116 MALAY POISONS AND CHABM CUBES 



ment of ikan bwnfal bite ; these are rolled with chalk or 

 lime in the palms of the hands until the lime has taken 

 up the juice. The mass is then applied to the wound. 



Poisoning by tetrodon {fugu or foitgoic in Japan ; 

 iinga-tinga or hotete in the Pliilippines) is common in 

 Japan, where there are five poisonous species. Accord- 

 ing to Scheube (Japan) and Seale (Philippines) symp- 

 toms of poisoning begin in three to fifteen minutes after 

 eating, causing unpleasant dizziness and nausea, pains 

 in the abdomen, burning in the throat, and severe 

 headache. If the \dctim yields to liis inclination and 

 lies down and sleeps, he is soon roused by vomiting, 

 followed by fainting, collapse and death. The mor- 

 tality is said to be above 68 per cent., but the symptoms 

 may vary in severity in those who have partaken of the 

 same fish. Death may occur within twenty-four hours. 

 In Japan the globe-fish is said to be used for suicidal 

 purposes. Cases of poisoning and deaths from eating 

 globe-fish have been reported from the West Coast of 

 Africa, the Cape, Japan, Australia, Cahfornia, the 

 Antilles and Brazil. In some places (Batavia) the sale 

 is prohibited (Eef. 10), 



According to Tabara, the poisons of the ovaries and 

 testes are " tetrodonin/' a crystalline base, and " tetro- 

 donic acid," a white waxy body, which is the more 

 poisonous of the two .principles. These poisons have 

 been studied by several other Japanese investigators 

 and have been extracted recently from the eggs by 

 Ishihara. In its pure precipitated form (** tetrodonin ") 

 the active principle is described by him as a white 

 powder, neutral in reaction, tasteless, soluble in water, 

 very resistant to mineral acids, and readily reducing 

 solutions of copper. The poison of the globe-fish 

 withstands boiling for four hom's, but gives way after 

 six to nine hours ; ordinary cooking does not make the 



