LATAH,* 



FEW words upon this mysterious and unexplained mental 

 anomaly, so common amongst the inhabitants of the 

 Straits Settlements and of the Malay Peninsula, will 

 not, I hope, be thought out of place in the pages of this 

 Journal. 



I must premise that I write without any of that special know- 

 ledge which would be valuable as bearing upon the pathological 

 side of the subject, and also with a Malayan experience strictly 

 limited by my acquaintance with the inhabitants of the Peninsula 

 from Kedah southward to Singapore. I am encouraged, however, 

 to put upon paper the result of my own observations with regard 

 to latah by the fact that none of what I may call " the stock " 

 writers upon Malayan subjects seems to have noticed this very 

 noticeable form of disease in any detail ; and I am further influ- 

 enced by the hope, that those better qualified than myself, both by 

 width of experience and by scientific knowledge, will now be led 

 towards the elucidation of phenomena, interesting to most and 

 experienced by all of the residents in this part of the world. 



In the few remarks which I have to offer upon the peculiarities 

 of this disease ( so I must call it for want of a better term ) , I pur- 

 pose to limit myself to those facts which have fallen under my own 

 personal notice and I shall also restrict myself to an account of its 

 exhibition amongst Malays proper, f 



* It has not escaped me that the word latah has been used all through this paper in 

 defiance of all rules of grammar. But I have thought it best not to confuse those who 

 may not be acquainted with the Malay language, and have accordingly used the word 

 latah throughout as boih adjective and substantive. 



t By this term I would include all branches of the Malay race with which I am 

 acquainted. 



