Abstract:

Herbalife, which is an important part of the cultural heritage, has become a profession that attracts attention with the increase in the use of natural and herbal products in recent years. Herbalists, who offer treatment alternatives as a complementary medicine method for many physical and mental illnesses, have recently been serving the public with their increasing numbers. With the emergence of the Covid-19 epidemic, the increase in demand increases its recognition and functionality, especially in large cities. In this study, in the context of preserving and preserving cultural heritage, folk medicine and transference, which is also called traditional or complementary medicine method, which is the common subject of health geography, folk science and medicine, are emphasized. In this direction, a fieldwork method was conducted with 28 herbalists operating in Samsun province. During the interviews, the professional knowledge, equipment and experiences of the herbalists were revealed. In addition, the interests and attitudes of the people towards herbalists were also researched and examined. As a result of the study, it was revealed that herbalists are preferred for which diseases, which drugs are preferred, and which plant species and mixtures are used more, and these data have been listed. In this study, which also reveals the concerns and problems of herbalists about the profession and the future of the profession, some suggestions have been made regarding the problems.

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