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