533
SHARMA & KUMAR: TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PRACTICES OF RAJASTHAN
Traditional medicinal practices of Rajasthan
Laxmi Kant Sharma* & Ashwini Kumar
*46, Soni Colony, Bhomia Nagar, Kalwar Road, Jhotwara, Jaipur 302 012, Rajasthan; Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004, Rajasthan
Email:
Received 17 August 2006; revised 21 February 2007
During the course of investigation it has been observed that a particular plant is sometimes prescribed for different ailments in different localities and some Vaidyas (Ayurvedic physicians) apply a mixture of plants for remedy of diseases. The data collected from Vaidyas have been presented. However, a systematical and methodical approach is needed to collect such information.
Keywords: Ayurveda, Traditional medicine, Vaidyas, Rajasthan
IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P1/10, A61P9/00, A61P9/04, A61P11/00, A61P11/06, A61P13/00, A61P13/02, A61P19/00, A61P25/00, A61P27/16, A61P29/00
533
SHARMA & KUMAR: TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PRACTICES OF RAJASTHAN
WHO has recognized the role of Traditional Systems of Medicine and considers them a part of strategy to provide healthcare to the masses. Folk medicines are gaining importance. Much of this wealth of knowledge is being lost as traditional culture is gradually disappearing1. Tribal people and ethnic races throughout the world have developed their own cultures, customs, cults, religious rites, and myths, folk tales and songs, foods, medicinal practices, etc. Numerous wild and cultivated plants play a very important and vital role among these cultures and this interrelationship has evolved over generations of experience and practices2. In India, Ayurvedic system evolved over 5,000 yrs ago and is still in practice. The Rigveda and Atharva veda have included more than 700 medicinal prescriptions3. Rajasthan is one of the largest state of India with about 12.44% of the population belonging to tribes such as, Bhil, Bhil-Meena, Damor,Dhanka, Garasia, Kathodi, Kokna, Kolidhor, Naikara, Patelia, Meena, and Seharia and these reside in remote areas devoid of basic infrastructure facilities. Nomadic tribes (Banjara, Gadolia-Lohar, Kalbalia, Sikligar, Kanjar, Sansi and Bagri) further enrich the ethnic heritage of Rajasthan. These ethnic groups are widely distributed throughout the state. Some ethnobotanical research work from Rajasthan has been reported4-9.
______
*Corresponding author
Methodology
The survey of Rajasthan state was carried out during 1999-2002. Rapport was established with local persons and the chief of the locality. Inquiries were made on the plant material used for curing different ailments. Generally two types of interviews, individuals and groups selected at random were taken from the villagers including Bhopa (village priest) or the headman. Women folk were also interviewed resulting in heterogeneity of information. Participation in their feasts, festivals, other social events, etc. was of great use in collecting information on plants and their use. The plants were identified and deposited in the Herbarium at the Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur10,11. During present study, information on some selected species of flowering plants were also collected from ancient hand written scripts, tickets of herbaria and from local vaids (Ayurvedic physicians). It is hoped that this effort will not only provide additional support to the earlier findings, but also provide clues for new materials having medicinal potentiality for the benefit of mankind.
Results
The tribal and rural repository of Rajasthan contains many medicines for the treatment of one ailment. The medicine varies according to the symptoms and secondary effects and with the tribe and place. For one disease, many plant are used on the basis of availability. The plants are enumerated alphabetically in with their botanical name, local name, family, parts used and disease in which used.
Enumeration
Pills made from the mixture of equal parts of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.), Kapittha (Feronia elephantum Correa) pulp and honey slowly swallowed creates appetite.
Isubgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.) is one of the best known household remedies in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. Root paste of tamarind and powdered black pepper is given with honey for 3 days in diarrhoea.
In dysentery with mucus, mehandi (Lawsonia inermis Linn.) seeds are efficacious; powdered seeds mixed with ghee rolled into small balls are given twice a day.
Powder of bael fruit, bark of Kurchi (Holarrhena antidysenterica Linn.), Madhurikaa or Saunf (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), is given with isubgol in sub-acute and chronic dysentery.
In chronic constipation, pills made of rosebuds, senna leaves, ripe pod pulp of Cassia fistula Linn. (Amaltaas) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) are given twice daily for 5 days.
Dry powder leaves of Adhatoda vasica Nees. (Vaasaa) with honey twice a day is an excellent remedy in cough & cold.
For immediate relief of spasmodic asthma, smoke of Dhaturaa (Datura stramonium Linn.) leaves as cigarettes is very efficacious.
Dry Apaamarga (Achyranthus aspera Linn.) leaves smoked in a pipe are very efficacious drug for asthma. The ash of burnt dry plants is given with honey twice a day for 7 days.
Arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna Roxb.) bark is useful in heart diseases; bark powder with ghee or milk is given twice or thrice daily for 15 days.
Powder of Katuki (Picrorrhiza kurroa Royle. ex Benth.) and Madhuyasti (Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.) in equal part is very efficacious in heart diseases.
Garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) given as Kshirapaaka or decoction with milk is very efficacious in heart diseases.
Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) juice taken with sugar twice a day checks excessive urination.
