POISONS FEOM JUNGLE PLANTS 159 



part of likir juice in the mixture will make a poison 

 strong enough to kill a rhinoceros or a tiger ; but, 

 according to Wray, likir only causes a local irritation 

 ■which hinders wounded animals from escaping before 

 the poison has had time to act. 



THE LANGKAP PALM 



Juice obtained from the fruit of the large langkap 

 palm (Arenga Westerbouti, Griff, — Palmse) is used by 

 Malays to poison their enemies. The pulpy part of the 

 fruit is boiled and crushed, and the juice, after straining, 

 is administered in coffee. It is said to cause dyspnoea 

 and restlessness. Madinier, quoted by Greshofl' (Eef . 1 1 , 

 Vol. X,, p. 153), says that the ripe langkap fruit is an 

 k'ritant to the mucous membranes. It causes an acute 

 swelling of the mouth and fauces when taken internally, 

 and this probably is due to the mechanical irritation of 

 needle crystals. In the Philippines it is used by the 

 Tagelo for poisoning fish. Ridley, however, says that 

 the pith of the langkap palm is eaten by Malays in 

 curries. Tliis palm tree is well distributed in the Malay 

 Peninsula, and may be abundant in some places on dry 

 wooded hills. It grows to a height of from 16 to 30 feet ; 

 the trunk attains 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The fruit 

 is oblong, depressed at the top, 2 inches long and 

 inches through, yellowish green and black in 

 colour. The juice of kabong or berkat, the sugar palm 

 (Arenga saccharifera, LabilL — Palmae), is said to be used 

 as a poison in the same way as langkap. It is a large 

 palm about 20 to 30 feet tall and 12 inches through or 

 more, remarkable for its stout black fibres, which are 

 knoT.vn in England as vegetable horsehair." Accord- 

 ing to Eidley the fruits of kahong are made into 

 sweetmeats. 



