Traditional Mongolian medicine developed over many years among the Mongolian people. Many Mongolian doctors (emchis) became so adept that they became well known in China and among Tibetan lamas.

History

The Mongols developed their system of medicine according to their own culture and beliefs. Mongolian traditional medicine became famous, and some Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...

s counted Emchis among their personal physicians.

In China, the Manchu

Manchu

The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...

 emperors used to employ emchis, who were said to be skilled at diagnosis

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...

, examining the stool, urine and pulse to arrive at a diagnosis.

Today Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

 is one of the few countries which officially supports its traditional system of medicine.

Since 1949, the Chinese government has steadily promoted advances in Mongolian medical care, research and education. In 1958 the Department of Traditional Chinese and Mongolian Medicine at the Inner Mongolia Medical College opened its doors to students. In 2007 it expanded, opening a state of the art campus just outside of Hohhot City. The Chinese government has also established scores of Mongolian medicine hospitals since 1999, including 41 in Inner Mongolia, 3 in Xinjiang, and 1 each in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Gansu and Qinghai.

Minerals

Mongolian medical literature mentions the use of minerals in medicine, usually in the form of powdered metals or stones.

Herbs

Herbs were the mainstay of Mongolian medicine; legend had it that any plant could be used as a medicine. An emchi is quoted as saying:

All those flowers, on which butterflies sit, are ready medicine for various diseases. One can eat such flowers without any hesitation. A flower rejected by the butterflies is poisonous, but it can become medicine, when it is properly composed.

Moxibustion

The Mongolian tradition of Moxibustion

Moxibustion

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or...

 (burning mugwort over acupuncture

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....

 points) was developed in Mongolia and later incorporated into Tibetan medicine.

Water

One unusual aspect of Mongolian mecicine is the use of water as a medicine. Water was collected from any source, including the sea, and stored for many years until ready for use. Acidity and other stomach upsets were said to be amenable to water treatments.

Bone setting

Bone setting is a branch of Mongolian medicine carried out by Bariachis - specialist bone setters. They work without medicines or instruments. Instead they rely on physiotherapy to manipulate bones back to their proper position. Bariachis are laypeople, without medical training, and are born into the job, following the family tradition. It appears that this traditional practice is in decline, and that no scientific research has been carried out into it.

Dom

Dom is the tradition of household cures, many based simply on superstition - one instance being that a picture of a donkey hung over a child's bed will help it sleep. Counting the frequency of breathing is also stated to be a relief for psychological problems and distress.

Eating papers

A printing stock found in eastern Mongolia in the 1920s documents a historical custom of eating a piece of paper with words printed on it, in order to prevent or heal maladies. On fields of about 24x29 mm magical incantations in Tibetan are printed, along with use instructions in Mongolian. The practise apparently was part of lamaist popular medicine.

See also

• List of branches of alternative medicine
• Traditional Chinese medicine
  Traditional Chinese medicine
  Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
  
  
• Traditional Tibetan medicine
  Traditional Tibetan medicine
  Traditional Tibetan medicine is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behavior and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials and physical therapies...
  
  

External links

• Traditional Mongolian medicine, references to research papers