Traditional Herbal Medicines of Assam
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Traditional medicine include all kinds of folk medicine, unconventional medicine and indeed any kind of therapeutic method that had been handed down by the tradition of a community or ethnic group. It is customary to find all kinds of practices grouped under the common heading ‘traditional medicines’- mainly because they do not emanate from the biomedical paradigm. The medical traditions in the traditional system are diverse in their historical background, theoretical logic and practices, their contemporary social realities and their dynamics. The traditional health care system of 80% population of the developing world is still dependent on their surrounding vegetation/ forests and pastures. They rely on medicinal plants because of their effectiveness, lack of modern healthcare alternatives and cultural preferences.
Northeast India, which is known for its rich bioresources and ethnocultural diversity, is also a source of various medicinal plants to various ethnic communities. It has a valuable heritage of herbal remedies. Its rural people and tribals living in remote/forest areas still depend to a great extent on the indigenous systems of medicine and cultivation. A wide range of plants with ethnomedicinal value against some very important diseases have been reported but much larger numbers of folk medicines have remained endemic to certain tribal pockets in North East India.Various works have been undertaken to document different types of medicinal plants used by various ethnic groups in all over India
. The beliefs, practices and treatment of various diseases by different communities inhabiting in this part of India help us to understand the human nature relationship from its long past. Each and every community has developed their individual device to cure various illnesses and in this context they take the help of different kind of plants available in their surrounding environment. Though understanding the vast experiences of different health care system by documenting the different plant species has been carried out at different intervals but most of the works were concentrated among the tribal communities inhabiting different geographical regions.
who also have developed such ethnomedical practices in conjunction with the age old interaction with the nature. The present study is thus an attempt to document different plant varieties used by the people of Assam in different kinds of health treatment. Standard anthropological methods have been applied to document the same. Information was gathered using a semistructured questionnaire on type of ailments cured by the traditional use of medicinal plants and plant parts. The data were cross checked with respondents from different age classes as there is not a single medicine man available in the present investigated area. Identification of the plants was done with the help of standard literature.
It has been found that some individuals have become specialized to prepare the medicines from this plants owing to prolong practical experience. As the economy of the village is not well enough, so they prefer herbal treatment in comparison to allopathic treatment. Their medicinal use is preventive in nature and most of these plants are said to improve immunity to the diseases and capacity to convalesce. Apart from this, the phytotherapy is used to treat various types of diseases, ailments, injuries and pains. It has been found that the people apply their traditional knowledge of different medicinal plants to cure as simple as cold and fever to as complicated as cancer. It is interesting to note that the roots and leaves of Catharanthus roseus are used as anti carcinogenic medicine. Other major ailments which are traded by the medicinal plants include leprosy, jaundice, dropsy, pneumonia, asthma, elephantiasis, piles, hysteria, malaria, bronchitis, pharyngitis and rheumatism. The highest numbers of plants are found to be used against snakebite. Several parts of a plant such as roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, tubers, stems are used as medicine. The different parts of plants used by this community according to their preference are being presented in the figure number 1. Among the different parts of the documented plants they utilise the leaves mostly (43%), followed by roots (28%), some times the whole plant (17%), seeds (4%), flowers (4%), stems (2%), tubers (1%) and fruits (1%).
Out of 62 plants given below, parts of 8 (13%) plants are found to be used in snakebite, 7 (11.3%) are in asthma, 6 (9.6%) in jaundice, 5 (8.0%) each in dropsy and gynecological problems, 3 (4.8%) each in piles, elephantiasis, bronchitis, rheumatism, 2 (3.2%) in leprosy, one (1.6%) each in cancer, pneumonia, paralysis, hysteria, pharyngitis and the rest for curing different other ailments like ulcer, skin disease, fever etc.
S. No.
Plant species
Family
Vernacular name
Part used
Application
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Compositae
Gondhuabon
Leaves/ Roots
The juice is used in cut or injuries.
It has healing properties.
Amaranthaceae
Matikaduri
Leaves
Juice used for growth of hair and stomach trouble. Given to mother to increase the flow of milk after birth.
Amaranthaceae
Hatikhutora
Roots/ Stems
Used as antidote against snakebite, given to cow to increase the flow of milk, root is good
for menorrhagia, gonorrhea.
Linn. Amaranthaceae
Khutora
Stem/ Leaves
Stem is used as antidote against snakebite. Leaves good against scorpion sting.
Linn. Papaverceae
Sialkatahi
Roots/ Seeds
Used in leprosy, scabies, and syphilis, in gonorrhea. Seed smoke in toothache and carriage.Oil is used as purgative and illuminating. Seed latex is used in dropsy, jaundice, cuta-neous affections, healing of ulcers, herpes, skin diseases. Also used as antidote against snakebite.
