Macedonian Healer Book from the 19th Century

The book Macedonian Healer Book from the 19th Century (Македонски лечебник од 19 век) is a collection of medical and other recipes from the 19th century, with parts of the manuscript dating back to 1833, 1842, and 1853. The interest in Macedonian folk medicine is ancient, and a variety of folk healers, including herbalists, barbers, smiths, and midwives, provided health care to the population.

The text is a heterogeneous collection of writings from various parts of Macedonia. It contains recipes and prayers written in both the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets, which was a common practice during that period. The text is an important example of the use of the native Macedonian language in everyday life.

The manuscript is a unique example of linguistic heterogeneity, containing forms from northern, central, western, and eastern Macedonian dialects. It is believed that each scribe who copied the recipes and prayers added elements from their own dialect while preserving the original text.