Background: Traditional medicine is frequently perceived as
negative and even though many people still practice. It the use
of traditional medicine is mainly due cause to tradition. The
villager tends to use traditional medicine as primary healing.
This article tried to identify frequent diseases among Javanese
and economic capability to afford health cost.
Methods: Ethnography study using observation and in-depthinterview
among 48 informants and 6 key informant of peasant
community in Sleman, DIY and fisherman in Rembang, Central
Java, during 2007-2008. Phenomenology approach used during
data collection and analysis.
Result: Masuk angin (wind illness) is a disease which
frequently occur among the villager. Traditional medicine was
applied because it is inexpensive, easy, effective and suitable
with the cognitive related to the harmony (equilibrium). The
principle of coining was binary opposition such as: hot x cold;
loose x tight; angin masuk x angin keluar; better x awful and
the equilibrium is the basic rational of traditional medicine.
Recommendation: Traditional medicine must be recognized
by the government and should be in equal position to modern
medicine in order to reduce negative opinion, so the rational of
it is recognized by others.
Keywords: holistic, traditional, masuk angin, effective, cheap

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