The traditional Mongolian medicine that once helped Genghis Khan conquer high and low on the Asian-Euro continent 700 years ago has now regained a place in everyday life of people living in north China.

"About 250 to 300 patients come to see doctors of Mongolian medicine in my hospital on a daily basis, 80 percent of whom are of Han nationality," said Uliji Tugus, vice-president of the Mongolian Medicine Hospital in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The hospital is a well-known center for traditional Mongolian medicine's research, development and personnel training.

"The Mongolian medicine is also popular with northeast China's Korean ethnic minority," said the senior expert of Mongolian medicine.

He said as an offshoot of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Mongolian medicine stands out for its easy way of taking, low price and effectiveness, and good at treating and preventing chronic and difficult diseases, such as stomach trouble, liver and gall disorder, coronary heart disease, gynecological disease, and problems related to blood, skin and bone.

"That's also why many Chinese as well as Japanese, Russian and people from the Republic of Korea have shown interest in the medicine," said Uliji Tugus.

According to the autonomous regional health department, now, Inner Mongolia has some 4,777 doctors engaging in Mongolian medicine.

Meanwhile, a total of 41 special hospitals have been built in Inner Mongolia as well as provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang in northeast China and Qinghai Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China to practice Mongolian medicine.

Uliji Tugus said, as a Mongolian proverb goes "illness starts from disturbed digestion, medicine begins with boiled water", doctors of Mongolian medicine uses very easy means to treat patients. Fermented koumiss, a daily drink for herdsmen, is one of the therapies to treat insomnia.

Unlike the TCM, which is known for its hours of preparation and the attitude that "bitter medicine treats you well", Mongolian medicine is now in tablet, pill and powder forms to cater to modern people. The language of Chinese, Mongolian and English are printed together on drug covers to promote the medicine internationally, said an official with the autonomous region's health department.

The medicine, originated in the 13th century when Genghis Khan fought for his Great Mongol Empire, was only taught by monks in temples then. It now becomes a medicine of unique theoretical system and diagnostic methods. Some ancient western missionaries thought it was "unscientific" as doctors gave judgment only by "feeling patient's pulse but without doing any urine test".

Yuan Deng, an expert of Mongolian medicine, called for further academic research on combination of the traditional Mongolian ethnic medicine with modern medical science. "the research programs will help local doctors learn comprehensive science knowledge in fields of TCM, Mongolian medicine and Western medicine.

He said, the medicine, which came from ethnic people with long history, should be put more focus on treatment practice.

Uliji Tugus echoed Yuan's remarks, saying that through centuries, Mongolian medical record has kept about 3,000 entries of therapies while only 110 have been authorized by the government. Currently, some therapies are undergoing standardization process.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2006)