310 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



droppings from it will have l»is body swell and bo affected with 

 malignant sores." 



Linnaeus published the species as G. hengTias, evidently with the 

 intention of employing the vernacular name as a trivial. As the 

 Malay name is " rengas," and " benghas " is meaningless, it seems 

 desirable to alter the specific name to G. renghas. 



According to Ridley (Malaya Med. Journal, ix. pt. 2, 11 ; 1911), 

 " not only are the fruit, leaves and twigs of the Eengas trees [species 

 of Glutei and Me'lemorrheeei~\ poisonous, but the timber also, even 

 after long keeping, is apt to produce injury. Dr. Brown says that he 

 was informed that after years of seasoning, when the wood is cut up, 

 it gives rise to painful and intractable eruptions on the hands and 

 bodies of the workmen. The timber is a very handsome red wood, 

 streaked more or less with black, and was formerly known as Singa- 

 pore mahogany and much valued as a cabinet wood or for buildings. 

 The Kedah Malays, on felling a tree, would leave it lying in the 

 forest till the bark and sap-wood was rotted away or removed by 

 termites, after which they said it was safe to move. As a furniture 

 wood, however, it went out of fashion, as even after being made up it 

 was said to seriously affect many persons living in the room with it, 

 producing great irritation of the mouth, nose and throat, especially 

 when it began to get old, worn-out and dusty." 



Among other Anacardiaeete known to produce dermatitis may be 

 mentioned Glutei coarclatei and G. Wrayi (Bidley, /. c. 8); Mangifera 

 oelora tei (Ridley, I.e. 9); Mauri a birringo (Triana, I. c. 291); 

 Melanorrh eea Ourtisii (Brown in Journ. As. Soc. Straits, xxiv. 88 '; 

 1891) ; M. Medngayi (Ridley, I.e. 10) and M. usitata (Watt, Diet! 

 Econ. Prod. India, v. 210 ; 1891); Pseudosmodingium perniciosum 

 (H.K.B. Nov. Gen. Sp. vii. 10; 1825); Rhus diversiloba (Pammel, 

 Man. Poisonous PI. 609; 1911); and Semecarpus Aneicardium 

 (Watt, I. c. vi. pt. 2, 500; 1893). Further examples will doubtless 

 occur to botanists who have resided in the tropics. Enough has been 

 said to show the widespread occurrence in the Anacareliucece of a 

 principle, or principles, capable of causing dermatitis. Every ana- 

 cardiaceous plant should be regarded as potentially dangerous until 

 proved to be harmless. 



[In this Journal for 1920, p. 173, Miss E. Philip Smith mentions 

 that people in the confectionery trade suffer from dermatitis caused 

 by Vanilla pods, and that this is believed to be caused not by 

 the Vanilla itself, but by the use of oil of Cashew to improve the 

 colour of the Vanilla pods. I should suggest, however, that it is 

 actually caused by the Vanilla, for Vanilla Grijithii Rchb. fil., a 

 wild plant common in the Malay Peninsula, contains a slightly 

 milky latex, which when dropped on the hand or arm produces a verv 

 unpleasant irritation of the skin, as I know well by experience. It 

 does not, however, produce the swelling or papulation that Melanor- 

 rheea or Glutei does. This latex is used by native girls, mixed with 

 oil to strengthen and thicken the hair, much as cantharides is used in 

 Europe. — H. N. Ridley.] 



