Variations in selection of medicinal plants by tribal healers of the soren clan of the Santal tribe: a study of the Santals in Rajshahi district, Bangladesh.

Abstract

The Santals are one of the largest indigenous communities or tribes in Bangladesh. They mainly inhabit the north-western districts of the country including Rajshahi district, where Santals can be found scattered in a number of villages of the district. The tribe has a number of clans. We have previously conducted an ethnomedicinal survey of the Soren clan of the Santals residing in Kannapara and Mondumala villages of Rajshahi district. During a further survey, another group of the Soren clan was found to inhabit Nobogram village of the same district. A preliminary survey revealed that the tribal healer of this clan used medicinal plants, which were quite different from the plants observed to be used by the healers in our previous survey. As such, a full survey was carried out. The tribal healer of Nobogram village was observed to use a total of 25 medicinal plants for treatment of diverse ailments versus the 52 medicinal plants used by the healers as observed in our previous survey in Kannapara and Mondumala villages. Of the various plants used by the healers in our two surveys, only six plants were found to be in common. Even those six plants were used for treatment of different ailments by the healers of the two areas. The results clearly indicate major differences in the selection of medicinal plants by healers within the Soren clan of the Santals residing in different villages, and which differences may indicate outside influences, possibly arising from contact with mainstream folk medicinal practitioners. The formulations used by the healer of the present survey were also much simpler than the formulations of medicinal plants obtained in our previous survey. The number of ailments treated by the healer of the present survey was lesser, and included abscess, pain, itches, irregular menstruation, lack of milk in nursing mother, being touched by ‘evil’ wind, snake bite, dysentery, diarrhea, rheumatism, flatulency, eczema, goiter, cuts and wounds, infections of skin, and diabetes. Two formulations were also used for purification of blood. A total of 19 medicinal formulations were obtained in the present survey versus the 34 formulations obtained in the previous survey. The results highlight the importance of conducting surveys among as many traditional healers of different tribal habitats as possible to get a comprehensive account of the medicinal plants and formulations of any particular tribe.