Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vo l. 2(4), October 2003, pp. 346-356

Use of animals and animal products in traditional health care systems in District Kachchh , Gujarat

Leena Gupta, C S Silori *, Nisha Mistry and A M Di xit

Guj arat Institute of Desert Eco logy, P.B. No. 83. M undra Road Opposite Changleshwar Temple, Bhuj 370 00 I

Email : silori _cs@yahoo.com

Received 20 January 2003

T he present arti cle descr ibes the trad itional knowledge of local communiti es on ethnozoology in distri ct Kachchh. Through struct ured questionna ire survey a total of 194 responden ts from 29 villages were interviewed across di f ferent communities and socio­economic stra ta of the sampled vill ages. Respondents li sted about 34 animal and bird spec ies, including 28 wi ld and 6 domesti c, which are used in pri mary hea lth care needs of human beings and li vestock and for other purposes also. Blood and fl esh are most commonly used animal products to treat diseases such as asthma, cough, rheu matism and hea ling of external injuries. Of the w ild animal and bird species, Indian Wil d A ss and Common Indian Monitor L izard are l isted as endangered while Chinkara, Indian Flap Shell Turtle and Peafowl are li sted as vulnerable in the Reel Data Book of Indian A nimals. The findings are more important in view of the fac t that if the remedial measures, for which these animals are used, are not proved sc ienti fi ca ll y. the com mon man shou ld be made aware of thi s, which in futu re wi ll signi fi cantl y help in conservation of rare and endangered animals.

Keywords: Trad itional knowledge, Ethnozoology, Ethnoveterinary practi ces, Kachchh.

Since time immemorial ex tensive use of pl ants, ani mals and minerals has been made in trad itional med icines. A lot of efforts has gone into documentation, use, identification and validati on of plant based traditi onal medi cines but studi es on most of the animal based med icines are sporad ic, despi te the fact th at traditional ly many animal based drugs are ad mi nis tered all over the world u . In Unani and Ayurvedi c system of medi cines there are descriptions of many

*Correspondent author

animal based medi cations3-7

. lt has been documented that in Unani system of medi ci nes about 200 drugs of animal origin are described which are claimed to be beneficial fo r the treatment of various ailments8

. Similarly in Ayurveda also there is desc ripti on of use of several animal based drugs parti cularl y fro m cow, bu ffa lo, elephant , camel, ass, goat and sheep9

. Entire organi sms or their fl esh, fat, excretions, bones, teeth, feathers, hair, horns and shell s are used as medi cines and in other purposes. These are used either singly or in compound

GUPTA eta!.: USE OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN KACHCHH 347

formulations and prepared in a varfety of forms i.e.: powder; ash, soups, syrup, ointments, liniments, etc.

The present article is an offshoot of an ongoing study on the ethnobotanical documentation in district Kachchh of Gujarat. While documenting traditional knowledge on plant based medicines, the villagers also refeiTed to the use of several wild and domestic animals and birds for curing various diseases. Since no records on this aspect are available in the past, the authors used this opportunity to document the traditional knowledge of local communities regarding the use of animals (ethnozoology) for different purposes, including medicinal, in district Kachchh.

Study Area District Kachchh, covering an area of

about 45,645 km2 is the second largest district of the country. It is spread between 22°41 '11" to 24°41 '47" N and 68"09'46" to 71 °54'47" E in the western state of Gu jarat. Kachchh falls in the arid tract of the country and covers about 73 % of the total arid area of the state. About 51 % (23,310 krn2

) of the total area of di strict is covered by saline marshes known as Greater and Little Rann of Kachchh. Because of the predominance of arid region, district Kachchh has been classified as a separate biotic province '3A ' i.e, Kachchh Desert of Indian Desert Bio-geographic. Zone 10

. The topographical variation in the district has resulted in to the diversity of habitats and flora and fauna. The floral diversity of the district is represented by more than 650

plant species 11, whi le the faunal diversity

is represented by about more than 300 birds, 51 mammals, 44 reptiles, 7 amphibians and about 115 fishes and prawns 12

