112 MALAY POISONS AND CHABM CUBES 



quotes another in which a prick from P. anguillaris on 

 the finger caused pain like the sting of a hornet, lasting 

 for two hours (Ref. 10). 



Paraplotosus albilabritJ is described by Cantor; it 

 is about 6J inches in length, dangerous in a similar way 

 to the Synanceia. It is common in the sea and estuaries 

 of Penang : the dorsal spine is half the length of the 

 head, and only a little shorter than the first ray ; the 

 pectoral spines are more slender and slightly exceed half 

 the length of the head, Tliis fish cannot eject its venom 

 until the barbed spine is broken, because the poison 

 apparatus of the fins is entii-ely closed. When the fin 

 is erected the skin is stretched and the spine bursts 

 through. In this respect it is similar to the ikan 

 Shaiiafif or the Satan fish of Java, and differs from many 

 of those spiny dog-fish (Acanthopterygii) in which the 

 poison apparatus eommunicates with the exterior. A 

 toxin has been located by Kabeshima in small cystic 

 distensions of glands at the base of the spines in Plotosus 

 anguillaris ; he found two active principles — a " spas- 

 min " and a " haemolysin " ; the toxin is destroyed by 

 exposure to boiling and X-rays, and by gastric and 

 pancreatic digestion. The ikan semhilang does not 

 appear to be administered as a poison in Kelantan, but, 

 cm'iously enough, it is used as a cure for baldness 

 induced criminally (see section Tortoises and Snakes). 



' CARP 



A small fresh-water fish, the ikan siya, belonging' to 

 the carp tribe (Cyprinidae), genus Puntius, is used as a 

 poison by Kelantan Malays, It is said to be adminis- 

 tered internally in combination with the galls of globe- 

 fish (ikan huntal; Tetrodon sp.), and common toad 

 {katak puru ; Bufo melanostictus, Cantor — Bufonidae) 

 and the fresh sap of the upas tree {pokok ipoh ; Antiaris 



