Dai Medicine
01 · Historical Records
The sleep-medicine therapy matured within the Four Elements and Five Aggregates theory of Dai medicine. On the basis of summing up the traditional medical experience of their own people and absorbing and drawing on classical Indian medicine and Chinese medicine, the Dai formed a system taking earth, water, fire, and wind as the Four Elements, and form, consciousness, feeling, perception, and volition as the Five Aggregates, with the theory of antidotal medicine at its core. The Four Elements theory is closely related to Buddhist doctrine, and Dai practitioners therefore use cold sleep to treat heat diseases and hot sleep to treat cold diseases, regarding cold and heat as the first threshold in pattern differentiation. The way the sleep-medicine bed is used — spreading medicated liquor, eclipta juice, and fresh or dried Dai medicinals over the patient's body — is related to the humid living conditions and hot climate of the Dai habitat, and also accords with the Dai tradition of medication that emphasizes promoting sweating and freeing the flow of qi and blood. China's Dai population totals 1.16 million, mainly distributed in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province; the sleep-medicine therapy is transmitted in both places.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Located in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Dai medicine is a traditional medical system formed by the Dai people on the basis of summing up the traditional medical experience of their own people and absorbing and drawing on classical Indian medicine and Chinese medicine, with the 'Four Elements and Five Aggregates' (earth, water, fire, and wind constitute the Four Elements; form, consciousness, feeling, perception, and volition constitute the Five Aggregates) and the 'theory of antidotal medicine' at its core. The sleep-medicine therapy is one of the traditional external treatments of Dai medicine, used mainly to treat stroke, rheumatic diseases, and high fever with syncope. It is divided into two types: cold sleep and hot sleep. The cold-sleep therapy treats heat diseases, and the hot-sleep therapy treats cold diseases. The cold-sleep therapy consists of selecting the corresponding prescription according to the needs of the condition, gathering fresh Dai medicinals and chopping and pounding them (dried medicinals may also be used), adding an appropriate amount of medicated liquor and eclipta juice, and mixing evenly; the medicinals are then spread evenly on the sleep-medicine bed, the patient lies on them, the remaining medicinals are wrapped evenly around the whole body (except the face), and the whole is bound with cloth. The hot-sleep therapy targets cold diseases: according to the needs of the condition, prepare the corresponding fresh or dried Dai medicinals, place them in a pot, add appropriate amounts of water and liquor, stir-fry until hot, and spread them evenly on the sleep-medicine bed; when the temperature is suitable, have the patient lie flat on the medicinals, wrap the remaining medicinals around the whole body (except the face), bind them with cloth, and cover with bedding, letting the patient sweat for about thirty minutes per session (depending on the patient's constitution and the condition), so as to open the sweat pores, free the flow of qi and blood, expel wind toxin, and stop pain; it is used to treat rheumatic diseases, sequelae of post-stroke hemiplegia, postpartum confinement illnesses, and lower back and leg pain in the elderly. The Dai theory of the 'Four Elements and Five Aggregates' is closely related to Buddhist doctrine.
The cold sleeping cure for hot diseases
For hot diseases the chosen herbs are cut, crushed and mixed with wine and Eclipta juice, then spread on the sleeping bed.
The hot sleeping cure for cold diseases
For cold diseases the drugs are fried in water and wine, then laid on the bed at a suitable temperature for the patient to lie upon.
Wrapping the body
The remaining herbs are wrapped around the body except the face and covered with cloth; a hot session lasts about thirty minutes.
Opening the pores and clearing wind
The hot session induces sweat to open the pores, move the blood, expel wind and ease pain in rheumatism and stroke sequelae.
The four elements, five aggregates and antidote theory
Earth, water, fire and air form the four elements; antidote theory uses opposing qualities, which is why sleeping drugs are applied cold or hot.
Clearing fire and calming convulsions
The cold form clears fire, relieves convulsions and pain, and treats persistent high fever, convulsions, delirium and hot swollen joints.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
China's Dai population totals 1.16 million, mainly distributed in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Dai Medicine.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The duration of a single treatment depends on the condition. The therapy has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing fever and calming fright, expelling wind and stopping pain, and protecting the internal organs; it is used to treat febrile diseases presenting as persistent high fever, convulsions, unconsciousness and delirious speech, rheumatoid disease, gout, and red, swollen, hot, painful joints and muscles throughout the body. The sleep-medicine therapy accords with Dai medical theory and popular customs; its medicinals are sourced locally, resources are abundant, and its use is convenient, giving it broad value for wider application and promotion.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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