•

From socio-cultural point of view, district Kachchh exhibits great ethnic and cultural diversity . According to 2001 provisional census the total human population of the district is about 15 Jakhs. More than 70% of the population belongs to Hindu community, followed by Muslims, Jains and others. Among the Hindus, Rajput, Brahmin, Lohana, Baniya, Bhatiya, Ahir, Kanbi, Lobar and Charan are the chief castes while among Muslims, Sangar, Sodha, Haliputra, Raisiputra are major clans. Around 19% of the total population belongs to socio­economically weaker section of the society , including schedu led castes (12 %), mainly represented by Meghwals and scheduled tribes (7 %) represented by Koli, Paradhi and Bhils. Animal husbandry, dry land agriculture, fishing, mining and daily wage labour are major income sources for the locals.

Methodology The structured questionnaire survey

method was employed in the selected vi ll ages to collect information on the traditional knowledge on the use of animals and their products as medicines in primary health care system. A total of about 194 respondents from 29 villages were interviewed to generate the ethnozoological information. The respondents belonged to wide range of communities, including Scheduled Tribe represented by Koli, Paradhi ,

348 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDG E, VOL 2, No.4, OCTOBER 2003

Wandhakoli , Bhils, Bhil-paradhi, Scheduled Caste, Muslims , Darbar (Rajput) and Brahmins across different age groups ranging from 15 years to above 85 years . Through questionnaire survey, the information was gathered on various aspects of ethnozoology, including basic socio-economic structure of the respondent, the knowledge on the use of the animals, type of animal/animal parts used for medicinal purposes, other purposes, catching of wild animal s, and the manner in which the medicines are administered. Based on the local names, the identification of animals and birds was confirmed by showing the coloured plates to the respondents 13

'14

•

Result Ethnozoological knowledge

Of the total 194 respondents, 69 (35%) responded positively about having traditional knowledge on ethnozoology. Among these, higher proportion of knowledgeable respondents was recorded from Scheduled caste (SC), Scheduled tribes • (ST) and Muslims communities (Table I) . Of the total 69 respondents, 30 (43 %) responded positively about having the knowledge of use of wild animals, besides domestic animals for medicinal

and other purposes. Rest of the respondents knew only about the use of domestic animals for medicinal and other purposes. Majority of the 30 respondents, mainly belonging to ST, Muslims and SC communities, were either actually catching or killing wild animals and birds or using them for medicinal and other purposes (Table 2) . Of these, 13 ( 42%) respondents claimed that they catch or kill the wild animals using their traditional skill, although none of the respondents disclosed the traditional methods of animal catching during interviews. Majority (62%) of such respondents belonged to the ST communities such as Koli, Bhil and Paradhi, while some of the Muslims (23 %) and Harijan (15 %) respondents also responded positively on the catching or killing of animals and birds.

Use of animals for treating human ailments

The respondents listed a total of 34 animal and bird species, including 6 domestic and 28 wild which are used by the local people. Maximum of these animals belonged to mammalian group ( 16), followed by birds (8), marine animals (7), including crustaceans and

Table I - Ethnozoological knowledge across different communities in di strict Kachchh

Community Total respondents No. of respondents having knowledge

Scheduled tribes (ST) 37 19(51 %)

Scheduled caste (SC) 22 12 (55%)

Darbar 53 II (21 %)

Muslims 62 25 (40%)

Rabari 20 2 (10%)

Total 194 69 (35%)

GUPTA era/.: USE OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN KACHCHH 349

Table 2- Knowledge status of the respondents regarding use of wild animals

Knowledge status Communi!):' Total ST sc Muslims

Catching/killing and using themselves for medicinal and other 8 2 3 13 purposes

Depending on others for animal/animal products but having 4 6 5 15 knowledge of using them for medi cinal and other purposes

Neither catching. nor using but having knowledge of using for 2 0 0 2 medicinal and other QUrQoses

fishes , and the rest were reptiles (3). Regarding the ethnomedicinal use, 29 animals and birds and their body parts are used for treating human and livestock ailments, while 10 species are used for other purposes, described later. Local people use different parts of animal body for medicinal purposes in different ways (Table 3) . Blood and flesh are most commonly used animal products to treat various ailments in human being and livestock. Excreta of some birds are also used for treating diseases like asthma and cough. Some of the common disease treated using animal products included asthma, cough, rheumati sm and healing of external injuries.

