This semester, I have asked the students enrolled in my PHA 422G class to write a blog on a topic of their choice. Here is the first one.
Appalachian Folk Remedies
Complementary and alternative
medicine, CAM, is a term professionals have coined to include a diverse group
of treatments including home remedies, vitamins, chiropractic care, faith
healing, etc. My knowledgebase comes from eastern Kentucky, so that is the area
of Appalachia that will serve as the focus of this post.
The majority of CAM users in
Appalachia tend to be white, have less access to healthcare, restricted income,
and have a higher amount of people with only a high school education or lower. Since
many people in Appalachia, specifically eastern Kentucky, have restricted
income they usually utilize CAM because it is cost effective and they believe
their remedies work as well as or better than medicine a doctor may prescribe. Also,
people here usually live in hollers and may be required to travel more than two
hours to see a specialist. Use of CAM may be a way for them to get treatment
without traveling long distances. It is important to note that there have not
been many scientific studies on CAM usage among Appalachians and I have
interviewed a few primary sources for much of the following information. Here
are a few examples of CAM usage in eastern Kentucky-
1)
The Blood Verse: Ezekiel 16:6, “And when I
passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when
thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy
blood, Live”. As implied, many believe that this verse will stop bleeding. My
mother told me this when I was very young. She said my grandmother was
internally bleeding and doctors were unable to stop it so they had a family
member recite this verse and the bleeding stopped. In my research I found that
some people believe anyone can say this to stop bleeding, but others, such as
my family, believe the person reciting it must have a “gift”.
2)
Turpentine: this has been used to treat several
different things from worm infections to bee stings. When I was small I was
stung by several hornets so my mother had my neighbor, Papaw Dan, put some
turpentine from his garage onto a rag and applied it to my arms and legs. I was
in a great deal of pain from all of the stings so I can’t recall if the
turpentine was actually helpful.
3)
Urine: It was very common to pour urine in the
ear of someone with an earache. Thankfully, it was my brother that had
earaches. Now many people prefer to use sweet oil.
4)
Sourwood or Black Oak Trees: I was told two
versions of this remedy for childhood asthma. The first is that you should go
take a branch taller than the child from one of these trees and when the child
grew taller than the branch their asthma would be cured. The other is that you
drill a hole just above the child’s height in one of these trees and place a
piece of their hair in it. When the child walked past the tree their asthma
would be cured.
5)
Minnows: It is thought that putting a minnow in
the mouth of a baby can stop excessive slobbering or cure thrush. Again,
thankfully this was something my mother used on my brother.
From what I have gathered many of
the more outlandish remedies have fallen out of favor in recent years, but many
of the other remedies are still used today. There are also many herbal remedies
that are still widely in use. While some of the remedies have scientific
support others are probably successful due to a placebo effect. Regardless,
these remedies are cost effective solutions that seem to work for many people.
Source used for background on CAM:
Nguyen, D., Gavaza, P., Hollon, L.,
& Nicholas, R. (2014). Examination of the use of complementary and
alternative medicine in Central Appalachia, USA. Rural and Remote Health, 14,
2484.
A common cough remedy in Pakistani families is mixing ginger, lemon juice and warm water. I was always told to let the solution sit in the back of my throat for a couple of seconds before swallowing because that was apparently the best way to get the soothing effects of the mixture. I do remember a a kid it would always sooth my throat temporarily
ReplyDeleteMy stepfather grew up in a small, rural town in Kentucky (Lawrenceburg). He said his grandmother used coal oil to treat cuts and scrapes as well as soaking a rag in the oil and placing it on their throats to relieve sore throats. She would also use a concoction of whiskey and honey to treat sore throats as well.
ReplyDeleteAn old remedy my family always uses for deep cuts or wounds was local honey. I use it to this day for lots a things (allergies, cuts, sweetener, etc). The natural enzymes and minerals in honey just amazes me. The other remedy my grandmother taught me for colds and sinus congestion is called a 'Hot Tottie'. A combination of honey, lemon juice, and equal parts of good old Kentucky Bourbon and hot water. Water for hydration (8oz), bourbon (2oz) to cut the mucous, honey to coat your throat (at least a tablespoon and can add more if needed), and lemon juice for taste. Both work every time!
ReplyDeleteComing from an area of an underserved population, i agree that complementary and alternative medicine are the route many choose to take being that they cannot afford any thing other than the "generic" or alternate brand or even afford to see a specialist unless insurance otherwise covers it. Also home remedies are still commonly practiced, remedies passed down through many generations which some will believe alleviates pain or symptoms, others won't.
ReplyDeletei have heard of the " Hot Tottle" mentioned above before and actually know of a few people who actually use this remedy.