Soc Sci Med. 1991 ; 33(2): 153-60.

Ayurveda, malaria and the indigenous herbal tradition in Sri Lanka.

Silva KT.

Department of Sociology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Using key informants and available records, the way in which inhabitants of purana villages in Nuwarakalaviya, Sri Lanka coped with malaria during the pre-DDT era is examined. This study found that the Nuwarakalaviya peasants responded to endemic malaria through a localized herbal tradition, which was to some extent independent of the scholarly ayurveda system common to the whole of South Asia. The relevant herbal tradition, consisting of a combination of antiparasite and antivector strategies using locally available natural resources, represented an effective adaptation to the local ecosystem.