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Liu Y, Dao Z, Yang C, et al. Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 May 5;5:15. PMID: 19416515.

Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences, China College of Life and Environment Sciences, and China University for Nationalities inventoried traditional medicinal plants used by Tibetans in the county of "Shangri-La" (formerly Zhongdian), Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

The authors note an impending loss of traditional Tibetan medical knowledge, and attribute it to the voluntary adoption of dominant Han ways by all but the most elderly Tibetans. Two ethnobotanical field surveys are undertaken, often hampered by lack of access to expert herbalist guides.

Still, work is accomplished. From the results section:

"Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation."

Medical applications included dysentery, gastropathy, cold/fever, and rheumatism/arthritis, among others.

In the conclusion, the authors note that the disappearance of Tibetan traditional medical knowledge "would be a great loss not only to the Tibetan cultural wealth but also to the great cultur[al] diversity of China." Choices made by Tibetans themselves, rather than government policies, are held to be the cause:

"…most traditional Tibetan healers were found to be almost 70 years old, and their descendants are scarcely willing to inherit this traditional profession and the precious traditional knowledge handed down. They prefer other jobs with more income instead. They believe that the traditional medicines are not so indispensable to their life nowadays and their reasons are given as follows: 1) the medical treatment of Han community is more advanced and has better condition than the traditional ones; 2) Tibetan became more and more dependent on the money-consuming substances outside their village, but traditional healers didn’t earn much."

A note in the methods section could shed some light on those observations. The field researchers elected to consult only with "official workers, traders and local healers who have to contact with different people very often," and only with those who speak Mandarin: "So we all speak mandarin and didn’t use any interpreters in communicating." I’m not an ethnobotanist, but that does not strike me as a great way to learn from indigenous herbalists in Tibet.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger).This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine tibetan medicine

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Long C, Li S, Long B, Shi Y, Liu B. Medicinal plants used by the Yi ethnic group: a case study in central Yunnan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 Apr 23;5:13. PMID: 19389251

Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences, Minzu University of China, Yunnan Agricultural University, and Chuxiong Research Institute of Yi Medicine and Pharmacology inventoried traditional Yi medicinal plants in Chuxiong, central Yunnan Province, Southwest China. From the results:

"One hundred sixteen medicinal plant species were found to be useful by the local people in the treatment of various diseases or disorders, especially those relating to trauma, gastrointestinal disorders and the common cold. Among these 116 species, 25 species (21.55%) were found to have new curative effects and 40 species (34.48%) were recorded for their new preparation methods; 55 different species were used in treating wounds and fractures, and 47 were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Traditional Yi herbal medicines are characterized by their numerous quantities of herbaceous plants and their common preparation with alcohol."

Speaking of alcohol:

"Traditional Yi medicine is especially characterized by its use of alcohol. The Yi people adore alcohol, and it has come to symbolically represent this cultural minority due to its significance in their lives. Home-made alcohol is the most important beverage for the Yi: it is used daily, for ceremonies and holidays, served to respected guests and friends, and is the most common method of administering plant medicines. The practice of combining plants and alcohol has a long history in Yi medicine."

The authors are motivated by a desire to preserve "indigenous knowledge, and folk knowledge in particular," which "continues to be impacted by mainstream culture and decreasing biodiversity; traditional practices using specific medicinal plants decreases more quickly than that of the general biodiversity. It is thus urgent and necessary to prevent the further loss of the specialized knowledge of minority peoples."

 

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine

Comments and Links Appreciated!