Indian Journal of History of Science, 50.4 (2015) 650-652 DOI: 10.16943/ijhs/2015/v50i4/48367 Book Review Medicine, Trade and Empire: Garcia de Orta’s Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India (1563) in Context Palmira Fontes da Costa (ed.), Ashgate, Publishing Limited, Wey Court East, Union Road, Farnham, Survey, GU97PT, pages XXIII+279. Garcia de Orta (1501-1568) was a famous alive at the stake for remaining a secret Jew. Based Portuguese Renaissance Sephardic Jewish on her confession, his remains were exumed and physician who renounced Judaism to become a burnt along with his effigy!!. Christian. He was also a herbalist and naturalist The present book for review ‘Medicine, and born in Castelo de vide as the son of Fernao Trade and Empire, Garcia de Orta’s Colloquies de Orta, a merchant. on the Simples and drugs of India (1563) in the Garcia de Orta was one of the pioneers context ‘is edited by Palmira Fontes da Costa, a (according to western view) of tropical medicine, historian of science working at the Universidade pharmacognosy and ethnobotany. de Orta’s Nova de Lisboa. It is published by Ashgate a parents who migrated from Spain as Jewish reputed publisher of history of science. The title refugees were forcibly converted to Christianity of the book is aptly termed ‘Medicine, Trade and in 1497 though there was a doubt that they Empire….’ Because it relates to the three practiced Judaism secretely.de Orta studied interrelated manifestations of de Orta- as a medical medicine in Portugal and fearing the infamous man, a trader of spices and his stormy relationship with the Portuguese Empire. Portuguese inquisition where neochristians were persecuted for working against Catholicism, he The book is the result of a symposium of migrated to Goa then a Portuguese colony. In 1538, a small group of scholars who gathered at the he settled in Goa and developed a good medical Calouste Gulbunkian Foundation between 10th and practice. 11th of April 2013 and discussed the man (de Orta), the book and the influences on both. According to Garcia de Orta developed an experimental the Editor, the contributors have concentrated on approach to the identification and use of herbal three aspects-the man, the book and the medicine. He wrote his magnum opus, a book on environment of the Empire. The views on the the use of single (simples) drugs for the treatment person ‘show clearly the importance of his of diseases. The book, in a dialogic form entitled family’s origin and the travels that marked his life Colloquies dos simples e drogas da India is the and career. Those on the book (Colloquies) show earliest treatise on the medicinal plants of India the universal character of the content, the by a westerner. The book, translated into Latin innovative nature of their format and the was widely used as a standard text on medicinal revolutionary way they made the world aware of plants. Apart from medical practice, de Orta also natural products with medical and commercial traded in spices, drugs and precious stones. He value from a scientific perspective. The third secretely practiced Judaism, escaped the Goan aspect of the central character of the book (de Orta) inquisition for he died in 1568 a year before the is about circumstances, wittingly or unwittingly inquisition began. But in 1569 his sister was burnt he had to face, like those surrounding de Orta and BOOK REVIEW 651 his posthumous conviction. It also deals with the Portugues historians were disappointed that de book as to how it was suppressed as a result of his Orta was a Jew. inquisition by the empire. The delay in recognizing Michael Pearson, in the chapter locating the value of the book and its resurgence in the de Orta in Goa, argues that he was a cosmopolitan nineteenth Century as a valuable source of man, having both tolerance and prudence knowledge of traditional medicinal plants of the indicating pragmatism of the man. It is these Indian sub -continent in general and Malabar coast characters perhaps which protected him from in particular was also for political reasons. inquisition though he was subjected to it The Director of Gulbenkian Foundation, posthumously. The dilemma that de Orta faced is in his foreword points out that the book of de Orta clearly indicated by Pearson’s observation “de “provoked a wave of interest among the 20th Orta chose to exercise a difficult balance between Century academics in the fields of botany and tolerance and prudence”. pharmacology as well as the history of science The third chapter authored by Ines G and medicine. Zupanov, analyses the reasons as to the balanced The present book consists of twelve nature and the dialogue format chosen by de Orta chapters apart from a foreword by Jorge Soares, in his book. She, in