Page 100 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

and trees used in traditional medicine. He is a highly respected member of Koperasie Jamu
Tradisional Mugi Rakit, Yogyakarta (an association whose name translates as “wishing to see
unanimous agreement”) whose knowledge is frequently sought by medical experts.
Over the past 20 years, Pak Talib and his wife have established a small but outstanding
example of a Family Medicinal Garden or FAME (see opposite, bottom right). In response to a
recommendation from the World Health Organization, urging developing countries to make full use
of their natural medical resources, the Indonesian Government has been encouraging the cultivation
of FAMES in every village so families can make effective traditional drugs cheaply in their own homes.

Long term, the Government see such gardens supporting a wide range of activities from
reforestation, nature preservation and eradication of communicable diseases, to growing healthy,
nutritious food. They want villagers to make extra income by developing FAMES and growing raw,
natural drugs for sale to industry—particularly drug manufacturers— through cooperative stores. The
idea is particularly relevant where plants and roots are used only in small quantities or are difficult to
grow.
The Talibs, both tertiary educated, are totally committed to the scheme’s success and see
themselves as pioneers. Their garden measures approximately 30 square metres (100 square feet) and
within this relatively small area are some 4,000 plants. Its maintenance is an endless, back-breaking
task for the whole family, including the Talib’s three sons. The family sell plants and leaves, but do
not make medicines. However, to encourage customers to grow their own remedies, they give each
one a bonus of fresh ginger leaves which cannot be found in local markets.
“People come to us precisely because we can supply plants that are impossible to buy
anywhere else. We stay open 24 hours because customers often turn up at 11pm or midnight. But
business isn’t our prime concern. Our real work is to conserve important plants and persuade jamu
makers to expand their repertoire by using barks and leaves as well as the standard roots and tubers.”

Among the inventory is cimera (also known as jahe merah or red ginger; Zingiber officinale
var. rubrum), a rare plant indigenous to Kalimantan and the Moluccas, but not found on Java.
Combined with other ingredients and made into a paste, the result is a proven remedy for skin
complaints and sprains; jeruk kingkit (lime berry; Triphasia trifolia) is boiled up with loaf sugar to
make cough syrup; the dried or fresh leaves of kumis kuching (cat’s whiskers; Orthosiphon

aristatus) which grow in profusion can increase the flow of urine.
“We’ve tried to include a wide variety of hard trees in this garden,” Pak Talib explains. “Most
growers only cultivate herbs and plants but we believe hard trees are very important in traditional
medicine. We try to plant the complete range of ingredients for natural medicine, no matter how
difficult or how large.”

Pak Talib also has the distinction of owning a white Java Plum tree (duwet). Such trees are