Ethno-Medicinal Practices: A Case Study among the Sonowal Kacharis of Dibrugarh, Assam

The present study makes an attempt to find out the beliefs and practices related to health care system of the Sonowal Kachari tribe of Assam. The study reveals that the Sonowal Kachari believes that certain diseases are caused by malevolent super natural forces and they try to cure them by pleasing the supernatural powers through prayers and sacrifices. They also use various locally available medicinal herbs for treating diseases. Village medicinemen locally known as ‘Bez’ who have a good knowledge about the herbal plants usually treat the patients. Many elderly persons of the village are also aware about the importance and use of such herbal medicine.