DOCUMENTATION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ON ETHNO-MEDICINAL INFORMATION FROM TRADITIONAL HERBAL HEALERS IN JABALPUR AND SEONI DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH

摘要

Plants and plants based medicaments have been employed since drawn of civilization for prolonging life of man by combating various ailments. Ancient ethnic communities around the world have learn't to utilize their neighbourhood herbal wealth for curative purposes. Indian subcontinent is being inhabited by over 54 million tribal people dwelling in about 5000 forest dominated villages spreading across the country comprising 15% of the total geographical area, their knowledge of plants developed oftenat the cost of their life in fheir natural dwelling through centuries old experience could not be perfectly documented due to the lack of literacy and it had rather descended from one generation to another as a domestic practice. They comprise of one ofthe unique treasure and rich source of diversified ethno-botanical wealth. With rapid intrusion of modern civilization coupled with indiscriminate cutting of forest cover, the native tribal communities were compelled to flee from natural abodes in searchof livelihood leading to and vanishing of their precious knowledge. Before such a catastrophe takes the toll, there is urgent need for intensive and extensive studies and proper documentation of their knowledge. With this view the present study was taken up in the two districts of Madhya Pradesh (Jabalpur and Seoni) to document the traditional knowledge on ethno-medicinal information from traditional herbal healers.