POISONS OF VEGETABLE OBIGIN 205 



shrivelled, forming the black pepper of commerce when 

 ground into powder. White pepper is prepared from 

 pepper-corns by soaking them in water to aid the removal 

 of the dark outer covers. Ground pepper is mixed with. 

 quicklime by Malay gang-robbers in order to bUnd or 

 disconcert their pursuers. 



PINANG (Areca-nut) 



The feather-leaved finang palm (Areca Catechu, 

 Linn,— Palmse) is a native of Malaya and is extensively 

 cultivated. It is straight'Stemmed, slender and grace- 

 ful, and has been poetically described as " an arrow 

 dropped from heaven." The green fruit of the areca- 

 nut palm in its unripe state is sometimes used as a 

 poison in combination with opiupa [ckandn). A Malay 

 criminal may also attempt to poison his victim during 

 the process of betel-chewing, as referred to under 

 section Snakes. The practice of betel-chewing is well 

 described by Marsden (Ref. 14) : " All the prepara- 

 tion consists in spreading on the sireh (betel-vine) leaf, 

 a small quantity of the chunam (prepared lime used in 

 the betel quid), and folding it up with a shce of the 

 pinang nut. Some mix with these gambier, which is a 

 substance prepared from the leaves of a tree of that 

 name, by boiling theii' juices to a consistence, and made 

 up into little balls or squares, as before spoken of ; 

 tobacco is hkewise added, which is shred fine for the 

 purpose, and carried between the hp and upper row of 

 teeth. From the mastication of the first three, there 

 proceeds a juice which tinges the saHva of a bright red, 

 and which the leaf and nut, without the chunam, will 

 not yield. This hue being communicated to the mouth 

 and lips is esteemed ornamental ; and an agi-eeable 

 flavour is imparted to the breath. Along with the betel, 

 and generally in the cliuman, is the mode of conveyiag 



