Utilization of Fish in Some Hausa Folk Medicine

Abstract

Hausa land is blessed with abundant water bodies in the forms of rivers, natural and man-made lakes, and ponds. These water bodies are teeming with freshwater fish. The availability of these fishery resources has led to the habitation of people whose main occupation is harnessing these resources in Hausa land. These people are professionally known as the Sarkawa. The Sarkawa's primary occupation is fishing and hunting aquatic animals that inhabit the waters. The practice of traditional healing is not alien to the Hausa people. It is an old practice that was used even before the Hausa people came into contact with foreign civilizations from the east or the west. In Hausa society, practitioners of various traditional occupations play a pivotal role in the traditional healthcare delivery system. They often resort to the use of herbs, such as roots, bark, stems, and leaves, as some of the ingredients in their remedies. Parts of animals are also used for the treatment of ailments and diseases. Fish and fishery products also form part of the ingredients used in Hausa traditional healing. This paper, therefore, seeks to explore the uses of fish in Hausa's traditional healing practices. Through a survey, different practitioners of traditional healing were sampled and interviewed to obtain information from them regarding the usage of fish as medicine or as an ingredient in the treatment of various ailments. This paper has revealed that Hausa professional fishermen are knowledgeable in the use of fish as medicine for the cure of diseases and ailments that afflict human beings. They also offer their health services to those who seek their assistance.