European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

TRADITIONAL TREATMENT METHODS OF LAKSHMIKUTTY AMMA (TRIBAL POISON HEALER) FOR POISONOUS BITES

G. Thanganila*, S. Balamurugan and R. Madhavan

ABSTRACT

Many traditional practitioners are practiced all over south India, one of them Lakshmikutty Amma, the tribal medical practitioner who recently shot to fame when the Centre honored her with the Padma Shri, exemplifies the need to live in harmony with nature. The aim of the minor project is document the treating methods of Lakshmikutty amma for the poisonous bites. Lakshmikutty, a member of the Kani tribe, lives in a small thatched hut in the forests of Kallar near Ponmudi, Thiruvananthapuram. She treats various kind of poisonous bites. I designated the topic for my minor project work about traditional poison healer Lakshmi kutty amma. I got permission from my Institution for field visit to her hut. She was treating more than 40 patients per day mostly unknown poisonous bites and also some common chronic illness like Arthritis, Sinusitis, etc., and methodology also documented by video format. she makes herbal formulation by her own Traditional knowledge. Some Medicinal formulations for bites were documented.

Keywords: Tribal practitioner, Herbal medicine, Poisonous bites.