Folk veterinary medicines in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The aim of the study is to document folk medicinal knowledge prevalent for the treatment of ailments of livestock in the Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh. Information on these veterinary practices was gathered by interviewing residents of the study area using the “Transect walks” method of the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique from February 2009 to June 2010. The present study revealed that 42 plant species have been used by the local people to control various ailments of livestock prevalent in the study area. Apart from medicinal plants four animal/animal products and three mineral preparations have also been recorded, which are used in remedy preparation. These medicinal preparations have been used in the treatment of 28 livestock diseases. The most diversely used medicinal plants are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Zingiber officinale, Plantago orbignyana, Acacia nilotica, Swertia</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">chirayita </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Piper nigrum</i>. Comparison of the gathered data with the existing published literatures revealed that 28 plant species have been documented for the first time for animal use.