Traditional medicine of Madura island in Indonesia

Madura Island is part of East Java Province, Indonesia, and is famous for its local traditional medicine, called Madurese jamu (jamu = herbal traditional medicine of Indonesia). Madurese women use jamu on a regular basis for health purposes, including the royal family members of the former “Sumenep” Sultanate. Their knowledge about the medicine was inherited from previous generations, and it was known that written records were once kept in the palace. This paper highlights information and observations on the art of women's health and beauty care in traditional medicines of the noble family in Sumenep District, Madura, including the formulas, ingredients, traditional knowledge pertaining to the use of the formulas, preparation and administration.