (kila), catarrh (neduha), asthma (sip' and odishka), and conjunctivitis (grjemjezhlivij'). Their lexicon also contained words for wounds (jazva), crust formation (strup'), cicatrization (blizna), infected wounds (gnoj'), and ulcers.

Birth and Mortality

Caesarean sections were not used even to save babies whose mothers already were dead, as shown from archaeological evidence.

Revival in Canada

Ukrainian folk medicine has seen a revival in recent times in Canada

In Canada, Ukrainian folk medicine uses old Slavic methods. There are two main types of techniques. One type involves treatments on the person. These include hot wax in cold water, fire, and cupping.

Some people believe diseases come from spells. They think the evil eye causes them. The treatment for evil eye involves wax or hot coals in water. The healer recites a prayer. The patient then uses the water to wash and drink. This is believed to cure them.

Inflammation is treated with a red cloth and alcohol-soaked cotton balls. These are set on fire. The heat cures the inflammation. Cupping is used for muscle pain or pneumonia. Jars are lit with alcohol inside. They create a vacuum. This pulls out "bad blood" from the skin.

The second type of technique does not involve direct treatment. It includes prayers and amulets. These are believed to have healing powers.

See Also

• Apocryphal prayer

References

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