118 VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO aiAM A^D MALACCA, 



land-snails, amphibians (lizards), rays, sharks, and several kinds 

 of molluscs, such as Hollothurians, Medusae, etc., which custom 

 prevails with the Chinese, who suffer most from this disease. 



I could distinctly see that these people either did not 

 know anything about diet, or did not want to keep to it, because 

 one of them had bought a Monoculus polymorpJms for his supper, 

 and they told me themselves that whoever did not know 

 how to prepare it risked having much headache, giddiness, 

 and depression, from eating the intestines. From a European 

 Burgeon, who had formerly had the charge of these invalids, I heard 

 of the only remedy. He had put some spirits of wine and a few 

 drops of oil on the wounds of one of the invalids, whose hands 

 were in a high degree leprous ; the malignant festering ceased 

 directly and the wound soon after healed. I asked him why he 

 used this remedy ; and he said that he knew no better one and had 

 just wanted to try. He added that the illness had never recurred 

 in that hand. 



There was no mortality attached to this illness; the invalids 

 could grow pretty old. 



I looked about in their little garden, which had not much 

 interest for me, especially in the present season. There are some 

 trees growing in it, among them a very big tree of the Cassia 

 Fistula ; it sheltered the building entirely from the north-west 

 winds, which are said to be very strong here at times ; there 

 were some other smaller trees of the same species. Also some 

 Pterocarpns Draco trees, some Coco trees and Papayas, etc. Among 

 the plants they had some wild Lanquos with a kind of leaf 

 very large, heart-shaped, pointed, intersected by many nerves, 

 shiny, and of a bright green colour ; the tree had neither 

 blossoms nor fruits. According to the oblong bulb-like root it 

 seemed to be a Dracontian or a Calla. Moreover, I found here a 

 stinging Acolypha, the leaves of which were like those of the 

 common European nettle, but the fruit was different. The male 

 blossoms grew at the end of the ears ; their corolla consisted of 

 four petals, which were very small. The Involucre was kidney- 

 shaped, and serrated at the edges. The capsule was three-corner- 

 ed and contained three round seeds. There were three wells in 

 the enclosure, but they only had common kinds of moss on their 

 walls. 



29.— I received a splendid^ big Qorgonia ; some swallows* 



