tion until the early part of the 19th century, when some 
of the more civilized leaders of the people became hor- 
rified at the spectacle of the mass ordeals. An early at- 
tempt at regulating was made in 1828, but the first sign 
of response came in the 1840’s when dogs or chickens 
were occasionally substituted for human participants. 
This substitution, however, was employed only in the 
judging of minor offenses, with the loser falling subject 
to a fine. Direct usage of humans was still practiced in 
the greater crimes, the most serious of which was sus- 
picion of witchcraft. 
The situation continued as such until 1865, when the 
practice of ordeal by poison was officially condemned and 
prohibited throughout the island. The immediate effect 
of this edict was to curtail the practice in the environs 
of large population centers which had adequate govern- 
mental supervision. Outside these areas, however, the 
practice continued to flourish, and began to lose popu- 
larity only in the latter years of the 19th century, when 
the combined efforts of officials and missionaries effec- 
tively reduced its incidence. Several occurrences in 1911 
showed that it still had a small, clandestine following, 
but the practice is believed to have been entirely effaced 
by 1920. 
Tanghinia venenifera Poir 
The most common and widely used poison was the so- 
called ‘‘Tanghin of Madagascar.’’ This plant isa member 
of the A pocynaceae; it has been known by various generic 
and specific names. Among these are Cerbera venenifera 
Steud. and Cerbera Tanghin Hook. It was known in 
the vernacular as tangin, tangena, the tangena nut, and 
manréchetsé. 
According to Lasnet and Boyé (1911), the plant is a 
large tree, ten to twelve meters high, which grows mainly 
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