Garcia Da Orta

GARCIA DA ORTA HIS LEARNED WORK “COLOQUIOS DOS SIMPLES E DROGAS HE COUSAS MED ICINAIS DA INDIA,” THE FIRST MEDICAL BOOK TO BE PRINTED IN INDIA, PUBLISHED IN GOA IN 1563. By D. V. S. REDDY VIZAGAPATAM, INDIA Life and Times This seems to be the extent of the country that he visited. He does not appear to have ARCIA da Orta, the first been at Bijapur or Bijayanagar in the European physician to Deccan, though he often mentions those study and write on the places, and he knew nothing of Bengal, drugs of India, was born Berar, or the kingdom of Delhi. The great about 1490, at Elvas in Portugal,physician was had a house and garden with educatedG in Spanish universities, study- many medicinal herbs at Goa; about 1554 ing both at Salamanca and at Alcala de he was granted a long lease of the island of Henares, from 1515 to 1525. After his Bombay, which he sublet. His tenant was return to Portugal in 1526, he was for Simao Toscano, who brought to Goa with some years a village doctor at Castello the rent, presents of mangoes and other fruits. He was in practice for many years, de Vide, a town near his native place. and after his friend, de Sousa left India, Through the influence of his patrons, was physician to the viceroy, Pedro Masca- he was appointed lecturer in Lisbon renhas, 1554 to 1555. Garcia da Orta con- University in 1532 and continued to tinually added to the great store of erudi- hold that appointment till 1534, when tion he brought with him to India. He he went to India as a physician, with had a most extensive and accurate knowl- Martin Alfonso de Sousa. His ship left edge of the writings of all who had gone Tagus on March 12, and reached Goa before him, and his sound common sense in September 1534. The Governor of enabled him to separate facts from fables. Portuguese India, at that time, was He knew personally all the plants within his reach from which drugs were derived. Nuno da Cunha. For the rest, he was indefatigable in his en- Garcia da Orta saw a great deal of active quiries from native physicians, and in his service as physician to his friend, and examinations of Yogis from the kingdom came to know well the countries border- of Delhi, and of traders and others from ing the west coast of India. He was at Diu many regions—Deccanis, Guzeratis, Ben- when it was ceded to the Portuguese by galis, Cingalese, Moors, Persians, Arabs, Bahadur Shah, the King of Cambay, and and Malays. (Markham) he accompanied de Sousa in a march across Kattiawar, nearly to Ahmedabad, The licentiate, Dimas Bosque, who with the army of Bahadur Shah. He after- came out as physician to the viceroy in wards formed a great friendship with Bah- 1558 is believed to have induced Garcia ram Nizam Shah, visiting him, and acting da Orta to undertake the production of as his physician. Garcia da Orta accom- a great work on the drugs and simples panied de Sousa in campaigns from Co- of his adopted country, embodying the chin against the Zamorin, and in Ceylon. rich experience of the old physician who had been practicing in India for Goa by Johannes de Endem on April upwards of a quarter of a century. It is 10, 1563. The title was “Coloquios dos fortunate for posterity that his vast simples e drogas he cousas medicinais knowledge was not allowed to die with da India, compostos pello Doutor Garcia him. da Orta.” This first edition is exceed- The work was finished in the time ingly rare. It is full of typographical of Dom Francisco Coutinho, Count of errors, being the third book ever Redondo, viceroy from 1561 to 1564, to printed in India. There was a second whom it was dedicated. Luis Camoens, edition published at Goa and this seems the immortal poet, the author of “Os to have been popular and widely cir- Lusiados” was an intimate friend of this culated. Clasius made a sort of epitome physician and passed many agreeable in Latin in 1567 (Antwerp) and by the hours in the house of the old man ad- end of the century this had gone miring his collections and examining through many editions. Annibal Bri- his extensive library. A sonnet written gand translated the abridged edition of by Camoens appears in the work of Clasius into Italian in 1582 (Venice), Garcia da Orta. After an eloquent ad- and Antoine Colin published a French dress to the viceroy, the poet refers to translation in 1619 (Lyons). the physician playing on the word Orta, The standard edition of Garcia da the physician’s name, and orta which Orta, in two volumes, by Count Fi- means in Portuguese, a garden. The calho, was first published in 1891, with general