Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Leprosy and Yaws in the Indonesian Archipelago, 1500-1950

Abstract

This paper dexamines the history of sexually transmitted diseases in Southeast Asia and explores the origins of venereal disease, specifically syphilis and gonorrhoea, in the region. The arrival of new diseases that accompanied Europeans from about 1500, is a subject that scholars have largely ignored in favour of the 19th and 20th centuries. While concentrating on the Indonesian archipelago, the paper also considers to other parts of Southeast Asia to investigate the impact of syphilis and gonorrhoea on the rate of population growth in the region. Unlike gonorrhoea, which was present before the arrival of Europeans, syphilis was a new disease whose introduction by the Portuguese had lethal consequences. Possibly, the propagation of Islam and Christianity in island Southeast Asia after 1500 and of Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia, were important mitigating factors in checking the spread of syphilis.

Children Under the Threat of Leprosy: Transmission and Handling in Dutch Colonial East Indies in the Early 20th Century

“…Ide ini diinisiasi oleh orang-orang yang memang berniat mendirikan yayasan, sehingga mereka mendirikan perkumpulan bernama "Stichting tot Oprichting en Instandhouding van Kinderlepra-tehuizen" atau Yayasan Pendirian dan Pemeliharaan Rumah Kusta Khusus Anak-anak. Secara keseluruhan, upaya mendirikan Yayasan ini diprakarsai oleh Dokter Soetomo (Bredasche Courant, 9 April 1936). Menurut Dokter Soetomo dan asistennya yakni Soetopo, rumah singgah khusus anak yang terinfeksi kusta ini sama saja dengan menerapkan prinsip 'membawa orang sakit keluar dari lingkungannya', sehingga tidak akan menulari orang-orang di sekitarnya (Soetomo dan Soetopo, 1933:1307.…”

“…Tak hanya itu, rumah singgah ini juga menjadi semacam sekolah atau tempat belajar, sehingga anak-anak akan tetap merasakan hidup seperti orang lain yang sehat dan normal. Mereka sibuk dengan berbagai aktivitas seperti membaca, menulis, belajar, hingga diberi keterampilan tertentu seperti memasak atau bertani (Bredasche Courant, 9 April 1936). Melalui yayasan atau rumah singgah ini, anak-anak mendapatkan harapan untuk sembuh dan harapan untuk dapat kembali ke tengah-tengah masyarakat sebagai orang yang memiliki keterampilan dan pengetahuan (Deli Courant, 14 Agustus 1936).…”

Natural Resource Management: Historical Lessons from Indonesia

“…Very often farmers preferred bush-fallow vegetation less than ten years old (Ellen 1978, p. 117;van Steenis 1937, p. 638), which could still be cleared with a machete rather than an axe. The essentially man-made landscapes created by short-fallow swidden cultivation supported higher densities of large mammals than did natural ecosystems in the region (Boomgaard 1997;Kathirithamby-Wells 1997). But in terms of total biomass or biodiversity they were not comparable to the rainforests which they replaced.…”

Reading the history of venereal diseases in the city: Venereal disease from Surabaya, 19th-20th century

“…Venereal disease can be categorized as an infectious disease according to the medical community (health) can be caused by bacteria or viruses known as viral venerisch granuloom (granuloma venerum) now known as a virus or bacteria or Donovanosisinguinal granuloma. 1 By Gani A. Jaelani (2013) it was also revealed if there were various bacteria or viruses that were considered to be the cause of the emergence of venereal diseases.…”

“…Most of the population seems to be even more confident with the story that already existed at that time if venereal disease or what they commonly know with lion's body (radja Singa) is a disease caused by the result of a relationship or contact with a woman who is affected or suffering from venereal disease. 1,3,4 So it's not unusual for this belief to remain a lasting construction.until now, moreover coupled with the existence of a large number of evidence that shows if there is indeed the involvement of women who have been "agents" in the process of spreading sexually transmitted diseases. Such as in several sources of reports belonging to the Resident on Java in the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century, namely as in the report belonging to Resident Bagelen in 1843an.…”