Ethnozoological study of animal based medicines used traditionaly by the Tai Ahom, Tea garden and Mising community of Charaideo district, Assam, India
Keywords:
Ethnozoology, Zootherapy, Charaideo, traditional practitionersAbstract
Use of traditional drugs of animal origin or zoo therapy in the local environment is a common indigenous knowledge system found in the groups of people living nearby areas of the nature through generation wise. Animals have always played an important role in human life from very ancient times. It was verbal tradition to transformation of the knowledge of use of many animals and their by-products as medicines by various ethnic communities from one generation to the next. The present study was carried out on ethno zoological survey of animal based medicines and their bi-product used by traditional healers from Charaideo District, Assam. A total three communities viz., Tai Ahom, Mising and Tea garden communities have been chosen based on semi-structured questionnaire through interactive personal interview and group discussion on the use of traditional animal based medicines and its’ by-products by the local people for the treatment of various diseases. During the survey around 150 respondents were interviewed including 15 traditional practitioners. A total 36 distinct species were identified along with the formulations they utilize to cure various ailments. The study focussed that the use of traditional medicine is still popular in rural and interior areas which may depict a scenario of their strong belief on the formulations or may be due to inaccessibility, illiteracy, knowledge or unawareness of health care facilities in availing modern medicines. It is evident that the zootherapeutical information regarding the uses of different animals as traditional medicine is fading and there is an urgent need for its documentation and scientific analysis before much use of it and to be completely lost.
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