WATER-YIELDING PLANTS FOUND IN THE THAN A FORESTS. 67 



its faculty of storing in its climbing stems, and especially those which 

 have grown old with the trees, a liquid resembling water which 

 is commonly drunk by the wild tribes to allay thirst when water is not 

 available. Such liquid is found in the stems at almost all periods of 

 the dry season, but in greater abundance during the hot weather. 

 It is obtained only from the stems of the scandent shrub. To obtain it 

 a piece of the stem five feet long is entirely removed from the stem and 

 held up vertically, a vessel being placed beneath into which the water, 

 as we may call it, dribbles as freely as from a tap. As much as a quart 

 has been drawn from four pieces of the following dimensions in this 

 manner : — 



Length. Girth. 



2'-8" 1' 



2'-7" 10" 



2'-3" 1' 



2'-2" 10" 



In order to procure the water it is necessary that the operation of 

 removing the required piece from the bole should be quickly performed, 

 i.e., the sections above and below should be made as rapidly as possible ; 

 otherwise most of the water rises in the stem and fails to exude. If a 

 section is made at one end only, or if an incision merely is made in the 

 wood, little or no exudation of the water takes place. On being drawn 

 it resembles clear spring water in appearance and is not at all unpleasant 

 to drink. After exposure for a few hours, however, it turns a pale amber 

 colour. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. W. L. Harvey, I.C.S., C.I.E., Muni- 

 cipal Commissioner, Bombay, the following interesting report of the 

 analysis of the sample of the water has been made by the Municipal 

 analyst, and Mr. Harvey, in forwarding the report, adds — " The Health 

 Officer is of opinion that it is not injurious to health if used for drinking 

 purposes " — 



Total solids 0-07 percent.* 



Mineral matter ... ... ... ... ••• 0*02 „ 



Organic and volatile matter ... ... ... 0*05 „ 



Total acids (in terms of c.c.N/ 10 alkali required). 6'8 „ 



Volatile acids ( do. do. ) 5'1 „ 



Fixed acids ( do. do. ) 1*7 ,, 



