202 MALAY POISONS AND CHAEM CUBES 



to four domestic fowls without result. When dry the 

 seeds are often cooked and eaten by Malays. They are 

 known as kluak in the Singapore market, and are sold 

 in Java under the same name. Oil expressed from 

 sun-dried seeds is often used as an article of food 

 in the Ulu or uplands of Pahang and in the " up- 

 country*' villages of Kelantan, but is said to cause 

 diaiThoea. 



The toxic properties of Pangimn edule have been 

 investigated by Greshoff; they are contained in a 

 cyanogenetic glucoside, which on hydrolysis by certain 

 enzymes or mineral acids yields hydrocyanic (prussic) 

 acid and other substances. Other genera of the same 

 order (Bixaceae) have oily seeds, and three of these are 

 used medicinally in the treatment of leprosy — viz., 

 Taraktogenos (syn. Hydnocarpus), kurzii of Burma and 

 Assam, from which the true chalmoogra oil is obtained, 

 and H, wightiana and H. anthelmintica, both with very 

 similar physical and chemical properties. They have 

 been used externally in India for various skin diseases, 

 and internally in small doses, wliich may be increased 

 gradually until nausea results. Hydnocarpus inebrians, 

 VahJ., is used as a substitute in Southern India and 

 Gynoeardia odorada, Roxb., in Northern India, though 

 its oil is entirely difl'erent from those of the Hydnocarpus 

 series. Taken incautiously, serious results seem to 

 follow on the swallowing of oils from many plants of 

 these genera: H. venenata, Gsertn., gets its name in 

 consequence. As another instance to the point, it may 

 be cited that a species of Hydnocarpus, probably 

 H. wightiana, Bl., caused poisonirtgin Germany towards 

 the close of 1910; the oil, imported from Bombay, 

 had been used in the manufactm^e of margarine. These 

 oils contain physiologically active substances called 

 chalmoogric and hydnocarpic acids, which cause iiTita- 



