MALAY POISONS AND 

 CHARM CURES 



CHAPTER I 



METHODS OF POISONING AND MALAY 

 CHAEMS IN GENERAL 



MuBDER is commonly accompliBhed by Malays in a 

 fit of passion or blind jealousy by stabbing with the 

 national weapon, the kris {Mris ; a dagger, the creese), 

 with a spear, or by slashing with the narrow-bladed 

 Malay chopper, as well as by the more dehberate use of 

 firearms, Malays are not a timid people, and although 

 in India secret poisoning became one of the most 

 prominent, if not the most prevalent, of Court atrocities 

 under Mussulman rule, the Muhammadan Malay, as a 

 general rule, attempts vengeance by means of poison 

 when he is bearing a grudge and brooding, and when 

 violent or other measures appear to him to be too 

 dangerous or too uncertain. Various poisons obtained 

 from the animal and vegetable kingdoms are used in a 

 variety of ways. Very often when jealousy or malice 

 inspires him, the intention is merely to cause annoyance 

 or injury less serious than death. With this object in 

 view, poison is fi'equently put into wells and water 

 jars. Malay women are generally held to be the 

 accredited agents, at any rate in many cases of poison- 

 ing, because, naturally, the cooking is left almost 

 entirely to them. 



Ml*. 1 . 



