Traditional Mongolian Medicine in Hobogsair
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Before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), medical treatment in Hobogsair was primarily administered by Buddhist figures. Additionally, pastoral medical traditions, such as wrapping in livestock hot fur, utilising herbal medicine, and drinking mineral spring water, were also prevalent. My uncle, known as Shar Mamba, was a renowned Buddhist lama and doctor from whom I gleaned much of my medical knowledge during my youth. Shar Mamba studied in Lhasa for over 18 years and continued his medical practice in Hobogsair. In the past, Buddhist figures underwent decades of training in both Buddhism and medicine, mastering various herbs and treatment techniques before assuming the role of a doctor. Consequently, Mongolian traditional medicine boasts a rich history and significant advancements. I also underwent training under Doctor Choidan to learn traditional Mongolian medicine for several years. In 1979, the Hobogsair government assembled 21 young students and trained them in professional medicine for one year under the guidance of Chööjai and Zodov, two renowned Mongolian doctors of the time. In this session, we mainly focused on studying the Tod Mongolian translation of the Tibetan Medical classic, given that we lacked proficiency in Tibetan. Following the final test, Shirev, Lagva, and I became apprentices to these esteemed doctors, further developing our medical knowledge. One of our training practices involved collecting herbs from the mountains across Hobogsair, and we identified 236 types of medicinal herbs. Additionally, we received another government-led “Barefoot Doctor” medical practice program, and seven of us were recognised by the government as Mongolian doctors, establishing the Mongolian hospital in Hobogsair. Today, it stands as the largest hospital in Hobogsair, akin to Chinese hospitals. Drawing from his fifty years of experience in Mongolian medicine, Tsebegjav observed distinctive disease trends in Hobogsair due to its colder climate compared to other regions. Conditions such as arthritis, gallstones, kidney disease, liver disease, female ailments, and zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals, particularly sheep, are prevalent in the region’s history. Notably, the liver plague that originated from Soviet Russia in 1944 claimed the lives of at least 30% of Hobogsair’s population.