Infectious Diseases in the Life of Mongolian Peoples: Beliefs and Healing Practices

Abstract

The 19th century health studies among the indigenous populations of Siberia and Central Asia show that the infectious diseases were caused by specific economic activities (hunting, livestock breeding), peculiarities of lifestyle and nutrition. Since ancient times, Mongolian peoples had been aware of smallpox, anthrax, animal plague, rabies, tuberculosis, and leprosy. Smallpox was periodically brought to the nomadic environment by the peoples of neighboring China. The source of plague, rabies and anthrax were animals, both domestic and wild ones. Many diseases were introduced into the nomadic environment during the colonization of Siberia from the western regions (typhus, diphtheria, measles, venereal diseases), the rest having been brought from other territories (smallpox, typhoid, diphtheria, venereal diseases). The traditional world view reduces the origin of epidemic and contagious diseases to the harmful activity of deities and spirits of disease. For this reason, the practice of treatment took the form of ritual, magical actions. A common practice of treating infected rabies-infected individuals was bathing in reservoirs with healing waters, staying in sacred caves. Some infectious diseases were reported to be of ‘heavenly’ origin. So, it was believed such actions as exorcism of the spirit of the disease, use of fire, or shooting of firearms could get help rid of them. Such irrational healing practices were necessarily accompanied by rituals. The rituals were addressed to the deity-culprits of diseases and were committed by shamans or lamas. Deities and spirits were asked not to harm people, or they were thanked for healing the disease. Measures to prevent and stop epidemics were rational actions in the struggle against epidemics that are relevant in different historical periods. Since ancient times, some warning signs to inform about the presence of a dangerous disease have been used by nomads. So, rapid resettlements of a healthy population from dangerous areas saved multiple lives. Isolation of the sick was another effective measure. Over time, these measures got introduced into the legal system of nomads. Thus, the dispersion of nomads did not facilitate the spread of epidemics. In addition, the condition for the resistance of the nomads’ immune system to many diseases was their motion related lifestyle, healthy food (dairy and meat products). Mare’s milk - airag (koumiss) was especially efficient for the prevention and healing of tuberculosis. Traditional beliefs and ideas of the Mongolian peoples about diseases are part of the general mythopoietic picture once formed throughout Central Asia. In this connection, such beliefs of the Mongols, Buryats, Khakass, and Tuvans show a certain similarity.