Antall József – Buzinkay Géza szerk.: Népi gyógyítás Magyarországon / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 7-8. (Budapest, 1975)

Hoppál Mihály—Törő László: Népi gyógyítás Magyarországon (magyar és angol nyelven)

M. Hoppá —L. Törő: Ethnomedicine in Hungary 93 Another material of animal origin used for medical purposes is milk.

18 Also animal and human secretions and excrements have played a role in folk medicine.

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9 Such animal parts as heron fat and pike gall were used for defective hearing.

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0 Donkey manure was supposed to be effective against whooping cough,

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1 while undigested little "balls" found in the cow's man were recommended for intestinal ailments. Folk medical practice rarely made use of live animals. Nevertheless leeches were generally applied for the removal of excess blood or in case of the stroke. Equally well known was the use of bees, placed on aching or rheumatic parts of the body. Medications of human origin used in folk medicine are exclusively based on superstition. As in the case of materials of animal origin, human materials are believed to possess specific magic powers. Prominent of such materials is human saliva. Our examples indicate that a mother's aching breast was treated with her child's saliva,

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2 or, as in the region of Bodrogköz, northeastern Hungary, spitting the ibaby for added strength was common.

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3 Licking wounds was a general practice. In addition, such ailments as aching necks, sore throats, boils were treated with the application of saliva.

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4 Another widespread practice was the medical use of urine. It was applied to a variety of ailments, particularly in Eastern Hungary, including fractures and sprains. In the latter case a cold compress of urine was applied.

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5 Other used included the treatment of shivers: the patient was given to drink his own urine.

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6 Similarly various eye and ear ailments were treated with it.

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7 1

8 Freckled face is washed with hot milk: A. Vajkai, 1937.C. 145.; Against pertussis a wide-spread medicament is ass's milk; At Zagyvarékas the wounded, chapped hand is washed with milk: Pócs, 1964. 193.; Milk is used for driving out snake and frog: Bosnyák, 1973. 293 (csángó data from Moldavia); breast-milk was used to sure the wounds of small children: Greszné 1943. 257. 1

9 Szeñdreÿ, 1937/a 164.; and in several villages of county Békés, the itching members were ointed with ointment made of dry, white kennel durt: Grÿñaeųs, 1965. 382; Vámospércs dung-binding was applied to soar throat: Greszné 1944. 10.: against gastralgia horse-dung was eaten at Sáp, ibid, 12.; for healing wounds, sheep-dung and cattle-dung was used in the Bodrogköz: Zisova 1971. 374. 2

0 Juhász 1768. 92—93. 2

1 Bosnyák 1973. 295. 2

2 Wlislockiné 1893. 115. 2

3 Zsova 1971. 367. (This custom was generally spread on the Hungarian Great Plain.) 2

4 Wlislockiné 1896. Grÿñaeųs 1965. 417. and 1971. 776. 2

3 Greszné 1944. 8., Grÿñaeųs, 1965. 392. and 1971. 776; Cs. Pócs, 1964. 205—206. 2

6 Zsova, 1971. 369. and 372. 2

7 Os. Pócis, 1964. 193. Manuscript Doctor Book from Zalavár, receipt Nr. 75. This same method was indicated by the 16th century doctor, too: cf: Varjas 1943. 79.