Original Articles
Sayeda Shahnaj, Ummarin Asha,
Abstract
An ethnomedicinal survey was carried out in Rathura village of Manikganj district, Bangladesh. The survey was carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. The village folk medicinal practitioner was found to use a total of 91 plants distributed into 56 families in his formulations. The various formulations were used to treat helminthiasis, respiratory tract disorders, pain, gastrointestinal tract disorders, oral lesions, gonorrhea, skin disorders, edema, jaundice, passing of sperm with urine, burning sensations in hands or legs, chicken pox, cuts and wounds, allergy, heart disorders, diabetes, anemia, leucorrhea, uterine prolapse, paralysis, heat stroke, baldness, mental disorders, fever, tooth and gum problems, passing of blood with urine, malaria, rheumatic fever, presence of toxins in blood, weakness, menstrual disorders, bone fracture, sprain, and stuttering. Both simple and complex formulations were used by the practitioner suggesting a rich knowledge of plants and their properties. It is left to modern researchers to examine the scientific validity of the plants used for such folk medicinal knowledge can serve a useful purpose towards discovery of new medicines.