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beans, one was an adult kling woman and others children varying 

 in age from 5 to 10 years on the way to Caledonia Hospital for 

 they were Caledonia coolies. One of the children died and two 

 others shortly after. The children were brought along in a cart 

 and the woman not being so ill came walking to the Hospital. On 

 admission the children who were alive were found unconscious and 

 frothing from the mouth. Dr. SKAE was sent for, and on his arrival 

 the youngest child and the woman were alive but collapsed with 

 widely dilated pupils. Emetics were administered and the woman 

 vomited up rice and particles of the beans. 



The Company for experimental purposes has for some three 

 years been planting a variety of beans from Mauritius in the 

 cane fields but some distance away from the lines. The coolies 

 were then warned against using these beans. On the morning of 

 the 19th these children had gone out to gather greens. They came 

 across beans in pods growing in the fields which they thought re- 

 sembled beans they were accustomed to eat in India, and a quantity 

 was brought home about noon, of which their mother made curry. 

 The children ate the curry about 2 p.m. The mother too ate some 

 of the curry but finding it bitter did not take much. Towards even- 

 ing the children complained of giddiness and vomited up the food 

 soon after they were found convulsed and unconscious with froth- 

 ing from the mouth. 



On the 20th I held a post mortem on the bodies of the three 

 children, particles of the beans were found in the stomach. The 

 stomach and upper part of the intestines and the kidneys were 

 slightly congested. The blood was dark fluid. In the brain the 

 membranes were congested, the vessels on the surface very much 

 so and there was an appreciable quantity of fluid in the skull cavity 

 and in the ventricles. The brain substance itself presented a very 

 moist appearance. 



The woman and the youngest child have since quite recovered. 



The stomach with their contents of the deceased and other parts 

 of the viscera were collected and made over to the police for trans- 

 mission to Singapore for analysis. 



[ am sending you by post a packet of the beans and specimen of 

 the plant. Will [you kindly let me know the name of the plant. 



I have, etc., 



ED. T. FOSTON, 

 ( x olonial Surgeon . 



The Principal Civil Medical Officer, 

 Singapore. 



Fib*e of Agave A mericana . — Samples of fibre of this plant were 

 sent from Assam. The fibre was coarse but clean and of good 

 appearance, yellowish, white in colour and with a line gloss, 



