70 MALAY POISONS AND CHAEM CUBES 



has under liis controL His faith seems to cure by 

 imparting a similar faith to the sick man. Supplication 

 and propitiation play an important part in main peterit 

 and the formulas used are of as great importance as were 

 those of Babylonian- Assyrian medicine, which was also 

 based on the theory that disease is due to the entry of a 

 demon into the sick man's body. 



Main peteri usually takes place at night in a room 

 specially decorated for the occasion with flowers, 

 especially the sweet-smeUing Indian jessamine {hunga 

 7mlor)f which is said to possess a special attraction for 

 spirits- A canopy of yellow or other cloth is put up 

 from which garlands and wreaths of various coloui'ed 

 flowers are suspended. The performance lasts from 

 dusk to dawn in a village, but ends in a town at 11 p.m., 

 in accordance with the terms of a Government " pass 

 issued by the poUce. An extension of time is allowed 

 by the chief pohce officer for the last night's performance. 

 A plate containing a Uttle cooked rice stained yellow 

 with turmeric, an egg, three small skeins of wliite thread, 

 a httle ground rice stained yellow with turmeric, betel 

 ready for the chewing, sis henderi of money (about 

 19 cents), and a candle made of bees-wax are suspended 

 in a swing support made of rattan, either from the 

 canopy or from the wall of the room. These offerings 

 are the pengeras gnru, or honorarium to the chief 

 performer, i.e., the To* bomor peteri. Another tray or 

 dish filled with the same tilings, but augmented by a 

 httle rice toasted in the husk and a pancake, together 

 with a cup of fi-esh water, is placed on a white mat under 

 the canopy. This is the Mnduri or sacrificial offering 

 to the spirits that are about to be called up. 



The chief actor is, of course, the homor piteri ; but he 

 is powerless without the support of his colleague, the 

 To' Mindok or Juru B^ah (the fiddler). The To' 



