CHAPTER VI 



POISONS OBTAINED BY MALAYS PROM FISH 

 CAT-FISH 



The Ikan K^U, — Curious scaleless fish known as 

 cat-fish are very commonly found groping their way 

 about in the mud of padi swamps throughout the Malay 

 Peninsula. Maxwell says : Members of the family may 

 be found in swamps, pools and roadside drains and 

 many of the fresh water varieties will make considerable 

 journeys overland to find new pools or streams. They 

 are found in all our rivers and most species may be 

 'caught miles out at sea " (Ref. 8). Many of the cat-fish 

 (Saccobranchus) have a breathing sac by means of which 

 they can remain alive apart from water for a certain 

 length of time ; some, such as the Bagarius yarrelli of 

 Java, may exceed 6 feet in length, and are among the 

 ugliest fishes in existence. 



The ikan Mli (Clarias magur, Dunker and Rowell ; 

 C, batrachus, Max Weber and de Beauf ort^ — Siluridse) is 

 a source of poison among Kelantan Malays : the gall 

 and the sHme from its skin are said to be combined with 

 datura, opium, and Indian hemp for internal adnnnis- 

 tration. This particular fish, reputed to be the least 

 poisonous of the Malay Silurid®, has an evil reputation 

 like the peacock, as it is held to be unclean, and some 

 Malays will not eat it. It is, however, quite commonly 

 cooked and used as food tlu'oughout Kelantan, Young 

 ones are kept for years in glass bottles as pets by 

 Chinese. 



Poisoned wounds may be caused by the slender 



