Page 158 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

JAMU DARMI: A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT PLAYER

Jamu Darmi is a cottage industry housed in an old residence in a suburb of Central Jakarta. Its range
of herbal medicines is no different from many others, but its founder, Ibu Sri Soedarmilah Soeparto,
is what makes the business exceptional.
Soedarmilah was reading medicine at Airlangga University, Surabaya, when her studies were
halted due to the Japanese invasion. She married and raised a family, but also read widely on health
issues. Developing an interest in herbal medicine, she became familiar with the works of Heyne and
Kloppenburg-Versteegh. After a while, she developed into something of an expert herbalist. In 1965,
at the age of 45, Soedarmilah became a herbal medicine consultant for the huge Sarinah Department
Store, in Jakarta, in which jamu products risked being replaced by modern drugs. The promotion was
a success and before long Ibu Soeparto was asked to appear on television. Soon, she was presenting
her own health programme, with doctors, physicians and pharmacists as guests. She also wrote books
and papers on jamu and was frequently invited to speak at international medical conferences.
Because of the exposure and increased business, in 1968 Ibu Soeparto was able to set up Jamu
Darmi, producing various herbal products exclusively for Sarinah. The company established itself as
the industry leader when it pioneered the production of jamu in capsule form, which eliminated the
notorious bitter taste. Ibu Soeparto was also among the first to realize that many foreigners wished to
return to traditional medicine, and thus strove to open up markets worldwide. Later, Ibu Soeparto
started her own plantation about 30 km south of Jakarta near Bogor, as she wanted to control the
quality and supply of raw materials that were difficult to find.

In late 1981, Ibu Soeparto was involved in a government scheme to set up a school in which
doctors and jamu manufacturers could exchange ideas and information. Lecturers for a two-month
course were drawn from the medical profession as well as the body of jamu producers and those in
related specialist fields. Topics ranged from hygiene and community health to jamu making and
botany, and from traditional massage to laws and rules regulating drug making. In 1983, three groups
of students successfully completed their training. Unfortunately, the course was later discontinued.
Not relishing the prospect of repaying huge bank loans, Ibu Soeparto did not want to build a
major company. Instead, she channelled her energies into health education programmes and
promoted jamu with near missionary zeal. As a former medical student, Ibu Soeparto was aware that
herbal medicines must be used with care. She thus recommended it should not be prescribed to treat
certain diseases, but otherwise advocated jamu wholeheartedly for over 40 common ailments,
including congenital abnormalities, serious shortage of vitamins, cancer and tumours, infections and
contagious diseases, metabolic diseases, acute heart and liver complaints, heavy bleeding, neurosis,
asthma and schizophrenia.
Her professionalism, single-mindedness and technical knowledge have changed people’s
perceptions towards jamu. Thanks to her efforts and those of other like-minded pioneers, the jamu
industry has now begun to take off internationally.