View source for Ngeyv folk medicine

[[Ngeyv folk medicine]] encompasses the traditional healing and medical practices of [[Ngeyvger]]. Traditionally, in Ngeyv culture, there are two types of healing professionals—the wise woman or '''buolomuņu''', who performs basic procedures including bone setting, tooth extraction, and child delivery, as well as being knowledgeable about herbalism, and the '''sieŋaan''', a ritual specialist of the [[Ngeyvtaiq|traditional Ngeyv religion]], who consults and traffics with spirits to diagnose and treat disease.

==Ngeyv medical epistemology==
Ngeyv culture has three different concepts of disease. Conditions that are clearly visible on the outside of the body, such as cuts, bruises, broken bones, and rotten or broken teeth, are called '''buguoŋ''' and treated by buolomuņu. Diseases of the heart and lungs, digestion, urine, and blood are classified as '''bumʉəsnt''' or "diseases of the life force", and traditionally treated with herbal preparations made by the buolomuņu. The remaining diseases, including psychosis, epilepsy, dementia, and various diseases falling under the umbrella of autoimmune disease and chronic illness, are considered '''bumʉəts''' or "diseases of the shadow soul" and traditionally treated by the sieŋaan.

==Sieŋaanism==
In order to diagnose or treat disease, the sieŋaan falls into a trance state, which can be induced by drumming, meditation, and breathing, and can also be assisted by the use of ''Amanita muscaria'', ''Andromeda polifolia'', or ''Physochlaina physaloides''. In a diagnostic trance state, the sieŋaan consults the spirits who have interacted with the diseased person's shadow soul. These spirits may be appeased or propitiated by throwing tea, tobacco, or cannabis into a fire. For extreme cases, the patient may also be brought into a trance state so that the sieŋaan's shadow soul can communicate directly with that of the patient. When treating patients, the sieŋaan's shadow soul may do battle with malicious spirits, or plead with and attempt to appease spirits which have become displeased with the patient.

==Herbalism==
Medical herbs in Ngeyv folk medicine include:
* ''Alisma plantago-aquatica'' (used against rabies)
* ''Artemisia norvegica'' (sedative)
* ''Dracocephalum moldavica''
* ''Eleutherococcus senticosus''
* ''Ephedra lomatoleptis''
* ''Flueggea suffruticosa'' (used against polio and palsy)
* ''Frangula alnus'' (laxative)
* ''Gastrodia elata''
* ''Iris spp.''
* ''Ledum latifolium''
* ''Leonurus sibiricus''
* ''Lythrum salicaria'' (used as an astringent)
* ''Malva mauritiana'' (taken internally for cough and constipation, used externally as a poultice)
* ''Nepeta sibirica''
* ''Papaver radicatum''
* ''Ribes triste'' (used for kidney stones and painful menstruation)
* ''Salix arctica'' (used as a poultice)
* ''Schizonepeta multifida'' and ''S. annua''
* ''Scutellaria baicalensis'' and ''S. ikonnikovii'' (sedative)

Depending on the specific application, the herbs may be consumed directly, made into a poultice and applied topically, or infused into oil, vinegar, or alcohol.

==Veterinary medicine==
The buolomuņu is also responsible for veterinary procedures. In addition to procedures such as delivering calves, she may treat wounds, either by herbal preparations or through poultices. A practice borrowed from Mahavic equine medicine is the use strips of reindeer meat as a poultice, held in place by the saddle or by strips of hide.

==See also==
* [[Ngeyvtaiq]]


[[Category:Traditional medicine]][[Category:Culture of Ngeyvger]]