Abstract

MEDICINAL PLANT FORMULATIONS OF THE MUSOHOR TRIBE OF BIRGANJ IN DINAJPUR DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

Fahmida Rahman and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background: The Musohors constitute a small tribe residing in Birganj Upazilla (sub-district) in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. Since relatively nothing has been reported on their traditional medicinal practices, the objective of the present study was to document the medicinal plants and formulations used by the traditional practitioners of the tribe. Methods: Interview of the tribal medicinal practitioner (TMP) was carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. Results: The TMP used a total of 21 plants distributed into 18 families in 9 formulations used for treatment. The various diseases treated included leucorrhea, urinary stone, syphilis, gonorrhea, lack of enough milk in nursing mother, filariasis, gastrointestinal disorders, anorexia, mental disorder, headache, edema and pain. Conclusion: The medicinal plant knowledge of the Musohor TMP can prove useful in localized treatment of several common disorders.

Keywords: Musohor, medicinal plants, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.