tgS 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Sept. t, i986. 



"3eecrIBed~ in a^ormer volume of this Journal,* and 

 to the others there will probably be occasion to refer 

 at a future time. Close to this exhibit may be seen 

 the curious wedge press used ia expressing oils fi'om 

 oruahed seeds, the principle of which is to exert a 

 gradual lateral pressure by the insertion of a series 

 of wedges between the cake and the end of the 

 press. In the immediate neighbourhood of this press 

 may be seen also a large granite pestle and mortar 

 for pounding rice, which is worked by the simple 

 expedient of a foot lever or treadle. Opium smoking 

 is illustrated by a series of the apparatus employed 

 iu preparing the extract, which, and not the crude 

 opium, ia used in flmokiug. The niude of pit[);ir- 

 ation has been well described by Mr. 11. McCuUum, 

 of Hong Kong {Fharm Journ, [3], vol. xi., p. 'J2'->). 

 The apparatus used by opium smokers is also illus- 

 trated by various specimens, including opium pipes, 

 spirit lamp, iron scrapers for clearing out the bowl 

 of the pipe, and needles for inserting the morsel of 

 opium in the orifice of the pipe, etc.f Specimens 

 of these articles already exist in the Museum of this 

 Society as well as at Kew Museum, and their use 

 is fully explained by Mr. T. Sampson, of Cnnton, 

 hi a previous number of this Journal ([31, vol. xv.. 

 p. 22). 



The next object to attract attention is an excellent 

 model of a Chinese vermilion manufactory at Hong 

 Kong, showing the complete process of preparation 

 of the pigment from the raw material to the cases 

 packed for export. This model was constructed under 

 the superintendence of Mr. H. McCullum and Mr. 

 H. B. Best, of the Colonial and Civil Service, and 

 was presented to the Commissioner bj' the guild of 

 vermilion merchants. From the descriptive account 

 attached to the model it appears that 1 part of sulphur 

 is rubbed with 5 parts of mercury, an operation which 

 usually occupies about ten minutes. The mixture is 

 then placed in an iron pan over a furnace, is covered 

 with pieces of broken porcelain or white potlen,% 

 over which an iron cover is luted on. After this 

 subliming pan has been subjected to heat for sixteen 

 hoars the furnace is allowed to cool, the iron cover 

 removed, and the vermilion scraped ott the porcelain. 

 It ia then powdered and elutriated with a solution 

 of alum and glue, the coarse particles separated by 

 th'8 process being again powdered and elutriiited. 

 The object of the glue and alum is not stated, but 

 the glue is probably to pi event the powder from 

 settling too rapidly, the alum to prevent the decom- 

 position of the glue. The details of the process have 

 already been described by Mr. H. McCullum in the 

 columns of this .Journal ([3], vol. xii., p. 497). Th<.- 

 first quality of Vermillion is estimated at 8 dols. per 

 pioul, end the second at 750 dols. per picul. 



A collection of raw materials used by the Chinese 

 in the manufacture of the celebrated soy and other 

 sauces is shown also by Mr. M. SlcCuUum. Perhaps 

 the most interesting exhibit to pharmaceutical visitors 

 iQ this Court will be a very complete and truthful 

 model of a Chinese druggist's shop, which is said to 

 be faithful to real life in the mo.st minute details. 

 The roomy shop appears to be arranged in a most 

 orderly manner, and by no means presents a " beggarly 

 array of empty bottles," nor are there visible any of 

 the disgusting animal remedies that are used in Chinese 

 medicine. At the back of the shop and equally open 

 to view at the other side of the model is the" dwelling 

 house, the appointments of which seem eminently 

 comfortable, as might perhaps be imagined from the 

 care with which druggist looks after the money, for 

 in the shop he is represented as weighing the money 

 of a customer to see that it is not short weight. 

 This model is exhibited by Dr. Ho Kai, who has 

 also Srut a large collection of over four hundred 

 bottles of Chinese drugs, the names and uses of which 

 are wriiten on the bottles. These eonsit for the 

 most pai t of remi dies which have already been des- 

 criued by Haubury, Porter Smith and otJiers, hut 



* Pharm. Jov.rn., [3], xv., p. 636. 

 t For figure of these see ' Encyelopnpdia Britannii^a,' 

 9th ed., Art. "Opium." 



are evidently highly valued by Dr. Ho Kai, since they 

 have been heavily insured and are to he retv:rEed 

 to him. 



