KUMIS IN FOLK MEDICINE OF YAKUTS

Abstract

Traditional medicine is an integral part of the traditional culture of every ethnic group, which is aimed at maintaining the health and treatment of the human body. Traditional medicine is based on the knowledge and experience of the people in medicine, which were formed through the transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. Yakut traditional medicine is rich in various means and methods of curing various illnesses, ranging from plant and animal products to mechanical methods of disease treatment. Kumis is a traditional fermented milk drink among the pastoralist peoples of Eurasia, the drink is prepared from fermented mare’s milk. Kumis in the culture of the Yakuts is deemed not only as a traditional drink, but also as a remedy for various diseases. The article discusses the food composition and the method of preparation of kumis, the application of kumis as a medicine in the Yakut folk medicine, as well as the current level of kumis production in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Kumis has a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals that provide the organism with the elements it needs. The constant use of this drink improves the general state of human health: it strengthens the nervous system, immunity, improves blood composition and blood circulation in general, regulates normal metabolism, helps to restore the body after injuries and heavy physical exertion, and also the work of the cardiovascular system. Kumis treatment is a common way of treating and preventing diseases from traditional medicine, not only among the Yakuts, but also among other pastoralist peoples of Eurasia. The first kumis-treatment health resort was opened during the time of the Russian Empire, and gained particular popularity during the USSR. The peculiarity of kumis therapy, in contrast to other methods of folk treatment, is that it has scientific and medical validity and is widely used today in the framework of spa treatment.