Besides various parts of animal body, pathological products formed on the body ·of animals are also reported to be used in the preparation of different traditional medicines . For example, the stones found in gall bladder of cows, locally known as 'Gau-kesar', are used for treatments of epilepsy and other gynecological diseases in human beings. Similarly, some marine animals like powdered shell of Gastropods - Cypraea sp. are used for treatment of pimples and other skin diseases. A parasitic Isopod, Cythura spp .

(locally known as Ranai) on marine fishes is used with oil for treatment of ear ailments of human beings. Cuttle Bone of Sepia, a Cephalopod, locally known as 'Samudrafin' is used in powder form to cure wounds . The Crustaceans have very high protein contents specially the free amino acids; therefore their consumption is likely to invigorate the body thus acting as a good medicine.

Use of animals for veterinary diseases Besides treating human diseases,

respondents also mentioned about the use of animals and animal products for treating various veterinary diseases. About II animal species, including 8 wild animals and fishes are used for treating various veterinary diseases. In majority of such cases, blood was most commonly used product for treating body pain, arthritis, and healing the fractured bones of animals. Some of the respondents also mentioned about the use of spider web and powder of Sambar antler to treat the eye ailments of livestock. Whenever needed, villagers purchase the antler of Sambar from local market, because the animal is not found in the forests of Kachchh . The boiled

350 INDI AN J T RADIT IONAL KNOW LEDGE, VOL 2, No.4, OCTOBER 2003

Table 3 - Trad iti onal know ledge on the use of animals and their products in pri mary health care system in distric t Kachchh

S l. Eng li sh Local name Scienti fic name Part used Method of preparation and No. Name med icinal use

Birds I Bank myna Kabar Acridotheres Flesh Roasted fl esh is eaten to

ginginianus treat whooping cough. 2 Black ibis Ran Kagdo Pseudibis papillosa Blood Blood is massaged for

curing burning sensation, nervous di sorder, paralys is and inherent body heat.

3 Hen Marag hi Gallus domestic us Blood (V) Blood is ex ternally massaged on the aching parts o f body . Blood is app lied ex ternall y for healing arthriti s and frac tured bones of ca ttle, goats

4 House Crow Kagado Con ;us splendens Flesh Roasted or boiled fl esh is eaten to treat whooping cough

5 House C haka li Passer domesticus Droppings Ash of excreta is used fo r sparrow treatment of asth ma in

children (three times a day with water fo r couple of days)

6 Peafow l Mor Pavo crista/us Legs Legs o f peafow l are boi led with o il , which is used to treat the ear pain

7 Pigeon Kabutar Columba Iivia Blood The blood is massaged externally to treat para lys is.

Mammals 8 Bat Chamachidiu Cyanopterus sphinx Flesh Raw fl esh hav ing blood is

rubbed on the external injuries for healing and also eaten to trea t whooping cough.

9 Buffa lo Bhens Bubalus spp. Blood (V) Blood is applied externa lly on the neck of cow to reduce the body heat.

10 Camel Unt Came/us Dung T he dried dung is burnt dromedarius and ash is appli ed

externally on sto mach for treating constipation.

Contd.

GUPTA eta/.: USE OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN KACHCHH 351

Table 3-Traditio nal knowledge on the use of animals and their products in primary health care system in

di strict Kachchh--Conrd.

Sl. English Local name Scientific name Part used Method of preparation and

No. Name medicinal use

Blood (V) Blood is applied externally for treating arthritis.

Bones (V) Old bones of dead camel are burnt and ash is mixed with water and fed to the animal for healing rheumatoid arthritis

II Cow Gay Bos indicus Dung The dried dung is burnt and ash is applied externally to treat urticaria.

12 Dog Kutro Canisfamiliaris Flesh Excreta is applied. and flesh is eaten to treat wounds.

13 Goat Bakra Capra indicus Blood (V) Skin used as cloth after applying turmeric powder on it to treat pneumonia and superficial injury. Blood is massaged externally on the fractured part and tied with cloth bandage.

