Uniyal, S K and Sharma, V and Jamwal, P (2011) Folk Medicinal Practices in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya. Journal of Human Ecology, 39. pp. 479-488.

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Abstract

The importance of folk knowledge in improving livelihood and biodiversity conservation is now well recognized (Alcorn 1993; Gadgil et al. 2000). Of the various sectors that have benefited from folk knowledge, healthcare is the most important (Patwardhan 2007; Chadwick and Marsh 2007). Considering the growing acceptance of herbal medicine, almost 25% of prescribed drugs available in the market are plant based (Farnsworth et al. 1985), and novel plant based cures are being sought. In this regard, observations of folk medicinal practices are of great significance (Fabricant and Farnsworth 2001). In India, utilization of plants for medicinal purposes has been documented in ancient texts (Charak and Drdhbala 1996; Tulsidas 1631) and more than 40% of the Indian flora is reported to be used for medicinal purposes (Pushpangadan 1995). In the interior of the country such as the Himalayan region, dependence on plants for healthcare is much higher. No wonder it is said “folk medicine is the mother of the healing systems of India” (Valiathan 2006). However, now concerns are being raised about the erosion of this knowledge (Uniyal et al. 2003). Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh where dependency on medicinal plants is high (Brij Lal et al. 1996; Chauhan 2003; Kapur 1993; Sharma and Chauhan 2000; Singh and Kumar 2000; Uniyal et al. 2006), yet detailed information on the plants used for treating different diseases by the local people and the techniques of treatments is lacking.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Folk medicinal; Western Himalaya; Himachal Pradesh;
Subjects:	Chemical Engineering
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Dr. Aparna Maitra Pati
Date Deposited:	09 Feb 2012 09:24
Last Modified:	09 Feb 2012 09:24
URI:	http://ihbt.csircentral.net/id/eprint/957

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