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Table 2 Non-plant remedies used to treat humans and other animals

From: Use of cultivated plants and non-plant remedies for human and animal home-medication in Liubań district, Belarus

Remedy

Local names

Preparation

Application

UC

Anthill

куча мурав’ёф / kuča muravjof

ritual, literature based, bath

epilepsy

1

Beer

піва / piva

forced to drink

rumination problems in cow (vet)

3

poured on stones in sauna

aromatherapy

1

Bile of the pig

жэлчь ат свіней / želč́ at sviniej

macerated in alcohol, topical application

pain

1

Brandy

каньяк / kańjak

drunk

kidney stones

1

Bread

хлеб / chlieb

mumbled on, allowed to eat

to protect cows against snake bites (vet)

1

to protect cows (vet)

1

Bread, soft part of it

мякіш хлеба / miakiš chlieba

roll over the stomach, say words and then fed to a dog

fright

1

Bread mold

цвілы хлеб / ćvily chlieb

scratched from bread, mixed with fat, smeared

mastitis in cows (vet)

1

Brick

кірпічына / kirpičyna

sit on a bucket with hot water and hot brick

women’s diseases

1

Broken hay, chaff

дзёран / dzioran

fodder

vitamins for calves (vet)

2

Butter

масла / masla

heated until boiling, eaten

diarrhea

1

Chicken navel skin

плёначкі ад курыных пупкоў / plionački ad kurynych pupkoŭ

dried, macerated in hot water

diarrhea

1

Clay

гліна / hlina

fresh, fodder

given to calves (vet)

2

diluted with water, forced to drink

when an overheated horse has drunk cold water (vet)

1

fresh, additional fodder

pigs, to make joints strong (vet)

1

Cow milk, freshly milked

сырадой / syradoj

washed with

eye inflammation

1

Diesel oil

дзізельнае масла, аўтол / dzizieĺnaje masla, aŭtol

forced to drink

rumination problems in cow (vet)

1

topical application

skin diseases in pigs and piglets (vet)

1

Dog hair

шэрсць сабакі / šersć sabaki

cut and set on fire

fright

2

Dung water or horse feces

конскі гной, конскі кал / konski hnoj, konski kal

dropped on sugar, eaten

helminthic infection

1

fed

helminthic infection in pigs (vet)

3

few drops put into glass of water, so person drinking it does not know

helminthic infection

3

Egg

яйка / jajka

boiled, applied hot

allergic rhinitis

1

boiled, applied hot

sinusitis

1

boiled

diarrhea (in children)

2

Egg and vodka

яйцо з гарэлкаю / jajco z harelkaju

mixed and forced to drink

diarrhea in piglets (vet)

3

Egg yolk

яічный жэлток / jaičnyj želtok

salve made with oil of Helianthus annuus and egg yolk

panacea

1

Egg white

бялок яйца / bialok jajca

applied fresh

burns

1

Fat of the badger

барсучья сала / barsuč́ja sala

melted and smeared

burns

1

Fat of the goose

гусіны жыр / husiny žyr

mixed with honey and applied with cabbage leaves on chest

cough in children

3

Fat of the pig

сала / sala

fresh, topical application

foot sores

1

fresh, topical application

toothache

5

salted, topical application

toothache

6

smeared on scalp

to increase hair growth

1

topical application

mastitis in cows (vet)

2

ointment made with turpentine, topical application

aching legs

1

Fat of the ram

барані жыр / barani žyr

mixed with hot milk or honey and vodka

cough

1

Fat of the sheep

авечы жыр / aviečy žyr

added to hot milk

cold in children

1

salve made with root of Arctium spp.

joint pain

1

Fat of the goose

гусіны жыр / husiny žyr

smeared

burns

2

cold

1

earache

1

foot sores

1

Fat of the hedgehog

вожыка жыр / vožyka žyr

boiled, smeared

burns

1

Fireplace grime

сажа з коміна / saža z komina

forced to eat

diarrhea in calves (vet)

1

Flour

мука / muka

fodder additive

to increase milk production in cows (vet)

3

Grasshopper

конік, кузнечык, цвыркун / konik, kuźniečyk, cvyrkun

topical application

warts

2

Honey

мёд / miod

diluted with water, topical application

eye problems

1

mixed with goose fat and applied with cabbage leaves on chest

cough in children

3

eaten

cold

2

cough

1

panacea

1

sore throat

1

stomach ache

1

topical application

burns

1

mixed with hot milk, drunk

cough

1

mixed with vodka, applied on throat

sore throat

1

Honeybees

пчала / pčala

allowed to sting

rheumatism

1

Honeybees, dead

пчаліны падмур / pčaliny padmur

macerated in alcohol (for 2 weeks)

heart problems

2

hypertension

2

joint pain

1

Kefir

кефір / kiefir

drunk

constipation

3

Lactic acid

малочная кіслата / maločnaja kislata

forced to drink

rumination problems in cows (vet)

1

Laundry soap

хазяйсцвеннае мыла / chaziajscviennaje myla

ground, compress, external

sore throat

2

ground, clyster

constipation in cows (vet)

3

smeared

mastitis in cows (vet)

1

topical application

wounds

1

smeared

mastitis in cows (vet)

5

Leftovers from moonshine distillation

брага / braha

forced to drink

stomach ache in cows (vet)

1

Liquid left after making curds

сыроватка (сываратка) / syrovatka (syvaratka)

forced to drink

rumination problems in cows (vet)

