Identification of Medicinal Animals in Traditional Medicine in Rural Central Java (A Preliminary Result of Ethno-Zootherapeutical Study)

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the countries that have very rich natural resources. The potential of this natural resource is flora and fauna. It can be utilized by the state as a potential power for sustainable human development. Indonesian people have traditional knowledge in utilizing these natural resources. This includes the knowledge and practices of using animals as a traditional medicine. Traditional medicine knowledge has a very important role, especially the type of health services that can be strived independently by the community. By the community, animals can be used as a source for treatment. The study of animals used as medicines in traditional medicine systems has not been widely studied in Indonesia. This article is a preliminary result of an ongoing research that focuses on the utilization of animals as a traditional medicine that is known and practiced by people in rural Central Java. The research method used in this study is qualitative by relying on open interview techniques to obtain information related to knowledge and practice of animal treatment from 26 informants. However, some data related to the animals, then combined in an index table and some detail information is formulated into graphical form. The result shows that people in rural Central Java are consuming animals as a medicine from all groups of animals such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. There are total of 30 species from 26 families commonly used as medicine. People believe that animal base medicine has potential in curing diseases such as diabetes, asthma, skin diseases, and so on. All parts of the animal body and certain parts of animals such as meat and bile are used as medicinal ingredients in various ways such as cooking, fried or even consumed raw. Keywords—Central Java, ethno-zootherapy, medicinal animal, traditional medicine, traditional zootherapeutic