Jamu History, The Written Records
As the knowledge of healing using natural
herbs and plants spread over the Indonesian archipelago, many kingdoms or
societies kept this valuable knowledge in the form of manuscript for their
possession. Since Bali lies close to Java, healing practices were easily copied
by the Balinese and recorded them on lontars. Lontars are dried palm leaves and
were meant as a writing medium which is typically the Bali tradition. Many
lontars manuscripts show the similarity between the Javanese and Balinese
healing practices.
The young Kloppenburg often accompanied her
mother on a walk to these people and recorded all the information she found
necessary. After her mother died and married, she continued her interest in
herbs and plants. Her work, compiled in the above book title, was published in
early 1900. Her book is now used as a valuable reference for the development of
herbs and other healing plants in this modern era.
Aside from the evidence in the form of
artifacts kept in The Jakarta’s National Museum, written evidence from the past
time confirms the use of herbs and plants as herbal remedies by the
Indonesians.
Borobudur temple
The famous Borobudur temple was build by the
Syailendra Kingdom from 800 – 900 AD located in Central Java near Yogyakarta. Some
relief of this temple shows the Kalpataru tree – a mythological tree that never
dies – where its leaves and other ingredients are being ground to make herbal
remedies for women’s health and beauty care.
The Serat Kawruh bab Jampi Jampi
This is one of the two manuscripts kept in
Kraton Surakarta. Serat Kawruh bab Jampi Jampi or The Treatise on All Manner of
Cures is perhaps the most systematic information about jamu. It includes 1,734
jamu recipes prepared from natural herbal remedies with their suggestion on
usage and dosage. It also comprises 244 records about prayers and symbolic
characters apparently used as powerful charms or jimat (talisman) to cure
specific diseases that are caused by supra-natural powers, or to protect the
patient from any black magic.
The Serat Centhini
Serat Centhini or The Book of Centhini is the
other manuscript in The Kraton Surakarta’s library. This book is produced by
one of a son of Kanjeng Sinuhun Sunan Pakubuwono IV which was at that time
ruling the Central Javanese kingdom in Surakarta from 1788 to 1820.
The Sunan’s son assigned three men to collect all information on the spiritual, material, scientific and religious knowledge of Javanese culture. The result was a report of 12 volumes that includes 725 stanzas. Although the content of this book are not all related to health and curing diseases, it seems that much of this Serat Centhini is concerned with sexual problems and includes many advices on various ailments and their remedies.
However, Serat Centhini is the best description about medical treatment in ancient Java, where in every instance the remedies are taken from nature and many are easy to administer.
The Sunan’s son assigned three men to collect all information on the spiritual, material, scientific and religious knowledge of Javanese culture. The result was a report of 12 volumes that includes 725 stanzas. Although the content of this book are not all related to health and curing diseases, it seems that much of this Serat Centhini is concerned with sexual problems and includes many advices on various ailments and their remedies.
However, Serat Centhini is the best description about medical treatment in ancient Java, where in every instance the remedies are taken from nature and many are easy to administer.
Other manuscripts in The Kraton Surakarta
Library
There are many other manuscripts or primbon
which are compiled into more than 2,100 volumes - where as some are dated back
as far as year 1720 – kept in the Kraton’s library. It describes many subjects
and written on 700,000 pieces of paper. Aside from the four sections dedicated
to pharmacy, prescriptions and recipes, the primbons also include other
historical documents related to politics, court diaries, prophecies, poetry,
moral tracts, erotic lore, Islamic theology and law, Sufi lyrics, scripts for ‘wayang
kulit’ (shadow puppet show) plays, court customs and manuals of magical and
divinatory practices.
Usada, The Book of Healing
This a compilation of texts dealing with
healing practices. Although the date of the written material remains unclear,
but the content is still of great value to the knowledge of healing practices
using natural herbal remedies. In many instances, Usada is taken as reference
for traditional treatments in the Javanese society.
Bali Lontar Manuscripts
The Indonesian Plants and their Healing Power
by Mrs. Jan Kloppenburg – Versteegh
Mrs. Kloppenburg, a Dutch lady, born in a
large coffee plantation located in Weleri, Central Java is the writer of De
Indische Planten en haar Geneeskracht or The Indonesian Plants and their
Healing Power. Born in 1862 and raised in Indonesia, she had the opportunity to
become familiar with local plants and studied their healing power. She was
inspired by her mother, Albertina, who took care of the villagers’ health
around the plantation. Albertina often gave advice to these villagers on how to
heal a disease and what herbs or plants are the best remedies to use.
