100 On the Poisonous Qualities of the 



before ; while that which was squeezed out between the glasses, 

 and on which the air freely acted, had become of a fine colour 

 like that of treacle. I now placed this portion between two 

 plates of glass, and found, to my great surprise, that the or- 

 ganized structure of the fluid was entirely gone, that it ^as 

 perfectly homogeneous, and showed the sun of a beautiful red 

 colour, as when it is seen through a thin film of pitch, or 

 through a darkening glass. The action of the air had com- 

 pletely disorganized the vegetable juice, and reduc-ed it to a 

 state of homogeneous fluidity. The application of heat seem- 

 ed to accelerate this organization ; but I have not been able 

 to produce the same eff'ect by the action of heat upon the var- 

 nish when not exposed to the air. 



We now opened one of the Bhela nuts, the fruit of the 

 Seme-Carpus anacardium, and found that the juice of it when 

 placed between plates of glass, was nearly as homogeneous 

 and transparent as the Rangoon varnish when acted upon by 

 the air. There were, however, small portions of it which ex- 

 hibited an organized structure. 



Abt. XVI. — Account of the Poisonous Qualities of the Vege- 

 table Varnishes from India and America. 



Having experienced and witnessed in more than one case 

 the singular effects produced upon the human body, by a 

 poisonous vapour which is exhaled from the Sylhet varnish, 

 we have been induced to collect the information which the ex- 

 perience of others has already made known. 



This information, however, had ceased to be of any use, for 

 the varnishes in question are supposed, even by our country- 

 men in India, to be devoid of any noxious quality. We 

 are informed by Mr Swinton of Calcutta, that the Munni- 

 poores who were lately in that city, when questioned respect- 

 ing the Kheeoo varnish, described it as of a poisonous nature, 

 causing the hands and face to swell, and producing an intoler- 

 able itching. A British officer then in Munipoore denied the 

 truth of this, and stated that the varnish was perfectly harmless, 

 being always laid on by the hand. Although the Munipoores 

 were not likely to be mistaken in a matter which must have 



