Traditional Medicine in Asia

the client’s demand. The fee varies,
depending on the kind of metal used. The
more expensive the metal/material, the
more potent the effect of the procedure.
The technique of implantation seems
fairly easy. The implanter inserts the susuk
into a specific part of the body after wiping
the skin and then rubbing it with pepper
leaves. The susuk may become less potent
or lose its potency altogether if the client
breaks certain taboos. The presence of the
susuk in the body can be ascertained by
an X-ray.
Therapy using inner power
Therapy with inner power is a technique
which utilizes energy emitted by the human
body. Such energy is acquired by regulating
respiration or doing respiratory exercises.
With regular exercise and by abiding by a
number of basic principles, one can
accumulate inner power and use it to treat
others. Inner power is said to heal several
diseases like diabetes, hypertension and
cancer. It is also used for non-therapeutic
purposes, like protecting the body from real
or magic assault. (16)
This type of therapy can be of the active
or passive kind. In active healing, the healer
uses his own inner power to treat patients,
while in passive healing the patient obtains
inner power from the healer. A healer treats
a patient without touching him. The energy
emitted from the healer’s hands enters the
area to be treated. An expert healer is said
to be capable of curing patients who are
far away, with or without a medium. The
medium could be a photograph, or any
possession of the patient. For example, a
healer in Indonesia can cure a patient in
the US. The technique is also used for
curing magic ailments, like removing nails
Traditional system of medicine in Indonesia
from the stomach. The nails would be
expelled from the body automatically by
vomiting.
In Indonesia, there are many groups of
inner power practitioners, such as the Satria
Nusantara group. In fact, some have
branches overseas. The major focus of the
members of these groups is on maintaining
and improving their health; only a few utilize
their expertise to treat patients. The
respiratory exercises can also produce
supernatural powers, which lighten the body
and make one capable of accomplishing
various feats. For example, an expert
becomes so light that four persons can lift
him if he stands on a newspaper. One can
even see or read with his eyes closed.
Conclusion
These traditional practices of medicine are
just a few of the many currently in use in
Indonesia. Several methods or techniques,
with their variations, have not been
discussed in this paper. These traditional
practices stand testimony to Indonesia’s
rich cultural heritage.
The safety and efficacy of the techniques
used in the traditional system of medicine
are questionable. Most of the traditional
practices have not yet been studied
systematically by modern science. However,
it is beyond doubt that they serve a large
portion of the Indonesian population. Any
effort to do away with such practices would
be unsuccessful, as these forms of health
services have their own markets. The
Indonesian Government’s effort to promote
and develop traditional medicine into a safe
and effective option is a good policy, which
could contribute towards achieving greater
equity in health services.
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