Indigenous folk-practices among Nilgiri Irulas

S. Rajan
M. Sethuraman

This article presents ethnobotanical and ethnomedical knowledge of the Irulas. The use of plants to treat the common ailments by Irulas is summarized. These observations are useful to workers involved in health-related developmental activities in tribal areas.

The Nilgiri district in India is a veritable paradise for ethnological studies because of its rich diversified flora, its occupancy by aboriginal tribal groups of anthropological significance and its unique temperate climatic condition within a tropical region. It consists of six important tribal groups, the Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Paniyas and Kattunayakas. The article will be focussed on the Irulas.

Ethnography of Irulas
Irulas constitute the largest of Nilgiri tribals numbering 7045 (male 3572 and female 3473) (Anonymous, 1981). An elaborate research thrust to document information on ethnobotanical and indigenous medical practices in different population groups is in rapid increase (Abraham, 1983; Breeks, 1873; Hockings, 1989; Jebadhas and Noble, 1989; Ragunathan, 1976; Rajan and Sethuraman, 1992 and Dhanasekaran et al., 1993). A piece of silk carbon-dated to 1200 B.C. attests to the early occupation of the Nilgiris by these tribal groups (Hockings, 1975).

As regards the Irulas, the formal educational attainment is generally low and most of them work as tea plantation labourers and professional snake charmers for their livelihood. They have distinct cultural and religious practices of their own. The Irulas are basically worshippers of Vishnu whom they venerate with a temple on Rangaswami peak. Despite Irulas being classed as tribal there are men among them who serve as Pujari (priests). These priests are derived from one particular family from Kallampalaiyam. This priest attends to the annual ceremonies on Rangaswami peak.

Their food habits vary widely according to their cultural taboos and beliefs. Their classification of food items in terms of the 'hot-cold hypothesis' is in vogue among them. Pregnant women, for example, are forbidden to consume Brinjal (Solanum melongena), Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) as these foodstuffs, according to their ethos, are cold-inducing in the body. Papaya (Carica papaya) is avoided during pregnancy as it is considered to be hot and abortifacient. Nursing mothers are given Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) in the form of Rasam (cooked juice) to enhance milk secretion.

Irulas have a traditional way of treating snake bite by using a copper coin. The copper coin is tied to the snake bite to get rid of the poison. They resort to magico- religious cures for scorpion and dog bites. The scorpion bite is always treated with the juice of Drum stick (Moringa pterigosperma) leaf and curiously enough if the bite is on the left side of the victim, the right ear gets the drops and vice-versa.

Irulas used the seeds of Aruvatham thalai (Ruta chalapensis) as talismans. They usually bundle up these seeds in a piece of cloth and tie them around the neck of children as a protection from evil spirits. The crushed leaves of Thunbergia fragans are externally smeared over the face and three drops of its juice are applied on the wrist of a person to drive away the evil spirits.

Research
Due to technological advancement and change in life styles, traditional knowledge in the tribal societies is disappearing rapidly. The present study has been undertaken to document useful ethnobotanical and ethnopharmalogical knowledge among the Irulas.

Data for the present study have been collected from different Irula settlements such as Anaikatti, Kunjapanai and Mavanahalla in the Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu.

The knowledge of elderly persons in employing plants in curative techniques was enlisted during the field work.

List of plants
Plants are listed alphabetically by generic names, their families and Irula names. A short description of plants is also provided.

Argemone mexicana Linn. Papaveraceae. Mullu-Muthagida. A prickly annual herb with yellow juice. Flowers yellow, common**1. The yellow juice (latex) of stem is mixed with freshly prepared lemon juice and given orally as a febrifuge.

Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Meliaceae. Vepaii. Large deciduous tree. Flowers white, commonly planted. The tender twigs are used for teeth cleaning. Young leaf mixed with curry-leaf (Murraya koenigii) is consumed as antiemetic. Leaves boiled in water with the liquid given to children as a remedy for all types of stomach problems due to worm infestation.

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. Brassicaceae. Betta- gida. An erect herb. Flowers yellow, cultivated for its seeds. Leaves ground with seven pepper and seven garlic segments is consumed as a remedy for stomachache, dysentery and to reduce fever.

