The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 2 (Herbarium Amboinense)

II Book. II Chapter. AMBOINESE HERBAL. 9

...by which its wearer was so protected that no enemy weapon could touch or harm him in any way; likewise, the one carrying it could not be clearly seen or recognized. For this reason, it was useful to those who practiced theft or illicit affairs. Since a great war has been waged on Java since that year, it was believed they were much sought after for this reason, as well as by the Balinese.

Second, Mother-of-Cloves original: Anthophyllos; Dutch: Moernagels — these are the large, mature, fertilized fruits of the clove tree ground with Caju-Rapat a climbing plant used as an astringent and Madja Can (that is, Oak Galls) are given as a drink to young brides or to women rising from their childbed, to tighten their private parts so they might be more pleasing to their husbands.

Third, mixed and eaten with dried Poele Alstonia scholaris bark, they stimulate the appetite.

Fourth, they dissipate gas and cure colic.

Fifth, applied externally with Kellor Moringa root, they remove swelling of the limbs.

Sixth, it is a secret that the Chinese mostly keep to themselves and practice privately to excite lust, for which purpose they use those parts they believe strengthen the reproductive organs; this nation favors and desires this practice above all others. For all these purposes, they use the developing Mother-of-Cloves and take those still hanging on the tree, just appearing brown mixed with a green color; those that fall due to ripeness are considered devoid of power. For this reason, there are few nobles in Java who do not always keep some Mother-of-Cloves in their houses, believing that all medicines are enhanced if only a small dose of these Mother-of-Cloves is mixed in.

The stalks are used by women in the ointment Bori-Bori, which is suitable for infants and is required to be weaker for them than for adults, and therefore they do not mix in the "hot" cloves. Two hundred years ago, cloves were not so highly esteemed, nor were they exported from India in such quantities, but only in small amounts as required for the medical arts. Thus, they were delivered to merchants at a low price, mixed with leaves and stalks, as was also done for the first Dutch navigators. Later, however, when cleaned cloves were required, they sorted out the leaves and stalks, and they were sold at double the price. In some travel books, it is found that cloves also grow in Ceylon Sri Lanka, which was later discovered to be a wild species devoid of any aromatic power. Likewise, others have said that cloves grow on the island of Madagascar; however, Garcia ab Orta A 16th-century Portuguese physician and pioneer of tropical medicine testifies in Book I, chapters 15 and 21, that it is a far different fruit, speaking thus: "On the island of St. Lawrence Madagascar a certain fruit occurs the size of a hazelnut, or a little larger with its shell; it smells like cloves, but its use is unknown until now." And although Avicenna Ibn Sina, the famous Persian physician writes in the place cited about a "clove gum," and Clusius Charles de l'Écluse, a prominent Flemish botanist in his notes on Garcia also relates that among the heaps of cloves previously brought to Antwerp, a dark brown resin was often found which, when placed on glowing coals, gave off a strong smell of cloves, as Bauhin Gaspard Bauhin, a Swiss botanist also testifies in Book 4, Chapter 6, that he had a piece of yellow gum, dry and brittle, easily melting, which smelled of cloves if ignited but was devoid of taste; nevertheless, it is not to be doubted that some other gum or resin was mixed with those cloves, from which the inhabitants form their torches or candles, such as Dammar Batu, black Dammar, etc. This perhaps fell among the said cloves during drying, or was left there intentionally, and having been mixed with them for a long time, it took on the smell and color of the cloves; for the inhabitants do not know of any "clove gum." These writers and other men also tell many stories about the attraction of liquid, not only by the trees but also by the dried cloves themselves. Concerning the trees, it was said above that they love rains combined with solar rays, and that the ground beneath them is not bare or devoid of herbs because the clove tree attracts all liquid and thus prevents the growth of weeds, but only because it is kept clean by human labor.

Regarding dried cloves, they say that when contained in a closed storehouse, they will attract an entire vessel full of water within one night; some merchants do this so that from this...

Liat Sala a magical charm or invisibility spell, that is, to protect the wearer so that no enemy weapon can reach or hit him; as well as that one cannot properly see or recognize the person who carries them, and therefore they are necessary for those who go out for theft and illicit affairs. And since a great war was waged on Java that year, it was thought they were so much sought after for that reason, as well as by the Balinese.
2. Mother-of-Cloves, rubbed with Caju-Rapat, and Madja Cán or Oak Galls, they also give to young brides to drink, as well as to women who rise from childbed, to close their nature, by which they become more pleasing to their husbands.
3. Mixed with the dried bark of Poele and eaten, it excites the appetite.
4. Breaks trapped winds and dispels colic.
5. Smeared on the outside with the root of Kellor, it dispels swelling from the limbs.
6. Is a secret which the Chinese mostly keep among themselves, using the same to strengthen their carnal lusts, to which that nation is more inclined than others. For all these things they take the developing Mother-of-Cloves which still hang on the tree and just begin to turn brown, mixed with green; but those that fall through ripeness they consider powerless. Therefore one does not easily find anyone among the Great on Java who does not strive to have some Mother-of-Cloves in the house, because they believe that all medicines are strengthened when one mixes a little of the Mother-of-Clove therein.

The stalks were used by the women for Bori-bori ointment for children, which must be somewhat weaker than for old people, and therefore the hot cloves are not suitable for it. However, 200 years ago one did not make so much work of cloves, nor export them in such quantities, but only in small amounts, and only as much as was needed in medicine. Therefore they were also delivered very dirty, with leaves, stalks and all, to the merchants, and that for a low price, as still happened to those of the first voyages of the Hollanders. But later, when people began to work more cleanly on them, the stalks and leaves were sorted out, and then the price was increased by as much again.
In some travel books it is found that cloves also grow on Ceylon, which was later found to be nothing other than a type of wild, spice-less clove. Likewise others have claimed that cloves occur on the island of Madagascar, but that it is a completely different fruit is testified by Garcia ab Orta, Book 1, chapters 15 and 21, saying thus: "There is on the island of St. Lawrence a certain fruit, the size of a hazelnut, with its shell, or somewhat larger, which smells of cloves, but its use is still unknown." And although Avicenna, in the place cited, writes of a clove gum, and Clusius, in his notes on the aforementioned Garcia, also relates that among the clove heaps which were formerly brought to Antwerp, a dark brown resin was repeatedly found which, placed on coals, had a strong clove smell, as Bauhin also testifies, Book 4, Chapter 6, to have had a piece of yellow gum, dry and crumbly, easily melting and burning, smelling like cloves, yet without taste: Nevertheless, it is not to be doubted that there must have been some other resin among those cloves, from which the inhabitants make their torches, like the Dammar batu, black Dammar, etc., which having fallen among the said cloves during drying, was perhaps intentionally left there, and therefore by lying there a long time took on the smell and color of the cloves, for the inhabitants do not know at all of a clove gum. Also the previous writers and some common men know much to tell of the thirstiness for moisture not only of the trees, but also of the dried cloves.
Of the trees it was said above that they want rain mixed with sunshine, and also that the ground beneath them is not cleared and bare because the clove tree attracts all moisture to itself, and thereby prevents the growth of weeds, but only because it is kept clean by the labor of men.

Of the dried cloves they claim that lying in a closed warehouse, they would pull an entire vessel full of water to themselves within one night, and that some merchants do this, to thereby make the cloves heavier... The Dutch text ends mid-word with the catchword "ren" on the next page, completing "verzwaaren" (to make heavier).