Traditional Mongolian medicine, which involves bloodletting and drinking fermented horse milk as treatment, has found wider use both at home and abroad, Xinhua reported Friday.

More brother than cousin to Chinese traditional medicine (CTM), the distinctive Mongolian medicine - the kind used by Genghis Khan, founder of the vast Mongol empire of the middle ages - can be traced back more than 1,000 years.

Attending the Annual Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM) meeting here Jan 6-7, veteran medical expert and an official of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional health department, Yu Lianyun, found numerous reasons to feel good about the future of Mongolian medicine.

"When Genghis Khan (1162-1227), born in Temujin, swept through Europe, Mongolian medicine was like the wind beneath his wings," said Yu.

"Mongolian medicine, which helped Genghis Khan conquer high and low in the Asian-Euro continent, has found a place in everyday life of the common Mongolian," acknowledged Yu.

Many traditional Mongolian medicines have proved effective in clinical diagnosis.

According to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at the end of 2004, there were approximately 14,900 traditional medical doctors in Inner Mongolia (a part of China), with 4,777 Mongolian medical doctors.

"The web of doctors and clinics links up all the herdsmen who are widely scattered in Inner Mongolia, putting medical services within their reach," Yu said.

Part of the job at the annual meeting of CTM is to explore new possibilities for traditional medicine, including the medicine of minority ethnicities.

An offshoot of CTM, Mongolian medicine stands out for its easy way of taking, cheap price and effectiveness.

Unlike CTM, which is known for its hours of preparation and the attitude of "bitter medicine treats you well", Mongolian medicine is now in tablet, pill and powder forms to cater to the accustomed habits of modern people.

Despite the advantages, Mongolian medicine retains a strong accent - finding most of its strong influence only in Mongolian area - the problem confronting all traditional medicines today.

Partly, the reason is the shrinking sources of vernacular medicine. "Without any exception, all vernacular medicines have shown too much reliance on such materials as musk deer and tiger bone," said Yu.

The recent momentum of CTM bodes well for its future. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said at the end of 2004 China signed cooperation accords with 51 countries on public health involving CTM.

Export of CTM has been increasing at a rate of 26 percent, 80 percent going to Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and Republic of Korea. Exports to the Middle East are also increasing by 15 percent annually.