Abstract
Abstract. Along with food, clothing and procreation, healthcare and treatment of diseases are among the basic needs of humanity. Just as every country has its own national dress, cuisine, music and customs, it is well known that every country has its own national methods and types of treatment that have developed on the basis of life experience. When it comes to Eastern medicine, Chinese, Indian, Persian and Turkish medicine come to mind first, while Western medicine is associated with Greek and Latin medicine. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between Eastern and Western medicine. For the West, the East has always been considered a magical, mysterious world full of wonders. At every stage of history, the vast majority of merchants, ambassadors and travellers who came to Central Asia, China, India and Persia wrote memoirs and travel notes. Historical records show that over the last three centuries, as a result of the development of international relations and communications, military, political and religious figures have also joined their ranks. The novelty of the research in this article lies in the comparative analysis of the works of these foreign figures, which allows for a documentary study of information on the folk medicine of Eastern peoples. The aim of the study is to establish that, along with the folk medicine of Eastern peoples, foreign sources also reflect Kazakh folk medicine, methods of treatment, names and concepts of diseases and ailments. The study uses methods of source studies, comparative analysis, and historical and ethnographic analysis. The results of the study show their attitude towards Eastern healing arts and culture based on information presented in reports, memoirs and travel notes of foreign travellers, merchants, political, state and military figures.