654 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1790. 



agent in its production, whether the conflagrations in the mountains just now 

 mentioned be reckoned fabulous or not. The bamboo in which the Tabasheer 

 is found is vulgarly called the female bamboo, and is distinguished by the large- 

 ness of its cavity from the male, employed for spears or lances. They are said 

 to be separate trees. 



Of the 7 pieces of bamboo which accompany this paper, 4 are from the 

 mountains in the vicinity of Vellore, and 3 from a place 20 miles from hence. 

 The former were perfectly green on their arrival at Madras ; and the others 

 were selected from a large parcel, which were green also when they came to 

 hand. These were all selected on a conjecture of their containing Tabasheer, 

 from a certain rattling perceived on shaking the bamboo, as if small stones were 

 contained in the cavity. This is considered by the natives as an indication of 

 Tabasheer being contained in one or more joints of the bamboo, and they are 

 seldom disappointed ; but it does not always follow that there is no Tabasheer 

 where a rattling is not perceptible ; for, on splitting a number of reeds, it was 

 sometimes remarked, that where the quantity of the drug was inconsiderable, it 

 was found adhering so closely to the sides of the cavity, as to prevent any rattling 

 from being perceived on shaking. In general however the rule of the natives 

 for choosing the bamboos proved a good one. 



In April, one of the bamboos, consisting of 6 joints, received from Vellore, 

 being cautiously split, each joint was examined separately. In 2 of them no 

 vestige of the drug was discovered ; each of the others contained some, but in 

 various quantity ; the whole collected amounted to about 27 grs. The quality 

 also was various. The particles reckoned of the first quality were of a bluish 

 white colour, resembling small fragments of shells ; they were harder than the 

 others, but might easily be crumbled between the fingers into a gritty powder, 

 and when applied to the tongue and palate had a slight saline testaceous taste : 

 they did not exceed in weight 4 grs. The rest were of a cineritious colour, 

 rough on the surface, and more friable ; and intermixed with these were some 

 larger, light, spongy particles, somewhat resembling pumice-stones. It is pro- 

 bable that the Arabs, from these appearances of the drug, were led into the 

 opinion already mentioned of its production. The 2 middle joints were of a 

 pure white colour within, and lined with a thin film ; it was in these chiefly the 

 Tabasheer was found. The others, particularly the 2 upper joints, were dis- 

 coloured within, and in some parts of the cavity was found a blackish substance, 

 in grains or in powder, adhering to the sides, the film being there obliterated. 

 In 2 or 3 of the joints, a small round hole was found at top and bottom, which 

 seemed to have been perforated by some insect. 



In July, 43 green bamboos, each consisting of 5 or 6 joints, were brought 

 from the hills 50 miles distant from hence. Six, appearing to contain more 

 Tabasheer than the others, were set apart ; the remaining 37 were split and 



