Kesehatan dan Perobatan Melayu: Sebuah Kearifan Lokal dalam Naskah Pulau Penyengat

Abstract

Health has become an essential part among Malay communities. Keeping healthy life has long been a tradition, especially in Pulau Penyengat with the existence of a site known as gedung tabib or drug store. The evidence of local wisdom also appears in several manuscripts, among which are entitled Ilmu Tabib, Obat-Obatan Melayu, and Rumah Obat in the collection of Yayasan Indrasakti. The discussion herewith is focusing on the typical medical system of Malay communities to keep their health life with the hope to socialize it to later generation as an invaluable legacy of the former generation. Qualitative methods were applied in the analysis of the primary data taken from the collections of the manuscripts of Yayasan Indrasakti that have been transliterated. The results of the analysis showed important clues on how the traditional healer had diagnosed health. Cure could then be prescribed based on its symptoms. The medical process includes medicinal herbs taken from flora and fauna given with mythical spell. In conclusion, the manuscripts clearly indicate that there was a tradition among Malay communities to keep them healthy, and this form of local wisdom needs preservation for later generation.