VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (THUÓC NAM) IN THE LIFE OF THE MUONG AND THE THAI PEOPLE IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF THANH HOA PROVINCE

Tóm tắt

The article aims to examine key issue o f Vietnamese traditional medicine (thuoc Nam) (based on medicinal herbs) in community healthcare from the view o f ethnic minority groups living in mountainous area o f Thanh Hoa Province. Our research shows that indigenous knowledge o f ethnic people about traditional medicine in this area is rich and diverse in terms o f the conception o f sickness, disease, medicine, disease prevention and treatment, eating and drinking under the controlling o f nutrition and healing by using the folk remedies. Currently, some ethnic groups in the mountainous area o f Thanh Hoa still maintain various ways o f distinguished traditional treatments. Although their knowledge and practices are quite traditional in the modern life, there are many ways o f treatment that are very useful fo r community healthcare. Especially, these are very popular and important methods to cure disease fo r local people who are disadvantaged in terms o f socio-economic development and lack o f opportunities to access modem treatment methods. Thus, Vietnamese traditional medicine is an ethnic cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted.