Category: Sri Lanka

Dr. Danister Perera has written an essay, which you can read here, about how, aside from their use as sources for medical history, Sri Lankan medical manuscripts can be used to revitalize traditional knowledge.

The essay discusses the significance of McGill’s collection of medical palm leaf manuscripts from Sri Lanka, acquired by Dr. Casey Wood. These manuscripts, dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, are being scanned and cataloged. They are culturally significant, and a lot has gone into their preparation, inscription, and conservation. The content of the manuscripts covers various medical topics, astrology, rituals, and Buddhist texts, and studying them can provide insights into the history of medicine and cultural practices in Sri Lanka. Despite debates on repatriation, the focus remains on preserving and studying the content.

Dr. Anna Winterbottom has written an essay to accompany photos of Dr. Danister Perera’s visit to the Redpath Museum in October of 2023 taken by Alex Tran. You can read the essay and see the photos here.

Dr. Perera viewed the Redpath Museum’s collection of Sri Lankan artifacts, most of are related to traditional Sri Lankan medicine, and which were acquired in by Dr. Casey Wood in the 1920s and 30s. Dr. Perera advised on the organization, conservation, and digitization of the artifacts. He demonstrated how one would use a stylus to write on ola leaves, and discussed what these olas were historically used for. Aside from the olas, Dr. Perera viewed other items in the collection, which includes ivory and rock crystal spectacles, a dagger, small knives, lime cutters, and containers.