From folk medicine · Northeast and East Anatolia

Worms falling from the tooth

Henbane

The tooth worm belief: in Northeast Anatolia, a person with toothache puts their head under a blanket, henbane seeds are sprinkled on embers, and the smoke is drawn in through the mouth. It is said that the small worms rotting the tooth fall into the bowl of water below. Researchers note that the tooth worm belief has its origins in Anatolia. Caution: henbane is poisonous, and its smoke is dangerous too.

Source: Ekrem Sezik, Mamoru Tabata, Erdem Yeşilada ve ark., “Traditional medicine in Turkey I. Folk medicine in Northeast Anatolia”, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 35, 1991 (Sezik et al., J Ethnopharmacol, 1991). This is a folk record, not a treatment recommendation.

The plant in this story

More stories

All stories →