病と癒しの歴史 : もうひとつのインドネシア史研究を目指して

Abstract

This is an attempt to call attention to the history of disease and healing (or, simply, medical history) as an alternative approach to Indonesian history. Though this aspect of history has been studied very little, it is important and useful for the better understanding of history from broader perspectives. To begin with, disease (implicitly including death) and healing may have been the primary concern of the majority of people. Thus, it may be important to know what diseases people suffered from, how diseases were perceived, and what kinds of healing methods were applied at specific historical times. These issues are relevant to many other aspects, such as living conditions, the natural environment, demographic structure, and so forth. On the other hand, change in the healing system may occur with the introduction of a new religion and the acceptance of new medicine (e. g., Islamic and Western medicines). In political and economic history, the health and the size of the population were decisive factors of economic force and state power. Economic development might improve health conditions through improved nutrition, but the increase of population density and the development of transportation provided favorable conditions for the spread of diseases. Keeping these perspectives in mind, we will first see what kinds of diseases were prevalent in Indonesia, particularly Java and Sumatra. In describing this, I will try to relate certain diseases to social and economic conditions of the time concerned. Next, I will describe healing practice. Finally I will examine the use of herbal medicines in Java in the 1870s and around the beginning of the twentieth century.