Convolvulaceae
Takoria alu
Leaves/ Tuber
Paste of the leaves, latex is used in small boil to suppress. Tuber is contraceptive. Also used in skin diseases.
Linn. Compositae
Chirota
Leaves
Juice as blood purifier.Used against worm troubles, asthmatics trouble, brain disorder and nervous affections.
Liliaceae
Satamul
Roots
Roots are used as demulcents; diuretic, prepared medicated oil is good for rheumatic pain,
nervous disorder. Also useful in dyspepsia, diarrhea and dysentery.
Scrophulariaceae
Kasidoria
Leaves
Roasted leaves in banana leaves are used for cold bite and cut injuries.
Crassulaceae
Dupartenga
Leaves
Leaves are useful in wounds, bruises, boils, jaundice, snakebite, dysentery, urinary trouble and quick healing of wounds.
Asclepidaceae
Akon
Roots/leaves/ flower
Heated leaves are in sprain and pain. Flowers are considered as digestive remedy for cough, asthma, and cold. Root bark is used in dysentery; cough, skin disease, cutaneous affection, and elephantiasis. Juice as purgative and good for tooth ace.
Cannabinaceae
Bhang
Leaves/ flower
Dried flower used medicinally as sedative, analgesic, nacrotic.
Brassicaceae
Gonga moola
Seed
Seed oil is used as anti-scorbutic in dropsy. Used as astringent in diarrhea, and as diuretic in dropsy.
Sapindaceae
Lota kopalphuta
Whole plant
The whole plant is made paste with water and rubbed to relief pain, stiff-neck, rheumatism,fever, piles. Leaves mixing with castor oil applied to lumbago,nervous disorder.
Leguminasae
Medelwa
Roots/ leaves/ flowers
Leaves, roots flowers are good remedy for hysteria. Externally used in coetaneous disease. Roots are diuretic. Leaves are used as a remedy for dyspepsia, nervous disorder, itches, ringworm and skin diseases.
Leguminasae
Bon medelwa
Roots/ leaves
Leaves paste is used against ring worm and eczema. Decoction of leaves and flowers is externally used for bronchitis and asthma. Roots antidote against snakebite.
Apocynaceae
Nayantara
Roots/leaves
The parts of plant are used as anti-carcinogenic agent.
Umbeliferae
Bor manimuni
Whole plant The whole plant has medicinal properties, used in dysentery, liver trouble, nerve disorder, and stomach problem and induces appetite, taken with milk to improve memory, good for skin disease and a blood purifier, given to women after childbirth.
Verbenaceae
Dhopat tita
Roots/leaves
Leaves can be used against malarial fever. Roots are used externally against tumors
and skin disease.
Leguminasae
Aparajita
Leaves
Juice of leaves mixed with salt applied around ears in earache and swelling of adjacent gland
to relive pain. Juice antidote against snake poison.
Roxb. Rubiaceae
Kothonaphool
Leaves
Young shoots and leaves used as medicine for cattle eye boil.
Araceae
Kochu
Leaves/ roots
Leaves used for blood coagulation in small injuries, roots used in pharyngitis.
Commelinaceae
Kana simolu
Roots Juice is applied in eye-lid sore. Roots are useful in fever, bilious
affection and snakebite, leprosy.
Linn. Solanaceae
Dhatura
Roots/leaves/ seeds
Smoke of leaves is used medicinally for asthma. A seed causes sleepiness. Poisonous and
necrotic. Roots is good for toothache.
Caryophyllaceae
Laijabori
Whole plant
Juice of the plant is laxative and anti febrile. The plant has cooling property.
Hassk. Compositae
Kehraj
Leaves/ roots
It is believed that the herb taken internally and applied externally blackens hair. Fresh leaves are
used in elephantiasis, affection of liver and dropsy. A type of hair tonic is produced from it. Juice is also used for jaundice and fever.
Compositae
Kehraj
Leaves/ roots
Same as E. alba
Compositae
Bon kopah
Leaves
Juice of the leaves is used to cut wounds for quick healing.
Linn. Umbeliferae
Man dhania
Leaves
An aromatic herb used as a condiments in soups, meat etc.
Compositae
Germanhabi
Leaves/ Flowers
Leaves and flower tops are used medicinally as emetic, cathartic, in cut wounds.
Linn. Euphorbiaceae
Dudh bon
Whole plant
The entire plant is considered as sedative, haemostatic, sop orphic, used medicinally in asthma, chronic bronchitis. The milky juice is useful in destroying warts.
