What and how did the ancestors of Turkmen use for medical treatment
The traditional medicine of the Turkmen was formed first of all from centuries of experience and observations of healers and, to some extent, the influence of other people's medicine. Watching the effect of various substances on the course and outcome of diseases, the healers made a conclusion about their usefulness or harm.
With the accumulation of experience, folk medicine has become increasingly practical. So, not yet having an idea of infections, the ancient Oguzes noticed the contagious nature of certain diseases.
The Arabian geographer of IX-X centuries Ibn Fadlan wrote: "If one of them (Oguzes) falls ill, a tent is set for him aside from the houses. Servant serves him until his recovery...".
Isolation of the patient from healthy fellow tribesmen was recognized by ancient Oguzes as a necessary precautionary measure. It is likely that this sensible approach ruled out global epidemics in Turkmenistan, as happened in Persia, India and other countries of the East.
Under curious observation the doctors defined the medicinal properties of plants, mineral waters, mud and even mineral oil, which Turkmens used for greasing the sick joints for themselves and pets. Cattlemen-Turkmens independently coped with foot-and-mouth disease in cattle. They rubbed the tongues of the animals with salt, and hooves were smeared with tar or oil.
Using the shoots of camel thorn, licorice root, juniper resin, our contemporaries are also indebted to their ancestors, who, due to their closeness to nature, discovered the medicinal properties of these plants and introduced them into the arsenal of medicines.
An indication of the existence of healers among Turkmens is found in the writings of the Arab geographer of the tenth century, Al-Makdisi: "They (Turkmens) honor their doctors and every time they see them, they are praused."
An Arab geographer of the same time Al-Istakhri writes that in Merv there lived a doctor named Borzus, with his ability "superior to Persian doctors".
The Turkmens considered the legendary Lukman and Aistuta their teachers in the field of healing. It is interesting that some terms of traditional Turkmen medicine are consonant with Greek names. For example, the opening of the veins Cephalika Turkmen tabibs denoted by the word "kfal", and the veins Basilika - the word "Vasalik". The roots of these words are undoubtedly identical with each other.
What methods were used by ancient Turkmen healers for treatment?
It is indicative that before physicians began to treat the physical ailment directly, healers sought to influence the psyche of the sick person, using a kind of psychotherapy to "adjust" the patient to recovery. This method is based on the wise observation of our ancestors - the stronger the inner will and belief in recovery, the faster and more naturally the recovery occurs. But it is absolutely certain that the medical treatment in folk medicine was the main one.
Although some herbal remedies have been used in the past somewhat differently than now, however, modern drugs include substances discovered and used in ancient times by Turkmen doctors: salts, ginger, heavy metals (copper, tin, alum), a variety of herbs and flowers, which tabibs collected in the steppe and mountains in the period of flowering and budding.
In addition to medicines, other internal remedies were used for internal diseases. For example, with paralysis and rheumatism - wrapping in fresh eats of sheep, with joint pains - warming with dry hot sand, with diseases of the digestive organs - short-term abstinence from food, drinking licorice broth and the subsequent diet.
Often a set of medical measures included bloodletting with the help of venous section. This method was used to relieve spasms of blood vessels. Since ancient times, the curative effects of the sun and mineral springs have been known to the Turkmen.
Special glory of the people was given to tabib-surgeons, who skillfully treated the most complex wounds. One of the ways was as follows: a fresh wound was covered for several days with pure fat lambskin, and then the ointment was applied to the wound, which included the same melted fat, beeswax and copper vitriol.
Undoubtedly, back then it was a rational method of treatment, since fat and wax prevented the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the wound, and copper preparations are cauterizing and astringent. In the handwritten sources of the past, there are indications that the tabibs mastered the technique of more complex operations, for example, eye surgeries.
It should be noted that at all times Turkmens rarely went for help to doctors, which, however, did not prevent them from appreciating their doctors. The factors facilitating the course of illness, according to Turkmens, included the absence of alcoholism noted in many sources, food restraint and peculiar selectivity and a balanced diet.
So, the geographer of the IX century Al-Yakub wrote: "The food of these people (Turkmen cattlemen) is only the milk of mares, and they mostly eat the meat of wild animals." Preference of milk of mares in front of milk of other animals, for example sheep, can be explained only by the fact that from a very ancient time the Turkmen knew about the high healing power of koumiss and its properties that strengthen health.
It is interesting that during obstetrics in severe cases, midwives used active measures, which still exist in the practice of obstetrics. However, such cases were rare. Turkmen women were, as a rule, strong not only due to the factors described above, but also differed in inborn physical and spiritual endurance and useful habits from young age.
The Hungarian scientist-traveler Vamberi in the middle of the nineteenth century wrote about Turkmens: "young women never forget to plunge into cold baths from the early morning", "often in the mornings one could see a matron standing in front of the entrance of her tent with a loose scarf in her hands. Behind this impromptu curtain is her husband, who is pouring on his wife several buckets of cold water."
Monitoring health is necessary, because, as the ancient healers correctly noted, "A healthy body holds a healthy mind." A healthy, reasonable spirit suggests that many diseases can be prevented if you take care of the strength of your body in a timely manner. This was well known to our ancestors and they strictly followed this wise rule.
One of the most important indicators of the degree of development, well-being of any state is one that reflects the level of its concern for the health of its fellow citizens. Since the first days of independence, Turkmenistan has headed for reform of the national health system. The state program "Health ("Saglyk") has been developed and is operating, and new medical centers equipped with the most modern equipment appear in the country every year.
As for the methodological problem of the influence of traditional medicine on modern medical science, a vivid example of this is the multi-volume encyclopedia "Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan" prepared and published by Academician of the Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. This is a fundamental study of the Turkmen flora and the principles of folk phytotherapy from the point of view of modern science.
This work of the Turkmen leader can be considered an ode to the traditions of people's healing. At the same time, it has theoretical and applied value for practicing physicians. Proceeding from this, the volumes of the book were translated into many languages of the world, having found their readers abroad.
The domestic health care system is based on the synthesis of the rich heritage of folk healing and modern experience with the latest achievements of science, which are embodied in high-tech medical centers built throughout the country.
By the way, recently the International Center of Endocrinology and Surgery has opened its doors in Ashgabat, where there is a whole cluster of such specialized, superbly equipped clinics.
The phytotherapy method is successfully used in the prevention of endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, etc.) and as an auxiliary in their treatment, as can be more fully learned from the book "Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan".
