APPLICATION OF ETHNOVETERNINARY PRACTICES AND VETERNINARY AYURVEDA IN TREATMENT OF MASTITIS IN DAIRY CATTLE
NEHA SISODIA¹
PG Scholar, Dept. of Livestock Production & Management, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana-125004
ABSTRACT
The application of indigenous knowledge to treat animal diseases is known as ethno- veterinary medicine, defined as an indigenous animal health care system that includes the traditional beliefs, knowledge, skills, methods and practices of a given society (McCorkle 1986; Yinger et al.,2008). Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” The basic principle of Ayurvedic medicine is based on striving for a healthy balance of all the properties (doshas) that are manifested in the animal’s body and that can be changed by external influences. For each organ and each functional circuit, for each individual, a specific ratio of the elemental forces is sought in order to maintain health and heal illness. Homeopathy as a complementary and alternative medicine has a promising role to play in Veterinary medicine. Mastitis is a persistent, inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue in cows is a potentially fatal mammary gland infection and is the most common disease in dairy cattle. It one of the most economically draining disease in dairy industry. Now a days use of ayurvedic and homeopathic principles in animal health are on an increasing use due to their indigenous knowledge by the local people and easy access to herbs in the rural areas and timely availability.
Key words: Ayurveda, Dairy cows, Ethnomedicine, Mastitis, Homeopathy, Sthanavidhradi
INTRODUCTION
The concept of ‘pashu ayurveda’ or ancient veterinary science points towards a comprehensive man-animal relationship which existed in older days. Pashu ayurveda has special branches like ashwa ayurveda (deals with horses), gaja ayurveda (deals with elephant), gau ayurveda (deals with cows). Some descriptions pertaining to the disease and their treatment of goats and cows are available in ‘sarangadhar paddhati’. The ethnoveterinary or traditional knowledge of animal husbandry is an integral part of community which plays an important role in socio-religious, economic, and development role in upliftment of community. Although the knowledge of ayurveda is known since long in Indian history, still its use is limited due to transfer of knowledge being only through oral teachings. There has been very little documentation in this field.
Locally available herbs are used for their medicinal properties in various forms- dry, herbal tea for oral preparation, as poultice and paste or gel application for some of the aromatic properties.
OBSERVATION
Mastitis (sthanvidhradhi): sthanya (breast) is considered as upadhatu of rasa dhatu (lymphatic system). It mainly consists of twak (skin), kandara (connective tissue), mamsa (muscle tissue), rasvahini (lactiferous duct), and granthis (glandular lobes or acini) with adequate number of raktavahini (blood vessels). Disease afflicting to all these components end up in sthanyajavikara (breast disease) called as mastitis.
Classification of sthanvidhradhi based on involvement of dosha (body humour) and nidana (aetiology) are as follows; vataja sthanvidhradhi; vata humour type (acute inflammation)
Pittaja sthanvidhradhi; pitta humour type (acute suppuration)
Kaphaja sthanvidhradhi; kapha humour type (chronic abscess)
Sannipathaja sthanvidhradhi; combination of all 3
Rakthaja sthanvidhradhi; (blood manifestation)
Abhigathaja sthanvidhradhi; (external injury /microbial type)
Sampraptivighatan (principles of treatment)
Agnideepana (improve enzymatic activity): improves status of metabolism, amapachana (metabolises the end toxin), cleanses the toxin of whole animal and udder, strotoshodak (purifier) cleanse the channel of lactiferous glands, shothahara (anti-inflammatory) pacifies the inflammation due to infection.
Ayurvedic treatment works through the herbal treatment with dietary changes for effectiveness.
Medicines include- for pain relief, application of root of Citrullus colosynthis, trifalaguggulu, guggulutikhthakagruth.
Diet- different plant parts like roots, seeds, bulbs, fruits etc are used. Lashuna, kulattha, shigru, karavellak, punarnava are used.
CONCLUSION
Ayurveda with its vast hold on indigenous flora and their medicinal properties have a bright future for forwarding the ancient effective techniques in cure and therapeutic treatment of wide variety of disease in veterinary along with human medicine areas. The knowledge should be exploited further for the betterment of society with an objective of one health and in preventing the major issue of increasing antimicrobial resistance from allopathic drugs.
REFERENCE
Kempanna KS, Narayanan BNM, Punniamurthy N, Venkateshappa GK, Ayurveda Understanding of Mastitis in Dairy Animals. J Ayu Med Sci 2018;3(2):351-5.
Mathias-Mundy E, McCorckle CM. Ethno- veterinary practice in Africa. Africa. 1996; 62:59-93.
Moabiemang G, Barbara N, Oluwatoiyin DK, Ethno- Veterinary Practices Amongst Livestock Farmers in Ngamiland District, Botswana. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2013; 10(3): 490-502.
