Abstract

MEDICINAL PLANTS AND FORMULATIONS OF A FOLK EDICINAL PRACTITIONER OF MAGURA DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

Anupam Kumar Paul, Md. Saddam Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Sabuj, Shakil Mahmud Tusher, Md. Saiful Islam, Rafiqul Islam Jibon, Md. Tabibul Islam, Protiva Rani Das,
Md. Shahadat Hossan, Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background. Folk medicine is widely practiced by Kavirajes and is one of the most common forms of traditional medicinal systems in Bangladesh. However, the medicinal plant selections and diseases treated vary widely from Kaviraj to Kaviraj. The objective of this study was to document the folk medicinal practices of a Kaviraj practicing in Magura district of the country. Methods. Interviews of the Kaviraj were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. Results. The Kaviraj used a total of 16 plants distributed into 14 families for treatment. The various diseases treated included typhoid, any type of fever, respiratory tract disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, poisoning, bleeding from cuts and wounds, skin diseases, tooth infections, bone fracture, loss of taste, spermatorrhea, and leucorrhea. Conclusion. Ethnomedicinal studies can lead to proper documentation of the medicinal plants and their usages in a given area. As such, the present study not only documents medicinal plants of an area in Magura district but also opens up further possibilities of scientific research leading to new drug discovery.

Keywords: Folk medicine, Kaviraj, Magura, Bangladesh.