GIMLETTE, John D. "Malay Poisons and Charm Cures" [J. & A. Churchill, 1929]

GIMLETTE, John D. Malay Poisons and Charm Cures.

London: J. & A. Churchill, 1929. Third edition. 8vo. Publisher’s maroon cloth, lettered in gilt to spine. A well-preserved copy of this classic colonial-era study of toxicology and indigenous medical practice in the Malay States. Includes numerous textual illustrations and diagrams, along with sections devoted to plant and animal poisons, native remedies, and ritual healing practices; appendix material includes vernacular incantations and charms printed in Malay alongside English explanation. Cloth shows moderate rubbing and light spotting, with some wear at extremities; spine lettering remains bright. Some underlining and minor annotations noted. An early bookseller’s ticket to front pastedown. Very Good.

An influential and still widely cited account blending Western medical observation with local ethnographic detail, capturing both the pharmacological and ritual dimensions of poison and cure in Southeast Asia. Gimlette’s work stands at the intersection of science, empire, and folklore, preserving a body of knowledge that might otherwise have remained undocumented.