Page 4 - รายงานวิจัยร้านยาหมอหวาน

Abstract

There are arguably four necessities for living: food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. The

use of the latter in Thailand can be traced back to the prehistoric period, ca. 2,500-3,000 BP. This

is evidenced in a hole found in the left temporal bone of a prehistoric individual, interpreted as

a practice of trepanation, and the discovery of some floral remains that may have been herbal
medicines. The medical practices become clearer in the historical period as demonstrated using

grinding stones for medicine making in the Dvaravati period and the establishment of hospitals

during the reign of the Angkorian King Jayavaraman VII.

The medicine and its technology had been developed continuously through times leading

to the introduction of more advanced medical traditions. It was until the reign of King Rama IV

that Thailand saw the wide adoption of the western medicine, which greatly affected Thai medical

traditions. This change then led to overhaul of Thai medical system initiated by King Rama V and

VI who commissioned various medicine-related projects such as an assembly of royal physicians
to revise the knowledge of Thai traditional medicine, the founding of the first modern hospital

“Siriraj Phayaban”, the production of household remedies under the Royal Project, and the

announcement of the medical-related acts.

Mo Waan Apothecary Shop (Bumrung Chat Sasana Ya Thai) was found by Mr. Waan Rod-

Muang, a Thai traditional medical practitioner, who had been active from the reigns of King Rama

V to King Rama IX. He provided a service to commoners and noblemen as well as making medicine

using both Royal recipes and his own creations. The practices have been continued to this day

under the supervision of the 4 generation. Its long business history is collected within various
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medical-related equipment, the shop’s architectural design as well as the surrounding

environment, making Mo Waan Apothecary Shop a true learning space.

Adopting the framework of museum as a resource in teaching and learning, this research

endeavours to develop Mo Waan Apothecary Shop as a learning space and create a learning

media to promote its knowledge to wider audiences. The media include bookmarks with

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