POISONS FROM JUNGLE PLANTS 165 



ing for its whole length. Peduncle an inch long, stout. 

 Spathe 6 to 16 inches long, nearly 2 inches through, dull 

 green, cylindriCj cuspidate. Spadix yellowish-white, 

 10 inches long. Flowers J inch across, very narrow, 

 rhomboid, longer than broad. Stamens white filaments, 

 broad. Stigma, linear depressed grey" (Ref. 20). 

 Eengut has a spike of green flowers wrapped in a large 

 spathe, arranged together like the corn-cob or head of 

 maize. The liquid contained in the spathe of flowers 

 is very irritating to the skin ; minute transparent 

 crystals abound in the spadices, which are used, as 

 referred to under section The Upas Tbee, by the 

 Pangan Negritos as part of a poison for arrows and darts. 

 The rengut plant is common in the jungle all over the 

 Malay Peninsula. 



Poisonous Properties.— When the fi'uit decays the 

 softer tissues perish, hberating an innumerable number 

 of bast cells from the wall of the carpel of the flower ; 

 these look hke fine, sharply-pointed hairs, and under the 

 microscope masses of needle-shaped crystals may be 

 seen among them. Malays call the fruit hnah remjid, 

 and it is known by them to be very irritant. Budh 

 rengut is a common ingredient in many Malay poisons : 

 the chemical properties have not yet been determined ; 

 but as so many plant crystals are composed of oxalate 

 of calcium, some authors have asserted that the irritant 

 action of these octrahedral crystals when administered 

 internally may depend upon oxalic acid liberated by the 

 action of the gastric juice. The shape of buah rengut 

 crystals would, however, disprove this supposition. 

 When taken internally rengut is said to cause distension 

 of the abdomen amounting to dropsy, followed by 

 cough and emaciation, and terminating with intestinal 

 haemorrhage* In 1912 a well at Tabal, a small fishing 

 village on the sea- coast of Kelantan, was poisoned with 



