Description
Nurturing Indonesia: Medicine and Decolonisation in the Dutch East Indies offers a comprehensive examination of medical history in colonial Indonesia from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Hans Pols analyzes how Western medicine was introduced, adapted, and contested within the Dutch colonial framework, while Indonesian practitioners and patients navigated these changes.
The book traces the development of medical institutions, public health policies, and professional practices, revealing tensions between colonial medical authorities and indigenous healers. Pols demonstrates how medicine became a crucial arena for asserting Indonesian identity and autonomy during the independence movement.
By connecting medical history to broader decolonization processes, this work provides insights into how science, medicine, and healthcare were tools of both colonial domination and anti-colonial resistance. Essential reading for scholars of global health history, Indonesian studies, and the history of science.
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