Cam Thi Huong
Son La Traditional Medicine Hospital, Vietnam
This paper tries to study the use of traditional medicine of Thai ethnic groups in Son La Province, Vietnam. The preservation of herbal medicine is now an urgent issue in Vietnam not only because of the lack of knowledge amongst the new generation, but also because of the destruction of forests affecting the ecological balance. This paper will start with addressing general concepts towards illness and diseases. Then, it will deal specifically with the use of traditional medicine and describe a comparative study of herbal medicines used by Thai and Mong people in Son La Province. Apart from documentary research, this study also explores the experiences of those who use herbal medicine, namely medical officers and people in local communities.
(Presented in the International Conference – Thai Food Heritage: Local to Global, 4-6 August 2009, Tawana Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, organized by The Project of Empowering Network for International Thai Studies (ENITS), Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University with support from the Thailand Research Fund (TRF))