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Cetlonese Abroad. 
P. Ohlmus, J. Margenout, G. Andriezen, A. Joseph, 
J. Garvin. O. Morgan, A. Austin, F. RoosemaleOooq, 
C Meerwald, Vauderwert, Ferdinands. Surgeons in 
Biitain. W. Fretz, G. Perez, F. Keyt, V. Koch and 
J Gabriel. West. Indies: Surgeon-Col. A. Anthonisz, 
Cape ; C. Loos, Natal ; J. Keith temporarily S. Africa ; 
C. Baling, Licensed Practitioner of New \ork ; 
Surgeon-Col. Bartholomeuz, Surgeon-Major Van- 
Geyzel, and Surgeon-Lieut. Weinman, Indian Army ; 
M. Wright, Perak; and Sidney Gomes, Borneo; Hugh 
Keith, Fiji; H. Garvin, W. Australia ; C. Mclntyre, 
Handy, Francis and Keegel, also several Medical 
Assistants at Singapore and Perak. 
Died Abroad. 
Dr. J. Vanderstraaten, St. Helena, fall from a horse ; 
Dr. Evered Scbrader, Congo, fever ; L. Joseph, New- 
foundland; W. Kelaart, Demerara ; Surgeon-Major 
W. Morgan, at sea ; Dr, H. Prins, at Christchurch, 
New Zealand ; Dr. James Anthonisz, at sea. 
PROGRESS OF MEDICINE IN CEYLON. 
From Earliest Times, 900 B.C., to date. 
By J. L. Vanderstraaten, Retired Colonial Surgeon, 
W.P,, and Principal Ceylon Medical College. 
1900. 
Sinhalese System op Medicine. — In the early par 
of the third century B.C. Asoka was the great Bud- 
dhist Sovereign of India. He propagated the new 
doctrines of Buddha by erecting columns or pillars on 
which were engraved those memorials or edicts, which 
he was desirous of making generally known ; those 
Inscriptions are remarkable monuments of the sagacity 
and benevolence of that great sovereign, who erected 
viharaa, monasteries, and hospitals thus giving effect 
to whatever there is of beneficence in Buddhism. 
From an early period, the priests charged themselves 
with the duty of educating children and relieving the 
sick. It is in Ceylon that the Buddist doctrines were 
first reduced to writing. These doctrines recommended 
the prosperous and wealthy to found refuges for the 
blind, the destitute, the cripple, the sick and wounded 
both of man n nd beast. This was taught to be the 
surest method of attaining to the highest degree of 
perfection and holiness on earth by means of which the 
future reward of the Buddhist faith might be attained 
viz. " Nirvana, or an easy departure and utter annihil- 
ation." These motives actuate some of the Buddhists 
to this day and I have learned from reliable authority 
that the Buddhist contractor of the Planters' and 
Anthonisz' Wards has actually built these hospitals 
simply at the cost price of the materials in the hope of 
obtaining merits here, and Nirvana hereafter. King 
Asoka also recognized the sanctity which attaches to 
human life, and directed that the life of no living being 
was to be taken ; and that wells were to be dug, trees 
planted, and " caravansaries" erected in public high- 
ways for travellers. The medical houses, or hospitals, 
of that period, were to be provided with all sorts 
of instruments and medicines consisting of mineral 
and vegetable drugs, and food ; and skilful physicians 
were appointed to administer them at the expense 
of the State. Those physicians, or " vedaralas," who had 
gained a knowledge of Sanskrit committed to memory 
stanzas and recited them by the bedside of the 
patient. These stanzas were from the " Ayur-veda,' 'a 
religious treatise on the science of life and medicine. 
There are no doubt several very intelligent and trust- 
worthy vedaralas who are Sanskrit scholars and study 
manuscripts on talipot "olas," or leaves, but there 
are also a larger number of ignorant impostors in the 
villages, to whom the words of Job are applicable, 
" But ye are forgers of lies ; ye are all physicians of no 
value." The Tamil books of medicine derived for the 
same source are published in the Tamil and other Dra vi- 
dian languages. The Tamil practitioners are styled 
Yraaa Vydian and Parikari. The Moora or Moha- 
medana of Ceylon have their own native practitioners, 
who blend the Arabic with the Hindu systems o£ 
medicine. The recognized physician is called " Hakim." 
