Les manuscrits médicaux du Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka medical manuscripts as sources for medical history and the revitalization of traditional knowledge


Talk of Danister Perera


Tuesday, October 17, 2023 12:00to13:00
McIntyre Medical Building Osler Library of the History of Medicine, 3rd floor, 3655 promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, CA

Price: Free, 

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Join the McGill Library in welcoming Danister Perera for a talk on the Olas in the Osler and Blacker Wood Collections. Please note, this talk will take place in English.

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 will discuss the contents of the olas at McGill, noting some interesting features of the manuscripts. He will place 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-person Location: Osler Library, 3rd floor, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1

Online attendance is an option.

All are welcome, RSVP is required.
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