Name : Dhanudin
District & State : Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
Category : Utility
Award : Appreciation
Award Function : 3rd National Grassroots Innovation Awards
Award Year : 2005
Innovation Description
Dhanudin (84) hails from Khudiya, Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. Dhanudin has devoted his entire life to mitigate the sufferings of animals. Today he has learnt to treat almost all animal diseases. His knowledge of animal diseases is indisputably acknowledged by the people of 30-40 villages in nearby Gram Panchayats. Even qualified vets seek his advice on difficult cases.
Dhanudin is so involved in his mission he is mostly away from home, treating sick animals. The hallmark of a truly great person is that even though they have unlimited knowledge of their subject, they are all humility and are always ready to help those in need with their knowledge. Dhanudin himself has never hesitated to share his knowledge with others.
Dhanudin belongs to the Gujjar community whose chief occupation is the production and sale of milk and milk-based products. They keep a large number of milch animals for this purpose. By being in close contact with animals throughout their lives, they have acquired exceptional insights into animal healths, their problems and cures. Yet Dhanudin showed little or no interest in cattle rearing in his young days. So he used to seasonally migrate with a group of labourers to Assam- Manipur-Nepal-Jammu regions to extract resin from pine trees for his livelihood. But an experience when a foreign couple rewarded him for treating their cow successfully, made him decide that he would make use of his special skills to help sick animals. Today Dhanudin treats 400- 500 sick animals in a year.
Nowadays Dhanudin is not keeping in good health. He has become slightly difficult of hearing and is also suffering from rheumatism. In the absence of proper traditional medicines, he has been forced to rely on allopathic medicines because he feels that he has not long to live.
The most common animal ailments in the region are foot and mouth disease, infertility and complications at the time of delivery of calves and Dhanudin has treatments for all these. Apart from these veterinary problems he also treats various other ailments:
Ephemeral fever
Root of Acyranthes aspera and turmeric (Curcuma longa) in the ratio of 6: 4 are ground and pills (50 gm) are prepared. The pill is soaked in mustard oil and one pill is given orally after every three hours. Half the quantity of medicine should be given to small animals.
Grass tetany in legs
Sangaraf (Sulphatum hydragyrium) is ground finely and mixed with the latex of Euphorbia royleana and a paste is prepared. The paste is applied to the hooves with the help of a brush made of bamboo after every 1-2 hours. If this irritates the animal, butter can be applied to soothe.
Diarrhoea
Cissampelos pareira (one twig), Curcuma aromatica (one rhizome) and Mangifera indica (one mango) are dried and ground separately and mixed together adding a little water and pills of 50 g each are prepared. This medicine is given thrice a day for two to three days.
Poisoning due to ingestion of Lantana camara
Old fruits of Phyllanthus emblica (100 g) are powdered and mixed with mustard oil (200 ml) and administered orally twice a day for two days. Along with this, rice water (0.5 liter) can also be given twice/thrice a day.
Edema
Coal made of wood of Acacia catechu (50 g), bark of Holarrhena antidysenterica (100 g) and seeds of Piper nigrum (15 g) are ground separately, mixed together and by adding a little water pills of 50 g each are prepared. Two pills are administered twice/thrice a day.
http://nif.org.in/innovation/Traditional_Livestock_Healer_3/281