2019, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part B

author(s)
Shahanaj Eatimony, Khairun Nahar Urmee, Mahbuba Sultana, Nargis Ara and Dr. Mohammed Rahmatullah

abstract
Folk medicinal practitioners (FMPs) form the primary tier of medicinal practitioners in Bangladesh. They are still quite numerous and can be seen mostly in rural areas. Their mode of obtaining knowledge about their medicinal practices is not well known or has been studied in depth. Interestingly, FMPs use mostly medicinal plants in their treatment, but their selection of plants for treatment of the same disease varies widely from practitioner to practitioner. It is therefore important to document such practices to get a comprehensive picture of medicinal plants and their uses within the country. The objective of this study was to document the practices of a FMP in Khutmura village in Bangladesh. The FMP was observed to use a total of 7 plants distributed into 7 families in his treatment. The plants were used to treat weakness, leukemia, fatigue, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, hair loss, respiratory tract disorders, fungal infections, helminthiasis, erectile dysfunction, acne, fever, and pain. Various parts of a plant or the plant itself were used to treat different disorders, suggesting that the FMP had quite good working knowledge on the therapeutic properties of plants and plant parts.