A recently published study observes that lay people control not only decision-making about the health professionals they consult and whether or not they accept the advice they receive, but also about their own care, i.e., self-medication. The authors state that self-medication, which they and others term "folk medicine" is increasing in prominence in relation to its counterpart, professional medicine.
A survey was carried out in the Blue Nile Province of the Sudan to study the prevalence and causes of blindness and the possible effect of traditional folk medicine. Blind people were examined by ophthalmic assistants and were questioned by a social worker. From the results of the study the overall prevalence of blindness was estimated to be about 660 per 100 000. The main causes of blindness were found to be cataract, anterior segment diseases, glaucoma, trauma, posterior segment diseases, and congenital anomalies.
Information on 22 claims of Tribal and other Folk-lore Medicine on Rheumatism, gathered from the aboriginals and villagers of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa States is presented in this article, proposing an indepeth study into these claims on the same lines as those formulated for Ayurvedic research and in accordance with the advice of the author of Dhanwantari Nighantu, vido Slokas 6 & 7.
Few plants which are frequently used for curing dermal diseases by the common man and are occasionally prescribed in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine have been recorded from Bhopal and its suburbs, and folk lores collected. The same have been described in a brief communications along with their significant macroscopic characters and mode of administration. The environmental conditions and ecological factors which favour their optimum growth have also been studied.
In this article, the authors present information on 11 claims of folk-lore medicine on Leucorrhoea and Menorrhagia gathered from the tribals of Dandakaranya.
Kesar has been an important ingredient of the recipes of our ancient physicians in the field of Indian systems of medicine and its cultivation is a monopoly of Jammu and Kashmir. This paper presents in detail the historical review, botanical description, vernacular names, distribution in India and world, cultivation, collection, preservation and storage, adulterants, purity tests, chemical composition, action and uses, folk - lore claims and markets with special reference to its medicinal utility.
Birth defects increase the risk of speech, language, and hearing disorders in childhood. The prevalence of particular congenital anomalies varies from one racial and ethnic group to another. Some conditions such as the hemoglobinopathies, polydactyly, and external ear malformations are more common among black people. Other birth defects are rarer among black children, notably cleft lip and palate, neural tube defects, and phenylketonuria.
This paper deals with the wild medicinal plants used by rural population of south-western part of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra State. The authors gathered data on 34 species of locally available wild plants used in curing common human ailments. The plants are arranged according to the type of ailment. Vernacular name of each species followed by its botanical name, relevant plant family and known use of the plant in local medicine are given.
Ethno-botanical explorations with regard to the folk-lore medicine in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu and Palghat district of Kerala for jaundice was carried out. Out of twenty remedies thus gathered two are found to be new reports and a few others have got interesting combination. The specimens are identified at Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore and deposited in the Herbarium of Ethnobiology department of International Institute of Ayurveda, Coimbatore. Two newly reported plants for Jaundice namely Alysicarpus vaginalis DC. and Justicia tranquebariensis L.
Mace which is the aril of the fruit of Myristica fragrans HOUTT, has been used in Indonesian folk medicine as aromatic stomachics, analgesics, a medicine for rheumatism, etc. The present study was carried out to elucidate the antiinflammatory effect of methanol extract obtained from Mace and its active principles. The methanol extract was extracted with ether, and then the ether soluble fraction was extracted with n-hexane.
