Kazakh Medicine
01 · Historical Records
The founding physicians of Kazakh medicine created the six-element theory as early as the centuries BC, analysing the relations of mutual opposition and unity and of connection between heaven, earth, the sun, the moon, water and fire, which constitute the most basic root of Kazakh traditional medicine. The theory was later adopted and expounded in the medical masterpiece "Chipager Bayan" (Chinese translation: "Record of Medicine") by the famous Kazakh physician Uta Boyidak, forming a systematic and standardised body of theory. The clinical experience accumulated on this framework -- comprising three categories, the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy -- was forced out of life on the grassland pastures with its years of wind, snow, cold and heat: the medicinal bath works through sweating to dispel cold, bone setting answers to falls from horses among the herders, and the frostbite therapy is an indispensable method in an environment of minus thirty to forty degrees Celsius.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Kazakh medicine (the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy) is distributed in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and is also transmitted in other areas inhabited by Kazakh people, including Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Tacheng Prefecture, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County in Hami Prefecture, Mori Kazakh Autonomous County in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, and Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu Province. The founding physicians of Kazakh medicine created the "six elements" theory as early as the centuries BC, analysing and explaining the mutual opposition and unity and the connections existing among heaven, earth, the sun, the moon, water and fire, which gradually came to constitute the most basic root of Kazakh traditional medicine. This theory became the theoretical foundation for the development of Kazakh medicine, holding that life is maintained through the mutual coordination of the six great substances of the natural world. It was later adopted and expounded in the medical masterpiece "Chipager Bayan" (Chinese translation: "Record of Medicine") by the famous Kazakh physician Uta Boyidak, forming a systematic and standardised theory of medicine; and on the basis of clinical practice, rich experience of treatment and prevention was accumulated, including the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy. Kazakh medicine is not only fairly effective against common and frequently occurring diseases, but also has curative effects on some special conditions. The Kazakh medical record "Chipager Bayan" contains relevant records of Kazakh medicine, documenting in all 728 botanical drugs, 318 animal drugs and 60 mineral drugs, along with 4,577 prescriptions.
Bulawu herbal bath and steam
The Bulawu bath combines immersion and steaming; the fourth-generation inheritor also applied the infant oil bath Mayisila'u in clinic.
Wotashi bone-setting
Wotashi bone-setting treats pastoral falls and sprains; the eighth-generation inheritor became a local bone-setter through constant practice.
Frostbite treatment
Frostbite treatment answers the Altai pastoral winter; the inheritor has served herders at minus thirty to forty degrees for forty years.
The six-element theory
The six-element theory reads the unity and opposition of heaven, earth, sun, moon, water and fire, forming the root of Kazakh medicine.
Drugs and prescriptions in the Kipabarkhan
The Kipabarkhan records 728 plant drugs, 318 animal drugs, 60 mineral drugs and 4,577 prescriptions.
Bahetibek systematising the Bulawu therapy
The third-generation inheritor systematised Bulawu theory and enlarged the range of bath treatments, with distinctive views on gathering and prescribing.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
This group of medical techniques is distributed in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and is also transmitted in other areas inhabited by Kazakh people, including Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Tacheng Prefecture, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County in Hami Prefecture, Mori Kazakh Autonomous County in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, and Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu Province, roughly coinciding with the distribution of Altay's winter pastures. Transmission relies mainly on family transmission and master-apprentice transmission; the lineage has already reached four generations, and the techniques have been passed beyond the lineage to four physicians at Altay Prefecture Hospital, while the local Kazakh medical hospital has established special facilities for treatment and transmission.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Kazakh medicine has been passed down by word of mouth since ancient times, its main modes of transmission being family transmission and master-apprentice transmission. Bakhtibek, a third-generation inheritor, systematically studied the treatment methods of the traditional Kazakh medicinal bath and formed a distinctive theoretical system concerning the principles and the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of the traditional Kazakh Braw therapy, enriching the range of Kazakh medicinal bath treatments. Kulimkhan, a fourth-generation inheritor, followed her mother from childhood on her rounds delivering babies for local villagers and giving infants oil-bath care, and applied the folk infant Mayisilaw (oil bath) in clinical practice. Muhusaiying, an eighth-generation inheritor, practised medicine in the grassland pastoral areas following his father, developed a particular interest in folk bone-setting, and through continually summing up his experience became a locally renowned Kazakh "bone-setting expert". Kazakh medical culture, as represented by the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy, is the crystallization of the life experience and wisdom of the Kazakh people of Altay. Its theoretical system for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of related diseases, and its rich clinical experience, have enriched China's treasury of traditional medicine, giving it considerable historical and cultural value and considerable value for academic research. Wuer'ali Saitarkhan (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Kazakh, born in October 1956, from Altay City, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. With forty years in the profession, he has persevered in serving herders in the Altay pastoral areas, where winter temperatures fall to minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius, using traditional therapies to cure numerous herders suffering from frostbite. He has consistently visited folk doctors on his rounds, studying folk cases of diagnosis and treatment, and has accumulated rich clinical experience. All year round he persists in going up into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, and is thoroughly familiar with the properties of drugs and their processing methods. He is a representative inheritor of Kazakh medicine (the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy), a project of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage. The master-apprentice lineage has already reached four generations; he has trained a large number of inheritors and has also passed the techniques beyond the lineage to four physicians at Altay Prefecture Hospital. Bakhtibek Khumarkhaji (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Kazakh, born in September 1962, from Altay City, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Through master transmission and professional study, he has mastered the specialised knowledge and skills of the Braw therapy of Kazakh medicine. Over twenty-six years in the profession, he has summed up and improved upon the clinical practice of the Braw therapy, holding distinctive views on diagnostic and therapeutic methods, on the gathering and processing of medicinal materials and on prescriptions, with remarkable curative effects. He specialises in treating rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, pain in the lower back and legs, sciatica, periarthritis of the shoulder, hyperostosis, hyperviscosaemia, hypertension, gout, skin diseases, gynaecological disorders, and prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia in men. He actively trains newcomers and transmits the skills of Kazakh medicine. He is a representative inheritor of Kazakh medicine (the Braw medicinal bath and steaming therapy, the Wotash bone-setting technique and the frostbite therapy), a project of the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wuerali Saitaerhan 05-2967
- Bahetibieke Humaerhaji 05-2969
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。