146 MALAY POISONS AND CHABM CUBES 



distributed in tropical Asia, America, and Africa. Like 

 the coral tree (Jatropha multifera — Eupliorbiaceas), it 

 differs from other plants of this natural order by having 

 a flower with a corolla. The botany is described in 

 detail by Kirtikar and Basu (Kef. 15). The cMngkian 

 fruit, a somewhat ovate and obtusely trigonous cap- 

 sule about the size of the hazel nut, j to 1 inch long, 

 contains three seeds, each about ^ to § inch long, and 

 flattened ovoid in shape, dark reddish-brown when fresh, 

 brownish-black or greyish-brown when old, each weigh- 

 ing about 4 grains. It consists of a thin dark 

 brittle shell, with an oily kernel of pale yellowish- white 

 albumin ; the dark brittle shell is covered externally 

 with a thin white membrane in its fresh state. The 

 seeds of Croton Tighum are readily attacked by moulds 

 in moist chmates. They somewhat resemble the 

 smaller variety of castor-oil beans, but are without 

 beautiful marbled patterns. . 



Croton oil is not expressed from the seeds by Malays, 

 but the fruits are used by them and given in water to 

 those against whom they bear a grudge. In an example 

 which occurred in Kelantan a villager was celebrating 

 the circumcision of his son and called two parties of 

 bandsmen to play at the ceremony. Kivalry started 

 and ended in a challenge to a display of eificiency. The 

 losers, in their anger, boiled some cMngkian fruit in 

 water, some of which they succeeded in adding to 

 refreshments given to their rivals, with the result that 

 the winning party had to cancel all their engagements 

 for three days. CMngkian is sometimes put into wells ; 

 the dried fruit of the shrub is so used, but seldom with 

 a view to cause death. The fruits ar^ employed by 

 Bayaks in Borneo to poison fish. The root of the plant 

 is used in Kelantan as an abortifacient ; it is boiled in 

 water and the decoction swallowed from time to time. 