The only other objects of (luasi-pharmaceutic in- 

 terest are the exhibits of boxes, trunks, etc., made 

 of the camphor wood tree, and a series of the woods 

 of Hong Kong, including a few, such as Liquidamhar 

 sinensh. Aquiiaria grandifora, Sti/rax subcH folium, 

 etc., concerning whose products some information 

 might have proved instructive. T'nfortunately, how- 

 ever, no special catalogue had been published at the 

 time of our Msit, and Mr. C. Ford, Superintendent 

 of the Palace Garden at Oaulou, who might probably 

 furnish valuable information concerning them, left 

 this country soon after the exhibition had opened. 

 The AquilaAa graiidijlora yields, according to Mr. 

 Ford, a kind of lignum aloes used in China as in- 

 cense. — Pharmaceutical Journal. 



NOTES ON ECONOMIC PLANTS AT THE 

 STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 



Appendix to Beport on the Singapore Botanic Garden<t, 

 for 1885. 



Enquiry was continued during the year intfj the 

 source and extent of the vegetable supply of the 

 colony, and experiments have been made with various 

 seeds from Europe with a view to increasing and 

 improving the general supply, with results as follows : — 



I. — Vegetables found in Cultivation. — Oed. Oru- 

 CIFERJE. — Lohak (Long Raddish), Eaphanus sativus 

 var. : — Native of China, largely cultivated throughout 

 the colony. Supply plentiful. Water Cress, Nastur- 

 tium oflBcinale: — Established in Singapore, but supply 

 as yet very limited in the bazaars. 



Ord. Capparide.ij. — Mamvm, Gynandropsis penta 

 phylla :— Pods chiefly used. Common in a wild state- 

 not much cultivated. Mamum Kechll, Oleome viscosa : 

 — A common weed, used in the same manner as the 

 Preceeding, chiefly by Klings. 



Ord. Moringe^.— .ffe?or (Horse Raddish tree), 

 Moringa pterygosperma : — Native of Madagascar 

 Pods, root and leaves used. Supply plentiful. 



Ord. Portulace;e. — Dav.ii Gvlv.ng (Purslane), Por- 

 tulacca oleracea; — A commoa weed throughout the 

 colony. Cultivated in England as a vegetable. Used 

 in the Straits chiefly by the Malays and Klings, and 

 seldom if ever taken into the bazaars. 



C»rd. Malvace.1:. — Kachang Bendie, Hibiscus escu- 

 lentus: — Cultivated all oA^jr the Tropics. Supply 

 plentiful. 



Obd. Lkguminos.e. — Kachavg Kara Puteh, Lablab 

 cultriformis: — A good bean, but not plentiful. Kacliang 

 Boty, Dolichos tetragonolobus : — Moderately plentiful. 

 Kachang Prot Ayam, Dolichos sesquepidalis : — Largely 

 cultivated throughout the colony. Supply plentiful. 



Kachang Prot At/aw Panjang, Dolichos sesquepidaHs 

 var.: — Plentiful. Canavalia virosa: — A good bean said 

 to be in cultivation, but I have onlj- seen one plant. 



Kacho.iKj Parang, Canavalia gladiata: — A very large 

 bean. Pods occasionally as large as a carving knife, 

 hence the Malay name. Moderately plentiful. 



Kachanq Kara (Lima bean), Phaseolus lunatus : — 

 One of the best beans in cultivation. Supply moder- 

 ately plentiful. Also sold in tins imported direct from 

 Brazil, its native coimtry. 



French Bean, Phaseolus vulgaris : — Cultivated largely 

 throughout the colony, but brought to the bazaars 

 at an advanced age in order to measure better, but 

 only really good when very young and small. 



Kachang Hijav, Phaseolus sp. :— Seed largely used 

 in a germinating state. Supply plentiful. Pods also 

 used after the manner of French beans. 



Trong 3ferah, Agati grandiflora: — Leaves and flowers 

 used. 



Trong Puteh, Agati grandiflora alba: — Leaves and 

 flowers used. Supply limited. Seldom reaches the 

 bazaars. 



Meng Kawang, Pachyrrhizus angulatus: -The root 

 very much resembles a turnip, both in size and taste, 

 hence called turnips by Europeans in the Straits, but 

 it is in every way inferior to turnip The supply is 

 apparently plentiful. 



