WHEN THE farm animals of the Raika tribals, a sect of the Bishnois in Khejadli village, some 30 km from Jodhpur, are struck by certain diseases, they quarantine the infected animal but slice off slivers of flesh from its ear and insert them into the ears of the remaining herd.

This induces immunity by exposing the animals to a mild form of the disease -- which is the basis of vaccination, though the Raika practice is not identified as such.

The Raikas have many such techniques and have developed an exhaustive system of veterinary medicine based on local herbs and products. Says Amana Ram, one of Khejadli's elders, "Although we are aware of the benefits of modern drugs and medicines, we prefer to use our own methods for most common ailments."

The Raika commitment to natural resources has a long tradition: the village was the site of a protest in 1731, in which 359 people died at the hands of the soldiers of Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur, who had orders to cut down a nearby forest for wood with which to build a palace (Refer Traditions, Down To Earth, May 15, 1993).

The Raika respect for nature is reflected in the veterinary medicine they practice, based on local herbs and products. For example, the Raikas have evolved a technique for careful application of a heated iron rod to a sick animal's body. Where exactly it is applied and the intensity and duration of the heat treatment vary according to the animal's ailment. The Raika treat a wide range of animal disorders, including cramps and loss of vitality, using this method.

The method's success seems to be from stimulating the animal's nervous system in a controlled manner and resembles the traditional Chinese system of acupuncture. Parshuram, a Khejadli resident, says much skill and expertise is required and villages in the region have just one or two persons adept in the technique. "Some of the traditional practices described by the tribals display an intuitive understanding of scientific principles," comments S M Mohnot, a professor in Jodhpur who is studying traditional practices in Rajasthan. "This is hardly surprising," he adds, "because they are based on experiments and observations over long periods of time."