194 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XII. 



NOTES. 



1 The Vaidiyalanhara, also a well-known medical authority, gives the 

 following particulars : — One sana = 15 madeta ; 60 madeta == 3 kalan ; 

 12 kalan == a large palam or mita ; 48 kalan or 4 mita = one kuduba or 

 pata ; 4 times above = 16 palam or pretsa or nelliya; 4 times above = 256 

 palam; 256 palam = 2 thula ; 56 palam or 5 drona = one timba ; 4 times 

 above = 1,024 palam or 10 thulas or 24 palam = one waha or 10 lahas. 



2 This is the seed of the madatiya (Adenanthera paoonina, L. 

 Leguminosse). The seed is used for weighing medicines as well as 

 precious metals. The tree grows in " the warmer parts of the Island. It 

 attains to large dimensions, and has few branches. The bark appears to 

 be of a scaly nature with indentations all throughout. The leaves are 

 compound (pinnate), and are of a light green colour. Like most of the 

 leguminaceous trees, the leaves close towards sunset and return to their 

 natural position at daybreak. The flowers are borne in clusters, and they 

 are of a whitish colour, especially the stamens, while the calyces are green. 

 The pods are from 3 to 4 inches long, and curved to a slight extent. Five 

 to six seeds are found embedded in a somewhat leathery pulp. The seeds 

 are round, convex on both sides, and of a bright red colour. When fresh they 

 are soft, but the dry seeds are hard with a glared appearance. The seeds 

 are sometimes roasted and eaten. The roasted seeds are sold in the market, 

 but are considered to be heating, producing, as is popularly believed, a 

 defect in the hearing powers of those who eat them. In India it is said 

 that the dry seeds are worn as ornaments, made into necklets and bracelets. 

 The tree yields a good light-grained timber used for building purposes. 

 The leaves and bark are locally used for external application in cases of 

 swellings and sprains, and the leaves are said to possess a peculiar property 

 of extracting poison caused by snake-bites." — (W. A. D. S. in The Magazine 

 of the School of Agriculture, vol. II., No. 4, p. 29.) 



3 Eight palams are given as equal to a rdttala, or pound. Dealers in 

 medicinal ingredients, in compounding a prescription, weigh the required 

 ingredients according to the above tables, but in selling the ingredients 

 they adopt the avoirdupois weight. 



4 Cf. the Tamil table of weights :— 



1 grain of paddy == visam 



2 visam = pilavu 



2 pilavu = kunti(seed of the 



wild licorice) 

 2 kunti = manjadi 



20 manjadi = kalanchu 



2 kalanchu 

 4 kaisa 

 100 palam 

 2 nirai 

 32 tulam 



= kaisa 

 = palam 

 = nirai 

 = tulam 

 — param 



(Orientalist, vol. III., parts 7 and 8, p. 144.) 



5 Cf . " carat, " which is probably derived from the name of a bean, the fruit 

 of a species of Erythina, which grows in Africa. The tree which yields 

 this fruit is called by the natives " kuara " i(sun), and both blossom and 

 fruit are of a golden colour. The bean or fruit, when dried, is nearly 



