Agartala: Eight researchers fanned out across Tripura to document how local healers mend broken bones. They interviewed 122 healers, zeroing in on 32 specialists between July 2022 and October 2023. The project, backed by the National Medicinal Plants Board and the Regional Ayurveda Research Centre, catalogues 67 plant species used in traditional orthopedics.
The team included Prasenjit Patari, Niral Hansrajbhai Sojeetra, Sanjoy Das, Rohit Kumar Ravte, Nikhil Krishna, Deepika Tewari, Vimal Tewari, and Devanjal Bora. Their work appears in the book Ecorestoration and Biodiversity Conservation. Most of the 32 bone-setters identified were men, ranging from 30 to 90 years old. Twenty-two practitioners belonged to Scheduled Tribe communities, seven to Forward castes, and three to Minority groups.
Healers rely heavily on trees. Leaves are the most common component, appearing in 41 of the documented species. Antidesma roxburghii leads the list with a frequency of 0.406, followed by Litsea glutinosa, Cassia fistula, and Cissus quadrangularis. Plants are disappearing. The team noted that many practitioners now grow herbs in household gardens to counter the decline of wild species.
The scientists urged caution regarding these findings. They specifically noted that the study "does not establish the clinical effectiveness or safety of these plants for treating bone fractures." Rigorous testing must come next. The team is pushing for phytochemical screening of Antidesma roxburghii to see if it holds genuine medicinal value. Protecting this indigenous knowledge and ensuring fair pay for local communities remains a top priority.
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