Plant folk medicines among the nicobarese of Katchal Island,India

This paper deals with the plant folk medicines among Nicobarese aboriginals of Katchal Island, in the Nicobar group, India. The tribals, living in complete geographical isolation, have been using folk medicines from time immemorial. Data on 65 plant species were gathered from experienced old men and women. Therapeutic applications and manner of using are initially documented and described as plant remedies in folkloric tradition and popular domestic medicine. No chemical principles are identified; no putative herbal remedies are pharmaceutically and medically evaluated. A brief account of the geography of the islands, climate, ethnology, and methodology of the present work is given. Vernacular name(s) of the plants in the Nicobarese language are incorporated for the first time in literature.