The goal of this article is to show the susceptibility of the population of the Balkarian mountain societies to various diseases, attempts to prevent them with folk remedies and with the help of professional medical care, the formation of which began in the region from the second half of XIX c. relying on folklore materials, archival documents and historical journalism materials, when the Russian Empire finally consolidated its political-administrative, socio-economic and cultural influence. In the case of Balkaria faced additional difficulties of a natural-geographical nature – the conditions of ridges and remoteness from the administrative centers of the Nalchik district and the Terek region. Despite this, representatives of the local Russian administration, especially during outbreaks of various diseases, made significant attempts to provide medical assistance to residents of mountain communities, which contributed to the reduction of their morbidity and mortality, along with the developed physical stability of the body of indigenous inhabitants of the highlands.