Abstract

Traditions of folk medicine had been formed as a result of long-term accumulation of empirical knowledge, religious views, and achievements of economic traditions of mankind. It is known from history that in the early days the achievements in medicine were used by all people, but over time, only certain individuals acquired this knowledge and medicine became a special profession. This article focuses on the medical professions and classifications in Uzbek folk medicine and divides the views on medical traditions into two main groups: mystical and empirical, and provides a general view on their specific features. In the medical traditions of the Uzbek people, the views on the activities of the representatives of mystical and empirical medicine according to medical traditions and ancient folk views are evaluated on the basis of the analysis of ethnological literature. This article also provides ethnological information on the activities of doctors in modern society and the history and the stages of development of their roles in today’s society.