View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE

provided by PubMed Central

Ancient Science of Life, Vol No. VI No. 2 October 1986, Pages 122 - 123

TRIBAL REMEDIES FOR SNAKEBITE FROM ORISSA

K S MURTHY, P C SHARMA AND PREM KISHORE

Central Research Institute(Ay.) Unit : I, , Orissa, .

Received: 16 April 1986 Accepted: 15 June, 1986 ABSTRACT: This communication presents an account of usage of 13 species of in the treatment of Snakebite by the tribals of Orissa, Botanical name, family, local name and Sanskrit name, if available of the along with mode of administration and place collection of the claims are enumerated.

Orissa State with nearly 23% of the total F: Vitaceae: L : Pitchidota: P: Hathigam population being constituted by tribals and (). about 45% of its total area being covered by the , provides good scope for ethno – Fine paste of root (20 gm) mixed with water botanical studies. It received only a little (10 ml) is administered internally. attention in the past in this regard, Vide, Jain (1) Jain et al (2) Pal & Benerjee (3) & (4) Calotropis gigante (Linn) R. Br. Saxena and Dutta. F: Asclepiadaceae: S: Arka: L : Arka: P: The village – folk, especially the tribal Berbera () people are still using the natural resources available in their surroundings to treat many Root – bark of white flowered plant is diseases and accidental derangements. They rubbed on a stone with a little water and the believe in tantra and also. In case fine paste thus obtained is applied locally. of Snake – bite they are using the old Simultaneously, fine paste obtained by tradition of treatment, ie. by mantra along rubbing the root on a stone with is with the administration of particularly some administered internally. plant drugs. During the course of medico ethno botanical studies conducted in some Casearia tomentosa Roxb. localities of the state in the past few years information regarding the use of plant as F: Samydaceae: L: Kakra: P: Barunai (Puri antidote for snake – bite were recorded. District). This communication presents an account of such claims. Root along with the root of Ocimum sanctum L. (Tulasi) is pounded and the juice Abbreviations : F : Family, L: Local name, is squeezed out. This root juice is dropped S: Sanskrit name, P : Place of collection. into the nostrils, eyes and mouth.

Ampelocissus latifolia (Roxb) planch Entada pursaetha DC (Syn. E. scandens Benth)

Pages 122 - 123

F: Mimosaceae: L: Saruni: P: Berbera (Puri Fine roots – paste obtained by rubbing it on District) a stone with a little water is administered orally. Seed – powder is administered internally with cold water. Strychnos nux – vomica Linn

Ficus religiosa Linn F: Loganiaceae; S: Vishatinduka; L: Kochila; P: Pottamala (Puri District) F: : S. Aswatha; L : Aswatha P: Beheda (Korapur District). Seed – paste is administered internally and applied locally simultaneously. Bark juice is administered internally. Uraria lagopodioides Linn (Desv.) Globba bulbifera Roxb. F: Fabaceae; S: Prishniparni; L: Ghursae; P: F: Zingiberaceae; L: Rasukedar; P: Berbera Hatigam (Koraput Distt). (Puri District) Root paste, mixed with water, is given orally Rhizome along with the root of Alangium and a few drops instilled through nostrils salviifolium (Linn. f.) Wang. (Dholanku) simultaneously. and black pepper is pounded and the juice is administered internally through nostrils. Wendlandia exserta (Roxb) Dc.

Leucas cephalotes (Roxb). Spreng F: Rubiaceae; L: Tilia; P : Daspalla (Puri District) F: Lamiaceae; S: Dronapushpi; L: Goyoso; P: Pattamala (Puri District) Root – juice is administered internally.

Leaves, pounded along with a little table Zizyphus oenoplia Linn. Mill salt, is applied locally and the juice is administered internally through the nostrils. F: Rhamnaceae; L : Kantaikoli; P: Kotawala (Puri District) Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn. – juice is applied locally after tying the F: Oleaceae; S: Parijata; L: Khorsai: P: part tightly above the place of bite. Dasapalla (Puri District)

REFERENCES

1. Jain, S. K. Some magico – religious beliefs, about Plants among Adibasia of Orissa. Adibasi, Vol. 12 (1 – 4), 39 – 44 (1970 – 71).

2. Jain, S. K. Banerjee, D. K. and Pal, D. C. Medicinal Plants among certain Adibasis in India. Bull. bot. Suru. India. Vol. 15, 85 – 91 (1973).

Pages 122 - 123 3. Pal, D. C and Banerjee, D. K. Some less known plant foods among the tribals of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa State. Bull. bot. Suru. India. Vol. 13, 221 – 223 (1971).

4. Pal, D. C and Banerjee D. K. A. not on the plants used by the tribals in India for hair and scalp preparations, Folk – lore, Vol. 18 (1), 1 -5 (1977).

5. Saxena, H. O. and Dutta, P. K. Studies on the ethno botany of Orissa. Bull. bot. Suru. India. Vol. 17, 124 – 131 (1975).

6. Sharma, P. C. Murty, K. S. Bhat, A. V. Narayanappa and Kishore, Prem. Medicinal – lores of Orissa – I Skin Diseases, Bull. Med. Ethno. Bot. Res (Under publication).

7. Murty, K. S. ; Nayaranappa, D and Sharma, P. C. Some unknown Narcoties from Orissa Bull. Med. Ethno. bot. Res (Under publication).

Pages 122 - 123