A study of wisdom of folk doctor in Ampur Ongkharak, Nakhonnayok province

Abstract

Introduction: The traditional medicine treatments belong to their local wisdom. Their reasons are the convenience,money saving and the efficiency. In rural areas, the key person who takes the important role in localhealth care is the folk healers. Therefore, this study aimed to collect the information about the folk healer’swisdom to be the base data for folk healer’s development. Moreover, this information can be furtherapplied to the health care planning by studying the general information, diseases, symptoms, and thetypes of treatment by folk healers who live in Ampur Ongkharak, Nakhonnayok province.

Method: This was the qualitative research. Questionnaire was used as the research tool. The researchers focusedon the folk healers who still treated people and presented the data in the number of frequency andcontent analysis.

Results: There were 19 folk healers lived in Ampur Ongkharak. The important motivation to be the healer wastheir ancestor who also be the folk healers. The knowledge was mostly recorded in their memory.The patients lived in Ampur Ongkharak and also came from the nearby area. The treatment procedurewould start with historical inquiry and then physical checking by the individual knowledge. Mostly,the folk healers would use herbal preparation accompany with spell. In addition, some healers hadthe special practices that consisted of observing religious precept and not drinking alcohol. Thesecharacteristics would be found in the folk healers who used spell together with herbal medicines. The folk healer’s wisdom was the subject about people’s health care that mainly rely on beliefs, faith,

Discussion and Conclusion: and local resources. Body and mind were simultaneously treated. The treatment did not focus on thepayment but involved in the favor. The knowledge of folk healers was not recorded, so these wisdomswould be disappeared together with the folk healers in the same time.

Key words: A study of wisdom, Folk doctor, Ampur Ongkharak, Nakhonnayok province