14 Hyena Zarakh Hyaena hyaena Flesh Fat is applied externally for healing arthritis; blood is applied on cloth and the dried cloth is fumigated to cure asthma

15 Indian wild Ghudkhar Equus hemionus Blood (V) Blood is massaged ass khur externally for healing

arthritis 16 Jackal Shiyad Canis au reus Flesh Roasted flesh is eaten to

cure asthma and sciatica. Blood (V) Blood is massaged

externally for healing arthritis in goats

17 Pale hedge Shero Paraechinus Skin (V) Ash of skin is used for hog microlapus respiratory problems and

cold. Skin is fumigated for curing mouth diseases of cattle

Contd.

352 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 2, No.4, OCTOBER 2003

Table 3 - Traditional know ledge on the use of animal s and the ir products in primary health care syste m in di strict Kachchh--Conld.

Sl. Eng li sh Local name Scientific name Part used Method o f preparation and No. Name medi cinal use

18 Porcupine Shedhadi Hystrix indica Squill s (V) Squill s are fumi gated fo r respiratory problems in ch ildre n; and for curing mouth diseases of cattle .

19 Rufous- tailed Sasla Lepus nigricollis Blood, Tail Blood is applied hare ruj icodatum externall y for healing

swelling; the ash of ta il is mixed wi th oi l and the prepared paste is app lied for curing burning sensation.

20 Rat Undar Ratus ratus Whole The animal is roasted and ash is mi xed with mustard oil. Thi s paste is the n mi xed wi th the crushed leaves of Rivea hypocraterifon11is (Fangvel) and fl owers o f Azadirachta indica (Neem) and applied on the bald head. It is c laimed that hair start growing with in 3-4 days of appl ication.

21 Sam bar Sabar/ Harnu Cervus unico/or Antler (V) Powder o f antler is applied in eyes for eye ailments of cattle

Reptiles

22 Indi an flap Kachbo Lissemys punctatus Carapace Carapace is burn t and ash she ll turtle (V ) is used for healing of

internal injuries, pruriti s and cough; and for healing superficial blunt injuries of cattle.

23 Spiny tailed Sandho Uromastix Who le The who le an imal is li zard hardwickii body boiled in oil and the oil

applied externally for joints pain and rheumati sm.

Cant d.

GUPTA et a/.: USE OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN KACHCHH 353

Table 3-Traditional knowledge on the use of animals and their products in primary health care system in

district Kachchh--Contd.

Sl. English Local name Scientific name Part used Method of preparati on and No. Name med icinal use

Crustaceans

24 Hermit Crab Karachalo Ucapugnex Whole Crab is boi led in water body and then taken for asthma;

also, it is boiled in oil and used externally for curing ear pains

25 Sandy shore Kurcha l Mututa victor Whole Crab is boiled in water Crab body and then the inner watery

part taken for asthma; boiled in o il and used externally for curing ear pa ins. Crab is eaten for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Fishes

26 ? Gorad ? Brain (V) Rubbed with water and Machchhi drank to treat the problems

associated with kidney stone. Also used to treat the urinary problems in li vestock in the same manner.

27 Hammer head Magro Zygaena blochii Fat Fat is applied externally shark for treating joints pain.

28 Sea horse (?) Ghoda Hippocampus cuda Whole Dried animal is powdered machchhi animal (V) and mixed with the fodder

to cure sto mach pain of horses

V- indicates the use of animal/animal products for veterinary purpose al so ?- Confirmation required

flesh of some of the marine fishes is also used by the locals to cure the foot and mouth disease of li'<:estock, which is a very common disease in the area, while powder of Ghoda Machchh, probably sea horse, is used to treat the stomach ache of horses.

Use of animals for other purposes Other than medicinal uses , local people

also use animals and birds for other purposes. Some of the animals such as Chinkara and rabbit and birds such as grey partridge are hunted for meat by local people in certain parts of the district

354 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 2, No. 4, OCTOBER 2003

Tabl e 4--Non-medic inal uses of animal s and their body parts

Sl. Engli sh name Local name Scientific name Part used Uses No.

