Few plants and animals based folk medicines from Dibrugarh District, Assam

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1 Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 4(1), January 2005, pp Few plants and animals based folk medicines from Dibrugarh District, Assam Dilip Kalita *, Manashi Dutta, and Nazim Forid Islam. Department of Botany, Dibru College, Dibrugarh , Assam; Department of Zoology, Dibru College, Dibrugarh , Assam; Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati-14, Assam Received 18 May 2004, revised 19 July 2004 An attempt has been made to study the plant and animal based folk medicine used by people of Dibrugarh district, Assam for treatment of eleven different diseases, viz. ascites, body pain, carbuncle, diabetes, epilepsy, gastritis, indigestion, obesity, piles, pimples and urinary tract infection. Key words: Bej, Bejini, Folk Medicine, Ethnomedicine, Assam IPC Int. Cl. 7 : A61K35/78, A61P 1/ 04, A61P 7/ 00, A61P 13/ 02, A61P 17/ 00, A61P 17/ 10, A61P 25/ 08, A61P 29/ 00 Assam, one of the northeastern states of India is located between East longitude and North latitude. Dibrugarh district situated in the eastern part of Assam with a total area of 3381 sq km and population of 11,72,056 is surrounded by the Brahmaputra river in the North, Tinsukia district in the East and Sivsagar district and Arunachal Pradesh in the South and Sivsagar district in the West. The soil of the district is mainly alluvial, deposited by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Relatively long rainy season, high humidity and moderately high temperature are eminently suitable factors for luxuriant growth of vegetation in the district. The people of the rural areas of Dibrugarh district have a strong belief on curative power of plant and animal based folk medicines. Most of the folk medicines, used by the people are usually prepared from the plant materials. It is observed that in some cases, both plant parts and animal parts or their products are also used for preparation of these medicines. The information about the medicinal plants are usually confined to Bej (local medicine man) and Bejine (local medicine woman). Methodology The study was conducted during the year Some rural areas of the district were visited to meet Bejes and Bejines (Figs 1-2) and to collect the plant species with their reproductive parts. The plant specimens were preserved according to conventional herbarium techniques 1. Plants collected were *Corresponding author identified comparing with flora of Assam 2 and added to the herbarium of Botany Department, Dibru College. Animal species used were preserved in 4% formaldehyde and identified 3-4 and added to the museum of Zoology Department, Dibru College. Results and Discussion In the present study, information on utility of 19 plant species (Figs 3-6) and 4 animal species is given (Table 1). It is noticed that wild plants and animals play a special role in folk medicines. Folk medicines have gained popularity in developed as well as developing countries. Some international organizations like WHO are also trying to develop folk medicines. It is observed that popularity of folk medicines is gradually increasing among rural people of Dibrugarh district. The biochemical analyses and pharmaceutical investigations of plant and animal species used by the rural people of the district will bring some new information, which have immense scientific values. References 1 Mitra J N, An Introduction to systematic Botany and Ecology (The World Press Private Limited, Calcutta) Kanjilal U N, Kanjilal P C & Das P, The flora of Assam, Vol. I-VI, (Publication Division Govt. of Assam, Shillong, India), Misra K S, An identification of the commercial fishes of India and Pakistan records India Museum, 57(142) (1959) Dutta Munshi J S & Srivastava M P, Natural History of Fishes and Systematics of Fresh water Fishes of India, (Narendra Publishing House, Delhi), 1988.

