Well there was the attempt in 1995 to apply for a US patent for the wound healing properties of turmeric, which was finally quashed in favor of India (actually the ruling was that it cannot be patented) where it has been used for thousands of years for that purpose. This would be an interesting paper to read.

Heres a nice write-up on its uses in general. Perhaps the fact that it is known to be effective in multiple ways, and its traditional (Note: not "stone-age") use in India for many "occasions" as well as medicinal purposes makes it a favorite with us Indians.

I really like this attempt by a high schooler to test the hypothesis that turmeric has antibiotic and antifungal properties.

I am sure there are many scientific articles related to various medicinal properties of turmeric e.g. try google scholar.

BTW, Im just responding to your comment reg the use of turmeric , and in no way providing any justification for the act shown in the link (just in case someone jumps to that conclusion).