Paste made from Berberis aristata DC. (Daaru haridraa) wood, embelic myrobalan (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) leaf and sugar checks excessive urination.
Guduchi satva (starchy dry extract of Tinospora cordifolia Willd.) is given with milk and sugar twice or thrice daily to check excessive urination.
Kanghi (Abutilon indicum Linn.) root decoction, Varuna (Crataeva religiosa Hook. f. & Thoms) bark decoction and decoction of leaves & seeds of muli (Raphanus sativus Linn.) is most efficacious drug to remove bladder stone.
Tender leaf paste of Terminalia catappa Linn. (jangali badaama) is applied over eczema effected parts.
Decoction of Bavachi (Psoralea corylifolia Linn.) seed powder, Acacia catechu Willd. and aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is very effective for leucoderma.
Paste of Abrus precatorius Linn. (gunjaa) seeds and Plumbago zeylanica Linn. (chitrak) roots is applied for the treatment of leucoderma.
Milky juice of Calotropis gigantiea Linn. (Arka) is applied on tooth to stop pain.
Bark decoction of babula (Acacia nilotica Linn.) is used as astringent gargle and mouth wash in sore throat and other diseases of throat.
Braahmi (Centella asiatica Linn.) is very efficacious drug in mental disorders. Its swarasa / juice is given with honey as a brain tonic.
Vachaa (Acorus calamus Linn.) given twice a day with honey is very effective drug in epilepsy.
Bhumyamla (Phyllanthus fraternus Webster) seed powder given twice daily with rice water and honey is very efficacious in menorrhagia.
Tender flowers of the semal (Bombax ceiba Linn.) fried in ghee and sugar is given early morning in paralysis.
Bark and seeds powder of babula (Acacia nilotica Linn.) given with honey twice daily for three days are very efficacious bone fracture.
A plaster prepared from Rubia cordifolia Linn. (manjisthaa) root, mahuva (Madhuca indica J.F. Gmel.) bark, and tamarind leaves applied over fracture and dislocation is very efficacious in helping the union of the broken bone.
Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica Linn.) powder taken twice daily with honey is very effective in reducing fat.
Discussion
The traditional Ayurvedic physicians, in their routine treatment practices, use plants reported from different tribal and rural areas of Rajasthan. Acacia senegal Willd., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Tinospora cordifolia Willd., Phyllanthus emblica Linn. are used in diabetes. Boerhaavia diffusa Linn., is used in liver disorders; Euphorbia hirta Linn. is often used against asthmatic problems; Phyllanthus emblica Linn. is given with buttermilk to cure jaundice. Ageratum conyzoides Linn. Anacyclus pyrethrum DC, Aristolochiaindica Linn., Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br., Capsicumannuum Linn.,Elettaria cardamomum Maton, Syzygium aromaticum (Linn.) Merrill & Perry, Piper nigrum Linn., Amomum subulatum Linn., Flemingia chappar Buch., Podophyllum emodi Wall. are used as antileukaemic plant crude drugs by Ayurvedic Vaidyas. Ficus glomerata Roxb., Fagonia cretica Linn., Curcuma amada Roxb., Cyperus rotundus Linn., are used by the women folk for menstruation related problems and to regulate the menstruation cycle. Bombax ceiba Linn., Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br. and Curcuma longa Linn. are used for the treatment of face shadow, darkness and pimples.
Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to Prof BL Gour, Director NIA, Jaipur, Head, Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur and Vaidya Surendra Kumar Sharma (Retd Govt. Ayurvedic Physician) for his valuable advice and encouragement of the work. Award of the Senior Research Fellowship (NET), by CSIR New Delhi to LKS is gratefully acknowledged.
References
1 Hamilton A, The “People and Plants” Initiative, In: Ethnobotany: Methods and Manual, by GJ Martin, (WWF International, Chapman & Hall, London), 1995, 10-11.
2 Maheshwari J K, Developments in ethnobotany, J Econ Tax Bot, 4(1) (1983) 1-5.
3 Mnimch A C, The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, (Dorling Kindersley, London), 1996, 34.
4 Dixit RD & Mishra R, Studies on ethnobotany of some less known medicinal plants of Ajmer forest division, Rajasthan, 1976, 19, 20-22.
5 Singh V K & Pandey R P, Plants used in religion and medico-religious beliefs in Rajasthan, J Econ Tax Bot, 3 (1982) 273-298.
6 Singh V K & Pandey R P, Ethnomedicinal plants used for venereal and gynaecological disease in Rajasthan (India), J Econ Tax Bot, Addl Ser, 12 (1996) 154-165.
7 Singh V K & Pandey R P, Ethnobotany of Rajasthan, (Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur), 1998.
8 Katewa S S & Arora A, Some plants in the folk medicine of Udaipur District (Rajasthan). Ethnobotany, 9 (1997), 48-51.
9 Sharma L K, Agarwal G & Kumar A, Medicinal plants for skin & hair care, Indian J Traditional Knowledge, 2(1) (2003) 62-68.
10 Bhandari M M, Flora of Indian Desert, (Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur), 1990.
11 Shetty B V & Singh V, Flora of Rajasthan, (Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta), 1993.
533
SHARMA & KUMAR: TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PRACTICES OF RAJASTHAN