Ceylon Med J. 2001 Mar; 46(1): 31-2.

Health in the Huxleyan tropical island of Pala.

Basnayake V.

University of Peradeniya.

Huxley's Island: a novel (1962) is a parable on "realistic idealism"--set in an imaginary island situated in the Indian ocean between Sri Lanka and Sumatra, called Pala. The characters in the story include a doctor, a nurse and several patients. The general importance of health as a basic human need is well recognised. Vis medicatrix naturae, the natural healing powers of the body, are taken account of, along with psychotherapy and drugs. Prevention of illness is emphasised and doctors get paid for keeping people well. Since health and illness are influenced by a multitude of factors, "we attack on all the fronts at once ... from diet to auto-suggestion, from negative ions to medication".