Folk Knowledge
<p >A <b>home remedy</b> is a treatment to cure a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease" title="Disease" >disease</a> or ailment that employs certain spices, vegetables, or other common items. Home remedies may or may not have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medicinal_properties&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Medicinal properties (page does not exist)" >medicinal properties</a> that treat or cure the disease or ailment in question, as they are typically passed along by laypersons (which has been facilitated in recent years by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet" title="Internet" >Internet</a>). Many are merely used as a result of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition" title="Tradition" >tradition</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habituation" title="Habituation" >habit</a> or because they are effective in inducing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_effect" title="Placebo effect" class="mw-redirect" >placebo effect</a>.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup> A significant number, however, have been demonstrated to effectively treat ailments such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprain" title="Sprain" >sprains</a>, minor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laceration" title="Laceration" class="mw-redirect" >lacerations</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache" title="Headache" >headaches</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever" title="Fever" >fevers</a>, and even the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold" title="Common cold" >common cold</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_remedy#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup>
One of the more popular examples of a home remedy is the use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_soup" title="Chicken soup" >chicken soup</a> to treat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_system" title="Respiratory system" >respiratory</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infection" title="Infection" >infections</a> such as a cold or mild <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu" title="Flu" class="mw-redirect" >flu</a>, and according to one <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro" title="In vitro" >in vitro</a></i> study, there may be benefit from this use.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_remedy#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup> Other examples of medically successful home remedies include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow" title="Willow" >willow</a>bark tea to cure headaches and fevers (willow bark contains <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid" title="Salicylic acid" >salicylic acid</a>, which is chemically similar to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylsalicylic_acid" title="Acetylsalicylic acid" class="mw-redirect" >acetylsalicylic acid</a>, also known as aspirin); <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape" title="Duct tape" >duct tape</a> to help with setting broken bones; and duct tape or superglue to treat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_wart" title="Plantar wart" >plantar warts</a>; and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogel_mogel" title="Kogel mogel" >Kogel mogel</a> to treat sore throat.
In earlier times, mothers were entrusted with all but serious remedies. Historic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookbooks" title="Cookbooks" class="mw-redirect" >cookbooks</a> are frequently full of remedies for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyspepsia" title="Dyspepsia" >dyspepsia</a>, fevers, and female complaints.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_remedy#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup>
Many European <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liqueurs" title="Liqueurs" class="mw-redirect" >liqueurs</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestif" title="Digestif" class="mw-redirect" >digestifs</a> were originally medicinal remedies. In Chinese folk medicine, medicinal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee" title="Congee" >congees</a> (long cooked rice soups with herbs), foods, and soups are part of the healing repertoire.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_remedy#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup>
A common error is to confuse home remedies with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy" title="Homeopathy" >homeopathic remedies</a>. In fact, the two concepts are unrelated.
</p>
<h2 >See also</h2>
<ul >
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicine" title="Alternative medicine" >Alternative medicine</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_medicine" title="Herbal medicine" class="mw-redirect" >Herbal medicine</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_wives%27_tale" title="Old wives' tale" >Old wives' tale</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_medicine" title="Traditional medicine" >Traditional medicine</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagozake" title="Tamagozake" >Tamagozake</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_medicine" title="Folk medicine" >Folk medicine</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bates_method" title="Bates method" >Bates method</a></li>
</ul>
<p > </p>