Medicinal plants and formulations of the Goala tribe of Moulvibazar, Bangladesh.

Recent anthropological researches conducted in Bangladesh have largely refuted the notion that the country has only a dozen or more tribes. A number of small tribes, some on the verge of disappearance, have been found. As a result, recent estimates put the number of tribes in Bangladesh as possibly more than hundred. The Goala tribe is among one of these small tribes on the verge of disappearance and which has been located in one of the tea estates in Moulvibazar district of Sylhet Division in the country. Since practically nothing is known about the tribe including their traditional medicinal practices, an ethnomedicinal survey was conducted among the tribe. The total tribal population is about 220 with only one practicing tribal medicinal practitioner. It was observed that the practitioner treats various common ailments with medicinal plants. Altogether 25 plants were observed to be used by the practitioner. These plants were distributed into 16 families. The Euphorbiaceae family contributed 4 plants followed by the Apocynaceae and Combretaceae family with 3 plants each. The various ailments treated included heart disorders, tooth infections, swelling of gums, irregular menstruation, pain, low sperm density, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, whitening of hair, jaundice, eczema, snake bite, sexual problems and burning sensations during urination. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first documentation of the traditional medicinal practices of the Goala tribe and so is of both anthropological and medicinal interest.