Colóquios dos simples e drogas he cousas medicinais da Índia e assi dalgũas frutas achadas nella onde se tratam algũas cousas tocantes a medicina, pratica, e outras cousas boas pera saber ("Conversations on the simples, drugs and materia medica of India and also on some fruits found there, in which some matters relevant to medicine, practice, and other matters good to know are discussed") is a work of great originality published in Goa on 10 April 1563 by Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese Jewish physician and naturalist, a pioneer of tropical medicine.
Outline of the Colóquios
Garcia de Orta's work is in dialogue format. It consists of a series of 57 conversations between Garcia de Orta and an imaginary colleague, Ruano, who is visiting India and wishes to know more about its drugs, spices and other natural products. Occasional participants in the dialogue are apparently real people:
Antonia, a slave, Garcia de Orta's research assistant
Several unnamed slaves
D. Jeronimo, brother of a cholera sufferer
Dimas Bosque, a colleague who also contributes a preface to the book
Malupa, an Indian physician
In general the drugs are considered in alphabetical order, but with exceptions. Each of the substances that comes up for discussion is dealt with fairly systematically: its identification and names in earlier texts, its source, its presence in trade, its medical and other uses. Many case histories are mentioned. The discussion of Asiatic cholera is so complete and circumstantial that it constitutes a classic of clinical description.
Digressions, more or less relevant, deal with Indian politics, the significance of China, the rivalries between Portugal and Spain in the Spice Islands. There are anecdotes about elephants, cobras, and mongoose.
Contents of the Colóquios
This listing of contents gives the foliation of the first edition, which generally corresponds with that of the 1872 reprint.
Preamble. Introducing Garcia de Orta and his fictional visitor, Doctor Ruano: 1r
, Aloe: 2r (The juice of Aloe Socotrina, Lam.; A. vulgaris, Lam. etc.) , Ambergris: 10v - Here he reports seeing pieces as big as a man, 90 palms in circumference and 18 long and one weighing 30 quintals (3000kg) near Cape Comorin. He specifically ruled out any fish or whale origins. , Amomum: 14v , Cashew: 16v , Night jasmine (Nyctanthes arbortristis): 17v , Asafoetida, Licorice, Storax, Indigo: 19r , Cannabis: 26r , Gum benzoin: 28r , Bael: 32v , Sweet flag: 37v , Camphor, Carambola: 41r , Cardamom, Melegueta pepper, Karanda: 47r , Senna: 54r , Cinnamon, Cassia: 56v , Coconut: 66r , Costus, Asiatic cholera: 71v , Borax and Curcuma longa: 78r , Cubebs: 80r , Datura, Durian: 83r , Ivory, Elephant: 85r , Areca, Banana: 91r , Malabathrum: 95r , Galanga: 98v , Cloves: 100v , Ginger: 105v : 107v , Jackfruit, Jambolan, Rose apple: 111r , Lac: 112v , Aloeswood: 118v : 125r , Apple, Nutmeg: 129r : 131v , Mango: 133v , Pearl, Conch, Mother of pearl: 138v , Watermelon, Urad bean: 141v , Beleric, Emblic, Chebulic myrobalan: 148r , Mangosteen: 151r , Vitex negundo: 151v , Melia azedarach: 153r , Opium: 153v : 155v , Diamond: 159r , precious stones: 165r , Bezoar: 169r , Black and white pepper, Long pepper, Peach: 171v , China root: 177r , Rhubarb: 184r , Sandalwood, Red sanders: 185v , Spikenard: 189v , minerals: 193r , Cymbopogon: 197r , Tamarind: 200r , Turpeth: 203v , Frankincense, Myrrh: 213v , Tutty: 215v , Zedoary, Zerumbet: 216v Miscellaneous observations: 219v
Appendix part 1. Do betre…, Betel (pages 37a to 37k in 1872 reprint)
Appendix part 2, with corrections to the text (pages 227r to 230r in 1872 reprint)
Authorities cited
"Don't try and frighten me with Diocorides or Galen," Garcia de Orta says to Ruano, "because I am only going to say what I know to be true." Though unusually ready to differ from earlier authorities on the basis of his own observations, Garcia was well read in the classics of medicine. As a sample, the following authors (listed here in the spellings preferred by Garcia) are regularly cited in the first 80 folia of the Colóquios:
Greek: Hipocrate, Teofrasto, Dioscoride, Galeno
Classical Latin: Celso, Plinio
Arabic: Rasis, Avicena, Mesue, Serapion
Medieval Latin: Gerardo Cremonensis, Matheus Silvatico
Later Latin: Andreas Belunensis, Andrés Laguna (aka Tordelaguna), Menardo, Mattioli (aka Matheolo Senense), Antonio Musa, Ruelio and Garcia's younger contemporary Amato Lusitano