Original Articles: 2015 Vol: 7 Issue: 2
Phyto- and Zoo-therapeutic practices of a Manipuri tribal healer in Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh
Abstract
The Manipuri tribe is one of the largest tribe residing in Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. Although in recent years the tribal people are more and more resorting to allopathic medicine, various communities of the tribe still rely on their traditional medicinal practices. The objective of the present survey was to document the medicinal practices of a Manipuri tribal healer in Moulvibazar district who was observed to use plants, animals, reptiles and fish in his formulations. Interview of the healer was conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. The healer was observed to use a total of 18 plants (17 identified and one unidentified), one animal, one reptile, and one fish in his various formulations. These plant formulations were used to treat various ailments like gastrointestinal disorders, oral lesions, hair loss, helminthiasis, burns, diabetes, skin disorders, coughs, malarial and other types of fever, and toothache. The use of animal parts was a novel feature in his formulations. The meat of Indian fox was used to treat rheumatic pain; the blood of Ganges River sprat was used to treat baldness, and the gall bladder of the Indian python was used to treat asthma. Taken together, the formulations form an interesting group of observation, which merits scientific attention as to their drug discovery potential.