Zootherapeutic Uses of Animals by Mech Tribe Living in Duars of West Bengal, India
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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 13 (3), July 2014, pp. 557-563 Zootherapeutic uses of animals by Mech tribe living in Duars of West Bengal, India Ajita Sarkar1, Ritesh Biswa2 & AP Das3* 1Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Center for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi, Delhi 110007; 2Entomology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of North Bengal, Siliguri 734013, West Bengal, India 3Taxonomy & Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri 734013, West Bengal, India E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Received 21.09.12, revised 10.02.14 Ethnobiological study in West Bengal is mostly confined to the use of plants in Ethnomedicine, however, there is a dearth of ethnozoogical works; thus, there is an urgent need to take up such studies. Recent survey among the Mech tribe living in the Duars of West Bengal, India, has recorded the uses of 20 different species of animals along with 11 species of plants in traditional medicines to cure different ailments. However, more efforts need to be exercised to explore and document the traditional ethnozoological knowledge accumulated by Mech and other tribes living in this region, so that, it can be put to the human welfare. Keywords: Traditional medicine, Zootherapy, Mech tribe, Duars, Animals, Plants IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K 36/00, A61K, AO1K, A61D 7/00, A61D Duars is situated in the Sub-Himalayan region of In Duars, Mech is the most dominant tribe4-7. West Bengal and lies in the East of the river Tista They speak in Tibeto-Burmese language and are and is located between 27° – 26°16' N latitude and regarded as the oldest settling Indo-Mongoloid tribe 89°53' – 88°4' E longitude with a total area of of North-east India and that of the Northern part of approximately 6227 sq km, stretching upto the river the state of West Bengal. The tribals have much Sankosh. Duars is bounded by Darjeeling Himalaya faith in magico-religious beliefs. The Medicine men and Bhutan in North, Coochbehar district of West or the Ojhas use such techniques along with their Bengal and Bangladesh in South, Assam in the East physical methods as these acts like psychological and the plains of Darjeeling district and small part of treatments. In numerous instances, Ojhas chant Bangladesh lies to the West1. mantras when they deliver animal/plant parts to Major part of Duars is covered with dense forests the patients or treating a patient. These remedies are 2 Mech and is very rich in biodiversity . Many communities well accepted by majority of the people. and tribes of people including Adivasi, Nepali, Toto, In West Bengal, much work has been done to document traditional uses of medicinal plants and Mech and Rabha are living in and around these 8-12 forests. Most of them depend upon these forests for plant products , but there is a definite lack of ethnozoogical works. Like plants, animals and their their day-to-day needs, like food, firewood, clothing, 13 medicine, etc. They are entirely dependent on local products also possess medicinal properties . It is an traditional medicinal system for their healthcare as important component of ethnobiology and the healing of human ailments by medicine obtained from they are living in remote areas where advanced 14 and modern medicinal facilities are not available. animals is what known as Zootherapy . In such societies, traditional knowledge is passed A number of animals are mentioned in Ayurvedic through oral communication from generation to system, which includes 24 insects, 16 reptiles, 15 16 generation3. 21 fishes, 41 aves and 41 mammals . Kalita et al. —————— studied the plant and animal based folk medicine *Corresponding author used by the people of Dibrugarh district of Assam 558 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 13, NO. 3, JULY 2014 for the treatment of eleven different diseases, Results and discussion where, information on the utility of 19 plant and People of Mech community use medicinal plants 4 animal species were collected. Studies has also along with entire animals or animal parts to treat the revealed that the tribals in Maharashtra like Bhils, commonly suffering diseases. In some cases a single Gamits, Koknas and Pawaras, have been using animal part is used as medicine, and in many other body parts of 15 species of wild animals as medicine cases they use a definite formulation in combination along with plants as resources of traditional with different species of plants. Most of their medicine17. The Chakhesang tribe of Nagaland also required animal parts they collect are from the uses 12 mammals, 1 bird, 1 reptile, 2 amphibians, forests around