Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 4, Number 9, 1 September 1987 — He Mau Ninau Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Mau Ninau Ola

- Some Health Questions by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D. \

He Buke La'au Lapa'au

Ninau: E ke Kauka, I heard you wrote a new book on ancient Hawaiian medicine. Will you please write about it in your eolumn so that us poor Hawaiians, who cannot afford the book, ean leam about the ways of our kupuna kahiko? Pane: The book you are referring to is probably

He Buke La'au Lapa'au (Hawaiian Medicine Book) whieh I did not author, although I did write a foreword to it. The material was prepared by Maleolm Naea Chun, Cultural Officer, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, who translated the original text from 'olelo makuahine (Hawaiian language) into 'olelo Pelekane (English), and added extensive notes. The book was published by Bess Press in 1986 and sells for $11.95. This major publication deserves wide reading and 'olelo kuka. Since it has not been given notices in the haole or Hawaiian press, I am delighted to respond to your ninau. He Buke appears to be the earliest native Hawaiian account of medical concepts and practices; the first

such medical account published; and the first now readily available source in both 'olelo Hawai'i and 'olelo haole, after earlier publication in 'olelo and Hawai'i wale no.

Why did such an important early writing have to wait until 1986 to be published as a book? The story begins in the 1830s with Kauka Gerrit Parmalee Judd, missionary physician and great great grandfather of the late Dr. Charles Sheldon Judd Jr. The elder Kauka Judd wrote in a letter that he had engaged his two native assistants in collecting information on native medical practices in a book, because ke Kauka surmised that these methods must have some therapeutic efficacy. The book apparently disappeared from the Judd papers although it was diligently sought by inquiring scholars, such as Professor O.A. Bushneil, as recently as the 1960s.

In 1975, Naea Chun was a young Hawaiian researcher under the tutelage of University of Hawaii Professor Rubellite Kawena Johnson. One day, while leafing through the Hawaiian language nupepa Ka Hae Hawaii for 1858-1859, Naea eame upon a series of articles entitled: He Buke Lapaau A Medicine Book I kakauia mai ka Olelo Written from the Words Waha o Kekaha of Kekaha e Kahoohano, a i kope ia By Kaho'ohano, andcopied ma keia e S.P. Kalama in this by S.P. Kalama Na G. P. Judd i ka For G. P. Judd, in the makahiki 1837 paha. year 1837 perhaps. Aware of the missing Judd book, Naea realized he had found a published copy of it hidden in the unread old Hawaiian language nupepa. He labored 10 years to translate and make the seven chapters available for

modern public reading with notes and over 30 references. Chapter 1 tells of the birth of the first kahuna 'ana'ana Kamakaokukoa'e, and the diseases whieh he brings. His younger brother Kamakanui'aha'ilono becomes the first kahuna lapa'au who teaches the use of medicinal plants, such as popolo, to Lonopuha. In Chapter 2, Kamakanui'aha'ilono revives the dead or near-dead by ka mohai pua'a, and then by bathing, warming and feeding the victim. Chapter 3 provides rituals with chants to determine life or death with use of medicinals. There follows a chant with male vs. female diseases. the

waiki enema and then pairing of illnesses with their appropriate therapies. Chapter 4 continues matching of diseases with treatment, followed by a genealogical chant of ali'i and kahuna kapa'au. Chapter 5 describes disease symptoms, herbs and incision and how the first enema was devised by Palapuheke. Chapter 6 deals with medicinal procedures, four types of waiki and a charlatan kahuna lapa'au. Chapter 7 covers more diseases, symptoms and therapy; medicinal foods; boil incision; and 'awa drinking.

The modern reader is likely to have difficulty understanding many of the disease entities referred to and the rationale for the varieties of therapy. Naea's notes are helpful, but are limited because of inherent uncertainties. For example, how does the reader deal with the dictionaries' numerous non-specific definitions for many Hawaiian terms for presumed disorders, diseases, symptoms and signs? It seems unlikely that even the most informed native healers and Westerntrained medical experts of today would regularly agree on single, precise definitions for these terms. Nevertheless, Naea's resurrection of this long "lost" book is a notable achievement no Ka Lahui Hawai'i.