POISONS OF VEGETABLE ORIGIN 197 



ThymelfieacesB, identified botanically by BirkiD as 

 Wikstrcemia Ridleyi from a specimen sent to him from 

 Kelantan. Height about 4 or 5 feet ; leaves glabrous, 

 dark green, oblong-lanceolate, sub-opposite, 2 to 3|- 

 inches long ; flowers few, perianth greenish-yellow. 

 Fruit scarlet when ripe, ovoid, J to J inch long. Both 

 the root and the berries are said to be toxic : the latter 

 are sometimes mixed with food and given as a poison 

 in Kelantan. Depu felandoh is closely allied to the 

 W. Indica, C. A. Mey, found in China, Mauritius, and the 

 Philippines. 



Use as a Medicine. — The medicinal properties are 

 similar to those of Daphne Mezereon. It is used by 

 the bomor as a medicine : the leaves possess pow^erful 

 purgative properties, and one or two of them constitute 

 a full medicmal dose. They are ground up, mixed with 

 a little boiled rice and turmeric, and given by the mouth. 

 The bark is given in a composite drink for small-pox ; 

 it is also used in the treatment of boils when pounded 

 and mixed with boiled rice and turmeric as a poultice. 

 In Kelantan the bark is also used for poisoning river 

 fish ; it is ground up, mixed with fine bamboo haii'S and 

 decayed copra (the dried kernel of the coco-nut), and 

 then thi'own into the water to stupefy fishes. Greshoff 

 also records that two or tlnree of its alhes are poisonous 

 to fish in Java {Hef. 9, Vol. X., p. 121). 



GADONG 



Gadong belongs to the Yam family, and affords the 

 large tuberous acrid roots wiiich are called isi gadong 

 in Malay. It is Dioscorea triphylla. Lam. — Diosco- 

 reacesB, with the synonyms D. daemona, Roxb., 

 generally used by English botanists, and D. hirsuta, 

 Blume, by Dutch and German botanists : it is a 

 twining plant found wild, but generally cultivated. 



