206. On the Poison Tree of Java. (Marcu; 
the surface of the ground it spreads obliquely, dividing into nume- 
rous broad appendages or wings, much like the canarium commune 
and several others of our large forest trees. It is covered with a 
whitish bark, slightly bursting in longitudinal furrows; near the 
ground this bark is, im old trees, more than half an inch thick, 
and, upon being wounded, yields plentifully the milky juice from 
which the celebrated poison is prepared, A puncture or incision 
being made in the tree, the juice or sap appears oozing out, of a 
yellowish colour; (somewhat frothy) from old trees, paler; and 
nearly white from young ones: when exposed to the air its surface 
becomes brown. ‘The consistence very much resembles milk, enly 
it is thicker, and viscid. This sap is contained in the true bark (or 
cortex) which, when punctured, yields a considerable quantity, so 
that in a short time a cup full may be collected from a large tree. 
The inner bark (or liber) is of a close fibrous texture, like that of 
the morus papyrifera, and when separated from the other bark, 
and cleansed from ithe adhering particles, resembles a coarse piece 
of linen. It has been worked into ropes, which are very strong, 
and the poorer class of people employ the inner bark of younger 
trees, which is more easily prepared, for the purpose of making a 
coarse stuff which they wear when working in the fields. But it 
requires much bruising, washing, and a Jong immersion in water 
before it can be used; and even when it appears completely puri- 
fied, persons wearing this dress, on being exposed to the rain, are 
affected with an intolerable itching, which renders their flimsy 
covering almost insupportable. 
It will appear from the account of the manner in which the 
poison is prepared, that the deleterious quality exists in the gum, 
a small portion of which still adhering to the bark, produces, when 
it becomes wet, this irritating effect; and it is singular, that this 
property of the prepared bark is known to the Javanese in all places 
where the tree grows, (for instance in various parts of the provinces 
‘of Bangil and Malang, and even at Onarang) while the preparation 
of a poison from its juice, which produces a mortal effect when 
introduced into the body by pointed weapons, is an exclusive art’ of 
the inhabitants of the eastern extremity of the island. 
One of the Regents in the eastern districts informed me, that 
having many years ago prepared caps or bonnets from the inner 
bark of the antshar, which were stiffened in the usual manner with 
thick rice water, and handsomely painted, for the purpose of deco 
rating his mantries, they all decidedly refused to wear them, assert- 
ing that it would cause their hair to fall out. 
The stem of the antshar having arrived at the before-mentioned 
height, sends off a few stout branches, which spreading nearly 
horizontally with several irregular curves, divide into smaller 
branches and form a hemispherical, but not very regular crown. 
The external branches are short, have several unequal’ bends, and 
are covered with a brown bark. ; 
The leaves are alternate, oblong, heart-shaped, somewhat nar- 
