132 MALAY POISONS AND CHARM CURES 



depositing crystals of Cantharidin when acidified. 

 Gently warmed with sulphuric acid it yields a colourless 

 solution, from which it is separated unchanged when 

 freely diluted with toai&r" Cantharidin gives a green 

 precipitate with copper sulphate, and a red precipitate 

 with cobalt sulphate. It can be recovered from alka- 

 line fluids by acidulation, shaking out with chloroform, 

 and digesting with a few drops of oil, after evaporation 

 of the chloroform, then testing for vesication by contact 

 with the skin. From a medico-legal aspect it is well to 

 remember, also, that when these beetles undergo pulre^ 

 faction the elytra or fore-wings resist the process of 

 decay for a very long time, and this is specially the case 

 with the red species, in wliich the elytra are more densely 

 ehitinised. Hence specks of powdered clendang may be 

 detected on the lining of the stomach or intestines by 

 the aid of a lens many months after death has occurred. 



LAND -BUGS 



The Bug KSsing.~A dull-grey coloured land-bug 

 called kesing (Rhynchota), with long four- jointed 

 antennae and an unpleasant sickly smell, is said to be 

 used as a poison in the country districts of Northern 

 Kelantan. Specimens sent from Kota Bharu were 

 • identified by Major J. C. Moulton, Dii-ector of Raffles' 

 Museum, Singapore, as Acanthocoris scabrator, Fab., 

 belonging to the family Coreidse. As a native poison 

 kising is combmed with the pill-millepede, with telong, 

 a small dark-red millepede as yet unidentified, and with 

 the gall of the horned' toad-frog. These are carefully 

 dried and reduced to powder. The mixture is said to 

 cause general emaciation and death. 



GRASSHOPPERS 

 The Grasshopper P€san. — The pesan, as found in 

 Kelantan, has been allocated by Colonel A. Alcock, 



