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the water is given to patients to drink. In the same way texts 

 of the Koran are written on a special kind of paper and plunged 

 in water which the patient drinks. 



Chewing betelnut while reciting verses of the Koran and spit- 

 ting afterwards on the head of the patient is considered very 

 valuable, and there used to be a man in Singapore who made his 

 living by doing this cure. 



Again we have traces of the Doctrine of Signatures so popular 

 in the middle ages in Europe as illustrated by the use of 

 Balanophora as an aphrodisiac. This plant occurs on Mount Ophir 

 and in Semangko Pass and elsewhere at high elevations, and is 

 sought for its peculiar appearance suggesting its use. Strongly 

 scented or flavoured-plants are of course in great repute and as 

 in many cases the scent or flavour is due to some active principle, 

 some of these may perhaps be found invaluable additions to the 

 pharmacopoeia. 



Many popular Native medicines seem to have no definite pro- 

 perties at all, or if they have any principle it is so weak or it is 

 used in such small quantities that it is very difficult to imagine 

 their being of any real use. Others such as Pegaga (Hydrocotyle 

 asiatica) and Cassia atata, possess well known properties when 

 fresh, and are in use all over the regions in which they grow, but 

 it has not yet been found possible to preserve them in a state fit 

 for use. They require to be used in a fresh state. 



A certain number of the plants commonly used here by Natives 

 have evidently valuable properties but have never had a fair trial 

 or have been rejected as not giving good results when tested in 

 Europe. In the latter case, I believe that this is often due to 

 bad preparation of the samples, or the principle may be destroyed 

 in drying or otherwise preserving the drug, as in the case of 

 Gambir leaves which though when fresh and green contain abun- 

 dance of tannin become brown and lose every trace of it a few 

 hours after gathering. 



Some drugs of value having been analyzed in Europe having 

 not shown any signs of a distinct alkaloid, though distinctly valua- 

 ble medicines, have not yet found their way into the drug trade. 

 One such is Kosam, Brucea Sumatrana. This has undoubtedly 

 a good effect in many forms of dysentery. No alkaloid has been 

 found in it and it has not been commercially successful. Roucheria 

 Griffithiana is another plant, the bark of which is used by the 

 wild tribes as a dart poison and said to be highly effective, yet 

 no definite principle appears to be found in it. 



Enemata and injections of any kind are quite unknown to 

 Malays who indeed would be afraid to use any such operations. 

 They are very fond of external applications either stimulant or 

 cooling and a large number of leaves of different plants are used 

 to cure headaches by application, or to poultice boils, or to allay 

 he pains of rheumatism. 



