POISONS FROM JUNGLE PLANTS 153 



is G. coardata, a very abundant bushy tree which grows 

 near tidal waters, and is easily recognised by the bright 

 red colour of the young leaves and by the pecuhar 

 appearance of the fruit. The fruits, like those of the 

 jitong tree, are yellomsh-brown in colour, warty and 

 irregular in shape ; they contain a black juice which is 

 very irritating to the skin. Another similar tree with 

 a red wood, G, Wraj'i, also has a bad reputation ; it is 

 known to Selangor Malays as foliun kerhau jalang, or 

 the " wild buffalo tree." 



Cases of accidental poisoning by the fresh juice of 

 G, benghas have occurred among native gardeners 

 trimming the trees and wood-cutters splitting logs for 

 domestic use. They have been reported by Bidley 

 from the Botanic Gardens, Singapore : the effects are 

 similar to those described under section Eengas. 

 Malays say that the pustular skin lesions caused by 

 jiiong and ringas are almost as harmful as those caused 

 by the bristles of the hairy sea- worm, ulat bulu laut 

 (Cliloia flava). As a vindictive poison the vsap of the 

 tree {geiah jitmig) is mixed vdih the sette of the bristle- 

 bearing w^orm, together with plant crystals from the 

 decayed fruit of rengut, and then smeared on the wearing 

 apparel or sleeping mat of the victim. Greshoff says 

 that the juice of jiimi^ is used on the island of Siau, in 

 the Malay Archipelago, as an arrow poison, and that 

 man may be killed by partaking of the finely powdered 

 bark and root in water. 



KACHANG BULU RIMAU 

 In June, 1913, a Kelantan police exhibit consisted of 

 some rice cooked with a pickled vegetable called maman 

 (Gyandropsis pentaphylla, D.C. — ^Capparidacege) and a 

 quantity of fine woolly hairs scraped from the pod of an 

 edible bean called the tiger-hair bean " (kackang bulu 



