Folk medicine in West Virginia involves healing practices passed down through generations. Remedies fall into three types:

1. Household remedies – using everyday items like salt, honey, or tobacco for common issues

2. Herbal remedies – using plants like ginseng (see photo) and sassafras for things like fatigue or digestion

3. Magical remedies – involving beliefs, such as transferring warts to a potato or “cutting” pain with a knife.

These traditions come from Indian and European roots. Though modern medicine is more common now, folk remedies are still used in rural areas, partly due to the cost and lasting value of some treatments. Herbal medicine is even gaining respect in today’s healthcare.