Khmer Traditional Medicine

By: HIM Sokunthea

With long, small black appearance, lengthy purple branch color, it looks like wild bamboo which make most people bewilder that it is useless; instead it is used as a necessary plant for decreasing temperature in human being and it is really helpful for many other diseases.

Khmer traditional medicine is used almost in all areas in Cambodia, especially in rural area where the traditional custom is strongly applying. It has been well-known for all type of people, young, old, poor, single and married people since Angkorean period.

The remedy has been extracted from vine, plants, tree, which has totally 90 difference kind of plants and it has been taking from all provinces, such as kompong Speur, Kompong Chhnang, Pur Sat, Kompong Thom, Kompong Cham and Battambang Province.

Besides, animal is an effective remedy in curing illness; however it is banned and is not allowed because it leads to animal extinction.

Within strong belief of plant, healer, LY Bounarith, said that, the old medicine or remedy is come from all kind of natural or wild plants such as Sleak Snay, Plou Baat, Plou Thom, Krovine, Pepper, Union and so on.

He adds that the customer decide to use traditional medicine, for it is cheap, good quality and has no two side affect to health and it has been using since prehistory.

Having similar idea and with more than ten years experience, Mr PAV Sabouth, the healer, said that Cambodian citizen buy remedy, for they can afford the price and they can find it in any places around the village or home. He continues that the victims come to my house when the doctor has no ability to cure them.

“I used to go to hospital many times but it is useless; in contrast, my illness is getting better when I use remedy, such as plant and animal products”, Uncle Sreng Heng at Toul Sangka said.

Having been cured by traditional medicine, Ms, Sann Hang, said that “it is not expensive and it has good quality”.


It is still a big debate about using modern medicine and traditional medicine to cure illness. Although some people believe in using old remedy, the opponent party claims that modern medicine spends short time and it takes less risk to use it because it is world-wide used.

With opposite opinion toward her career, Ms, NANG Nary, remedy seller, said that, either modern or traditional medicine are similarly harmful to our health and it a good idea to see the doctor when the victim are in serious condition.

Normally, in all selling plant, herbal or animal remedy places can be sold and distributed on the store unless it is formally recognize by the government. In deed, all sellers have to pass the exam and get licensee from the health ministry.

On the other hand, the government won’t allow the sellers or the healers to advertise their product beyond their real ability, such as curing HIV diseased and cancer illness since it is the way of cheating people.