ALL
traditional medicine
ICH Elements 7
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Traditional folk treatments for animals
One of the most important achievements of Mongolian culture is its traditional medical treatment of domestic animals. Mongolians engaged in animal farming for many centuries and accumulated a great deal of experience that it transmitted to younger generations orally. The oriental sutra "Nei-jin" says: 'The northern country is cool and cold. Cold diseases are frequently occurred. So, they cure cold diseases by cauterizing. They cure hot diseases by bleeding. It is evident that during the Hunnu period there were two popular treatments: cauterization and bleeding. A Mongolian traditional medical treatment of the most ancient origin, which does not demand elaborate schooling, includes the Mongolian folk medical treatment of the domestic animals. Livestock breeders treat their animals (if those diseases are non-infectious) by fumigating, bathing, sweating, applying a poultice, covering with warm cloth or felt, setting bone, cauterizing, scorching, bloodletting, lancing, shaking, massaging and stinting.
Mongolia -
SHIKASTABANDI
A kind of traditional folk healing. Traditional knowledge and practices of healing broken human bones with herbs, egg, minerals and other things.
Tajikistan -
Tshig tsug-ni: Setting of Joint Disorders
Ap (Sr. citizen) Thukten from Eusa is well-known (locally) for fixing the broken legs and dislocated joints in the village. He has been practicing for more than 40 years. Bhutanese people in the past have to travel as far as Tibet to learn, and get trained on healing of joint disorder. Nevertheless, few people in the community still possess the skills of healing, and one of them was the father of Ap Thukten from whom he inherited the knowledge on healing. He was a self-taught man who observed, and learnt the skills when his father was healing the joint disorders of the people in the community. Currently, he treats 10-15 people annually, and his services are always appreciated. He happily renders the service for free, as a form of kindness, where he heartily contributes to the benefit of the people. The healer said that it is easier to treat younger people than the older ones. It takes less time for the children to recover from the treatment, unlike the adults who takes more time (even a year) for the severe injury. Whenever patients visit him, he used to find the possibility of the treatment by studying their age, nerves and identify the severity of the problems.
Bhutan -
Insam Jaebae and Yakyong Munhwa(Cultivation of Ginseng and Its Medicinal Application)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Ginseng has long been cultivated and used in Korea, giving birth to a rich reservoir of prepared dishes, ritual ceremonies, and folk stories. Because of its rarity and health effects, ginseng was considered an elixir plant or cure-all among the people. Ginseng still widely appears as a symbol of health and longevity in the packaging of everyday commodities. The sociocultural symbolism of ginseng as a valuable medicine and food has been deeply entrenched in the collective ethos of the Korean people. Ginseng culture was evaluated positively during the designation process for the following aspects. Ginseng has been raised and used for centuries all across Korea. Records on its cultivation and health effects have been confirmed in various historical documents from the Joseon Dynasty. Ginseng has been actively studied in traditional Korean medicine and also offers a great potential for further studies in agriculture and economics. There are abundant cultural traditions associated with ginseng in the form of food, rituals, and folktales. Historically known for its high quality, Korean ginseng was one of the country’s most important exports. A wide range of relevant communities exist, such as local ginseng associations consisting of ginseng farmers, research institutes and academic societies dedicated to improving the cultivation methods and commercial value of ginseng, and diverse public and private organizations working on behalf of the promotion of ginseng culture. Knowledge on ginseng cultivation has been handed down through the generations and is actively practiced in the present. In recognition of all this heritage value, ginseng culture has been designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage. * As ginseng cultivation and its medicinal use is not confined to particular regions, no holders or holder organizations have been recognized for this element.
South Korea