274 Miscellaneous. 



On the Gidiga of Borneo. By A. Hart Everett. 



The Guliga, more commonly known as Bezoar, forms a recog- 

 nized article of export from the llejang and Bintulu rivers in the 

 Sarawak territory. These concretions are chiefly obtained from a 

 red monkey (a species of Semnojnthecus), which seems to be very 

 abundant in the interior districts of Borneo. A more valuable 

 Guliga, called the " Guliga Landak," is obtained from the porcupine ; 

 but it is comparatively rare. The Sepoys stationed at Sibu Fort 

 in the llejang formerly exported considerable numbers of these 

 calculi to Hindustan, where, in addition to their supposed efficacy 

 as an antidote for the poison of snakes and other venomous crea- 

 tures, they appear to be applied, either alone or in combination 

 with other medicines, to the treatment of fevers, asthmatic com- 

 plaints, general debility, &c. A few years ago, however, these men 

 ceased to send any but the Guliga Landak, since their hakims had 

 informed them that the concretions obtained from the monkeys had 

 come to be considered of very doubtful, if any, value from a medi- 

 cinal point of view. 



The usual test for a good Guliga is to place a little chunam 

 on the hand, and to rub the Guliga against it, when, if it be genuine, 

 the lime becomes tinged with yellow. Imitations are by no means 

 rare ; and on one occasion that came to my own knowledge some 

 Bakatans succeeded in deceiving the Chmamen, who trade in these 

 articles, by carefully moulding some fine light clay into the form 

 of a Bezoar, and then rubbing it well all over with a genuine one. 

 The extreme lightness of a real Guliga and the lime test, however, 

 are generally sufficient to expose a counterfeit Bezoar. The 

 Sepoys and Malays apply various imaginary tests. Thus they 

 assert that if a true Guliga be clasped in the closed fist, the bitter 

 taste of the concretion Avill be plainly susceptible to the tongue 

 when applied to the back of the hand, and even above the elbow 

 if the Guliga be a good " Landak ;" and a Sej^oy once assured me 

 that having accidentally broken one of the latter, he immediately 

 was sensible of a bitter taste in his mouth. 



Accounts vary very much among the natives as to the exact 

 position in which the Guligas are found — some saying they may 

 occur in any part of the body, others that they occur only in the 

 stomach and intestines, whilst I have heard others declare that 

 they have taken them from the head and even the hand ! Bezoar- 

 stones are sold by weight, the gold scale being used ; and the value 

 varies according to quality and to the scarcity or abundance of the 

 commodity at the time of sale. The ordinary prices paid at Kejang 

 a few years ago were from $1.50 to $2 per amas for common 

 stones, and from $2.50 to $4 per amas for Guliga Landak. I have 

 seen one of the latter which was valued at $100. It was about 

 the size of an average Tangier orange, and was perfectly sphe- 

 rical. The surface, where not artificially abraded, was smooth, 

 shining, bronze-brown, studded with numerous irregularly-shaped 



