Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Revisiting the traditional medicine of the tribals in the Jungle Mahals, 1947–2000

  • Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of History of Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper deals with the medical system of the tribals (Santals, Oraons, Sabar and Birhors) of Jungle Mahals in eastern India. It also discusses the indigenous system of knowledge about the collection, preparation and medicinal practice highlighting the socio-cultural and ecological context of medicinal plants. The region faced excessive pressure from over-exploitation and the growing demand for forest resources resulting in biodiversity loss and species extinction. In the post-independent period, there was a major transformation in treatment methods among the healers. Most of the healers left the practice of exorcism due to increased awareness on witchcraft practices. This study found low levels of overlap in medicinal floras, even in the case of tribal communities who closely related linguistically, culturally, and ecologically. The efficacy of the medicine depends on the extent to which the healers properly followed the rules for the collection of medicinal plants, drug preparation and application. This medical practice is popular among the poverty-stricken tribal communities as they could not take facilities of western medicine because of their poverty and the high cost of allopathic medicine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figs. 1 and 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Healer’s Dairy, Lushu Murmu, Vill. Dalalata, P.O. Tara, P.S. Kashipur, Dist. Purulia, W.B.

  2. Shanta Savar, Vill. Dakatairn, P. O. Kuda, P. S. Kenda, Dist. Purulia, W. B.

  3. Pasupati Mahato, ‘banoshodhi niye pathyapustaka’, Karamthirtha (Local Bi Weekly News Paper), 5th August, 1985.

  4. Oral history collected from Bangsidhar Tudu, Vill. Pandra, P.O. Kumari, P.S. Boro, Dist. Purulia, W. B.

  5. Oral history collected from Gurupada Shikari, Vill. Barodi, P.S. Bagmundi, Dist.Purulia, W. B.

  6. Tarachand Soren, Vill. Bamundiha, P.O. Ukhradihi, P.S. GangajalGhati, Dist. Bankura, W.B.

References

Primary Sources

  • A. Dairy/ text on Tribal Medicineof the Santal healers: Sri Lusu Murmu, Vill.Dalata, P.O.Tara, Dist. Purulia, West Bengal.

  • B. Interviews of the tribal healers and patients

  • 1. Sri Bishwanathnath Hembram, Vill. Mirga, P.S. Chhatna, Dist. Bankura, West Bengal.

  • 2. Sri Mangal Tudu, Vill. Rangagarya, P.S. Chhatna, Dist. Bankura, West Bengal.

  • 3. Sri Bilam Murmu, Vill. Haribandi, P.S. Chhatna, Dist. Bankura, West Bengal.

  • 4. Sri Shankar Murmu, Vill. Jadavpur, P.O. Chandra, Dist. Bankura, West Bengal.

  • 5. Sri Gopinath Tudu, Vill. Bharatpur, Block. Chhatna, Dist. Bankura, West Bengal.

  • 6. Sri Tarachand Soren, Vill. Bamundiha, P.O. Ukhradihi, Dist. Bankura,West Bengal.

Secondary Sources

  • Ball, V. (1869). Notes on the flora on Manbhum. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 3.

  • Basu, R. (2005). Traditional utilization of plants in intestinal malaria and sexual diseases. Advances in Plant Science, 18, 133–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas, K., & Ghosh, E. (1950). Bharatiya Bonoshodhi (Vol. 3). Calcutta University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodding, P. O. (1925). The Santals and disease. Memoir Asiatic Society of Bengal, 10(1).

  • Bodding, P. O. (1986, originally published in 1925). Studies in Santal medicine and connected folklore. Asiatic Society.

  • Chaturvedi, S. K., Chandra, P. S., Issac, M. K., & Sudarshan, C. Y. (1993). Somatization misattributed to non-pathological vaginal discharge. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 37, 575–579.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Das, et al. (2015). Investigation of ethnomedicinal plants for the treatment of carbuncle from Purulia district of West Bengal. International Journal of Bioassays, 4(05), 3896–3899.

  • Dey, A., & Dey, J. N. (2012). Ethnobotanical survey of Purulia District, West Bengal, India for medicinal plants used against gastrointestinal disorder. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 143, 68–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dutt, U. C. (1877). The material medica of the Hindus: With a glossary of Indian plants by George King. Thaker, Spring & Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellen, R. (2006). Introduction. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 12, 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, G. M., & Anderson, B. G. (1998). The new field of medical anthropology. In G. Sjaak van der, R. Adri (Ed.), The art of medical anthropology: A reading. Het Spinhui.

