The Study of Cultural Ecology of Herb in Dong Tone Community Forest, Songpluei Sub-district, Namon District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

The study of cultural Ecology of herb in Dong Tone community forest, Songpluei sub-district, Namon district, Kalasin Province is aimed to investigate the biodiversity of medicinal herb and the cultural Ecology diversity of herb which is found in Dong Tone community forest, Namon district, Kalasin. Data collection is processed by using survey to investigate herbs and the interview to interview 27 of folk doctors, executors, and related people. 

The result of the study is found that in the biodiversity of medicinal herb in Dong Tone community forest, there are 31 types of herbs have been found. Those herbs have properties to nourish blood, breast milk, to relieve fever, pain, mouth ulcer, drought, and also to help menstrual flow in females. For how to use those herbs, people use them by roasting, smoking, boiling, grinding, crushing, and also by eating fresh herb. Moreover, the result in the cultural Ecology diversity of herb, it is found that, folk doctors have studied about herbs from their fathers, their grandfathers and the monks. They have studied about types of herbs, how to preserve the herbs and compound herbal medicine, also how to use herbs in medical treatment. However, in transferring knowledge, it is found that the folk doctors have not transfer any knowledge of herbs to anyone. Furthermore, in relation of people and nature, it is found that the folk doctors know how to storage herbs throughout the year. They plant some herbs at home area. For the last one, the study has found that in relations of people and supernatural, the folk doctors would pray to the sanctity and the Mother Earth before harvesting herbs. The folk doctors would recall the favor of their instructors and then they would conjure the spell before treating patients, and after patients get better, the patients must prepare necessary stuffs in order to requite the folk doctors for the herbal medical treatment.