Traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs used for Rheumatism in Chhattisgarh, India

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

During my stay at Ambikapur city for practical training programme on Agriculture for 6 months, I have learnt a lot from local community. Ambikapur is situated in Northern hilly regions of Chhattisgarh. Ambikapur is well known for diverse flora, undulating topography and dense forests. Beside local community, thousand of migrant Bengali families from Bangladesh have been resettled by the government. As they are living since very long time, their culture has mixed with local culture. In front of every Bengali home, I have noted a presence of shrub called "Nishindi". According to local Bengali community, the presence of this shrub saves their home from ghosts. They use this shrub for its unique medicinal properties. In many common diseases it is used both externally and internally. In acute and chronic rheumatism, they use Nishindi in many ways. The most attractive and common use is wooden shoes. These shoes are made of the wood of Nishindi and believe to prevent rheumatism in normal person. These wooden shoes are very popular among children. For patients suffering from chronic rheumatism, they prepare wooden bed from the wood of Nishindi. They also boil the fresh Nishindi leaves in water and fumes are passed on the affected part. During my survey, I have found very few patients suffering from rheumatism in Bengali community. Even people from Ambikapur city regularly visit to Bengali villages for the treatment of rheumatism. Locally rheumatism is known as Amvat, or Sandhivat.

I have not found the natural occurrence of Nishindi in Ambikapur and adjacent areas. Locally Nishindi is also known as Mediki (because its presence in Med i.e. bunds) and Nirgundi. The scientific name of Nishindi is Vitex negundo. Over 13 species have been reported in India. In Chhattisgarh, the natural occurrence of Vitex negundo has been reported. Vitex is a large, aromatic shrub with quadrangular, densely whitish - tomentose branchlets. Bark is thin and grey. Leaves 3 to 5 foliolate, leaflets lancealate, entire or rarely crenate. Flower bluish - purple, small in penducted cymes, forming large, terminal often compound with pyramidal panicles. Fruits globose, drupe, black when ripe. Use of bark powder of Nishindi for the treatment of sciatica is also popular in this region. In scientific literatures, use of Vitex for rheumatism is well documented but the description of unique ways used by Bengali community have not been mentioned. I am not sure about its efficiency against ghosts but I think their ancestors have associated this useful shrub with ghost to keep this shrub in home garden forever. You will get details of other potential and popular uses of Nishindi in my next articles.

In whole Chhattisgarh, Aak or Fudhar is well known for the treatment of rheumatism. I have also used it. Almost every plant part of Aak alone or in combination with other herbs is useful. In majority of cases, external application is preferred. Applicaiton of freshly harvested leaves with lukewarm ghee on painful joints in an age old practice in Chhattisgarh. The pillow and mattresses prepared from Aak floss are prescribed to patients suffering from chronic rheumatism. The fresh roots with sesamum oil is also used as external application. The scientific name of Aak is Calotropis gigantea and 3 species have been reported in India. In Chhattisgarh, I have found two species Calotropis gigantea is prefered over Calotropis procera in Chhattisgarh by traditional healers I have found this botanical description in scientific literatures. Calotropis is large shrub (upto4-3 meters high), much branched, often gregarious, branches stout, covered with powdery pubescence. Leaves opposite sessile, elliptic, or ovate oblong, thick, base cordate, sometimes amplexicaul, both surfaces tomentose, flowers in umbellate cymes, pupulish or white, buds avoid. Fruits follicles, 9-0 cm long broad, green. Flowering time in Indian conditions is February to July Calotropis is a popular Homoeopathy drug commonly used in many diseases including for weight loss.

An eminent traditional healer from Raipur city, the capital of Chhattisgarh, specialised in treating rheumatism use wooden roller and herbal oil prepared from many native and exotic herbs. He has visited abroad many times for treatment. Surprisingly, he charge no fees for his miracle treatment. Even he arrange and bear the cost of herbs (for preparing oil). Daily morning you can see hundreds of patients standing in front of his small home. He treat both poor and rich patients equally. Fortunately, he is my relative and by relation he is my uncle. Once during my visit to dense forests of Bastar, an old traditional healer have told the secret of wooden roller used by them to treat the rheumatism. According to him they use pith of Mahua or Tendu trees (Over 100 years old) for preparing wooden roller . There is a strong need to search the science behind this. I have experienced the miracle healing properties of these wooden rollers. Also I have found the herbal oil prepared from many herbs viz. Tobacco, Opium, Cannabis, Nux vomica, Asafoetida, Pippali etc. effective. This oil is applied externally in affected parts. I have noted from all the traditional healers expertise in rheumatism that they suggest their patients to drink a lot of water along with treatment.

After long and exhaustive sitting with traditional healer of village Gunderdehi, I have found an unique formula to prevent rheumatism. According to this traditional healer, from childhood one has to put a small potato tuber in the pocket of pant.

This will save him life long from rheumatism. He informed me that it is mentioned in ancient literatures but I have yet not found that literature. I feel, this use needs scientific investigation. Similarly like potato during hottest part of year, the common people are advised to keep raw onion in the pocket in order to avoid the harmful effect of hot winds. This is age old practices. Now science has also proved onion's efficiency. Similarly, there is a need to evaluate the efficiency of potato against rheumatism.

Beside these, Garlic oil and long term use of pure honey are also recommended by the traditional healers of the Chhattisgarh.