Birds

Grey partridge Tetar FrancolillliS Flesh Food pondicerianus

2 Peafow l Mor Pavo cristatus Feathers Handicraft items

Mammals

3 Goat Bakra Capra indicus Skin Drum sheet

4 Indian Gazelle Haran Gazella gazelle Skin , Flesh Drum sheet, edible

5 Rufous- tailed Sasla Lepus nigricollis Flesh Food hare ruficodatwn

6 Camel Unt Ca111elus Skin Handicraft items, dro111edaries shoes

7 Wild boar Jang li bhund Sus scrofa Whole body Food

Reptiles

8 Monitor li zard Patla gho Va ranus bengalensis Whole body Food

Invertebrates

9 Green Crab/ Kurchal Purtunus pelagic11S Whole body Food Mud Crab

10 Bi val ves Chhip Mactra sp. Shell Orname nt

II Sacred Shell Shankh Xancus pym111 She ll Re li g ious purpose

(Table 4). Also the skin of goats and Chinkara is used for making drum sheets, while leather of camel is used for making various handicraft items in Maldhari dominated areas such as Banni and Pachchham in northern part of the di strict. The Banni region is well known for the traditional handicraft items of not only camel leather, but also for other kinds of cloth based traditional handicraft.

Discussion The animal based medicines have

always played a significant role in the

healing practices, magtc rituals , and religions of indigenous and western societies all over the world 15

"16

• However, as compared to the ethnobotanical documentation, the therapeutic use of animals and animal products to treat common human and domestic animal ailments have been little researched . There have been sporadic attempts within the country on the documentation of animal based traditional medication system9

·17

-19

. Though the present article is perhaps the first ever attempt to document the traditional ethnozoological knowledge of local communities in district Kachchh

GUPTA et al.: USE OF AN IMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN KACHCHH 355

of Guj arat, further attempts are required to have a better understanding on the subj ect. Moreover, it was felt necessary because during interviews at some places respondents were not very open about the use of :;ome more wild animals, probably because o f their awareness of such act being illegal under the forest conservation laws.

Another important aspect of this study, which needs to be mentioned, is that the findings regarding the use of animal s for med icines are purely based on the traditional be liefs of local communities and none of these animal based medicinal prescriptions has been authenticated or tested during the course of the study. Nevertheless, the healing properties of some of the animal products have been proved scientifically in the past8

·16

·20

, yet thi s aspect of traditional health care system needs further research not only to confirm the medicinal value of such animal based remedies, but also to facilitate more ecologically and socially sound development2

.

From ecological point of view, present study holds importance because some of the animals used by the locals for medi cinal and other purposes are vulnerable or endangered OJ" facing severe threats due to several kinds of anthropogenic pressures operating in the region21

• It is important to mention here that species such as Indian Wild Ass and Common Indian Monitor Li zard are li sted as endangered while Chinkara, Indian Flap Shell Turtle and Peafowl are li sted as vulnerable in the Red Data Book of Indi an Animals22

. On the other hand

study carri ed out by GUIDE23 in di strict Kachchh li sted Chinkara and Indian Wild Ass as rare species while Spiny Tailed Lizard and Monitor Lizard are li sted as endangered species . Situation like thi s emphasizes the need of conservation programme for such spec1es to be properly formulated and implemented . The ex istence of these animals is not only threatened by hunting for various purposes mentioned above but also because of the loss of habitats and other anthropogenic pressures. It is more important in view of the fact that if the remedial measures, for which these animals are used, are not proved scientifically, the common man should be made aware of this , which in future will signi ficantly help in conservation of rare and endangered animals. The local people who ho ld the traditional ethnozoological knowledge can be roped 111 for implementation of participatory conservation programmes for such animals.

Acknowledgement Authors are thankful to the villagers of

di strict Kachchh for sharing their traditional knowledge on ethnozoological uses . Dr. G A Thivakaran , Scientist, GUIDE is thanked for helping in identification of marine fauna.

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