them. The method of preparation 1 fish, 1 mollusk, 1 annelid and 4 arthropods for of medicines are of different type and the mode the treatment of their diseases18. In Rajasthan, people of applications are generally in the form of ash of Saharia tribe use 15 species of animal for different (1 formula), cooked to eat (9 formulae), roasted to ethnomedicinal purpose19. Gupta et al.20 described eat (1 formula), boiled to eat (1 formula), decoction the traditional knowledge of local communities in (1 formula), paste (1 formula), oil for massage the Kachchh district and listed the use of 34 species (1 formula), topical application of prepared oil of animals in primary healthcare of human and (3 formulae), tablet (1 formula) and just touch livestock. (2 formulae). For the treatment of skin cancer Being deficient in recorded data, now there is an they use two medicines, (i) one oil for topical use, urgent need to take up Zootheraputic studies in and (ii) tablets for oral administration (Table 1). West Bengal, especially in the tribal dominating Mech Ojhas generally use more than one plant Duars region. together in definite formulations for the preparation of drugs9. The present ethnozoological survey has recorded the medicinal uses of 20 species of animals Methodology covering 20 genera and 20 families of which 4 species The extensive fieldwork for over one year are invertebrates and 16 species are vertebrates. during 2005 – 2006 was carried out in different Along with the animals, 11 plant species from 11 Mech dominating remote and forest villages genera from 9 families were also recorded, which in the Duars of the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal include 7 dicotyledonous and 4 monocotyledonous including Paschim Satali, Satali Nakadala, Dakshin plants. The details of the identity, habit, habitat, Mendabari, Nimati, Chhekamari, Latabari and availability and distribution pattern of these plants Ghoramara. Before the commencement of the have been presented in Table 2. survey works due permissions (Prior Information Consent or PIC) were taken from the village-heads Comparison with recognized medicinal plants with proper persuasion. During exploration Recorded Mech medicinal plants were matched traditional knowledge was documented in field with Encyclopaedia of Indian Medicinal Plants35, note book and in audio-recorder. Still photographs one of the standard references for medicinal plants were also taken. The discussion was made in India, and it is found that 5 species of plants, 21-23 using structured questionnaire . Collected viz. Crinum amoenum, Justicia gendarussa, voucher specimens were processed for proper Pericampylus glaucus, Phrynium pubinerve and 24–33 preservation and scientifically identified in Stephania glabra are not in the list. But, uses of the Taxonomy and Environmental Biology some of these plants were recorded in some Laboratory of the Department of Botany, North other literature36-38. However, Phrynium pubinerve 34-36 Bengal University using local floras . The Ojhas recorded during the present survey appears to be a and the elderly people were contacted to collect data new record as traditional medicinal plant. on medicinal uses of animal and/or plant parts to treat various ailments. Local names, parts used, Efficacy of drugs mode of administration and diseases cured were For the treatment of as much as 20 types of recorded. The plant specimens after preliminary diseases, 20 different formulations are used by Mech identification were finally matched at CAL and traditional healers. The Table 3 shows the analysis of NBU Herbaria and finally deposited in the efficacy of the drugs prepared and administered by NBU-Herbarium. them. For this, a total of 101 under treatment patients SARKAR et al.: ZOOTHERAPEUTIC USES OF ANIMALS IN DUARS 559 Table 1—Use of Animals/ animal parts either in (I) Solitary or in (II) Definite formulations to prepare the medicine to treat various diseases I. Animal parts used in solitary Animal species [Family]; Mech name Preparation and doses Heteropoda venatoria L. [Sparassidae]; Manirema Ash of one egg sac is applied on minor injuries like cuts, and scratches of skin, twice daily till cure Anas platyrhynchos L. [Anatidae]; Hang-sha Cooked meat is eaten once in a week in arthritis Axis axis (Erxleben) [Cervidae]; Moi Lower part of horn is rubbed with little water on a stone and the decoction is slightly heated and applied locally twice daily till cure in chest pain Passer domesticus (L.) [Passeridae]; Garsakha One roasted bird is taken twice in a week for one month against sexual debility Myotis lucifugus LeConte [Vespertilionidae]; Bah-dal Cooked meat is eaten regularly for one month in night blindness; it is believed that meat should be cooked and administered in the same night Banguras fasciatus (Schne.) [Elapidae]; Jibou A snake is killed