2 82 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No. 1, JANUARY 2005

3 KALITA et al.: FOLK MEDICINES OF DIBRUGARH DISTRICT OF ASSAM 83

4 84 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No. 1, JANUARY 2005 Table 1Folk medicines used by the people of Dibrugarh district, Assam S.No. Disease Scientific name of plant and animal with family Local name of plant and animal Parts used Method of preparation and use of medicines 1. Ascites Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae, plant) Tita kerela Fruit About 20 ml of extracted juice is given to take thrice daily for three days. 2. Body pain Channa punctatus Linn. (Channidae, animal) Amaranthus caudatus Linn. (Amaranthaceae, plant) Ipomoea aquatica Forsk. (Convolvulaceae, plant) Pistia stratiotes Linn. (Araceae, plant) Piper nigrum Linn. (Piperaceae, plant) Sengeli Khutura Kalmou Borpuni Jaluk Young vegetative shoot Young vegetative shoot Vegetative shoot Matured fruit Curry prepared from fishes (nine in number) and useful portion of the three plant species along with dried powder of fruits of Piper nigrum is given with rice once daily for a week. 3. Carbuncle Mastacembalus armatus Linn. (Channidae, giant thorny eel) Crataeva nurvala Buch.-Ham. (Capparidaceae, plant) Piper nigrum Linn. (Piperaceae, plant) Bami Borun Jaluk Young leaf Matured fruit Curry prepared from the useful portion of M. armatus and young leaf of C. nurvala is given to take with rice once daily for a forthnight. Suitable amount of dried powder obtained from matured fruits of P. nigrum is also added during preparation of the curry. 4.a) Diabetes Monopterus cuchia Linn. (Monopteredae, cuchia eel) Leucas aspera Spreng. (Lamiaceae, plant) Kusiya Dorun Blood Fresh blood of a M. cuchia is taken orally empty stomach in the morning for four days. After completion of the above dosage a fresh L. aspera plant is uprooted just after sunset and kept overnight on roof of the house. In the next morning, just before sunrise two teaspoonful of plant extract mixed with one spoonful of honey is allowed to lick mixed with one spoonful of honey. After 20 minutes about one-fourth glass of lukewarm water is given to drink and the process is continued for another two days. b) Diabetes Oxalis corniculata Linn. (Oxalidaceae, plant) 5. Epilepsy Lawsonia inermis Linn. (Lythraceae, plant) Tengesi Aerial part About 100 gm of aerial parts are wrapped with banana leaf and after roasting in firewood is given with small amount of salt once daily at an interval of three days. Jetuka Leaf About 25 ml of extracted juice mixed with equal amount of raw cow milk is given once daily for a week. 6. Gastritis Saccharum officinarum Linn (Poaceae, plant) Curcuma domestica Valeton (Zingiberaceae, plant) Kuhiar Halodhi Molases Rhizomatous stem About 25 gm of C. domestica rhizomes crushed finely mixed with equal amount of 7-9 year old molasses are given twice daily for three days. Contd

5 KALITA et al.: FOLK MEDICINES OF DIBRUGARH DISTRICT OF ASSAM 85 Table 1Folk medicines used by the people of Dibrugarh District, AssamContd S.No. Disease Scientific name of plant and animal with family Local name of plant and animal Parts used Method of preparation and use of medicines 7. Indigestion Ananas comosus Linn. (Bromeliaceae, plant) Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Euphorbiaceae, plant) Matikothal Amlakhi Fruit Fruit About 15 ml of extracted juice of matured fruit of each plant species mixed together with about 15 ml of honey is given thrice daily for two days. 8. Obesity Labeo gonius Linn. (Cyprinidae, carp fish) Stellaria media (Linn.) Vill. (Caryophyllaceae, plant) Kuri Morolia Curry prepared from the edible portion of fish is taken with rice on Saturday. The same process is repeated for another eight consecutive Saturdays. 9.a) Piles Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nymphaeaceae, plant) Podum Leaf About one-third of a fresh leaf crushed finely and mixed with one spoonful of sugar and butter is given twice daily for a week. b) Piles Cissus quadrangularis Linn. (Vitaceae, plant) Harjora lota Young stem About 25 ml of extracted juice obtained from young stem is mixed with small amount of common salt and given to take once daily for a week. 10.a) Pimples Cinnamomum tamala Nees & Eberm. (Lauraceae, plant) b) Pimples Enhydra fluctuans Lour. (Asteraceae, plant) Tejpat Leaf Few leaves are crushed finely and applied on pimples for a week. Helechi Aerial part Aerial parts are crushed finely and applied over the pimples once daily for three days. c) Pimples Curcuma domestica Valeton (Zingiberaceae, plant) Cynodon dactylon Pers. (Poaceae, plant) Halodhi Duboribon Rhizome Equal amount of extracted juice of each plant species are mixed together and applied over the pimples once daily for three to five days. 11.a) Urinary tract infection Terminalia chebula Retz. (Combretaceae, plant) Hilikha Fruit A dried fruit is crushed finely and mixed with about 15 gm of 2-5 year old molasses is given thrice daily for three days. Meat, fish, egg and spices are strictly prohibited during the treatment. b) Urinary tract infection Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae, plant) Tita kerela Fruit About 15 ml of extracted fruit juice is mixed with equal amount of water and given twice daily for three days. Meat, fish, egg and spice are strictly prohibited during the treatment.