until ready for use. Acidity and other stomach upsets were said to be
amenable to water treatments.
Traditional Bhutanese medicine
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is an independent state situated between
China and India. It emerged as a unified polity in the early seventeenth century
under the rule of an exiled Tibetan religious leader and much of its elite
culture, including its medical traditions, were brought from Tibet during this
period.^213 The Bhutanese traditional medical system subsequently evolved
distinct characteristics that enable it to be viewed as a separate part of the
Himalayan tradition of Sowa Rigpa(‘the science of healing’), which includes
what is now known as Tibetan medicine. Bhutan has evolved a state medical
system in which their traditional medicine is an integral part and patients have
the choice of treatment under traditional or biomedical practitioners.
As with Chinese and Tibetan medicine, the main methods of diagnosis in
Bhutanese traditional medicine are feeling the pulse, checking urine, and
examining the eyes and tongue, as well as interviewing the patient.^214 The
Bhutanese rely on herbal combinations, limited acupuncture (including use
of the golden needle), applications of heat (usually with metal rods) and
minor surgical interventions, all done in the context of Buddhist ritual. A
European Union project to support traditional medicine in Bhutan was initi-
ated in the year 2000. According to data collected as part of this project,
there are about 600 medicinal plants used in Bhutanese traditional medi-
cines, out of Bhutan’s 5600 identified species. About 300 of these herbs are
used routinely and are at risk for ecological loss due to clearance of trees
and over-collection of herbs. The EU has invested in having these herbs
raised as cash crops to create jobs, provide a new medicine factory with raw
materials and protect the environment.
Further reading
Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoger E, Gamble A, Bensky LL. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia
Medica, 3rd edn. Vista, CA: Eastland Press, 2004.
Fan WJ-WA. Manual of Chinese Herbal Medicine: Principles and practice for easy reference.
Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications Inc., 2003.
Maciocia G. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine: A comprehensive text, 2nd edn. London:
Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2005.
MHRA. Using herbal medicines: Advice to consumers. UK MHRA website: http://tinyurl.
com/6k7q9c (accessed May 2008).
More information
British Acupuncture Council: http://tinyurl.com/2hb9zo
British Medical Acupuncture Society: http://medical-acupuncture.co.uk
Chinese Medicine Advisory Service: http://tinyurl.com/yrmcg3
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