Malay materia medica / by H. N. Ridley.

  • Ridley, H. N. (Henry Nicholas), 1855-1956
Date:
[1897?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Malay materia medica / by H. N. Ridley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/280 (page 122)
    MALAY MATpRIA MEDICA. By H. N. RiIJLKY, M.A., K.L.S. ( Read yth April, idg4. ) The study of the materia medica of any race which has derived its knowledge of medicine empirically is always one of consider- able interest from an ethnological point of view inasmuch as it will be found to throw much light on the superstitions and ideas of the people, but it has a greater practical value when the drugs used are derived from the almost unknown flora of such a region as the Malay Peninsula. There are many difficulties attending the study, chief among which are the correlations of the drug, often imported in the form of twigs or roots, with the living and identifiable plant, and though in many cases much help is to be obtained by the use of the native name, yet unless one can meet with a really cunning herbalist, one may often be deceived by the blunders of the informant, who, per- haps, will confuse two similar looking but different plants. The cleverest herbalists are the Jakuns and Sakais from whom, doubtless, the Malays have learnt much. A man who has to depend entirely for his food and medicine on what is growing round him in the jungle naturally learns very soon the use of each herb and tree. But with the receding of the forests from the cultivated country and the introduction of European, Indian and Chinese drugs, the Malay medicines are less and less used and their uses are becoming forgotten. I propose to confine this paper to the drugs of Malays, as they are very much less known than those of the Indian and Chinese pharmacopoeia, though many of these are now regularly in use by Malays. The Malay^s knowledge of human physiology and anatomy is naturally very limited, and his nosology almost as scanty. He is acquainted with conspicuous and easily determined diseases such as dysentery and consumption, and seem to understand some- thing about them, but obscurer diseases such as heart-disease, and hysteria, are ascribed to the influence of devils, or the action of witchcraft. . Indeed in looking into the Malay pharmacojiceia one cannot help being struck by its resemblance to that of England five centuries ago and even later. VVe have the uses of various portions of ani- mals such as the Slow Loris [Kangkong) long shown to be worthless as drugs. We have the same ideas that this or that plant with the Addition of some rose water or pepjier or some other substance will serve for any illness that can possibly occur.