Reports on Wednesday claimed the Mongolian government had reached agreement with Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and its partner, Rio Tinto, in which the country would have a 34 percent stake in the site. 

Negotiations for a mining agreement have brought a number of documents before the parliament over the past five years. However, none of the agreements have been approved. 

In the mean time, private markets have shown their discomfort with the Mongolian government by refusing to invest in Mongolian projects. 

For instance, Ivanhoe's stock is down 78 percent this year, and was down 21 Canadian cents at C$2.31 on Wednesday. 

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Camel Mother and Baby Near Khongoryn Els - Photo by Jeff Wiliams - Mongolia-Pictures.com

Plans have been announced to build a camel milk production facility in Omnogobi aimag. Initial schedules indicate the plant will open in four years. 

The plant would package dried camel milk to be used in the manufacturing of coffee and chocolate for export. 

Financing for the facility is being provided by The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Czech Republic.

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Traditional Mongolian medicine developed over many years among the Mongolian people. Many Mongolian doctors (emchis) became so adept that they became well known in Tibet and China.

History

The Mongols developed their system of medicine according to their own culture and beliefs. Mongolian traditional medicine became famous, and some Dalai Lamas counted Emchis among their personal physicians.

In China, the Manchu emperors used to employ emchis, who were said to be skilled at diagnosis, examining the stool, urine and pulse to arrive at a diagnosis.

Today Mongolia is one of the few countries which officially supports its traditional system of medicine.^[1] However, Inner Mongolia, ruled by China, does not support Mongolian Traditional medicine, and has even imprisoned people for practising it.^[2]

Therapies

Minerals

Mongolian medical literature mentions the use of minerals in medicine, usually in the form of powdered metals or stones.

Herbs

Herbs were the mainstay of Mongolian medicine; legend had it that any plant could be used as a medicine. An emchi is quoted as saying:

All those flowers, on which butterflies sit, are ready medicine for various diseases. One can eat such flowers without any hesitation. A flower rejected by the butterflies is poisonous, but it can become medicine, when it is properly composed.

Moxibustion

The Mongolian tradition of Moxibustion (burning mugwort over acupuncture points) was developed in Mongolia and later incorporated into Tibetan medicine.

Water

One unusual aspect of Mongolian mecicine is the use of water as a medicine. Water was collected from any source, including the sea, and stored for many years until ready for use. Acidity and other stomach upsets were said to be amenable to water treatments.

Bone setting

Bone setting is a branch of Mongolian medicine carried out by Bariachis - specialist bone setters. They work without medicines or instruments. Instead they rely on physiotherapy to manipulate bones back to their proper position. Bariachis are laypeople, without medical training, and are born into the job, following the family tradition. It appears that this traditional practice is in decline, and that no scientific research has been carried out into it.

Dom

Dom is the tradition of household cures, many based simply on superstition - one instance being that a picture of a donkey hung over a child's bed will help it sleep. Counting the frequency of breathing is also stated to be a relief for psychological problems and distress.

See also

• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Traditional Tibetan medicine

References

1. ^ Growth in traditional medicine, Mongol Messenger, October 29, 2003
2. ^ IMPP Members Protest Hu Jintao in Germany, SMHRIC, November 11, 2005

External links

• Traditional Mongolian medicine, references to research papers
• Memoir of a Mongolian Lama, discussing traditional medicine
• Historical development of the tradition
• This article is taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Mongolian_medicine

• Traditional Medicine Museum opens in Mongolia
• Ancient Mongolian documents being digitized as means of preserving the past 
• ABSTRACTS - CONTEMPORARY MONGOLIA - TRANSITIONS, DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS 

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Mongolia Web News, Ulaanbaatar. The impact of the Mongolia's government's changing policies on nationalizing the mining industry continues to be felt. 

On Tuesday, Canadian-based Western Prospector Group filed suit against Tinpo Holdings Industrial Company Ltd. after a takeover agreement collapsed. Tinpo has expressed fears of investing in Mongolia due to the government's tentative moves to nationalize mines. 

Tinpo was to purchase Western Prospector's uranium deposit in Mongolia for $72 million. However, the company announced it has withdrawn the offer because of the uncertain political climate in Mongolia. 

In response, Western announced plans to take legal action filed a notice of application with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Tuesday.

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The Dry Beds of Mongolia's Selbe River - Photo by Jeff Wiliams - Mongolia-Pictures.com

A government survey shows that there is less surface water, rivers, lakes and wells, than were present four years ago during the last survey. 

The survey, conducted by the Water Authority and the State Professional Control Agency, revealed that over 1,200 rivers have dried up in Mongolia. Four years ago, more than 5,100 rivers were counted while today there were fewer than 3,900. 

Government officials also said 2,600 lakes are now dry, out of a total of 3,700, while 23,000 of the country’s 93,700 springs are dry. Further, of the more than 400 mineral waters, 110 have disappeared.   

Commenting on the situation, Z.Batbayar, Water Authority head said many reasons are to blame for this problem including climate conditions and human factors, such as gold mining and the operation of tanneries. Both of these industries use large amounts of water.  

Also, it was observed that rivers have dried up mostly in areas surrounding the city and aimags' centers.   

The report also noted that Mongolia has 64 sewage plants, 13 hydro power plants, 64 dykes, 102 irrigation systems, and 42,000 wells. 

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Montana State University Announces:

Mongolia, a visually stunning country that shares much with Montana but also contrasts with it in important ways, will be the focus of Montana State University's International Education Week 2008, set Nov. 17-21.

This is the sixth year that MSU's Office of International Programs has sponsored an international education week. The event emphasizes the culture and traditions of a country while offering to the community free admission to lectures, film, stories and demonstrations. Mongolia is a natural topic for international education week because it is linked to Montana in several ways, according to Norman Peterson, MSU's Vice Provost for International Education. 

"Mongolia shares similar landscapes and environmental challenges with Montana," Peterson said. "It is also a land of haunting beauty and singular customs that will be the topic of a great line-up of interesting, free events throughout the week. I hope everyone on campus and in the Bozeman community is able to attend."

Bolortsetseg Minjin, a paleontologist from Mongolia who is currently a visiting scholar at the Museum of the Rockies, will kick off the Discover Mongolia week with a presentation about dinosaurs in Mongolia. Her talk is set for noon, Monday, Nov. 17, in SUB room 275.

In 2007 Bolortsetseg founded the non-profit "Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs" (ISMD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The goal of the organization is to build a museum in Mongolia to preserve dinosaurs and other national treasures, and to further science education in the country. Since 2005 she has worked with MSU's Jack Horner, who has supported her efforts to improve Mongolian paleontology. She is working on the paleobiology of the Cretaceous dinosaur Psittacosaurus while at the Museum of the Rockies on a post-doctoral research position.

Bozeman freelance photographer Gordon Wiltsie, whose work is frequently published in National Geographic and other national magazines, will narrate a slideshow, "Images of Mongolia" at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in SUB Ballroom A. 

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