1

Lice

вош / voš

hidden in bread and given to eat

jaundice

1

Meat of the badger

барсук / barsuk

boiled and eaten

tuberculosis

1

Meat of the dog

сабака / sabaka

dried, eaten

tuberculosis

1

made into cutlets

tuberculosis

1

boiled and eaten

tuberculosis

1

Milk of the cow

малако / malako

garlic added and sit in hot bath

helminthic infection

1

forced to drink

stomach problems in cows (vet)

1

heated, soda added, drunk

sore throat

1

Milk of the cow, sour

кіслае малако / kislaje malako

drunk

constipation

2

Milk of the goat

казінае малако / kazinaje malako

drunk

allergies in children

3

drunk hot

cough in children

3

topical application

eye pain

1

drunk

cancer

1

drunk

asthma

1

heated, drunk with honey

earache

1

 

cough

3

heated, drunk with soda

cough

3

Motor oil

маторнае масла / matornaje masla

forced to drink

stomach problems in cows (vet)

1

Mussel shells or chalk

ракушкі ці мел / rakuški ci miel

broken, fodder additive

to make egg-shells stronger (vet)

1

Oil

алей / aliej

drunk

constipation

5

forced to drink

rumination problems in cows (vet)

2

Petroleum

керасін, кірасін / kierasin, kirasin

compress

sore throat

2

Petrol

бензін, салярка / bienzin, saliarka

applied on scratched warts

warts

1

topical application

eczema

1

Potassium permanganate

марганцоўка / marhancoŭka

drunk

vomiting

1

weak solution, drunk

diarrhea

1

Propolis

праполіс / prapolis

macerated in alcohol, topical application

joint pain

4

macerated in alcohol, drunk

panacea

2

stomach ache

1

macerated in strong alcohol

sore throat

1

Rain water

дажджавая вада / daždžavaja vada

washed with

hair care

1

Salt

соль / soĺ

dissolved in water, gurgling

toothache

1

heated, topical application

cystitis

3

earache

1

toothache

1

sore throat

1

heated and put into socks

cough

1

mixed with vodka, drunk

diarrhea

1

mixed with rye flour, heated, topical application

sinusitis

1

ritual “salting”

evil eye

1

Salted water

салёная вада / salionaja vada

side of the calve pierced and the mixture poured into wound

rumination problems in calves (vet)

1

Snakeskin

змяіная кожа / zmiainaja koža

dried, topical application

burns

1

Snakeskin (old)

змеіная лінь (старая шкура) / zmieinaja liń (staraja škura)

topical application

pimples

1

Sand where chickens bathe

пясок, дзе куры купаюцца / piasok, dzie kury kupajucca

topical application

warts

1

Sebaceous secretion of goose

гусіны гной / husiny hnoj

smeared on with leaves, topical application

splinter in the finger

1

Snailshells or chalk

ракушкі ці мел / rakuški ci miel

broken, fodder additive

to make chicken egg-shells stronger (vet)

1

Soda

сода / soda

bath

foot sores

1

gurgling with solution

sore throat

2

mixed with water, drunk

cleaning of stomach

1

mixed with water, eyes washed

eye pain

1

mixed with water, forced to drink

rumination problems in goats (vet)

1

topical application

burns

1

Spirits

спірт / spirt

drink one teaspoon every day

against a fright from lightening, not to be nervous and nasty throughout life

1

smeared

sore throat

1

topical application

cold

1

eczema

1

joint pain

1

psoriasis

1

sore throat

1

Starch

крахмал / krachmal

eaten dry and water drunk afterwards

diarrhea

1

mixed with cold water, drunk

diarrhea

2

mixed with cold water, forced to drink

diarrhea in calves (vet)

1

Sugar

сахар / sachar

topical application

eye pain

1

wounds

1

Sweat of horses

конскі пот / konski pot

topical application

warts

1

Tar

дзёгаць, тавот / dziohać, tavot

smeared

red fever in pigs (vet)

1

scabs in pigs (vet)

1

Trichlorfon

хларафос / chlarafos

diluted, topical application

skin diseases in pigs

1

Turpentine

шпікідар / špikidar

topical application on navel; dripped on sugar, eaten

helminthic infection

1

Urine

мача / mača

compress

joint pain

1

drunk

fright

1

smeared

mastitis in cows (vet)

4

topical application

cancer

1

cuts

1

wounds

1

wounds in horses (vet)

1

Water, cold

халодная вада / chalodnaja vada

topical application

headache

1

Wet cloth

мокрая трапка / mokraja trapka

put on cow stomach

rumination problems in cows (vet)

1

Window “sweat”

пот на вакне / pot na vaknie

topical application

eczema

1

burns

1

Vinegar

уксус / uksus

topical application

warts

3

Vodka / moonshine

гарэлка, водка, самагонка / harelka, vodka, samahonka

applied on hole

toothache

1

compress

back pain

1

foot ache

1

sore throat

1

drunk

diarrhea

1

panacea

1

stomach ache

1

forced to drink

diarrhea in pigs (vet)

1

dog plague (vet)

2

goat kids’ illness (vet)

1

helminthic infection in dogs (vet)

1

rumination problems in cows (vet)

4

stomach ache in cows (vet)

2

smeared

fever

1

mastitis in cows (vet)

2

stomach ache

1

smeared on soles

cough

1

gurgled

toothache

1

salted a bit and drunk

diarrhea

1

topical application

earache

2

Vodka and pepper

гарелка з перцам / harielka z piercam

mixed, drunk

cold

2

rhinitis

1

diarrhea

1

stomach ache

1

Vodka, diluted with human urine

водка разбавленая челавеческай мачёй / vodka razbavlienaja čielaviečieskaj mačioj

given to drink

when a person drinks too much alcohol

1

Yeast

дрожжы / drožžy

forced to eat

stomach ache in cows (vet)

1