Images of Casey Wood collection of Sri Lankan medical manuscripts

Description

These are images of a collection of 27 Sri Lankan olas, or manuscripts written on palm leaves, pertaining mostly to the practice of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. 

The olas were collected by Casey A. Wood or by Andreas Nell on behalf of Wood in Sri Lanka. Wood donated them to the Archibald Church Medical Library, the precursor of Galter Library, on at least 5 separate occasions between March 1926 and July 1938. Ola 19 was donated in 1926. Ola 23 was donated in 1928, along with the stylus. Ola 22 was donated in 1934. Olas 2, 4, 7-10, and 18 were donated in 1938. It is likely that many or all of the remaining olas were also donated in 1938.

The olas consist of either Talipot or Palmyra palm leaves, which in some cases are held between two lacquered board covers by a cord (wound around the ola) attached at one end to a button or medallion, and at the other to a ball, tassle, or simple knot. The covers are not original but are modern following the original design. Other olas are just tied together with a cord, or the leaves are joined accordion style. After the palm leaves were prepared for inscription, the letters were incised using a sharp stylus, an example of which is included in the collection, and then ink was wiped into the incisions.

More information can be found in the collection description: https://findingaids.library.northwestern.edu/repositories/8/resources/1303. Part of this collection has been digitized by user request for digital access. Depending on their condition, select olas were photographed partially or in full.

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