Kayseri İlinde Bir Halk Şifacisi
A Folk Healer in a Province Of Kayseri

Summary/Abstract: Since the methods used by traditional midwives/healers are the extension of folk medicine practices, it is important to collect original information regarding folk medicine by talking to the surviving members of folk medicine and to keep the records of this information. In addition, healthcare providers’ being aware of the traditional practices in a community will play an important role in determining realistic health needs. In this context, our article aimed to evaluate the applications of a healer still surviving. The researchers visited the folk midwife/healer at her home and informed her about the purpose of the study. After the healer agreed to talk to us, we had face-to-face talk with her, using the in-depth interview technique. The 93-year-old participant was mainly interested in gynecological diseases and birth, but she also dealt with the treatment of other systemic diseases. She was illiterate. She was born in Kayseri. She had actively continued to apply folk medicine practices for twenty years. The folk midwife’s practices were first determined and then compared with the practices applied in the other parts of Anatolia and/or described in antique medical books. The midwife used witchcraft medicine and parpılama, applied religious treatments and made use of medicine obtained from herbs or animals. The comparison revealed that some of the traditional practices had undergone changes in time, in parallel with the changes and developments in traditions or in the person’s mentality. The practices applied by the folk midwife are similar to those applied in some cities in Turkey and/or described in antique medical books. In this context, the midwife/healer in our study can be considered as a folk healer/midwife. The evaluation of her applications in terms of modern medicine revealed some medical concerns/drawbacks. For instance, they caused irritation and/or infection. They also led to delays in the implementation of modern medicine and thus to the development of adverse effects since the outcome of the treatment was not at a desired level.

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