Sinhalese Ola collection, 1570-1820
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Col
- Weeks, John Elmer, 1853-1949; Wood, Casey A. (Casey Albert), 1856-1942
- Title
- Sinhalese Ola collection
- Dates
- 1570-1820 (inclusive)15701820
- Quantity
- 1 linear feet
- Collection Number
- 2010-023
- Summary
- The collection consists of three Sinhalese olas or book manuscripts and accompanying description cards.
- Repository
-
Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. MC:LIB
Portland, OR
97239
Telephone: 5034945587
hcaref@ohsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no restrictions on access. This collection is open to the public. However, these materials are extremely fragile and may only be viewed in person; no digitization is available. If you are interested in olas in general, the British Library Sinhalese Manuscripts Pilot Digitisation Project has some digitized and available online.
- Languages
- Sinhala; Sinhalese
Content Description
The collection consists of three Sinhalese olas or book manuscripts and accompanying description cards.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A) is the owner of the original materials and digitized images in our collections, however, the collection may contain materials for which copyright is not held. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials. Consult with HC&A to determine if we can provide permission for use.
Preferred Citation
Sinhalese Ola collection, Oregon Health & Science University , Collection Number 2010-023, Historical Collections & Archives
Administrative Information
Custodial History
McGill University staff, Pamela Miller and Dr. Richard Virr, Head and Curator of Manuscripts, Rare Books and Special Collections responded to an inquiry regarding the origin of the olas: "Dr. Casey Wood collected hundreds of olas during his travels in the 1920s in South Asia. He was primarily interested in medical texts but he acquired many other texts as well. Dr. Casey was a generous donor to McGill and many if not most of his collection of olas are held there. However, he gave examples (usually three) of medical olas to many of the medical libraries in North America. OHSU's examples would be the result of this distribution. There does not appear to be a list of the institutions or libraries that received olas from Dr. Wood. These books were probably the property of a Ceylon Verdala, or native doctor."
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Description: "The Preparation of Pills and Other Drugs"Dates: ca. 1570
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Description: "The Yogasatakaya" is a collection of notes on malaria, typhoid, pneumonia, etc. and prescriptions for their treatment.Dates: 1820
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Description: "Yaksha Raja Thilay" or "King Devil Oil" contains a recipe for the oil, and instructions for administration, including chants.Dates: no date
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Medicine, Traditional
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Weeks, John Elmer, 1853-1949 (col)
- Wood, Casey A. (Casey Albert), 1856-1942 (col)