  • Ghosh, R., & Sarkhel, S. (2013). Ethnomedicinal practices of the tribal communities in Paschim Medinipur district, West Bengal. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 4, 555–560.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grasseni, C. (2007). Introduction. In C. Gasseni (Ed.), Skilled vision: Between apprenticeship and standards. Bergham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hembrom, P. P. (2011). Horopathy. Torang Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hembrom, P. P., & Goel, A. K. (2005). Horopathy: Ethnomedicine of Mundas. Ethnobotany, 17, 89–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, E. (2010). Introduction. In E. Hsu & H. Stephen (Eds.), Plants, health and healing: On the interface of ethnobotany and medical anthropology. Bergaham Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ignold, T. (2000a). Making culture and weaving the world. In P. Graves-Brown (Ed.), Matter, materiality and modernity culture. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ignold, T. (2000b). The perception of the environment: Essays in livelihood, dwelling and skills. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelkar, G., & Nathan, D. (1991). Gender and tribe: Women, land and forests in Jharkhand. Kali for Women.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahato, N. K. (2020). Sorrow songs of woods: Adivasi-nature relationship in the Anthropocene in Manbhum. Primus Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahato, N. K. (2022). The status of tribal medical system and practices in the jungle mahals, 1947–2000. Indian Journal of History of Science, 57, 344–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43539-022-00068-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maiti, et al. (2010). Ethno-medicine used by the tribal of district Purulia, W. B., India in controlling fertility: An experimental study. Pharacologyonline, 1, 783–802.

  • Manna, A., & Maiti C. K. (2002). Some ethnomedicines used by the Santals of Bagmundi-Ajodhya hill region of Purulia district, West Bengal, controlling fertility. Ethnobotany, 12.

  • Mathews, H. F. (1992). Introduction. In J. Kirland & H. F. Mathews (Eds.), Herbal and magical medicine: Traditional healing today. Duke University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehta, V., De, A., & Balachandran, C. (2009). Dhat syndrome: A reappraisal. Indian Journal of Dermatology., 54(1), 89–90.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pati, B., & Harrison, M. (2001). Health, medicine and empire: Perspectives on colonial medicine.

  • Rahaman, C. H., & Karmakar, S. (2015). Ethnomedicine of Santal tribe living around Susunia hills of Bankura district, West Bengal, India: The quantitative approach. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 5(02), 127–136. https://doi.org/10.7324/JAPS.2015.50219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samanta, A. (2018). Revisiting a fractured community: the bone-setters of Bengal. In B. Raha & S. Chattopadhyay (Eds.), Mapping the path to maturity: A connected history of Bengal and the North-East. Manohar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengupta, S. (1997). Manbhumer Bhesaja Gachhpala, Anriju, Year 12. 1404 san in Bengali Calendar): 40–41.

  • Sharngadhara. (2008). Sharngadharasamhita, Gudharthadipikasanskrit commentary. In Pandit Parshuram Shastri (Ed.) (7th ed.). Varanasi: Chaukhambha Orientalia.

  • Sinha, S. S. (2006). Adivasis, gender and the “Evil Eye”: The construction(s) of witches in colonial Chotanagpur. The Indian Historical Review, 33(1), 127–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This paper is the output of a Major Research Project funded by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi. I am grateful to Mr. Madhvendra Narayan, Assistant Executive Director, INSA, for his help, support and encouragement. I am grateful to anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions which have helped to improve this article. I express my sincere gratitude to the healers for providing me with important insight. I am also thankful to Professor Prakash Karmakar, Dept of Botany and Forestry, Vidyasagar University for making errors free of scientific names of medicinal plants. Sandip Manna helped me in the comparative analysis between Ayurveda and Tribal medicine.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Studies, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, W. B., India

    Nirmal Kumar Mahato

Authors
  1. Nirmal Kumar Mahato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nirmal Kumar Mahato.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

I state that I have read and agreed to the submission guidelines, policies, and submission declaration of this journal.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (PDF 299 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mahato, N.K. Revisiting the traditional medicine of the tribals in the Jungle Mahals, 1947–2000. Indian J Hist. Sci. 58, 119–128 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43539-023-00086-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43539-023-00086-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation