Tibetan medicine is one of the world's oldest continuously practised medical systems, and in Lhasa it is not a museum piece but a working service. There is a dedicated hospital and college in the city, pharmacies attached to it, and smaller herbal shops in the lanes around the old town.
How the system works
Tibetan medicine is built on a framework of three humours - wind, bile and phlegm - and the goal of treatment is to bring them back into balance. Diagnosis relies heavily on pulse reading and on careful examination of the tongue and urine, and treatment is usually a combination of herbal compounds, dietary advice and behavioural change. The materia medica draws on plants from the plateau, on minerals, and on a small number of animal products. Herbs are typically compounded into small pills, sometimes with dozens of ingredients.
What the shops sell
Herbal shops around the old town are worth visiting even if you are not looking for treatment. You will see strings of dried roots, bundles of plateau plants, jars of saffron-like flowers, blocks of resin and bags of mineral powders, along with shelves of finished pills in paper packets or in the traditional black pills rolled by hand. Many shops also make up a personalised compound after a short consultation. Staff may speak limited English, and it helps to arrive with a clear idea of what you are after or a translation app.
The medical institute
The Tibetan medical institution in Lhasa, known as Men-Tsee-Khang, was originally established in 1916 and is now the principal teaching and clinical centre for the tradition. It runs outpatient clinics, a training college and a pharmacy, and it has a small museum covering the history of Tibetan medicine, the instruments used in diagnosis and preparation, and the illustrated medical thangkas that were used for teaching anatomy and pathology. The thangkas are the highlight.
A responsible note
Tibetan herbal medicine is part of a sophisticated tradition and is used effectively for a range of complaints, but it is not a substitute for conventional diagnosis of serious illness, and some preparations contain minerals in high concentrations. Do not stop prescribed medication to take herbal remedies, and be cautious about buying large quantities of pills to take home without knowing what is in them or whether your own country permits their import. Use common sense and, for anything serious, see a doctor.
