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Rượu thuốc (lit. 'medicinal liquor') orrượu dân tộc (lit. 'traditional liquor') is a kind of Vietnamesedistilled liquor (rượu) with herbs and medical animals, considered by traditional medicine as good for health. This drink consists of herbs or animals soaked inalcohol as afolk medicine cure for diseases inVietnam. In Vietnam,rượu thuốc is widely believed to help drinkers improve their health and virility.[1]
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A popular type of rượu thuốc issnake wine (rượu rắn) for its placebo ability to cure multiple diseases includingfar sightedness,hair loss,back pain, digestive problems, fertility problems and evenleprosy.[2] The general principle of preparation is soaking venomous snakes in alcohol, where ethanol will denature protein-based snake venom.[3] In one method, the snakes can be soaked, ormacerated in wine along with other ingredients with medicinal properties inChinese medicine includingginseng, scorpions,Ming ariala (Đinh lăng),Fallopia multiflora (Hà thủ ô đỏ),Morinda officinalis (Ba kích), etc., to remove odour. Another method of preparation is extracting blood and bile from a snake and itsgallbladder and mixed with rice wine or grain wine to be consumed immediately.[4] Rice wine mixed with bile is also calledrượu mật.
Rượu thuốc is typically drunk before a meal in ashot glass or thimble size cups, for only one or two shot glasses for health benefits.[5] It is also used in drinking sessions and as souvenir gifts from a trip, as each region has its own variety ofrượu thuốc.[6] It is believed among Vietnamese that drinkingrượu thuốc may cure or alleviate several diseases (but not the ones caused by viruses or bacteria).
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In addition,rượu thuốc has external use on the skin including soaking, massaging, covering, and washing areas with pain to treatarthritis,sore muscles,hives, and so on.
There have been cases where unregulated use of producing and consuming homemaderượu thuốc led to alcohol poisoning and skin allergies when used as topical treatments against acne.
Alcohol poisoning fromrượu thuốc happens mainly for two reasons, either the rice wine used did not come from a proper facility and containsmethanol, a toxic alcohol used in various households and industrial agents,[7] or the ingredients used in the maceration process is toxic for consumption (i.e.Gelsemium elegans (Lá ngón), neglectful preparation ofcoucal (Chim bìm bịp) in rice wine without removing its viscera and fur containing parasites).[8]
Rượu thuốc is also a used for skincare purposes to combat acnes. The strength of the alcoholic content inrượu thuốc is corrosive to the skin, especially for sensitive skin, causing allergy reactions, skin irritations, damaging skin cells.[9]
