Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 13 (3), July 2014, pp. 557-563

Zootherapeutic uses of animals by Mech tribe living in Duars of ,

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 , 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 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 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, 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/ 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 , 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 together in definite formulations for the preparation of Duars region. 9 drugs . 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 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, pubinerve and 24–33 preservation and scientifically identified in Stephania glabra are not in the list. But, uses of the 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 and buried about 60 cm below the ground to decompose. After complete decomposition, the remaining bones are taken out and cleaned. The bones are pounded into a paste and applied externally on all kind of epidermal wound for seven days Pila globosa (Swainson) [Pilidae]; Samu ladai Cooked flesh is eaten to improve appetite Lymnaea acuminata (Lam.) [Lymnaeidae]; Jinai-khong Boiled flesh is eaten to improve eye sight Sartoriana spinigera (Wood Mason) [Potamonidae]; Khangkhrai Cooked flesh is eaten in anemia Hystrix indica Kerr [Hystricidae]; Dau-mudai Cooked meat is eaten in general weakness Oriolus xanthornus (L.) [Oriolidae]; Guphut Dauchen About a 1.2 cm long piece of its bone is wrapped in a cloth and hung with a thread around the neck to treat jaundice Columba livia Gmelin [Columbidae]; Hagrani Pharou One bird is cooked in ghee and given once in a week to treat paralysis Varanus bengalensis (Daudin) [Varanidae]; Mai-jethhi Oil obtained from the flesh is massaged in rheumatic pain till cure II. Animal parts used in definite formulations Diseases Ingredients Mech name Preparation and dose Gangrene (i) Chelone mydas L., (ii) Stephania glabra (i) Khau-cham, One gm carapace of Chelone mydas, 5 gm dry tuber (Roxb.) Miers [Ajita & AP Das 354], (ii) Dibauli Bidat, of Stephania glabra, 10 gm dry shoot of Eclipta (iii) Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. [Ajita & AP Das (iii) Kalkhasri, prostrata, 10 gm dry leaves of Justicia gendarussa 371], (iv) Justicia gendarussa Burm. f. (iv) Jatrasi and are powdered and boiled in 100 ml of mustard oil [Ajita & AP Das 372] and (v) Mustard oil (v) Thao and sieved. The oil is applied locally twice daily. Abscess (i) Tetraodon cutcutia Ham., (i) Tepa Naya-na One dry Tetraodon cutcutia, 5–6 dry leaves of (ii) Pericampylus glaucus (Lam.) Merr. (ii) Nalithapa, Pericampylus glaucus, 5–6 gm dry roots of [Ajita & AP Das 077], (iii) Clerodendrum (iii) Holupang and Clerodendrum serratum are crushed and boiled in serratum (L.) Moon [Ajita & AP Das 078] (iv) Thao 100 ml of mustard oil, sieved and applied locally and (iv) Mustard oil twice daily for 3–4 days. Also, advised to avoid eating banana (Musa sp.), sour fruits, pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) and pulses of Vigna mungo (Linnaeus) Hepper Asthma (i) Gallus gallus domesticus (L.) and (i) Dau Bidoi and About ¼th of a mature bulb of Crinum amoenum is (ii) Crinum amoenum Roxb. ex Ker Gawl. (ii) Mosoi Sabrum chopped and mixed with one blended hen’s egg and [Ajita & AP Das 076]. then fried to prepare an omelette. This omelette and boiled raw rice are given to asthma patient. Single dose is expected to cause vomiting after 5 minutes and cure the disease next day Postnatal (i) Notopteras notopteras (Pallas) and (i) Fulu Naya-na Fifty gm fish (without scales) and 100 gm leaves of Fatigue (ii) Acmella calva (DC.) R.K. Jansen (ii) Usumai Acmella calva are cooked in one cup of water. Add [Ajita & AP Das 118]. salt and boil the gravy. Gravy is given to weak mother daily after childbirth. It removes fatigue. Contd. 560 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 13, NO. 3, JULY 2014

Table 1—Use of Animals/ animal parts either in (I) Solitary or in (II) Definite formulations to prepare the medicine to treat various diseases (Contd.)

II. Animal parts used in definite formulations Diseases Ingredients Mech name Preparation and dose

Malnutrition (i) Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann) and (i) Mokhra Malnourished child is laid down on the leaf of of Children (ii) Phrynium pubinerve Blume (ii) Laihu Phrynium pubinerve. Simultaneously, a small part of [Ajita & AP Das 474] skull of Macaca mulatta is tied with a string and hung around the neck of the child for a month to improve the health Lactation (i) Channa punctatus Bloch, (ii) (i) Cherenga Naya- After delivery a curry is prepared with 50 gm of brasiliense (Desf.) Engl., and (iii) Euphorbia na, Channa punctatus and 10 gm leaves of Xanthosoma hirta L. (ii) Dudhali brasiliense and 10 gm shoots of Euphorbia hirta and Thadung and given to the mother. It helps to increase milk (iii) Dudhali production in lactating mother. Once daily for one month. Skin Cancer (i) Hemidactylus bowringi (Gray), (i) Mai-jethhi, Five lizards are heated in 100 gm mustard oil. Oil is (ii) Stephania glabra (Roxb.) Miers and (ii) Dibauli Bidat applied on the wound. At the same time, 250 gm (iii) Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (iii) Duba-gangse powder of roasted tuber of Stephania glabra and 200 gm whole plant of Cynodon dactylon are pounded and made into 30 pills. Oil applied and pills are taken thrice daily for 10 days.