There were many kings of Ceylon who built hos- 
pitals and practised medicine themselves, and by their 
noble example made it an honorable profession. Ac- 
cording to the " Mahawansa," Buddha Dasa, who 
reigned 29 years, from A. D. 339, was the author of 
a medical work called the " Sarrtha Sangraha." Many 
wonderful cures are attributed to him. He built hos- 
pitals for every ten villages, and placed medical men 
in charge of them. They were to receive l-40th of 
the revenue derived from fields for their maintenance. 
He also appointed medical men to attend on his in- 
fantry, and veterinary surgeons to attend on cattle 
and elephants. Along the roads he built halls for the 
lame and blind. It is said that, " when he went out 
of the palace " his surgical instruments were always 
in his waist, and he operated upon all sick persons whom 
he met." King Agho, who reigned six years from A.D. 
782, caused medicines to be distributed among the 
sick;, and Dappula II, who commenced his reign in 
A. D 795, is most highly spoken of in this respect, 
in the following words : — •• That most gracious Prince 
built a hospital at Polonnaruwa. He also in like 
manner built a hospital at Pandaviya and endowed 
it with villages which yielded the necessaries of 
life. He also built in several places halls for the 
cripples and the blind. In short, he di3 not leave 
anything undone which was called meritorious ; he 
even gave growing paddy crops to cattle ; and rice 
mixed with honey and sugar to children." 
Portuguese Period.— In the history written by a 
Portuguese author, Juan Ribeyro in 1685, there is 
only a very brief description given of the diseases 
which prevailed in Ceylon at that period, and I can 
find no allusion to the methods of treatment adopted 
by medical men of his own nation. The Portuguese 
priests, and captains of companies appear to have been 
in medical charge of the garrisons of Colombo, 
Kalutara, Negombo, Batticaloa, Trincomalee. Jaffna 
and Mannar. Ribeyro states that most of the Portuguese 
on their first arrival were subject to bowel complaints, 
fevers and other diseases to which the natives are not 
liable. He thought that the Sinhalese retained their 
health by frequent baths, and states that when he 
first came out to Ceylon he had two illnesses in the 
first two years, He then adopted the native habit 
of bathing twice daily, and during the sixteen subse- 
quent years he lived here, he never became ill. 
Frequent bathing is acknowledged to be one of the best 
means of preserving health, and is practised by the 
natives to this day ; but it is in strange contradiction 
to the experience of an old Colonist of 70 years, an 
Italian, now dead, who attributed his immunity from 
disease to his never bathing ! Ribeyro describes 
" beri-beri,," as a disease to which Europeans were 
very liable. He recommended as the best remedy pork 
and biscuit, with palm wine f toddy?^ and smoking, to be 
persevered in for three months. As a prophylactic 
against this disease the Captain General, Antoniode 
Mascarembo. issued an order for everyone in the camp 
tQ smoke. Ribeyro states, what we can bear testimony 
to. even now, that no people understand the use of 
simples better than the Sinhalese, so that with a few 
iierbs or roots, they cure wounds, ulcers, and swellings, 
but it is extravagantly stated that " they set broken 
arms and fractured legs and put those matters to right 
in a very few days." He also noted the good effects of 
herbs as antidotes against the bites of snakes and 
venomous insects. We must admit that many "veda- 
ralas " are good bone-settera although they have no 
proper appliances for preventing shortening of 
broken limbs. Their method of stuffing a wound and 
keeping it dilated, when it is connected with a com- 
pound fracture (although aromatic, antiaeptto and 
astringent herbs are used to check bleeding and pre- 
vent putrefaction,) cannot be approved except aa a 
temporary measure until proper surgical aid is obtained. 
The historian must have been deluded when he was 
induced to believe that cancers which are considered 
