The Compilation and Analysis of Anti-Insomnia Recipes in Thai Traditional Medicine Textbooks

Abstract

Insomnia can be found at any age, especially the elderly, and can affect the lifestyle of the elderly. There is knowledge of treating insomnia in Thai traditional medicine, which appears in anti-insomnia recipes in many Thai traditional medicine textbooks. However, that knowledge is gathered from the experience of trial and error and inherited as the wisdom of Thai traditional medicine doctors in the past. There is a lack of systematic collection. Therefore, this study is interested in compiling and analyzing anti-insomnia recipes in Thai traditional medicine textbooks. It is qualitative research by studying and collecting the anti-insomnia recipes in Thai traditional medicine textbooks that are used for learning and registration examination of Thai traditional medicine. Then, anti-insomnia recipes were organized into groups and analyzed information of anti-insomnia recipes.

            The results found that the number of anti-insomnia recipes in Tumra Vejasart Chabap Luang (Royal Thai Treatise of Medicine of King Rama V), Tumra Phaesart Songkroh by Phraya Pitsanuprasartvej, and General Ancient Medicine Textbooks were 54 lists of recipes. After rechecking, the outcomes also showed that there were 38 anti-insomnia recipes. Moreover, these recipes were divided into two groups by properties as follows; 1) anti-insomnia recipes that have directly anti-insomnia properties, and 2) anti-insomnia recipes that have other properties combined with anti-insomnia properties.

 The results showed that the systematic arrangement of traditional knowledge was an important base for developing insomnia treatment through the Thai traditional medicine process. Moreover, it is also beneficial to medicine compounding for individual patients.