250 



Taberncemontana coronaria, L. (Apocynacese) Bunga China. A 

 commonly cultivated white flowered shrub. The leaves are ground 

 up and mixed with sugar candy, and water and put out in the dew 

 for one night. The decoction known as " Ubat Serak " is given for 

 coughs. 



Elephantopus scaber L. [Composite) "Tutop Bumi". A common 

 South American weed in grass plots and waste ground, with small 

 pink flowers. A decoction of its roots is used for coughs, but it 

 also enters into many other remedies. HOLMES gives it as an 

 anthelmintic for ascaris but he gives the native name as Sembong 

 which is Blumea balsamifera. 



Emilia sonchifolia Dec. (Composite?), "Tetumbak merah". 

 " Ketumbi jantan ", is sold in the herb shops as a cure for coughs. 

 A decoction of it is said to be good for consumption. A common 

 weed with pink flowers. 



Vitex Lagundi, V. trifolia L. {Verbenaceoe), " Lagundi ". A 

 large or small shrub with glancous aromatic leaves and blue flowers. 

 A popular medecine, the leaves ground with garlic, pepper, turmeric, 

 and boiled rice are made into pills and given for consumption, and 

 the patient is also bathed in a decoction of its leaves. The leaves 

 ground up with Nigella sativa seeds (Jintan hitam) and onions are 

 put on the forehead for headache (ubat pitam). 



Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceoe), Bunga Rayah. The 

 flowers are used in the form of an infusion with sugar-candy as an 

 expectorant in bronchitis (Holmes). They are demulcent, and are 

 used in the same way for gonorrhea. It is supposed to be essential 

 to put the soaking petals out in the dew all night. 



Polyporus sacer, (Fungi) "Susu Rimau ". The " tiger's milk" is 

 the sclerotium of thi^ fungus, found in the form of irregularly shaped 

 rounded masses in forests, usually in decaying wood. It has a great 

 reputation for consumption and colds, and is usually expensive on 

 account of its rarity. It appears to contain a quantity of pectin, but 

 the very small doses given by the herb doctors, on account of its 

 costliness can hardly be very efficacious. {See an article on the 

 plant, Straits Ass. Soc. XXIII). 



Rheumatism and Lumbago. 



These ailments are usually treated by rubbing the affected parts 

 with decoctions of various roots or leaves, or with these ground up 

 after boiling. Some of them have aromatic properties, others are 

 stimulant or rubefacient. 



Dryobalanops Camphor a, Gaertn " Kapur Barus". The oil of 

 Camphor is produced in hollows of this tree, as also is solid camphor. 

 It is a turpentine known as borneol and appears to have much the 

 same effect as spirits of turpentine. It is obtained in Borneo, Suma- 

 tra, Johor and Selangor. The oil which is very expensive is valued 

 much as a liniment for rheumatism. 



Melaleuca leucadendron (Myrtaceae) Gelam. Kajuput oil is used 

 for rheumatism as it is everywhere. The tree is very common in 



