European Physicians and Botanists, Indigenous Herbal Medicine in the Dutch East Indies, and Colonial Networks of Mediation

Abstract

During the nineteenth and the early twentieth century, European physicians and botanists working in the Dutch East Indies displayed an eager interest in Indonesian indigenous herbal medicine or jamu, the investigation of which required them to establish contacts with local informers and mediators who could make indigenous medicine understandable to researchers. In the Dutch East Indies, these mediators were Indo-European women who had built up a medical lore with both European and Indigenous elements. The diminishing trust in the standard therapeutic measures created a window of opportunity for the investigation of Indonesian indigenous herbal medicine. The way medical knowledge circulated in the Dutch East Indies, the intermediaries who aided this circulation and the factors which impeded or facilitated it, and the ways in which European physicians and botanists legitimized indigenous herbal medicine are analyzed.

Pedagang jamu wanita Yogyakarta: mata pencaharian masyarakat Hindia Belanda tahun 1910-1930

“…Masyarakat bumiputra memanfaatkan jamu untuk menjaga kesehatan tubuh. Jamu menjadi obat yang sering dijumpai di Hindia Belanda (Pols, 2009). Selain jamu, pengobatan di Hindia Belanda terdiri dari pengobatan Cina dan pengobatan Barat.…”

“…Obat Jerman yang dibawa ke Hindia Belanda merupakan obat yang harganya mahal. Faktor pengirimannya yang jauh menyebabkan obat menjadi kering dan rusak ketika tiba di Hindia Belanda, sehingga obat-obatan tersebut tidak lagi memiliki khasiat untuk menyembuhkan penyakit (Pols, 2009). Selain itu, pengobatan Barat juga memiliki kelemahan, yaitu tidak bisa menyembuhkan penyakit tropis.…”

“…Isinya mengenai pemberitahuan laporan penggunaan obat yang dilakukan bumiputra dalam praktik kesehatan (Algemene Secretarie, 1827). Dokter Barat dan ahli botani memperoleh pengetahuan tanaman obat dengan melakukan pendekatan kepada pedagang jamu dan rempah-rempah di pasar, apoteker Cina dan wanita Indo-Eropa (Pols, 2009). Kebanyakan dari mereka menikahi wanita bumiputra yang memiliki pengalaman dalam membuat jamu.…”

Medical Ethnobotany in Europe: From Field Ethnography to a More Culturally Sensitive Evidence-Based CAM?

“…The early pharmacopoeia of Europe was based in large part on products of botanical, animal, and mineral origin. Plant materials were collected or grown locally, and more exotic medicines, including spices like black pepper ( Piper nigrum L., Piperaceae) and nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans Houtt., Myristicaceae), became accessible through early land and, later, sea trade routes [8, 9]. Today, this tradition of incorporating exotics into the CAM pharmacopoeia continues throughout Europe, and examples of popular nonnative herbal CAM products include those containing arnica ( Arnica montana L., Asteraceae) [10], cinnamon ( Cinnamomum spp., Lauraceae) [11], ginseng ( Panax ginseng C. A.…”

Leguminous Plants in the Indonesian Archipelago: Traditional Uses and Secondary Metabolites

“…Thus, these unique environmental characteristics make Indonesia one of the richest countries for biodiversity, in particular in plant species. Accordingly, the diverse Indonesian flora can be a very important source of new bioactive compounds [1].…”