Cardiospermum helicacabum Linn. Sapindaceae. Kothaii. A climbing herb with tendrils. Flowers white, fruits winged at the angles, common. Leaves are fried in coconut oil and consumed as analgesic to cure hip pain.

Cissampelos pareira Linn. Menispermaceae. Sinnu-Balli. A perennial twining shrub. Flowers small, yellow, common. The leaf juice is taken internally as a cure for stomach problems. Leaf paste is applied to the site of snake bite as a cure.

Clematis gouriana Roxb. Ranunculaceae. Karandii-gida. A climbing shrub. Flowers yellowish, greenish-white, common. Leaf paste is applied to the wound as a poultice for quick healing. Leaf juice is also taken orally to quicken the wound healing process.

Mangifera indica Linn. Anacardiaceae. Maa-Maram. An evergreen large tree. Flowers white, cultivated for its fruits. The stem bark is boiled in water; the liquid is taken orally as a cure for stomach related problems.

Moringa concanensis Nimmo ex Gib. Moringaceae. Kattu Nuggee-sopu. A tree with white flowers, common. Leaves boiled in water, the extract is given orally to nursing mothers to hasten lactation.

Oxalis corniculata Linn. Oxalidaceae. Puliyan-sopu. A creeping herb with rooting on nodes. Flowers yellow, common. The whole plant (without root) is boiled and taken orally as a febrifuge. The extract is given orally as a cure for piles on an empty stomach in the morning.

Ruta chalapensis Linn. Rutaceae. Aruvatham-sopu. A strong-smelling woody herb. Flowers yellow, cultivated. The leaf juice, boiled in water, is applied to the whole body as a febrifuge. The seeds are placed in a piece of cloth and tied to the neck of children as talisman to get rid of evil spirits.

Sida cordifolia Linn. Malvaceae. Kappa-gida. A woody herb with yellow flowers, common. The leaf paste is applied to the site of snake bite as a cure.

Conclusion
The knowledge on indigenous plants and its uses can be vital for health development workers as well as for the local population. The resources can be harnessed for the pharmacological investigation in the modern system of medicine. The tapping of tribal knowledge in the indigenous herbal system may also very well be utilised for the preparation of medicine in combination with modern techniques. It is hoped that the information will be of use to plan future research in this direction.

S. Rajan
Survey of Medicinal Plants and Collection Unit
Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy
112, Government Arts College Campus
Udhagamandalam 643 002
Tamil Nadu
India

M. Sethuraman
Tamil University
Department of Medical Anthropology
Tribal Research Center
M. Palada
Udhagamandalam 643 004
India

Acknowledgements
We are thankful to Dr. D.P. Rastogi, Director, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi and Dr. Avvai Natarajan, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur for their valuable encouragements. We are grateful to Prof. M. Basavalingam, Department of English, Government Arts College, Udhagamandalam for his valuable literary corrections for the manuscript.

References
Abraham, Z. (1983) 'Ethnobotanical Notes on the Todas, the Kotas and the Irulas of Nilgiris', pp. 308-320 in S.K. Jain (ed) Glimpses of Indian ethnobotany. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing Company.

Anonymous (1981) Census report. New Delhi: Government of India.

Breeks, J.W. (1873) An account of the primitive tribes and monuments of the Nilgiris. London: India Museum.

Dhanasekaran, S., B. Suresh, M. Sethuraman, S. Rajan and R. Dubey (1993) 'Antifertility activity of Ailanthus excelsa Linn. in female albino rats', Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 31:383-385.

Hockings, P. (1975) 'An Iron Age burial in South India', Asian Perspectives 18(1):44.

Hockings, P. (ed) (1989) Blue Mountains: The ethnography and biogeography of a South Indian region. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jebadhas, W.A. and Noble, W.A. (1989) 'The Irulas' pp. 281-303 in Paul Hockings (ed) Blue Mountains: the ethnography and biogeography of a South Indian region. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ragunathan, K. (ed) (1976) Tribal pockets of Nilgiris: recordings of the study of medicinal flora and health practices. Hyderabad: Central Council for Research in Indigenous Medicine and Homoeopathy.

Rajan, S. and M. Sethuraman (1992) 'Plants used in folk medicine by the Kotas of Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu', Ancient Science of Life 10(4):223-230.

Endnote
**1 The word common refers to a common distribution of the plant in Nilgiri district.