BETEL LEAr. — ARECA PALM. 



57-7 



A. Cocculus of Wright and Arnot, and Cocculus suherosus of De- 

 caiidolle. It is a strong climbing shrub or tree, native of Mala- 

 bar, Ceylon, and the Eastern Islands. The seeds or drupes con- 

 tain a bitter poisouous acid, and are used for the purpose of 

 stupefying fish, and, in the form of a black extract, for fraudulently 

 increasing the intoxicating power of malt liquors ; one pound of 

 the berries, it is said, will go as far in brewing as a sack of malt. 

 The berry is kidney-shaped, with a white kernel. Whilst the 

 imports in 1846 were but 246 bags, in 1850 they had increased 

 to 2,359 bags of about 1 cwt. each. The price is 19s. to 24s. 

 the cwt, 



A crystalline, poisonous, narcotic principle called picrotoxin, has 

 been detected in these seeds, and occasionally employed externally 

 in some cutaiieous diseases. Cocculus crispus is used in inter- 

 niitteiit ffvers and liver complaints. 



TiiG annual imports now average 250 tons, and nearly the 

 whole is consumed for illegal purposes by brewers. Though the 

 practice is nominally discountenanced by the Legislature under 

 the penalty of £200 upon the brewer and £500 upon the seller, 

 yet under the recent tariff great encouragement is given to the 

 introduction of these berries, the duty having been reduced from 

 7s. 6d. to 53. the cwt. 



The capsules and seeds of Xantlioxylum hostile are also em- 

 ployed for the same purpose as cocculus indicus. The bark of 

 JValseria piscidia, a native of the Circar mountains, also intoxicates 

 fish. 



About 250 tons of Xux vomica, another species of dried flat 

 seed possessing intoxicating properties, are also imported annually 

 for the same purposes, and they fetch ab:>ut 63. to 83. the cwt. 



Betel leaf. — Piper Betel, a scandent species of the shrubby 

 evergreen tribe of plants belonging to the pepper family, fur- 

 nishes the celebrated betel leaf of the Southern Asiatics, in which 

 they enclose a few slices of the areca nut and a little shell lime ; 

 this they chew to sweeten the breath, and to keep off the pangs 

 of hunger, and it acts also as a narcotic. 



Such is the immense consumption of this masticatory, terraed 

 Pan, in the East, that it forms nearly as extensive an article of 

 commerce as that of tobacco in the West. The tax on the leaf 

 forms a considerable portion of the local revenue of Pinang ; in 

 1805, the tax yielded as much as 5,400 dollars. 



Bumphius describes six species of this vine, besides several 

 wild and cultivated varieties. It is very easily reared in the 

 Indian islands, but in the countries of the Deccan requires 

 manuring, frequent watering and great care, and in the northern, 

 parts of Hindostan it becomes an exotic very difficult to rear. 

 The vine affords leaves fit for use in the second year, and con- 

 tinues to yield for more than thirty, the quantity diminishing as 

 the plants grow older. 



Abeca palm (^Acacia Catechu). — This is a fine, slender, grace- 

 ful tree, rising from 20 to 30 feet high, which, being a native of 



2 p 



