RECORD OF SOME ETHNOMEDICINAL SPIDERS IN RELATION TO THEIR USAGE AS DRUGS AMONG THE TRIBALS OF EASTERN SUNDARBAN INHABITED ZONE, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Sunderban is composed of a group of Islands encompassing the area from the mouth of the river Hoogly on the West and extends up to river Meghna in the East covering four districts North and South 24 Parganas within Indian territory and Khulna, Bagherhat and part of Barisal in Bangladesh. It lies between 21.0 and 21.21 N latitude and 88.0 and 89.0 longitudes occupying an area of 9827 sq.km., of which 4264 sq.km. falls within the jurisdiction of India. The name Sundarban derives from the 'Sundari' tree, which is predominant in the area. Vegetation includes wet evergreen mangrove forest. The area is divided into three zones (1) Inhabited zone. (2) Buffer zone and (3) Core area. The study area includes only in the eastern inhabited zone of 2 districts, south and north 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.


INTRODUCTION
Sunderban is composed of a group of Islands encompassing the area from the mouth of the river Hoogly on the West and extends up to river Meghna in the East covering four districts North and South 24 Parganas within Indian territory and Khulna, Bagherhat and part of Barisal in Bangladesh.It lies between 21.0 and 21.21 N latitude and 88.0 and 89.0 longitudes occupying an area of 9827 sq.km., of which 4264 sq.km.falls within the jurisdiction of India.The name Sundarban derives from the 'Sundari' tree, which is predominant in the area.Vegetation includes wet evergreen mangrove forest.The area is divided into three zones -(1) Inhabited zone.(2) Buffer zone and (3) Core area.The study area includes only in the eastern inhabited zone of 2 districts, south and north 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.
No report has yet been made on Ethnomedicinal spiders from the tribal people of Sundarban inhabited zone.Rather few contributions were available in literature dealing with the medicinal spiders.With some ethnomedicinal notes.Savoray (1935) stated that in rural areas of Europe Jaundice and Constipation were also treated by ingesting up Tarantula spider (Family : Lycosidae).In some areas of Europe and America, Gout and Rheumatism were also treated by rubbing up theridiid spiders Gertch (1979).Tikader (1968) made taxonomic studies on megalomorph spiders of the families Ctenizidae and Theraphosidae from India.Tikader (1987) further reported some phidippus spiders possessing lethal venom, which is not hannful to human beings.Majumder (1987) worked on the venom of spiders of the families Theraphosidae, Clubionadae and Loxoscelidae from India.Farrington (1834) established 10 species of spider in Homoeopathic therapeutic system of medicine.Kent (1970)  The medicinal effects of these species have been continned on the basis of exhaustive data collected from their medical usage for health care among the tribal people of the eastern part of Sundarban inhabited zone.
This study also initiated by the extraction of venom from these two species of spiders by Indian Homoeopharmaceutical process and these extracts were also applied orally on fowl (Gallus gallus).After application of the extracts/drugs, the pathological data of blood report of the fowl were also made simultaneously.The medicinal effect of these spiders' species was also continned on the basis of pathological data of the blood of Gallus gallus after administration of the extracts.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Survey work was conducted near the areas of tribal population in the inhabited zone of Sundarban.Exhaustive data sheet was prepared to ascertain the role of spiders used as drugs among the tribal people of Sundarban inhabited zone.Hand picking was employed for the collection 'of the specimens and night observations were also made whenever possible.The studies were conducted in two seasons viz., the summer (April-June) and the winter (Nov.-January).Collected samples were then brought to the laboratory and were preserved in 70% alcohol, single specimen in single vial for further studies (Tikader, 1987).

OBSERVATIONS, RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Detailed usage of spiders as ethnomedicine in tribal people of inhabited zone of Sunderban are appended in tabular form.From the above observations Cheiracanthium himalayensis Gravely and Pardosa birmanica Simon were used as Ethnomedicine for treating the diseases like Asthma, recurrent colq and cough of children, rheumatism and heart diseases.
In the case of pathological observation the usage of spiders as drugs was also made on the system of Indian Homoeopathic Phannacopoeia.The spider species viz., 1. Cheiracanthium hinialayensis and Pardosa birmanica which were collected from the fields and kept in the laboratory were dried up in the sun, collected only the cheliceral parts and prepared into powder and then kept in separate vials.These powders were mixed with 70% alcohol in a proportion of 1 : 9 i.e. 1 part of powder and 9 parts of 70% alcohol in the separate vials.Two vials, one with Cheiracanthium himalayensis and other with Pardosa birmanica were kept in a cold room for one month and thus the extraction of these species was completed.They were then ready for using as a drugs for oral application to the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus).Two fowls were selected for the purpose, Fowl-l and Fowl-2.Before application of the drugs blood reports were taken.Next 15 days after the application of the two drugs i.e.Cheiracanthium himalayensis and Pardosa birmanica, blood reports were again taken, after application and before application of this drugs, use blood reports for T.C., Eosinophil, Lymphocyte and monocyte were also taken as in the tables 1 & 2.

CONCLUSION
From the above account and the data collected from the tribal people of the eastern part of the Sundarban inhabited zone on the Ethnomedicinal drugs as extracted from the above mentioned spiders and the pathological observation on the fowl blood after the application of the drugs prepared on the basis of Indian Pharmaceutical system, we come to the conclusion that in future further steps of this direction more efficient effect may be procured for the preparation of drugs from these spider species.In view of their pathological observation, changes of Eosinophil in fowl blood indicate the probable source of drugs of Asthma and skin diseases.Secondly changes of Lymphocyte and Neutrophil in fowl blood indicate the probable source of drugs for heart disease and Rheumatism, because high Lymphocyte and less Neutrophil are the causative factor of Heart disease and Rheumatic factor.High E.S.R. is also an indicator of infection of blood.
added another 6 species of spiders in the Homoeotherapeutic System of medicine~.

Table 1 :
Blood report before and after application of drug (Cheiracanthium himalayensis Gravely) on fowl blood (Gallus gallus)

Table 2 :
Blood report before and after application of drug (Pardosa birmanica Simon) on fowl blood (Gallus gallus)