Documentation of Ethno-Orthopedic Healing Process in Gurap, Hooghly District, West Bengal

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to document the existing traditional knowledge of the medicinal plants for bone setting health care practices and to analyse the present treatment process and identifying the medicinal plants as key factor of ethno-orthopedic healing system in Gurap area in Hooghly district of West Bengal. Data were collected from the patients as well as practitioners through questionnaires and personal interviews to know about the general information, orthopaedic problems, treatment process, restrictions and the usefulness of the practice through the traditional knowledge and medicinal plant. The predominance of rural folk (86%) indicates the importance of the traditional bone setters as healthcare providers in rural areas. Most of the patients (96%) were satisfied with this treatment. The plant also identified through the present study namely Ipomoea obscura that can be obtained patent and preserve for future generation. The study has drawn upon focuses on the documentation of traditional knowledge, valuable medicinal plant and treatment process adopted in the study area, which may help to the other communities as a medical resource for further use. Library can acts as resource providers of such authentic medicine.

KEYWORDS:

• Disease
• healthcare
• indigenous knowledge
• medicinal plant
• traditional knowledge

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Traditional Knowledge Holders for providing us preliminary information about the plant Ipomoea obscura and way of using this plan to cure bone fracture. The authors greatly acknowledge the support and cooperation received from the people who had came for check-up, during the field survey. Authors also acknowledge Dr. Animesh Ghorai, retired Associate Professor of Narasinha Dutta College, Department of Botany for identifying the plant species.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

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