Public Health

Family Paplionaceae: The members of sub family Papilionaceae are herbs, shrubs or trees found in all climates but mostly between and near the tropics and are more abundant in the old than in the New World. The family includes the greatest number of Legumes, comparising 400 genera with about 7000 species. It is an extremely important family and its members yield nutritious food, fiber, shelter, valuable medicines and also virulent poisons (Datta and Mukherji, 1952). The members exhibit most varied properties, some are amylaceous, other oleaginous, many yield resins, balsams and dyes, a few…

OCIMUM SANCTUM LINN. Botanical name : Ocimum sanctum Family : Lamiaceae Vernacular names : Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali : Tulsi Marathi : Tulasa Tamil : Thulasi Telugu : Tulasi Malayalam : Trittavu Ocimum sanctum is a 30-75 cm high erect herb which is grown practically in every part of India. Hindus considered it a sacred plant and it is grown in every house. Macroscopy: Annual herb 30-75 cm high, much branched, stems and branches usually purplish, sub-quadrangular, sometimes woody below, clothed with soft spreading hairs. Leaves are 2.5-5 cm. long and 1.6-3.2 cm broad,…

PLANTS FOR FABRIC PRINTING ‘Sanganer’ and ‘Bagru’ towns of Jaipur district are famous for fabric-printing throughout the country. ‘Sanganer’ is also known for the hand made paper, used for making account books and paintings of traditional style paper. In printing of fabric and painting, various kinds of dyes and coloures used are of vegetable origin. Each community wear specific costume by which one can recognise the caste and sub-caste of the wearer. Their costumes are characterized by their colour and motifs, like flowers, leaves and birds. The tribal ladies of this area, have a set of…

Wild medicinal plants in Indian Folk Life-A Historical Perspective Plants of over 3500 wild species are used to cure ailments in man and his domesticated animals : Plants in folk medicine of the Himalaya The Himalayan ranges are inhabited by a large tribal population, often with their distinct way of life, traditions, dialects and cultural heritage. The Himalaya have bestowed them with vast, varied and even endemic plants. The tribals have learnt to utilize local herbs for different ailments after centuries of trials, often at the risk of loss of human life. Many tribal beliefs forbid them…

References to the trees and flowers are found profusely in folk song, particularly in songs of worship of plants. Folk songs in praise of Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris Schard. ex. J.C.Wendl), Basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.), and Amaltas (Cassia fistula Linn.) are sung, believing these plants are the abode of several Gods and Goddess (Agarwal, 1997). Religious songs have references to offering of flowers and fruits Palas (Butea monosperma O. Kuntze.), Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata Linn.), and Mahua (Madhuca indica Gmel.) etc bear flowers and fruits which are offered to Gods and Goddess to invoke…

According to Ayurvedic system of medicines a large number of plants are employed in the traditional medicines for the treatment of several diseases like cancer (Kirtikar and Basu, 1935; MacDowell, 1958; Nandkarni, 1975; Chopra et al., 1982; Jain, 1997 and Sharma and Kumar, 2000), leprosy (Sanghi and Kumar, 2002), hepatic disease (Sharma and Kumar,2001), paralysis (Sharma and Kumar, 2001), urinary stone track disease (Mishra and Kumar, 2001), depression and other nervous disorder (Mishra and Kumar, 2000) and diabetes (Raghunandan and Mitra, 1982 and Gupta and Kumar, 2000, 2002) . Thar desert…

Scientific Name Solanum surattense Burm. f. syn. S. xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. Family Solanaceae Used Part Seeds and fruits Distribution Area Throughout India, in dry situtations as weed on roadside and wastelands Common Uses . The dried fruit powder is used as an internal medicine and the oil extracted is used for external application in the treatment of leucoderma. Useful in cough, asthama, chronic rhinitis,, dropsy, acute bronchitis and fever accompanied with chest affections. It is one of the main ingredients of the drug formulations for bronchial asthama specially for…

Scientific Name Myristica fragrans Houtt. Family Myristicaceae Used Part Seeds Distribution Area Cultivated in Karnataka, the Andamans & Nicobar Islands. Family Myristicaceae Used Part Aril ( Mace) Common Uses . Please see India and Srilanka The nutmeg and mace are bitter, acrid, astringent, sweet, thermogenic,aromatic, aphrodisiac, anti-inflamatory, anodyne, anthelmintic, deodorant, digestive, carminative, stomachiac, expectorant, diuretic, emmenagogue, antispasmodic,febrigue, narcotic, stimulant, useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and vata, inflamations, cepahlagia,…

Scientific Name Solanum indicum Linn. Family Solanaceae Used Part Fruits Distribution Area A spiny herb, found throughout the warmer parts of Nepal and India, up to an elevation of 1,500 m. Common Uses . The fruit is bitter, pungent, anthelmintic, useful in pruitus, leucoderma, bronchitis, "vata" "kapha", asthama, fever,vomiting, loss of appetite diseases of the eye (Ayurveda, Yunani). The smoke from burning seeds is said to relieve toothache. In Africa, the plant is used against itch and ringworm. Useful in bronchitis, calculus affections, chronic febrile affections,…

Scientific Name Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don Family Ericaceae Used Part Stem, Leaves, buds. Distribution Area A small shrub found in Alpine Himalayas of Nepal from 3300-4000 and also in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and the N.E.F.A. hills at altitudes of 3,000-5,300 m. Common Uses . The leaves are reported to possess stimulant properties. The plant yields an incense. Leaves aromatic, stimulant, admimistered as an errhine to produce sneezing. Their smoke is considered useful in some diseases. They are supposed to have stimulant properties. This is one of the species…