Euphorbiaceae
Dudh bon
Whole plant
Same as E. hirta
Kawri korola
Roots
Roots made into paste and rubbed on body in body pain.
Roxb Rubiaceae
Kasidoia
Roots
Root juice is used against pneumonia.
Linn. Boraginaceae
Hatisuriya
Whole plant
The juice of the plant is used in ulcers, wounds and local inflammation. Leaves paste is used against insect bite and boils.
Umbeliferae
Sorumanimuni
Whole plant
The whole plant has medicinal properties, used in dysentery, liver trouble, nerve disorder, and
stomach problem and induces appetite, taken with milk to improve memory, good for skin
disease and a blood purifier,given to women after childbirth.
Walp Baslaminaceae
Bijolkoria
Leaves/ fruits
Leaf and fruit paste is used on head as a remedy in high fever.
Covolvulaceae
Pani kolmou
Leaves
Leaves juice is used in jaundice, also used in urinary trouble and nervous hindrance.
Linn. Covolvulaceae
Kunjalata
Leaves
Pounded leaves are used in piles.
Linn. Acanthaceae
Jooron
Leaves
Leaves are used in ophthalmia.
Linn. Onagraceae
Bon jolokia
Whole plant
Used in dysentery and fever.
Labiatae
Duron bon
Whole plant
Used against rabies, leaves juice with garlic are good in Stomach,liver, spleen etc.
Melastomaceae
Phutuka
Leaves
Leaf powder is used in wound portion to prevent mark in skin;wood tar is used in for blackening teeth.
Linn. Compositae
Japanihabi
Leaves/ roots
Juice is useful in insect bite and scorpion sting.
Linn. Leguminasae
Lajukilata
Leaves
Leaf juice with milk is used as a good remedy for piles.
46 Mirabilis jalapa Linn.
Linn. Nyctaginaceae
Godhuligopal
Roots
Roots are used in dropsy.
47 Nasturtium indicum DC.
Brassicaceae
Bonhariah
Seed
Seed juice is used in Kidney trouble.
Labiatae
Bon tulsi
Leaves
Leaves made into paste applied to the fingers to relieve from fever. Seed are used as remedy for dysentery. Leaves used in skin disease.
Labiatae
Bon tulsi
Whole plant
Plant juice is used as insect repellent. Seed used in headache. Leaves are used in for gonorrhea,
rheumatism and paralysis.
Rubiaceae
Bon jaluk
Whole plant
Juice applied in burning sensation of palms, juice is good for liver trouble, urinary disorder in children, jaundice, fever and bilious infection.
Oxalidaceae
Sorutengesi
Whole plant
Juice is used in stomach problem, used in intoxication of wine, used in dysentery.
Linn. Rubiaceae
Bhebelilata
Leaves
Plant is very good in stomach, kidney and liver problems.Decoction of leaves increase
appetite.
Piperaceae
Ponownoa
Leaves/ roots
Plant paste is used on head to reduce temperature.
54 Phylanthus niruri Linn.
Euphorbiaceae
Bon amlokhi
Whole plant
Whole plant is used in jaundice. Young leaves are good for dysentery. Root juice is used in
urino-genital troubles and gonorrhea.
Urticaceae
Dudhmor goch
Whole plant
Used against snakebite, convalescence of children, syphilis, gonorrhea.
Euphorbiaceae
Era
Leaves/ roots
Roots are used in urinary trouble; juice with lime is used to suppress newly formed boils.
Compositae
Katampam
Whole plant
Used in healing gangrenous ulcers and skin disease. Useful against worms.
Solanaceae
Tita bhekuri
Roots/ leaves
Roots are used to cure toothache, Asthma and in cough.
59 Solanum nigrum Linn.
Solanaceae
Pokmou
Roots
Roots juice is used against asthma and whooping cough.
60 S. xanthocarpum
Solanaceae
Kantakori
Roots/ leaves
Roots are used in asthma and in chest pain. Leaves juice with black peeper used in rheumatic pain.
Malvaceae
Bor sonborial
Roots/ leaves
Roots are diuretic, good in rheumatic pain.
Compositae
Agora
Roots/ leaves
Used against long standing malarial fever, urinary trouble,
63.Momordica charantia
Tita kerela
leaf
useful remedy for diebetic
64. phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus
tita phool
flower
for worm
65. Adhatoda zeylanica
Bahok tita
leaf
for cough
66 Clerodendrum infortunatum
bhedai tita
stem
melaria.
67. Enhydra fluctuans
helosi
leaf
skin desease
68. Diplazium esculentum
dhekia
leaf
to enhance sexual power..
