Rakesh Kumar

Potential Herbal Chinese Medicines from Western Himalayas: Medicinal Plants Biodiversity in Indian Valley of Glaciers Rakesh Kumar

India has rich biodiversity of highly priced medicinal plants. The higher reaches of Indian Himalayas are said to be home of numerous life saving medicines. There are several such medicines those have found their place in natives' cultural practices and beliefs. An effort has been made to uncover traditional medicinal practice of local medicine men of Lahaul region of Western Himalayas. Himachali Hindu, Buddhist, Tibetan and Ladakh culture combined here to evolve local medicine system. Like, pulse reading is critical diagnostic technique of Hindus and Tibetan therapy, both. It was discovered that several medicinal formulas are being practiced by traditional knowledge only. Purity and quality of herbs is ensured by local cultivation. Use of single medicinal plant is less and combination of herbs are more in practice. Toxicity of one drug is covered up by another without destroying curative power of the former and the drug is well tolerated by the patients. Results and efficacy of their therapy is marvelous. Thus, the modern drug policy of single molecule therapeutics should be re-looked having trails from such medicine knowledge of time tested system of therapies of aboriginals.