Table 2—Identity, habit, habitat and distribution of recorded plants

Plant name [Family] Local name Habit Habitat Availability; Distribution

Acmella calva (DC.) R.K. Usumai Annual herb Open areas Abundant; tropical and subtropican Jansen [Asteraceae] SE Asia Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Holupang Suffrutescent Scrubland Less common; Indian sub-continent Mabberley [Lamiaceae] undershrub Crinum amoenum Roxb. ex Mosoi Sabrum Bulbous perennial Forest floor and Common; NE India, Myanmar and Ker Gawl. [Amaryllidaceae] margin C. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. Duba-gangse Perennial runner Open areas Abundant; pantropical [Poaceae] Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. Kalkhasri Prostrate/ semierect Open areas Abundant; India and SW America [Asteraceae] annual Euphorbia hirta L. Dudhali Prostrate/ semierect Open areas Abundant; pantropical [Euphorbiaceae] annual Justicia gendarussa Burm.f. Jatrasi Small shrub In gardens Common in tropical gardens [Acanthaceae] Pericampylus glaucus (Lam.) Nalithapa Shrubby climber with In bushes Common; tropical Asia Merr. [Menispermaceae] globose root stock Phrynium pubinerve Blume Laihu Rhizomatous herb Open marshes or Abundant; India, Sri Lanka and [] moist places Malaysia Stephania glabra (Roxb.) Miers Dibauli Bidat Shrubby climber In bushes Common; native to E & S Asia and [Menispermaceae] Australia Xanthosoma brasiliense (Desf.) Dudhali Thadung Perennial herb with Forest floor Less common; naturalized; native of Engl. [] leaf-crown tropical America

SARKAR et al.: ZOOTHERAPEUTIC USES OF ANIMALS IN DUARS 561

Table 3—Mech medicine healers and the efficacy status of their recorded formulations

Name of disease Name of healer No of patients Total enquired Fully cured Partly cured Not cured Minor Injuries Dhira Gabur 5 2 3 0 Arthritis Naren Narjeenary 6 4 1 1 Chest Pain Satish Narjeenary 4 3 1 0 Sexual Debility Surendra Basumata 3 1 1 1 Night Blindness Ramesh Narjeenary 4 1 2 1 Dermal Wounds Satyan Gabur 5 3 2 0 Improving Appetite Anita Bramha 8 6 2 0 Poor Eye sight Dhira Gabur 7 4 2 1 Anemia Satish Narjeenary 7 5 2 0 General Weakness Ramesh Narjeenary 5 3 2 0 Jaundice Brajendra Basumata 7 5 2 0 Paralysis Ramesh Narjeenary 3 1 1 1 Rheumatic Pain Rumi Champramari 4 2 2 0 Gangrene Satish Narjeenary 3 2 0 1 Abscess Satish Narjeenary 7 4 3 0 Asthma Satish Narjeenary 4 1 2 1 Weak Mother Anita Bramha 5 4 1 0 Malnutrition of Children Bolen Boro 3 1 1 1 Lactation Dhira Gabur 7 5 2 0 Skin Cancer Surendra Basumata 4 2 2 0 Grand total 101 59 34 8

were consulted and observed for at least 3 months. Out disorder, rheumatic pain, to improve health of weak of the 20 formulations, only in a few cases like sexual children, any type of severe pain in body, and puerperal debility, night blindness, paralysis, asthma and fever44. Practice of using house sparrow similar to malnutrition in children, results of treatments were not our observation was reported by Khatun et al.44, where satisfactory. Otherwise, 15 other formulations worked bird’s meat is cooked and eaten to increase sexual satisfactorily. As a whole, out of 101 patients 59 potentiality in males. From domestic to wild animals (i.e. 58.41 %) respondents were fully cured. Another like Dog, Goat, Cat, Pig, Duck, Pigeon, Garden 34 patients (i.e. 33.66 %) were partially cured and only Lizard, Sambhar, Freshwaters Shellfish, Hyena, 8 patients (i.e. 7.9 %) expressed their dissatisfaction. Porcupine, Elephant, Hare, Monkey, Pangolin, So, it appears that the drugs are quite effective. Mongoose, etc. has been used in different capacities to prepare ethnomedicines by various ethnic Comparison with previous works groups and tribes of India40-47. However, there is little In the present study, information on animals/ or no work conducted so far in India to verify the animal parts used by Mech tribe either in solitary or efficacy of such uses. in combination with different plant species have For the source of medicines, these ethnic people been documented. Tribal and ethnic people from the mostly depend upon adjacent natural vegetation. countries like China, Brazil, and many countries of However, there is a fragile connection between Africa, South America, regularly use animals in their the forest ecosystem, its biodiversity and the traditional medicines39-43. Even in India, Zootherapy is livelihood of the tribal people. Therefore, it is in practice since long15. In Bangladesh, folk medicinal suggested that Government should support the practitioners has been found to use 13 species of interest and development of these tribal people and animals to treat diseases like asthma, insanity, being simultaneously use their rich traditional knowledge touched by ‘evil wind’, to increase sexuality in males, and resource management practice in parallel to epilepsy, as female contraceptive, eye disorder, mental enhance the modern developmental programs. 562 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 13, NO. 3, JULY 2014

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