Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sri Lankan Medical Manuscripts; Sources for Medical History and Revitalization of Traditional Knowledge
The Osler Library contains 20 olas (palm leaf manuscripts) from Sri Lanka on medical subjects written in Sinhala, Sanskrit, and Pali. There is also a collection of around one hundred Sri Lankan olas in the Rare Books and Special Collections department of the McGill Library, many of which deal with medical or zoological topics. These manuscripts date from between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and were collected in the 1920s and 1930s by Dr. Casey Wood. These manuscripts are not yet available digitally and most are not catalogued. While some are copies of well-known texts, others are rare or otherwise unknown. In this talk, Dr. Perera discusses the contents of the olas at McGill, noting some interesting features of the manuscripts. He places these manuscripts in the wider context of efforts in Sri Lanka to digitize and catalogue medical manuscripts, as a key part of the nation's cultural heritage.
About the Speaker: Dr Perera's background is that of a practicing Ayurvedic doctor. He has a master's degree in plant ethnography and an MPhil in social anthropology from the University of Kelaniya. He has extensive experience in transcribing, translating, and studying medical manuscripts. As well as his academic studies, Dr. Perera is actively involved in efforts to preserve and protect cultural heritage, including through his work with the Intangible Cultural Heritage advisory board of Arts Council of Sri Lanka.
In order of appearance:
Jacquelyn Sundberg, McGill Library
Mary Hague-Yearl, McGill Library
Anna Winterbottom, McGill Library
Dr. Danister Perera
Sri Lankan Medical Manuscripts; Sources for Medical History and Revitalization of Traditional Knowledge
The Osler Library contains 20 olas (palm leaf manuscripts) from Sri Lanka on medical subjects written in Sinhala, Sanskrit, and Pali. There is also a collection of around one hundred Sri Lankan olas in the Rare Books and Special Collections department of the McGill Library, many of which deal with medical or zoological topics. These manuscripts date from between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and were collected in the 1920s and 1930s by Dr. Casey Wood. These manuscripts are not yet available digitally and most are not catalogued. While some are copies of well-known texts, others are rare or otherwise unknown. In this talk, Dr. Perera discusses the contents of the olas at McGill, noting some interesting features of the manuscripts. He places these manuscripts in the wider context of efforts in Sri Lanka to digitize and catalogue medical manuscripts, as a key part of the nation's cultural heritage.
About the Speaker: Dr Perera's background is that of a practicing Ayurvedic doctor. He has a master's degree in plant ethnography and an MPhil in social anthropology from the University of Kelaniya. He has extensive experience in transcribing, translating, and studying medical manuscripts. As well as his academic studies, Dr. Perera is actively involved in efforts to preserve and protect cultural heritage, including through his work with the Intangible Cultural Heritage advisory board of Arts Council of Sri Lanka.
In order of appearance:
Jacquelyn Sundberg, McGill Library
Mary Hague-Yearl, McGill Library
Anna Winterbottom, McGill Library
Dr. Danister Perera
