236 



the mixture for a week or more in place of tea. After this time 

 it was found that all desire for opium smoking had been lost. 

 x nends of the men were told of the discovery, and so the news 

 was spread and others were induced to try the remedy." 



With regard to the further history of the plant and the spread 

 ot the knowledge of its properties, Mr. J. G. Alexander has been 

 kind enough to furnish us with the following particulars :— 



The young men of the Chinese Y.M.C.A., connected with the 



rwi °£ w ReV - W \ R Horle ^ of the Methodist Episcopal 

 ™i *™ te Lnmpnr, heard that ^ the village of Jelebu in the 

 ne ghbouring State of Negri Sembilan, a cure for the opium habit 



cH£?m T J namely ^ • decoction of the leaves of a forest 

 ffi <p™*retwn mndaicum) which grows abundantly in the 



ttSZ£ J S h ^ hey br ° Ught the matter before M ^. Horley as 

 nediSrf/l t0 d n V0 L e ^T leisure to the distribution of toe 

 helo from h. r t Ul ^ aff0rd o them the necessary help. He obtained 

 Pa P a 1 ex^lt ° Pll ^- S0Ci f y of Selan ^ or ' ^ho undertook to 

 without ^charge cond *tion that the medicine was distributed 



BoiVfow CS B SS n T of * th f cure spread <* uickl y and after 



some tour ^veeks, 500 applicants daily were supplied. 



wh^ky bottles U^h^* IS } im tW0 bottles > old brandy or 



o^ the ^two he placed TfT ^ W £ h the decocfci ™ and into one 

 opium dross* thTs ^l ^^ng the cure-his usual quantity of 



taininl it from thP nth T«, d ' SDd he fills U P the bottle con- 

 gradua°lly t llZoZuol of ^ ^ ^^ n ° ne 80 that 

 a second^ime "no Tpiu^ \"L Xd " "^ *° *"" U - h& Came 



been made With I^ + ! ^° Which referen ce has already 



yet been dlS S in tt f^ 1 **• nothing has aS 

 the decoction of the roa«tS d ^T- °f Btem of the P lant or in 

 physiological value bUg Whlch would ae ^unt for its 



P^^n^l^e ^ *p» hj*? to the view that the 



opium consumer whTch he h m! W^ effeCt ° n the mind of the 

 In favour nf «.- T P overcome the opium habit. 



of thosrXwee'o; a£^A ap ~ hat «■ Malaya many 

 habit, though on the E f 6 CUred have "lapsed into the 



ground after more than a year m&ny &re StiU holdin S their 



in the 8amples of £« £«* t three kinds of plants were iAcluded 



different people, one of CC £**£ T* 6 * ** him f rom 

 more definite evidence of ^t^^T^^^' 80 that until 

 forthcoming it seems^dvisaWe in ° f the ant i-opium plant is 

 subject. advisable to preserve an open mind on the 



