MEDICAL SCIENCE IN CEYLON. 
The Slsfc Session of the Ceylon Medical College 
was opened by Ur. Perry P.C.M.O., on the 4th 
October, 1900. 
Dr. Vandersibaaten then read his paper. " A 
Brief sketch of the Medical History of Ceylon " which 
proved of special interest and was very clearly 
delivered. We give extracts to afford some idea of 
its scope : — 
The Medical History of Ceylon embraces a period 
of 2,800 years bub only a brief sketch will be at- 
tempted of the annals — Mythical, Historical, and 
Official — tonching on the most salient and important 
points connected with the Sinhalese, Dutch, Portuguese, 
and British periods. 
Although Ceylon has been subject to the " many 
ills flesh is heir to," yet we must thank a merciful 
Providence who has saved us from great epidemics 
of fever such as devastated Mauritius in the sixties 
and those dire afflictions which continue in India 
as plague and famine. 
The reader will not be wearied with statistics. There 
is a mine of waalth in the archives of the Medical 
Office, which wi 11 repay exploration by any one 
seeking full information on the diseases endemic 
or peculiar to Ceylon, such as Parangi, Anchylosto- 
miasis, Leprosy, Elephantiasis, Ceylon Soremouth 
(snrue), Beri-Beri, Burning of the feet, Malaria and its 
sequels, etc. 
Although we are informed that a system of medicine 
was known to the Sinhalese more than a thousand 
years B.C., I will only count it as from 900 B.C., when 
the gre it text book, the " Ayvr Veda," was compiled by 
Brahma, a Hindu, This is referred to by the Sinhalese 
Vedarales or native practitioners who stndy. the 
commentaries on it called the Sastrv.s Oharaha and 
Susruta- 
The '' Ayur Veda " consists of Hymns, Prayers, 
and Precepts, first preserved by oral tradition, in 
100 lectures of 1,000 stanzas each called Slohas. 
TheS9 are committed to memory and some are recited 
aloud by the bedside of the sick by the Vedaralas. 
Dr. West in his history of Medicine among the 
Asiatics says : It contains Anatomical knowledge 
obtained by dissection, prescriptions of drugs, mineral 
and vegetable ; description of diseases and their 
treatment. 
We can trace the study of Sanitary Science from 
the most ancient books, the Bible. 
Our Saviour and the wise men of old, Moses, Solomon, 
Mohammed, Brahma and Buddha, inculcated all their 
sanitary edicts by means of proverbs, or religious 
dogmas which were binding on the people, being 
engrafted upon the religions ceremonies and per- 
formances. To tliis day the native practitioners, 
Sinhalese and Tamil, have recourse to charms, offerings 
and incantations, and devil ceremonies in propitiating 
demons or evil spirits, who inflict the various diseases. 
There are many good experienced Vedaralas who 
practice native medicine on the lines laid down 
in their ancient book, Veda, but the majority are 
village quacks to whom the words of Job are applicable : 
" Bxit ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of 
no value." 
In the early part of the 3rd Century, B.C., Asoka 
was a great Buddhist Sovereign of India. He shewed 
great sagacity in inscribing new doctrines of love and 
benevolences on columns or pillars of stone. Sanitary 
edicts were also thus promulgated, priests were 
enjoined to educate children and relieve the sick, 
men as well as animals. Asoka taught the duty of 
reverence to parents, love to neighbours, charity, 
sound moral precepts, and enjoined the wealthy 
to erect refuges for the blind, destitute and crippled, 
and hospitals for men and cattle. 
These doctrines were first reduced to writing on 
olas, dry palm leaves, in Ceylon. They also taught 
the sublime doctrine of total annihilation after 
death, called Nirvana, and of merit here which was 
to be the reward of all good works. 
The Buddhist contractor of some Hospital wards 
in Colombo assured me that he only charged actual 
cost price in their contract in order to obtain this 
reward. 
Asoka recognized the sanctity of human life, 
no living being, humaii or animal was to be destroyed. 
He provided wells and resting-places for travellers, 
and well-equipped hospitals were in charge of 
skilful Vedaralas or native doctors, they contained 
all the necessary drugs, mineral and vegetable. 
(I may say, cn passant, the list of these drugs will be 
found in West's book quoted above. Balfour's Cyclo- 
pcedia of India, O'Shanghnessy's Dispensatory and 
V/aring's Bazaar Medicine of India). 
The Malabars or Tamils, who came from India, 
introduced a work called VagadAm written by 
Agastetjr, the Great sage some thousand years B.C. 
Thei'e are in it mysterious poems which were first 
handed down by oral tradition, and subsequently 
inscribed on olas. They are said to be very little 
understood by the Tamil medical men of the present 
day, who were styled Vyittiyar or Paryari. 
"The Moorish Practitioners called IJaJcim use the 
" Vagudam," as well as Arabic authors. 
According to the Mahawansa, an ancient historical 
work in Pali, many of the ancient monarohs of 
Ceylon practiced medicine and built several large 
hospitals, then called " medicine honses." 
Budha Dasa, who reigned in A.D. 339, was the 
autlior of the celebrated Sihartha Saygrabaya in 
which he related many wonderful cures performed 
by him. 
He built hospitals in every 10 villages, endowing 
them with l/40th of the revenue from fields. 
He had medical men for his troops, cattle, and 
elephants. He used to move about with surgical 
instruments in his waist. 
King Ago, 782 A.D. and Dappula II, 795 A.D. built 
hospitals and asylums for blind and lame, gave paddy 
crops to cattle and rice, mixed with honey and sugar 
for use of children. He had a Medical College. 
Parakrama Bahu, 1163 A.D., built largest hospital 
with an attendant, male or female, for each patient ; 
divested of Royal robes he inspected his hospitals 
four times a month, correcting the treatment when 
necessary. He cured a c/ow of a tumor. 
King Pandukabhayc, 437 B.C., employed 150 men to 
carry corpses to Cemetery, 100 Cemetery-keepers and 
Sextons, 200 night soil-men, day and night guards and 
an army of sweepers. (See Burrow's " Buried Cities,") 
Portuguese 1o05-1656. 
From History by Juan Rebeyro, 1685. 
Priests and Captains of the Army were in charge of 
Colombo, Kalntara, Negombo, Batticaloa, Triucomalee, 
Jaffna and Manaar. They attended to the sick, 
Surgeons were in charge of the Colombo hospitals. The 
Portuguese preserved health by adopting native h-b t 
of bathing twice daily. 
Eebeyro describes Beri Btri, recommended pork, 
biscuits and toddy. He mentions " Parangi " and 
called it Neapolitan fiisease ; the natives called 
it parangieleda or Portuguese sickness. Fever is 
briefly mentioned, the remedy being the ordinary 
