European Journal of Environmental Ecology

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE ON ANIMAL HEALTH CARE PRACTICES IN SURADA BLOCK OF GANJAM DISTRICT, ODISHA.

S.P Adhikary

adhikarysankarprasad@yahoo.co.in

Indigenous knowledge, medicinal plant, animal health care, Ethnoveterinary, traditionally healers.

Physical and physiological components of animals are directly and indirectly governed by the chemical compounds and elements which are receiving from plants. Deficiency of any components by their nutrition may create ailments. Use of plants for treating various ailments of animals is an old practice. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 80% of the world’s population, mostly in poor and less developed countries depend on traditional plant-based medicine for their primary health care needs. Rural people are dependent on the plant based medicines for treating animals is mainly because of the limited access to the awareness and modern medicine system, cheaper and easy availability and simple applications. Crude plant products do not have the negative side-effects and build-up immunity in the body system. Surada Block of Orissa is remote and hill area. The people of this block mostly depend on agricultural economics and associated with domestic animals. Farmers in this area still depend upon plants for treating their animals who are suffering from various ailments. Ethnoveterinary importance has been recognised by the folk through a process of local practical experience over hundreds of years. The present investigation deals with fifty plants which are use among the people of Surada Block of Ganjam District for some common diseases in animals (cows, bullocks, buffalo, goats, sheep’s etc) namely rheumatism, fever, constipation, foot and mouth disease, to expel the placenta after delivery, bronchitis, lactation, stomach-ache, swelling, fracture, ulcers, diarrhoea, against ticks and maggots etc. The emphasis has been laid on the and utilised in modern system of medicine. A preliminary account of Ethnoveterinary prescriptions in western Orissa scientific validation of medicinal property of the plants and animals used in traditional medication system and also to recognise and appraise the traditional freedom of the local communities.