Exhibition Medicinal plants

The knowledge of healthcare started with the origin of human history, evidently recorded as a part of the Egyptian civilization. It was developed by trial-and-error through the surrounding materials, especially plants. They used basic dosage forms, such as boiling herbs in water or poultice which sometimes worked, sometimes not. Some plants were toxic but could be used as antidotes. These information were shared among local people.

This accumulated knowledge, combined with local beliefs and cultural practices, has been passed down from generation to generation. Some of this knowledge were recorded in textbooks, yet much of it remains as oral literature called 'folk medicine' knowledge, which has long laid the foundation for humans throughout every region of the world - Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. Later, when scientific knowledge accumulated, folk medicine was revived and developed, resulting in a large number of herbs that were used efficiently as chemical precursors to modern medical developments.

Despite the mainstream global modern medicine, medical wisdom of the East such as traditional Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurveda, including traditional Thai medicine, remains prominent and receives widespread acclaim among consumers and scientists around the globe. A wide variety of medicinal plants in this region sheds a hope for discovery of new medicines for the entire world community.

In Thailand, the knowledge of traditional medicine includes both Thai folk medicine and Thai traditional medicine.

Thai traditional medicine is the wisdom of our ancestors derived from Ayurveda medicine of India that disseminated into Thailand through Buddhism and later on combined with the Chinese medicine via Chinese merchants and settlers. Then, Thais adopted, applied and assimilated these of knowledge to our culture, existence and way of life. Thai traditional medicine is a holistic medical system, concerned both physical and mental conditions of patients. Apart from healing, preventing disease and promoting health are also included.

The key concept is that 'Humans are part of Mother Nature. Humans can live a happy life as long as they live in harmony with nature and natural changes.

Thai Folk Medicine

The knowledge of Thai folk medicine has been passed down from generation to generation with a diversity of wisdom according to environmental, ecological, cultural and local factors, usually related to rites and superstitions such as Lanna folk medicine (northern region), Isan folk medicine (northeastern region) and folk medicine of tribal groups. Those folk healers have identified their expertise with such titles as bone healer, oil masseur, blowing healer or ceremonial blessing healer.