Wall inscription on herbal medicine and hermit exercise at Sala Ruesee Wat Matchimawas Worawihan Songkhala Province Thailand

Abstract

Wat Matchimawat Worawihan is a royal temple in Songkhla province which was built around the end of the Ayutthaya period. This temple has been associated with the body of knowledge of traditional Thai medicine. Traditional Thai medicine formulae and Ruesee Dat Ton murals were inscribed at Sala Ruesee, Wat Matchimawat in the reign of King Rama III – IV between 1836 and 1846. The inscriptions were made by powder color which faded by time. However, Sala Ruesee and the murals have been renovated several times since 1979 and the information has been recorded by documentation and photographs. These chronicles are references for this study to accomplish the body of knowledge of traditional Thai medicine at Sala Ruesee in addition to the investigation of the murals in situ. The aims of this study are to compile traditional Thai medicine formulae and Reusee Dat Ton available at Wat Matchimawat, analyze and classify the medicinal materials used in the formulae. Medicinal plants are identified by scientific name. Each plant description and its efficacy are demonstrated. Ruesee Dat Ton postures are explained step by step and figures of position are illustrated. Altogether 31 formulae of traditional Thai medicine and 40 postures of Ruesee Don Ton are founded at Wat Matchimawat. The formulae consisted of the medicines for internal uses and the medicines for external uses. Medicinal usage forms are tablets, powders, decoctions and liniments to alleviate 31 diseases or symptoms. Among 31 formulae, 16 of 31 are for treatments of fever, 8 are for various treatments of dizziness and fainting, the rest are for other treatments. Formulae of traditional Thai medicine to treat fever in children and homeostatic treatment for women are also found. There are 102 species of medicinal plant materials divided to 27 species of monocotyledons from 12 families, 81 species of dicotyledons from 52 families and 4 species of fern from 4 families. The other medicinal materials found in the formulae are 2 animal materials and 2 element materials. Zingiberaceae is the most prevalent family of plant ingredients in the formulae while Pterocarpus santalinus Linn. f. is the most prevalent species found in the formulae. Forty postures of Ruesee Dat Ton including 30 sitting postures and 10 standing postures are utilized in healing 37 diseases or symptoms. Besides the healing of wind obstruction by the four elements theory of traditional Thai medicine, Ruesee Dat Ton posture which is slowly performing and stretching is found to be an exercise capable to strengthen muscle and be appropriate to any ages of people. This study explains each posture according to the posture’s poem and transforms to each position step for muscle stretching and breathing training. Moreover, some postures are found to be relevant to the others and can be grouped into set of postures to gain more benefits in muscle movement.