Natural Resources Institute, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, 319 Sinott Building, 70 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Mar 24;134(2):259-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.001. Epub 2010 Dec 23.
This research article examines the zootherapeutic uses of fish, shellfish and some other aquatic animals in two fishing villages in Bangladesh-one floodplain and one coastal.
The floodplain fishing village Volarkandi is located within the Hakaluki wetland ecosystem in the northern Bangladesh and is inhabited mostly by Muslim fishers, whereas the coastal fishing village Thakurtala is located on Moheskhali island and most of the inhabitants are caste-based Hindu fishers. Participatory techniques were used to collect and validate information from the key informants.
The research revealed that, historically, fishers have used fish and other aquatic animals not only as food items for nutrition, but also to solve a host of physical problems and diseases. Fish and shellfish are widely used for their galactogogue and aphrodisiac properties, for quick recovery from long-time sickness, to enhance the 'intelligence level' of children, and to prevent and treat a host of diseases like night blindness, chicken pox, dysentery, piles, muscular inflammation, fistula, malaria, skin diseases and 'big belly' syndrome in children. Depending on the objective of the use, different parts of the animal body, its derivatives, or the whole animal are used. The research also clarified different forms of the recipes used. The socio-cultural construction of the ethnomedicinal uses and the distinct gender roles of the fisherwomen were analyzed.
The research revealed that the aetiologies and the preventive measures against folk illness are socio-culturally embedded and such indigenous medical systems grow and are sustained as a situated body of knowledge within the boundaries of a typical world view framed by local culture and biodiversity.
本研究文章考察了孟加拉国两个渔村——一个洪泛区和一个沿海渔村——中鱼类、贝类和其他一些水生动物的动物治疗用途。
洪泛区渔村 Volarkandi 位于孟加拉国北部的 Hakaluki 湿地生态系统内，主要由穆斯林渔民居住，而沿海渔村 Thakurtala 则位于 Moheskhali 岛上，大多数居民是基于种姓的印度教渔民。采用参与式技术从主要知情人那里收集和验证信息。
研究表明，从历史上看，渔民不仅将鱼类和其他水生动物用作营养食品，还将其用于解决许多身体问题和疾病。鱼类和贝类因其催奶和壮阳特性、从长期疾病中快速康复、提高儿童的“智力水平”以及预防和治疗夜盲症、水痘、痢疾、痔疮、肌肉炎症、瘘管、疟疾、皮肤病和儿童“大肚子”综合征等多种疾病而被广泛使用。根据使用目的的不同，动物身体的不同部位、其衍生物或整个动物都被使用。研究还澄清了不同形式的配方用途。分析了民族医学用途的社会文化构建以及渔民妇女的独特性别角色。
研究表明，民间疾病的病因和预防措施是社会文化嵌入的，这种本土医学体系作为一种特定世界观框架内的知识体系而发展和维持，这种世界观框架由当地文化和生物多样性所塑造。
