Title: Local Health Traditions/ Ethnomedical Practices of Sikkim: A Survey Report
KeyWords: Local Health Traditions, LHTs, Ethnomedical Practices, EMPs, Sikkim, Survey Report, Health, Medicinal plant, Traditional, Tribal
Year of Publication: 2019
ISSN No: DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10059-0047
Author Name: Nagayya Shiddamallayya, Devanjal Bora, Tushar Kanti Mandal, Gyati Anku, Tapashi Borah, Chinmay Rath, Bonthu Susmitha, Ashish Kumar Tripathi, Anupam Kumar Mangal and Narayanam Srikanth
Details:
ABSTRACT
Aim: Sikkim state is endowed with rich plant biodiversity. Most of the tribal and rural populations following organic techniques for their livelihood depend on traditional systems for treatment of human ailments. The present work has been carried out to understand the local health traditions and use of common plants for treatment by rural populace of Sikkim.
Materials and methods: The medico-ethno botanical survey was conducted by documenting the local health traditions by interviewing traditional healers of tribal and rural population and by collecting medicinal herb specimens and digital photography of herbs and healers for further process.
Results: The medico-ethno botanical survey team documented a total of 20 folk claims with 18 medicinal plants used by traditional healers for ailments like wounds, cuts, bleeding, cough, fever, tonsils, sinusitis, migraine, pneumonia, breathing problems, jaundice, indigestion, burning sensation of stomach, constipation, piles, retention of urine, crack bone, dislocated bones, toothache, and ringworm.
Conclusion: The tribal and rural population of Sikkim lives in remote rural areas with low income, and since it is difficult to afford modern medical treatment, local traditional healers use commonly available medicinal plants from nearby forests for the treatment of different ailments. It is high time to think and use common available medicinal plants in new formulations for treatment and to overcome the problem of substitutes and adulterations and also to conserve rare, threatened, and endangered medicinal plants.
Keywords: Health, Medicinal plant, Sikkim, Traditional, Tribal.