Original Articles: 2015 Vol: 7 Issue: 5
Ethnomedicinal practices of a Marma tribal medicinal practitioner in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
Abstract
The Marma tribal people reside in scattered communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. The region is considered a hot-spot regarding floral species, and the Marma tribal medicinal practitioners, as a result, are quite knowledgeable about the medicinal properties of diverse plant species. A survey was carried out in the Ramu area among the Marma community with the objective of documenting the medicinal plants used and ailments treated by a Marma tribal healer. The healer was observed to use a total of 21 plants distributed into 16 families. The various plants were used to treat a variety of ailments, which included leucorrhea, enlargement of liver, skin disorders, respiratory problems, urinary disorders, kidney stone, rheumatism, edema, dog, snake and poisonous insect bites, menstrual problems, gastrointestinal tract disorders, leprosy, hypertension, cancer, tumor, pain, physical weakness, jaundice, edema, diabetes, goiter, helminthiasis, paralysis, and sexual disorders. What was interesting about the Marma healer was his use of a single plant species for treating multiple types of diseases, suggesting not only that the healer possessed an extensive knowledge on the medicinal properties of plants, but also that these plants may prove useful in treating difficult to cure or incurable diseases like diabetes, cancer, tumor, hypertension, and paralysis.