50 MALAY POISONS AND CHABM CURES 



cold water ; but she subsequently admitted that this 

 magic diluent was of no value without a powerful 

 incantation on the part of the homor. It is curious 

 that such an immaterial specific should be credited with 

 such potency. 



Another curious charm used in Kelantan by the 

 credulous is a metal bowl {haiil azimat). It is moulded 

 in brass, about the size of a small pudding basiu and 

 somewhat similar in shape, but a central knob, like a 

 boss of a miniature buckler, projects inwards from the 

 bottom of it ; this knob, as well as the whole bowl, is 

 covered with symbols and texts from the Koran, cut 

 with a file on the inside and on the outside, as well as 

 on the rim of the bowl. The batil azimai is rare in 

 Kelantan and is much prized by Kelantan Malays. It 

 is placed in a water jar and the water is given to a 

 patient, especially a sick child, to drink, or to bathe in ; 

 or water is put into the bowl itself and the charmed 

 water from it is taken internally, Nik Woh, a Kelantan 

 woman of good family living at Kampong Banggor, 

 told me that she derives much comfort from tliis 

 enchanted water whenever she happens to be feehng 

 out of sorts. Nik Woh is the fortunate possessor of 

 a hatil azimai that has been in hei' family for generations 

 and was originally brought fi-om Mecca. At Mecca 

 these brass bowls are merely used as drinking cups for 

 cliildren who are being taught the Koran ; the bowl 

 itself is made in Persia, where it can be bought for a 

 trifling sum of money. 



At times the ministrations of a hormr smack of artful 

 trickery. This happens when medicinal rubbing is 

 resorted to in certain cases of iUness : the patient is 

 rubbed with a round stone, an egg, or a ball of dough 

 made of rice, for three consecutive mornings, suitable 

 charms being repeated each morning. A fee of one 



