56 



r>olow this the ii;voat<^r i>art of tlio walls of tlio haniboo have been out 

 awav, leaviutj only four equidistaut evlin<Irical-shaped pieces, the lower 

 ends oi which are mortised into the wooden base, the whole being 

 9 inches in heisj^ht, the cnp serves to hold the oil contjiiner which 

 is a valve of a Huvio-niariue shell. The wick is of twisted cotton 

 cloth, kept in place by a metal support. Coconut oil is burned in it. 



The method of smoking- is as follows : The smoker sits tailorwise 

 on the tioor, with the lamp in front of him. He then takes a small 

 piece of the madaf, rolls it with his fingers into a })ellet, the size of 

 the bore of the brass tube, into which he inserts it, then putting his 

 mouth to the other end of the bamboo he brings the madat in contact 

 with the flame of the lamp and inhales the smoke of the burning pellet 

 through the pipe. From twenty to thirty pellets are smoked at a time. 



The effects of the drug, whether taken internally or smoked, are 

 said to resemlile those of opium, and in large doses it is ]>oisonous, 

 producing stupor. It is also snid that users of it suffer from perma- 

 nent enlargement of the abdomen. This is attril)uted, by some, to the 

 indolent life which is induced by indulgence in the hiak habit. 



Besides the purposes already mentioned, the leaves of this ti*ee are 

 used medicinally for worms in children. They are made into a povdtice 

 and applied externally over the upper portion of the abdomen. It is 

 held that, if applied to the lower portion, the worms are driven upwards 

 and escape by the mouth ; but if confined to just beneath the termi- 

 nation of the ribs they are expelled downwards and are passed in the 

 ordinary way. Of their efficacy as a vermifuge, applied in the manner 

 indicated above, I have very grave doubts. 



Some time Imck I sent about 16 pounds' weight of the dried leaves 

 to Mr. E. M. Holmes for examination. He, however, reported that no 

 poisonous alkaloi<l had been found in it. A further consignment has 

 now been sent, and it is hoped that the active principle will bo success- 

 fully separated from the drug. 



"SUJI TIMBA." 



By L. WRAY. 



''PHIS is a form (ti gold-thread embroidery, much used by the 

 Malays for the ornamentation of mats and other articles. It 

 appears to be veiy closely related tf) the so-called " gold lace " on 

 Civil Scrvif-e and some other uniforms ; though whether it is pro- 

 duced in the same way, I am not in a position to say. 



The design is drawn on white paper, in free-hand, for the most 

 part ; but where there is a pattern which consists of two or four 

 .symetrical divisions, the ]»apcr, or, in the case of a large design, a 



