CH. XI CUSTOMS OF THE MINAHAS8EBS 205 



native medicines have to a certain extent given way before 

 the more powerful and satisfactory patent medicines im- 

 ported from Holland and England, and native doctors 

 have been replaced in many districts by Malays, who have 

 received a government training in medicine in Java, and 

 are commonly known as doctor jawa. Nevertheless, there 

 are at the present day many educated and well-informed 

 persons Hving in the Dutch settlements who prefer to leave 

 the treatment of their ills to uneducated natives. A 

 gentleman I once met told me seriously, when advising me 

 to try some native medicines, that when he had a head- 

 ache a native whom he consulted took rusty nails and bits 

 of iron out of his head, and, he added indignantly, ' With 

 all their science and knowledge the European doctors can't 

 do that ! ' 



The roots and barks, leaves and fruits, are, however, to 

 the natives but of minor importance ; the important and 

 final remedy for all serious complaints is the Manempeh or 

 the fosso for ' the calling back of the soul.' 



When anyone is seriously iU, a walian is called in who 

 examines the patient, and then all the relatives go out 

 into the fields and village to look for the soul. They make 

 a fire in a likely spot and entice the spirit back by cooking 

 rice and chicken or by whistling and calling as they would 

 for a dog, whUst the priest goes through the list of gods 

 and gives the ceremony a rehgious character. This goes 

 on for some time ; a rich patient who can afi'ord many 

 chickens has usually to wait a longer time for his spirit to 

 return than a poor one. At last the walian sees it ! It 

 shows itself clearly here or there by a movement in the 

 grass or by some other sign. The waKan advances with 

 the greatest caution, and catches it in a sarong, just as a 

 school-boy catches a butterfly in his hat. They now turn 

 homewards ; a child leads the way carrying a woka leaf 



