Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research (ISSN : 0975-7384)

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Original Articles: 2015 Vol: 7 Issue: 6

Ethnomedicinal practices among the Hembrom clan of the Santal tribe in Setabganj of Dinajpur District, Bangladesh

Abstract

The Santals are one of the largest tribal groups of Bangladesh and can be found in the northwestern districts of the country as well as neighboring West Bengal State of India. They are divided into a number of clans of which the Hembron clan forms a major clan. The objective of the present study was to document the ethnomedicinal practices of Hembrom healers of the tribe living in Setabganj in Dinajpur District. Ethnomedicinal information was obtained from the clan healers with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. The three healers of the clan were observed to use a total of 20 medicinal plants distributed into 18 families in their treatment of various diseases, which included decreased eye sight, pain, skin disorders, jaundice, gastrointestinal disorders, poisonous insect bites, ear infection, oral disorders, leucorrhea, helminthiasis, menstrual problems, fever, respiratory tract disorders, and chicken pox. Since the Santals are considered to be one of the indigenous people of the area, their tribal medicinal knowledge can prove useful, following proper scientific validation, in the cure of diverse diseases.