What does "any" mean in "the only method that had any value"? Thank you!
The witch doctor gave the patient medicines prepared from certain plants and herbs that were similar in shape or texture to the various organs of the body. From our point of view, this was the only method that had ANY value.

Why did the author use ANY instead of SOME ? The sentence is not a negative one.

Question

What does "any" mean in "the only method that had any value"? Thank you!
The witch doctor gave the patient medicines prepared from certain plants and herbs that were similar in shape or texture to the various organs of the body. From our point of view, this was the only method that had ANY value.

Why did the author use ANY instead of SOME ? The sentence is not a negative one.

Answer

You could say "some" and it would still mean mostly the same. However, if it was the only method with "some" value, then there might be other methods with "lots of" value. (Probably not, but it's a little more open). "Any" means "more than nothing". "Some" means "a small amount." So, using "any" emphasises that none of the other methods had "more than nothing" value.