Rośliny w lecznictwie ludowym Podhala
Plants in Folk Medicine of Podhale

Summary/Abstract: The climatic conditions, terrain, dispersion of hamlets, and resulting communication difficulties, prohibitive prices of conventional medical services and medicines, as well as a lack of trust in outsiders, meant that even in the 1950s, folk medicine held an important place in the lives of the inhabitants of Podhale. Most of them had considerable knowledge of herbal medicine at that time. In phytotherapy, both wild and cultivated plants were used, including herbs obtained from home gardens. Due to the unique terrain and climatic conditions, the people of Podhale had the opportunity to benefit from species that were either uncommon or relatively rare in other regions of the country. Podhale’s herbal medicine was based on extensive knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants, as evidenced by the fact that many herbs formerly used in folk medicine are still used today. However, one cannot forget the magical and belief-based practices inseparably linked with traditional medicine, which constitute the cultural heritage of Podhale.

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