Traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs used as home remedies in treatment of Leucorrhoea in Chhattisgarh, India

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

The natives of Chhattisgarh have rich traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs and herbal formulations useful in treatment of Leucorrhoea. I have collected a lot of information on this aspect through the recent ethnobotanical surveys. In previous articles, I have given the details of traditional knowledge, our traditional healers have. The natives of Chhattisgarh plains use the Rose flowers in treatment of Leucorrhoea as home remedy. The method of use is very simple. They take four flowers and 50 gms. Of sugar. Both are converted into paste with the help of water. This aqueous paste is taken with half glass of water twice a day till complete cure. In general, the natives use it upto ten days. Rose is an integral part of home gardens in Chhattisgarh. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are also aware of this use. They give emphasis on use of Desi gulab (Rosa damascena, indigenous rose) for better results. This indigenous rose is used as medicine and in general not planted in home gardens. An essential oil, oil of rose in commerce, obtained from petals, is used in perfumery. The natives of Chhattisgarh use the Rose flowers in treatment of urinary troubles also. Tulsi is a herb of religious and medicinal importance in Chhattisgarh. Like Rose, it is also planted in home gardens. It have special place in the gardens. The natives worship this herb at morning and evening. Tulsi is used as medicinal herb both internally and externally in treatment of common as well as complicated diseases. Many species of Tulsi have been reported in Chhattisgarh but the natives use the plant of Ocimum sanctum . In treatment of Leucorrhoea, the natives use its leaves in combination with Shahad (Honey). One hundred leaves are mixed in two teaspoonful of Shahad (Pure Honey) and used internally as treatment. This use is continued twice a day upto one month. Its popularity among the natives, indicates its usefulness. The natives of Bastar region informed me that in early days when medicinal rice varieties were under-cultivation in this part, they were using the rice water in combination with whey, in treatment of Leucorrhoea. Both liquids are mixed and taken internally - they still remember . Now this use is not in practice. The senior natives further informed me that this combination was one of the popular combinations in early days. The natives of Pipal (Ficus religiosa) rich areas of Chhattisgarh use its dry fruit in treatment of Leucorrhoea. The dried fruits are crushed and converted into powder. One fourth teaspoonful of fruit powder is taken with a glass of lukewarm water twice a day.

You will be surprised to know that the traditional healers of this region use the same combination as sex tonic for male patients. The natives consider this treatment promising. According to them, this combination helps in getting the rid from constipation also. The natives of Bagbahera use the combination of Singhara flour (Trapa bispinosa) and Moong (Phaseolus radiata) for Leucorrhoea. They take half kg. Of Moong seeds and roast it. Half kg, of Singhara flour and half kg of sugar are added in Moong seeds. The mixture is kept for future use. As medicine, four teaspoonful of mixture is given twice a day with lukewarm milk. The treatment is continued till complete cure. Singhara is an aquatic herb and under cultivation for its nuts. Moong a popular pulse crop. The natives of Chhattisgarh consider the juice of Piaz (Onion) bulb in combination with Shahad (Honey) useful in treatment of many common troubles. Leucorrhoea is one of these troubles. Two teaspoonful each of Piaz juice and Shahad are given internally twice a day till complete relief. In general it is used as supplement to main treatment. The natives of Narharpur region, use the seeds of Imli in treatment of Leucorrhoea. The seeds are roosted and powdered. The powdered seeds are given with Gud (Jaggery) as treatment. In general the natives mix the equal amount of roasted seed powder and Gud and two teaspoonful of combination is used twice a day with lukewarm water. This region of Chhattisgarh is well known for rich natural population of Imli (Tamarind) trees. As supplement, the natives of this region use the dry fruit powder of Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica). One teaspoonful of Aonla powder is taken with a glass of lukewarm water once in a day. According to the natives, in place of powder, during fruiting season, fresh fruit juice can also be taken for similar effects. In almost every part of Chhattisgarh, the natives as well as traditional healers use the inflorescence (Baur locally) of Aam (Mangifera indica) in combination of sugar in treatment. The dried inflorescence is mixed with equal quantity of sugar. Two teaspoonful of this combination is taken with cold water twice a day till complete relief. The natives of Jashpur region use the fresh leaves of Kela (Banana) as curry. According to them, this curry is the best remedy for the patients having the problem of Leucorrhoea. The natives add immature fruits in this curry also. This region of Chhattisgarh is well known for natural population of wild species of Kela. With the help of above mentioned traditional uses the natives get rid from Leucorrhoea effectively. The surveys to list out the home remedies are still in progress. I will write more on this aspect in my future article.

Thank you very much for reading the article.