Folk Medicine and Traditional Medicine in Kamercheh Oliya Village in Torbatejaam

The village of Kamercheh Oliya in the Moosa-abad plain is located in the central part of Torbat-e-jaam city, Khorasan Razavi province. Over the years, its population has migrated to the province’s center and Mashhad for employment and the village now has about 100 inhabitants. The Kamercheh Oliya has kept many of its traditions, customs, and ceremonies because of being far from the province center and its remoteness. The purpose of this research is to study the traditional medicine anthropology and to understand the therapeutic methods available to the people of this village.

The data of the present research is the result of anthropological researches based on fieldwork (in-depth interview and observation technique) and documentary based and library research methods. To collect these data, all of the field study, documentary based and library research methods have been used. Interviews with the elderly as native informed individuals have been one of these methods.

In general, along with the use of Medicinal species of animal origins such as " mache olagh", " var avard " (or the first donkey dung), another method of smoke therapy called "kokh golun" and using certain foods such as "khigine sir "and the "chehel bori"treatment method are the most commonly used treatments for the diseases in this village. Physical illnesses such as ischuria, nocturia, toothache and some Mental illnesses and disorders, such as "chehel oftadan", have been widespread in this village.

Traditional medicine in the eastern part of Khorasan and distant parts such as Kamercheh Oliya have preserved their antiquity. The use of natural treatments, smoke therapy, prayers therapy and so on, is itself evidence of the claim that has been largely The use of natural therapists, smoke therapy, prayers and so on, is evidence of the claim that has so far been kept to a large extent by elderly in the village. On the other hand, there is a wide range of oral and religious heritage in the villagers’ culture about diseases and treatments that have not been documented yet; therefore, the necessity of this research becomes more evident. A study on traditional medicine can identify these methods, exchanges and cultural effects among people living in the region and elsewhere.