Authors: Dr. Banashree Bhardwaj
Abstract: Traditional ethnomedicines refer to the medicines that are practiced by using traditional methods, and these medicines are most effective and play a key role in daily livelihood in the Bodo community. Certain medicines are not known by their particular name. And this medicine cannot be practiced without involving the social beliefs, religious beliefs, customs, social values, cultural and ecology. Basically, traditional medicines are a sustainable or renewable resource. Tribal people of northeast India do have a close relationship with the forest. The Bodo community uses natural resources for deriving long-term benefit without disturbing the ecological balances. Bodo community as they have associated with the forest, and around the forest, they have some senses about herbal medicines and beliefs for their livelihood. They also practice some preventive and curative measures for their health. This measurement and medicines are called ethnomedicines. In this study, we have focused on particularly the Kokrajhar district. In contemporary society, they have synthesized knowledge in respect of occurring and gathering knowledge of herbal medicines like neem, dubri bilai (Cynodon dectylon), khangsisa (Leucas aspera), usumwi, endi, haijeng, manimuni (Centella), khifi bendwng (Poederia fatidol), thaso gwswm (black yams), kamranga, thaigir, thaika pitai, sibru (Lasia spinoa thaw), and many other parts of species; they are animal birds, nails, fats, and bird feathers. They produce medicines by grinding it. They collect the medicines from the forest and animals for various diseases like cough, skin allergy, typhoid, stomach ache, gas, jaundice, bone fracture, normal fever, blood pressure, and drowsiness. Traditional ethnomedicines have become part and parcel of the Bodo community. But at the same time, they have also adopted some modern methods in producing traditional medicines like jaharua in Bodo, bhorom, and nalee. Bodo people also have spiritual belief systems for healing some patients or ill persons by so-called Oja.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20921197
