232 MALAY POISONS AND CHARM CUBES 



has already been made (see p. 4) ; the late Dato* Lela 

 Derja of Kota Bharu told me that the procedure was as 

 follows : " The poison and honey are smeared on the 

 under surface of a knife, which is then used for dividing 

 a water-melon. The ci-iminal, eating and sharing the 

 melon with his victim, is careful to take the part of the 

 fruit remote from the poisoned side of the blade as his 

 own share of the meal." Any long-bladed knife that is 

 used in the larder is sharpened to a fine edge ; one side of 

 the blade is then smeared every day with cyanide of 

 potassium dissolved in honey for tliree days prior to the 

 day on which the murder is to be committed. On the 

 appointed day the water-melon is cut longitudinally into 

 two halves and the rind of one half trimmed in the usual 

 way, except that the poisoned surface of the knife is 

 held inwards^ ix,, towards the fruit : this half of the 

 fruit is next cut into blocks of conventional size for 

 eating ; but, in cutting, the poisoned side of the blade 

 is held towards the part of the fruit which is offered to 

 the victim, the trimmed rind serving as a convenient 

 dish or cod tain er. The poisoner then proceeds to 

 prepare his half of the water-melon, but is careful to 

 keep the poisoned side of the blade away from the fruit, 

 ix.f towards the rind, thus ensuring his own safety. 

 Water-melons are common throughout the Malay 

 States ; five grains of cyanide of potassium constitute 

 a fatal dose. Two and a half grains have caused death. 

 In a highly purified state this poisonous compound con- 

 tains from 96 to 70 per cent., seldom less than 40 per 

 cent., of prussic acid. 



Cyanide of potassium is recognised by Malays as a 

 deadly poison under the name of potas ; sometimes it is 

 said to be mixed with opium and datura for internal 

 administration ; for instance, powdered seeds of the 

 *' black datura, cyanide of potassium, and opium 



