Her Majesty the Queen Mother Tsyering Pem Wangchuck launched a book title,’Materia Medica on the High Altitude Medicinal Plants of Bhutan’ in Thimphu yesterday. Also present at the event, was Her Royal Highness Princess Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck.
The book in Dzongkha contains about 90 per cent of the medicinal herbs growing in the higher altitude of the country. The book aims to preserve the rich culture and tradition of Bhutan in medicine.
“Bhutan is a country rich in medicinal herbs where there are over 500 medicinal plants in the higher and lower altitude altogether. The book is about the 220 medicinal plants grown in higher altitude. Also, it includes the local, as well as the scientific terms, under which category it falls, its benefits, description of the herbs and the part of the plants that are used,” Drungtsho Sangay Wangdi of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine under KGUMSB, said.
Around 500 copies of the book were published with funds from the Bhutan Foundation.
“The book will help to conserve our medical aspects of traditional knowledge and to recognise the herbs grown in the country. It will also help the people of higher altitude to make a livelihood out of medicinal plants and learn to preserve it. Above all, the trainees in traditional medicine will most benefit from this book and will help in the production of herbal medicine,” Drungtsho Sangay Wangdi added.
Also, at the event educational materials including readers, board games and puzzles to promote culturally focused snow leopard for young students were launched. The readers were written by Bhutanese teachers in both Dzongkha and English.
The books will be distributed to the public libraries in the country
Kinzang Lhadon
