Folk medicine and its positive and negative effects on Iraqi society, an anthropological study (Tikrit city as a model)

Abstract

Abstract: The subject of folk medicine is important in social and anthropological studies. Therefore, since the beginning of his existence on the earth, man has faced many challenges imposed on him by nature, and folk medicine is known as the interaction between man and the ecological system in which he lives, so the environmental resources of medicinal weeds, stones and sand cannot cure diseases. Alone without the human experience in using and dealing with it and subjecting it to daily use regardless of the validity or mistake of this use, then it is the popular remedy inherited from the predecessors in all its scientific and superstitious characteristics, as it is represented in a set of beliefs and medical therapeutic practices that have been used since long times and passed from Generation to generation. The study focused on studying the following most important points: Is the role of traditional medicine essential in society? Are the therapeutic methods used positive, and can they be strengthened to become effective treatment methods in the health field? What is the secret of continuing popular treatment despite the development and progress of modern medicine? Does culture in the field of herbal remedies contribute to the increase in individuals' frequency of it?