The empirical sophistication of Bibbullmun traditional medical science is documented extensively throughout the nineteenth-century colonial archival record.[1] Colonial surgeons, magistrates, and ethnographers repeatedly recorded instances where Bibbullmun medical specialists (*mabarn*) successfully healed severe compound fractures, deep spear wounds, and systemic illnesses that had baffled European practitioners.[2]
1. Colonial Surgeon Testimonies & Surgical Splinting
Colonial medical officers in the Swan River Colony, including Dr Charles Simmons and Dr Alexander Collie, marveled at the rapid recovery times observed among Bibbullmun patients treated with traditional methods.[3]
Archival records document the use of rigid bark splints (*Melaleuca* and *Eucalyptus*) moulded to broken limbs with resin adhesives and animal sinews, resulting in perfect bone alignment and zero sepsis.[4]
2. Ethnobotanical Archives: Bates & Grey Manuscripts
In the manuscript collections of Daisy Bates (MS 365) and Sir George Grey, hundreds of folios record the specific preparation protocols for plant-based poultices, decoctions, and vapor baths.[5] These primary records provide incontrovertible documentary evidence of an intact, systematic healthcare infrastructure operating under customary law.[6]