meaning of the sonnet has been full and admirable notes to each col- rendered as follows by Markham. loquy. Following the frontispiece, the The lore which Achilles once valued I work contains the approval of the studied with thee, you opened my eyes to Count Viceroy, dated November 5, its charm. In your garden of herbs, each 1562. Then there is a dedication and a flower, each tree, were seen in your time sonnet to the author’s old friend and by your friend. The fruits of that garden master, Martin Alfsonso de Sousa. The collected from far, were unknown to the prologue or preface is by Dimas Bosque, learned of old. See how, in thine age, thy and finally comes the celebrated ode by wisdom and care brought many new Camoens. simples to light. Unknown to the ancients, The work itself contains chapters on but revealed to our age, are the plants in fifty-seven drugs and simples. These thy garden of herbs. You have opened to chapters are written in “colloquies” be- us an inspiring page. To thy neighbours, tween Garcia da Orta and a Spanish like magic it seems. Taught of yore, by the muses of Ganges and Ind, full of learning, doctor named Ruano, who is supposed as of years, is all that is known of the true to be an old college friend of Orta, but healing art, old Chiron must bow before is clearly an imaginary person. In the thee. fifty-sixth colloquy Dimas Bosque, cer- This old physician is believed to have tainly a real person, joins the party. It died at Goa, about 1570, at a good old was not uncommon at that time for age, having been practicing as a phy- authors to put their works into dialogue sician in India for thirty-six years. form. Count Ficalho, in his “Life of Orta,” “Simpl es and Drug s of Indi a ” admirably explains the spirit and inten- The book on “Simples and Drugs of tion of the dialogues, in the following India” was completed and published at passage: The two interlocutors are the two char- Colloquies acters united in Garcia da Orta, the two each other; and how he went sides of his spirit placed in front one of to the author to declare the the other. Dr. Ruano, the man of the object of his voyage, and how schools, the former student of Salamanca, the author answered him. Second of Aloes. erudite, ready with quotations, with Third Amber. Dioscorides and Pliny at his finger ends. Fourth Amomo—an ingredient of a Dr. Orta, the traveller and observer, who, famous Tiriaca. Amomum in the face of all the quotations, says tran- Cardamomum. quilly, “I have seen it.” It is enough for us Fifth Anacardo—semi carpus ana- to note to which of these two entities Orta cardium attaches his own name for evidence as to Sixth Arbor Triste—Myctanthes Ar- which of the two he prefers. From this bor Tristies, Oleaceae. situation, admirably conceived and main- Seventh Altiht—Assafetide “Sterx Dia- tained with much talent, the most inter- boli.” It is a stinking mastic yield by the root of Ferula esting controversies result, which bring Foetida and other umbelifer- out, in the clearest light, the spirit of the ous plants. work. Eighth Bangue—gathered and dried leaves of cannabis indica. The work is of great value as it gives Ninth Benjuy—Styrex Benzoin. first descriptions of plants and drugs Tenth Ber—of appels of India. [The diseases and practices. But the book is rest of the Colloquy has noth- by no means confined to the description ing to do with medicine.] of drugs and their uses; it contains Eleventh Calamo Aromatico and Das Gaceras—Acorus Calomus. scattered accounts of politics, of Gujarat Twelfth Camphor. and Deccan as well as contemporary Thirteenth Cardomum - Carandas - Carissa social etiquette, stories about elephants, carandas.-JLinn. cobras and even some fables. Fourteenth Cassia Fistola. As his editor says, “his work still Fifteenth Cinnamon—The bark of Cinna- lives.” Many modern works on Materia momo Cassia. Also on Canela. Sixteenth Cocoa Palm—Cocoanut tree. Medica refer to this learned treatise. Seventeenth Costo—the root of Aucklandia Dr. Ullerspergen of Munich has pub- costius. lished an appreciative work on the col- Eighteenth Crisocola, a biborate of soda. loquy. The book is also frequently Nineteenth Cubebas—Piper Cubeba. quoted in Yules Glossary. Twentieth Datura, and Dorioes—the fruit of durio zibethinus, Linn. Twenty-first Ivory, and elephants. Con ten ts of the Boo k Twenty-second Faufel—Areca catechu. Colloquies Twenty-third Leaf of India—Cassia leaf. First In the which is introduced to Twenty-fourth Galanga. The rhizome of Al- the reader, Dr.

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