The Sulu Archipelago and its people, by Sixto Y. Orosa ...

CHAPTER TEN

MEDICAL MINISTRATIONS
OLD THEORY AND PRACTICE
NOTIONS of medicine have been distinctly primitive in
Sulu. Most of the people believe that Satan is the
cause of all disease and suffering; that he can cause air
to be impure and food to be poisonous. It is imagined
that he has the appearance of a human being and that
he can change his aspect from one that is attractive to
one that is horrible. To make a man ill, he breathes
upon him. At will, he may cause his image to be seen
by a patient. He can enter through crevices and
through closed doors and windows; but a light repels
him. Therefore a sick room is tightly closed, and a
light is kept constantly burning in it.
The Mohammedan "doctol" is commonly called
when the patient's condition is already serious or when
pain can scarcely be endured. Before administering
treatment, the doctol prays, ordinarily using a prayer
book. If within three days after the first treatment the
patient does not improve, the doctol changes the treatment. After three more days' trial, during which the
doctol generally changes treatment daily, if no amelioration is noted another doctol is called. Professional
consultations are frequent. The following are examples
of the "classical" treatments:
For meningitis or a disease resembling it, raw squash
is macerated and mixed with coconut milk and a powder
called atal. The mixture is taken in the morning. If
no improvement follows, an infusion of ulasiman leaves
is made, left over night in the open, and taken the next
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