Traditional Ethno-Veterinary Medicines Practised in Rural Barddhaman

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Herbal medicines are one of the oldest forms of treatment known. Rural livestock holders and the people raising cattle prepare these medicines through trial and error. So these medicines are less organised. In most cases, these medicines are developed in the field and sometimes in the kitchen with the locally available plants or natural products. The knowledge of medicine preparation is usually transferred by word of mouth rather than writing.

Dr. Apurba K. Chattopadhyay narrates his experience as a researcher and fieldworker about the traditional ethno-veterinary medicines used by the villagers and rural livestock holders of Purba Bardhaman.

This book is designed to help both the common readers as well as researchers. The common name, scientific name, a brief description, biological activities and pharmacological properties and the ethno-veterinary uses of thirty-eight plant species have been described. Moreover, a short description medicine preparation, is documented.

Apurba K. Chattopadhyay is a retired Associate Professor of Zoology at Burdwan Raj College, Barddhaman, and Principal Investigator of many research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (Govt. of India), Department of Biotechnology (Govt. of India), Ministry of Defence (Govt. of India), the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, University Grants Commission, etc., and the author of two books.

He did his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Burdwan. During his long research carrier, he received the 'UGC Research Award' (2002-2003), and 'Super Performance Award' (2005) for continued superior performance as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

The use of plants or plant products for the cure of diseases is one of the oldest forms of medicine known. These medicines are also used in animals. Dr. Chattopadhyay travelled to villages of rural Barddhaman and interacted with the people to gather information on animal healthcare and the cure of animal diseases.

The present publication of the Asiatic Society is going to add an unique dimension of study on the indigenous knowledge of the rural population, particularly of the district of Bardhaman in West Ben- gal. Professor Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay, himself a Zoologist by professional training on the subject has concentrated in this piece of work on the existing traditional knowledge centering around the treatment of the animal health-care system based mainly on the available herbal plants in the vicinity. In spite of its local variation. the rural population by and large, specially the cultivators depend substantially on these indigenous methods which are practised by the specialists in the villages. As we know, and he has also emphasised, that this transmission of indigenous knowledge in this field of veterinary treatment is continuing for generations together and the mode of transmission of this knowledge is oral in nature.

Professor Chattopadhyay has done this survey and documentation as a project granted to him by the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, during 2015-18. Being a Zoologist he has very skilfully employed the field methods and techniques normally used by the Anthropologists at large. I think the scholars, researchers and even the general readers of interest will find this important publication very useful for their further work.

Ethno-Veterinary medicine is the traditional way of animal health care system, mostly of plant origin that encompasses the knowledge, skill, methods, practices and beliefs about animal health care. The knowledge base differs not only from place to place but also among and within communities. It has been developed through trial and errors and therefore, is fairly less systematic and organised. Throughout the globe, there has been fairly little documentation of the traditional knowledge. This knowledge has been transmitted across by an oral tradition and so it is in danger of extinction. Therefore, it needs proper documentation.

Ethno-Veterinary medicine is the knowledge developed by rural livestock holders. These medicines are developed and prepared by farmers in the field. It is less formalised and usually transferred by word of mouth rather than writing.

Traditional medicines are meant for protecting and restoring good health. It has a long tradition and existed long before the arrival of modern medicine in our country. The traditional medicines have the following advantages:

1. Comparatively less costly and easily available.

2. Medicinal preparations (either crude or prepared products) can easily be made.

3. Common people identify them by their local names. 4. Common people have strong belief on the traditional system of medicines.

5. Traditional medicines are very effective in case of common ailments such as fever, wounds, cold and cough, deworming, diarrhoea, dysentery, etc.

6. These medicines have less or no side- or aftereffects.