Vindhya Forest Tribal Medicine of Kol and Baiga Communities Satna

Kol and Baiga tribal healers of Satna forests practice medicine drawing on Vindhya plateau plant diversity. Aparajita — Clitoria ternatea — roots are ground for memory enhancement preparations. Bael root bark is used to treat diarrhoea and colitis. Punarnava — Boerhavia diffusa — is used for kidney disease and water retention. Vasa — Malabar nut — leaf juice treats cough and bronchitis. Treatment protocols involve not just herbal prescriptions but also dietary restrictions: fever patients are kept on rice water and light dal, avoiding heavy protein. Bathing restrictions are applied for certain skin conditions. The healer role is not commercially oriented; community service tradition means healers do not charge consultation fees, receiving grain, cloth, or barter goods as reciprocal exchange.