Sicilian Folk Remedies and Beliefs

According to EveryCulture.com, rites and rituals based on religious beliefs as well as agricultural traditions form a large part of the Sicilian lifestyle. These practices are visible in day-to-day activities. Sicilians commonly use herbs and other organic plants as remedies for disorders, sickness and even life-threatening diseases. Modern medicine might take a few points from these old Sicilian folk remedies. According to the Journal of Ethno-Pharmacology, as part of a 2004 study, "... considerations relating to possible applications of the recorded traditional knowledge in modern evidence-based medicine are discussed as well."

Worm Cure Rituals

• In parts of Sicily, children experience exposure to helminthiasis, a condition in which parasitic worms infect the stomach. The symptoms of helminthiasis include convulsions, coughing, sneezing and respiratory problems. In some cases, the condition causes death, since the worms make their way into the child's air passage, eventually suffocating him.

  According to the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, some Sicilians rely on a worm charmer, who performs rituals and incantations to help remove the parasite. They believe that the charmers are healers with magical or saintly hands.

Cures for Common Internal Conditions

• According to Sicilian Cooking Plus, some Sicilians believe vegetables and herbs help cure stomach or other internal problems including diarrhea, urinary tract infection, inflammation or indigestion. Sicilian recipes often require bay leaves, beans, lentils, garlic, lemon and artichoke, as these are regarded as effective curative agents.

  Lemon when mixed in rice, for example, is supposedly effective against diarrhea. Sicilian elders also recommend mixing lemon with a simple sulfur solution to get rid of an itchy throat or cough. In addition, tea mixed with bay leaves is a cure for heartburn, while garlic and beans are often used because they are believed to improve the immune system.

Cures for Wounds and Skin Problems

• Sicilian folk medicine makes use of the barbary fig, scientifically known as Opuntia ficus-indica, a species of cactus that grows in abundance in Sicily. The people of Sicily use the cacti to help heal wounds faster. The plant also has binding qualities that work like astringent to improve the skin. In a study conducted for the Journal of the Professional Association for Cactus Development, creams that contain barbary fig generate positive results. The study shows that the cactus results in better tissue reconstruction of wounds on the epidermis. It also helps in controlling inflammation of the skin.