69. clerodendrum colebrookianum
nefafu
bud/leaf
to control high blood pressure
There are several methods by which the people prepare the medicines. Sometimes the different parts of the plant and sometimes the whole plant is being crushed and the juice is used as medicine and sometimes the decoction, smoke, powder or seed oil is used as medicine. The herbal treatment is said to be very much effective by them and the sustainable extraction of the medicinal plants from the wildlife is an indicative of their dependence on wild plants from their age old interaction.
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The world's first xeno-transplant surgeon, India's Dhaniram Baruah, claims to have developed two "miracle" compounds from edible medicinal plants widely available in his native state, Assam to treat cardiac diseases. (The Independent )
"Bypass surgeries and pace-makers will now be a thing of the past." Baruah assures. He grabbed news headlines in January 1997 when he transplanted the heart, lungs and kidneys of a pig on a 32-year old Assamese male Purno Saikia - the only surgeon in the world to have ever done so.
Saikia was already suffering from end-stage organ failures, but he survived for a week after the transplant. After Saikia's death, Baruah was put in prison for forty days because the xeno-transplant was deemed as illegal. Later, he was let off, when found to be well within Indian law while attempting the xeno-transplant.
Prior to this daring experiment, Baruah had worked as a cardiac surgeon in some of UK's - and Sweden's - best hospitals and performed more than five thousand bypass surgeries. "My fellow surgeons may never accept but I know that bypass surgeries provide only temporary respite, they cannot cure anyone permanently.
But the two organic compounds I have now developed from edible medicinal plants are highly effective in completely curing cardiac diseases," Dhaniram Baruah claimed. He said deaths attributed to coronary artery blockages actually happen because of too much accumulation of intra-cellular calcium. This goes untreated, because there's no way to measure the calcium levels in cells, he says. The Indian surgeon says the two compounds developed by him - Baruah Alfa DH and Baruah Beta DH - from a fast growing creeper and a slow growing tree widely available in Northeast India brings down the level of intra-cellular calcium drastically and helps tackle the problem at the very roots.
Baruah says he has treated - and cured - 302 chronic cardiac patients in Assam and some neighbouring states by administering them these compounds. Some of those he cured in the last three years include high profile local journalists, lawyers, politicians and businessmen. Assamese journalist Gaurishankar Kalita, 45, suffered a heart attack six years ago that forced him out of work. "But now Dr Baruah has brought back new life in me and I am working eight to ten hours a day." says Kalita on phone from his workplace in Guwahati, Assam's capital. Agrees 72-year old editor Radhika Mohan Bhagwati : "It is Baruah's magic that has restored me to normal health after I suffered a heart attack. Now I can move around and work without trouble." Businessman Pradeep Dutta also says he has been "fully cured" by Baruah's magic compound.
The parents of eleven year old Shilpa Jyoti Kashyap, who suffered from a congential heart disease since birth, also make a similar claim - their girl has been totally cured by Baruah's "miracle compound." Baruah says he was inspired to hunt for a viable organic compound to cure heart diseases in the 252 medicinal plants available in Sonapur (near Assam's capital Guwahati, where his huge research facility is located on a 1000-acre plot) because none of the local tribes in the area - the Lalungs, the Kacharis and the Mikirs - have any history of cardiac disease.
After repeated trials and elimination, he settled on two plants after he found them safe for use on humans. "I picked on this creeper and the tree because they are versatile, they can treat and quickly cure kidneys, heart, liver and pancreas. It is a holistic treatment of the entire system, the entire arterial tree." Dhaniram Baruah said. But the compounds are not easy to extract from the plants.
"The compounds in the plants keep shifting from bark to leaves to seeds to stem depending on the season and they are easily degradable, so they have to be instantly harvested at the right time, generally on a full moon day, otherwise the compound does not remain active though it can be isolated. "
Baruah is not seeking to patent his discovery. "If I register my patent, I have to disclose all scientific information to the authorities. And it will all be immediately leaked out to major pharmaceutical companies and they will make a mess of it because this is not one wonder drug but an alternative form of treatment." says Baruah. So, how to get recognition for discovering what he claims to be the wonder compound? "I don't need kudos so long as people come here and get cured." replied Baruah, in a throwback to ancient Indian scientific tradition, which shunned recognition and kept most discoveries a secret.
Bypass surgery is a multi-million dollar industry and Baruah says his fellow surgeons have a "vested interest" in opposing his discovery. "I challenge them to send me the worst cardiac patients and I will turn them round after three to four days with these compounds." Baruah has declared. Local correspondents in Assam say hundreds are rushing to Baruah's research facility at Sonapur as news of the "miracle cures" spread.
Its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested by adversity."
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