Preface This volume—one in a series on medicinal plants in Member States of WHO’s Western Pacific Region—introduces Mongolian traditional medicine and details the nature and uses of medicinal plants found in the country. Traditional medicine has always played a major role in Mongolia. Traditional medicine continues to be practiced widely, playing a vital role in the health-care needs of a large portion of the population. Folk medicine, based on the experiences of nomadic people, has its own unique medical theory, techniques and medications in Mongolia. Some aspects of Mongolian folk medicine—along with elements from other Asian systems, such as Tibetan medicine, Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine—have been integrated into the Mongolian medical system. Traditional medicine practices and knowledge, including the use of medicinal plants, have been passed from one generation to the next via oral traditions. Without systematic documentation of the role of indigenous plants in Mongolia, we risk losing information about herbal medicine in Mongolia. This volume serves to help record and document this important traditional medicine system. Researchers and practitioners from various branches of science—including “otoch manramba” or doctors of traditional medicine, pharmacists, pharmacologists, medical doctors, botanists and chemists—teamed up to develop this book. The authors pored over hundreds of books and manuscripts to document the properties of medicinal plants in Mongolia. This publication presents the medicinal plants used most commonly in Mongolia. Each monograph contains colour pictures of the plant and a wide array of information, from the Tibetan and English names to the microscopic characteristics of the plant. This book should increase understanding of the value of medicinal plants in Mongolia and increase the evidence base for the safe and efficacious use of herbs in health care.
Shin Young-Soo, MD, PhD WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific
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