Traditional medicine of three regions of Russia and the use of information technologies to investigate it

Abstract

The paper presents experience of investigating the traditional medicine for the three regions of Russia – Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva — that has been kind of folk tradition here for centuries. This is Tibetan medicine that is the cultural and historical heir of the Indian medical tradition using some elements of the Chinese medicine. The paper gives information on the problem of objectifying and automating the Tibetan diagnostic methods (inspection, palpation, questioning) using information technologies. This research has been carried out in two directions: objectification and automation of pulse diagnostics by the development of the Computer Pulse Diagnostic System and the development of the Expert Diagnostic System for questioning and inspection of a patient. On the basis of the assessments of the experts (specialists in pulse diagnostics) and mathematically detected diagnostic signs of pulse waves, statistical models of normal and pathological pulses (pulses of «hot» and «cold» diseases) have been developed. A catalogue of pulses is being compiled. This catalogue consists of classes of computer recorded pulse signals that correspond to Tibetan nosology. The expanded and differentiated catalog of pulses and the pulse wave pattern recognition program designed to compare measured pulses and reference pulses will make the basis for combining the diagnostic results by three diagnostic methods, which will lead to the creation of an Integral Computer Diagnostic System designed for diagnosing diseases and providing recommendations for health correction in accordance with the traditions of Tibetan medicine.