FISU POISONING AND POISONS.— HAMLTN-HABBIS AND SMITE. 19 



A species of Polygonum, probably orientate, was pointed out to C. Hedley as one 

 of the plants which the Port Curtis (Queensland) blacks use in obtaining fish, 

 and that when a quantity of it is pounded up and thrown into a waterhole it 

 rapidly brings all the fish to the surface in a dying condition, without impairing 

 their wholesomeness as food.^" Palmer refers to the " Water-pepper" as a food, 

 the stalk being roasted and peeled and the pithy heart eaten. 



The plant was received from Aid. L. H. INIaynard, of Bundaberg, as a 

 local reputed poison, and was supplemented by specimens of P. strigosuni and 

 P. minus, collected for us by C. T. White. The last have not been recorded as 

 used for the purpose. Mr. Maynard 's accompanying note states : "I have seen 

 the blacks in this district using it ; they dry and powder it and scatter it on the 

 surface of the water. It is used in small lagoons or small waterholes left in 

 -creeks during dry spells." 



Used in somewhat concentrated infusion, the Polygonum species tested 

 proved efficient stupefacients ; the fins and tails became contracted and depressed, 

 and death has been known to follow within four and a half hours. P. hydropiper 

 proved most effective, stupefaction being pronounced in a period of four hours. 



it 



Order EUPHORBIACE.^. 



petalostigma quadriloculare, f.v.m. 



^•CINCHONA" and "QUININE TREE," by the natives on the Burnett River. 



The use of the fruit of this plant is attested by Mr. T. Illidge. His statement 

 that follows is descriptive of the practice: — "Almost forty-five years ago I 

 lived at Marlborough, some 60 miles north of Rockhampton, where at times they 

 would be gathered together, blacks from the coast and the ]\Iackenzie and Fitzroy 

 Rivers forming a decent mob of about 200, and on these occasions they would 

 have a fairly joyous time hunting fish and game and indulging in their native 

 corroborees. It was on one of these occasions, when I was riding down Marl- 

 borough Creek, I came across about a dozen blacks at a waterhole a little 

 separated from the main creek, into which a lot of mullet had evidently got 

 during a 'fresh' in the river and were imprisoned. The blacks had some dilly- 

 bags full and a lot of branches broken off a small tree bearing a great quantity 

 of fruit locally called 'Emu apples,' of a yellow colour, and the fruit was 

 intensely bitter. Bushmen used to mix some in their tea as an antidote to attacks 

 of fever and ague, which were very prevalent in Queensland in those days. 

 Well, the blacks smashed all the fruit with stones, and then, with the addition 

 of a rather broad-leaf plant obtained in the scrub, a sort of narcotic and which 

 I have seen the blacks smoking in lieu of tobacco, mixed up and thrown into the 

 waterholes, and although I waited and watched some time without seeing any 

 result I continued my ride, but on returning four hours later found the blacks 

 with a good supply of mullet and garfish which they had strung on light twigs 

 for carrying to camp." 



It is notable, however, that the berries were used in conjunction with a 

 narcotic plant, and it is not possible to definitely allocate the result witnessed 

 by Mr. Illidge. So far as we have been able to observe, an infusion of the berries 



^Si 49 Q Hedley, Uses of Some Queensland Plants, Proc. Roy. Soc. Q., vol. v., 1888, p. 10. 