a way, disagrees that de Orta’s the Director of Innovation of the Calouste, book “colloquies…” is an innovative work and Gulbenkian Foundation and an exhaustive argues that the format chosen by de Orta was “a introduction by the editor. sort of camouflage for his lack of superior Introducing the book, the editor remarks, knowledge”. the book of de Orta’ was the first printed work to Ins de Ornellas e Castro’s essay epitomize the inter connections between medicine, highlights the elucidation of therapeutic and trade and the Portuguese empire. de Orta’s book alimentary uses of many exotic plants and fruits was first printed in Goa by Joannes de Enden in listed in the Colloquies. She also suggests that 1563 “to present a comprehensive, systematic and some of the hygienic habits mentioned in the book evaluative view of Eastern materia medica, traded traces the Jewish ritualistic practices. The author for profit in Asia and increasingly in Europe”. of this article hits the nail on the head when she The introduction by the editor provides a points out “the originality of the work lies not so bird’s eye view of the life, career and experiences much in its innovative nature but the manner in of the man and his exploits in Goa. The editor which it transmitted novelty”. provides succinct details about all aspects of de The authors of “Taxonomy of errors in Orta in an unbiased manner and is eminently Colloquies” point out the importance of the readable. dialogic format which provided the author a robust The opening chapter by Jon Arrizabalaga, way of creating an epistemological strategy to “Garcia de Orta in the context of Sephardic identify the accurate knowledge. The burden of diaspora” presents the consequences of de Orta’s this entire chapter was to show that the focus of Jewish roots for his life and career. The author attention of de Orta was to “correct” the errors of also provides a detailed stimulating analysis as to the transmitted knowledge. The authors of this how the revelation in 1934 by Augusto Da Silva article also point out to various sources of these Carvalho was received with strong opposition by errors. Portuguese historians who had “a nationalistic and Hugh Cagle, the author of “….Natural orthodoxic Catholic agenda”. In a nutshell, history in colonial Goa” points out that the 652 INDIAN JOURNAL OF HISTORY OF SCIENCE Colloquies should be considered more as a natural Writing the last chapter on memorials to history to reach the widest audience and also de Orta, the Editor of the book says that initial provide a reasonably accurate knowledge. Cagle neglect and subsequent elevation of de Orta as a observes that de Orta participated in exchanges hero later has been made to serve the interest of with many communities in helping him to arrive Portugal as a nation. Perhaps the Portuguese felt at a specific opinion regarding identification of that the Spanish and Latin translations were getting plants. In order to arrive at a conclusion, de Orta more publicity than the original work of a according to Cagle, adopted a combined eclectic Portuguese national. approach, which is the main methodology in Colloquies. Overall the book is very well written and ably edited. The contents contributed by experts Harold J Cook presents de Orta as have captured all aspects of de Orta’s Colloquies. “someone who was truly revolutionary in both Facts presented are vivid and close to the truth natural history and medicine”. Cook believes that and the authors are unsparing in their criticism of de Orta was well ahead of his period as he believed the inhuman inquisition and its cruelty. While there that a particular kind of disease could be cured by is no doubt that the book with its twelve essays a particular remedy. Curiously, Cook hints that, fairly covers all the aspects, I feel the book should Colloquies is a path-breaking and subversive work have had one or two chapters on the actual that had negative implications for de Orta and his scientific contents of the colloquies and an account family. of the original Indian sources from which de Orta Antonio Manuel Lopez Andrade gives a obtained the material. However the essay ‘A comparative account of de Orta and another pleasant banquet of words…’ does include some physician Amato Lusitano, who was his information. contemporary. Andrade finds it puzzling that de The book covers wide ranging sources as Orta makes only a brief reference to Amato. reference material mainly given as foot notes. The Florike Egmond, writing about the Dutch work however is not India centric in the sense there connection, points out the reconfiguration of de has been no mention as to the appreciation of the Orta’s book by Carolus Clusius, in which he value of the original material collected from India.