Content area
Full Text
ABDUL HALIM, M., CHOWDHURY, M. S. H., WADUD, A. L, UDDIN, M. S., SARKER, S. K. & UDDIN, M. B. 2007. The use of plants in traditional health care practice of the Shaiji community in southwestern Bangladesh. The Shaiji, a religio-cultural community of southwestern Bangladesh, have an indigenous medication system using locally grown plants. A total of 36 individuals were interviewed using questionnaire. The Shaiji, living in the interior or near bushy habitats for the sake of meditation and other spiritual activities, were found to be totally dependent on herbal medicines for treating ailments ranging from casual cold to diabetes. As this indigenous knowledge is handed down orally from generation to generation, there is a great possibility that the knowledge will be lost over time. A total of 47 plant species were used by the Shaiji for medicinal purposes. They mainly used leaves, either taken orally or used externally. They used the plant species in a sustainable manner and also cultivated some. Thus, they play an important role in biodiversity conservation.
Keywords: Medicinal plants, Shaiji, indigenous knowledge
ABDUL HAUM, M., CHOWDHURY, M. S. H., WADUD, A. L, UDDIN, M. S., SARKER, S. K & UDDIN, M. B. 2007. Penggunaan tumbuh-tumbuhan dalam penjagaan kesihatan tradisional komuniti Shaiji di barat daya Bangladesh. Shaiji, satu komuniti beragama dan beradat di barat daya Bangladesh mempunyai sistem perubatan asli menggunakan tumbuh-tumbuhan tempatan. Sebanyak 36 individu di temu bual menggunakan borang soal selidik. Shaiji hidup di kawasan pedalaman dan berdekatan habitat berbelukar untuk bertafakur dan menjalankan aktiviti keagamaan yang lain. Mereka bergantung sepenuhnya kepada ubat-ubatan herba untuk merawat berbagai-bagai penyakit daripada demam selesema biasa ke penyakit kencing manis. Memandangkan pengetahuan asli ini diturunkan secara mulut dari satu generasi ke satu generasi, besar kemungkinan pengetahuan ini akan hilang dengan masa. Sebanyak 47 spesies tumbuh-tumbuhan digunakan oleh Shaiji sebagai ubat. Mereka banyak menggunakan daun, sama ada dimakan atau luaran. Mereka menggunakan spesies tumbuh-tumbuhan secara lestari dan menanam sesetengah tumbuh-tumbuhan. Oleh itu, mereka memainkan peranan yang penting dalam pemuliharaan kepelbagaian biologi.
INTRODUCTION From the pre-historic era, men have been using plants as medicine and in recent years, interest in the exploitation of plants as pharmceuticals, herbal remedies, flavourings, perfumes, cosmetics and other natural products has greatly increased (Iqbal 1993, Walter 2001, Rao &...