240 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1889. 
Western Provinces.* The Hemidesmus Indicus 
(Nauvarc) is a common weed. This plant is con- 
sidered by the faculty to be even superior to Jamaica 
Sarsaparilla, of which it has the exact scent and 
flavor, and whereas that ranges in value from 2s 
to 3s per lb., any quantity of the Ceylon drug could 
be gathered for a penny a pound. The root of the 
Sanseviera is an excellent substitute for Ipecacuanha. 
The Margosa oil is one of the very best application 
for ulcers, and the virtues of Croton and Castor 
oils are well known. Under the head of tanning 
substances I have described a number of astringents 
which would prove of great utility for medical 
purposes. 
The Singhalese have a great number of medical 
agents in usw, the value of which is either unknown 
to, or whollj neglected by European men of science. 
Xfiey possess undoubted antidotes for snakebites, 
many remedies for fever, and there is every reason 
to believe that the terrible malady, hydrophobia 
is within reach of their curative powers. 1 have 
taken great pains to ascertain the foundation for 
this belief, which is universal among the people, and 
was obliged to acquiesce in the common opinion, 
always bearing in mind that there is great diffi- 
culty in finding out whether persons bitten by dogs, 
labouring under supposed rabies, have really taken 
the deadly poison into their system. Trie instances 
of reported cure are scattered over the whole 
country inhabited by Singhalese. The Tamils 
never pretend to a knowledge of the remedy. The 
symptons produced by administration of the 
medicine are always described in nearly the same 
words, and 1 nave found a constant agreement in 
the statement, that although, a cure is certain, at 
any period between the occurrence of the bite and 
the day when hydrophobia makes its appearance, 
the remedy is wnoily powerless in that last stage of 
the disorder. The patient when taken in hand in 
good time, has a preparation given to him which 
induces delirium with all the signs that follow the 
administration of Stramonium (Datura), and it is 
certain that this poweiful drug forms part of the 
medicine given, and if I might venture to hint a 
belief on the subject it would be that the Datura 
is the real curative agent. I could say much in 
support of this theory, but reitain from doing so, 
as no opinion can have any possible weight in the 
maiter, and one is entitled to beiieve, tnat enough 
has been said already, to call the attention of 
scientific persons to the consideration of it. 
There is a tree growing in the Patchelapu.il a 
district, in the Northern Province, the Tamil name 
of which is Elamtioreka, literally translated " bone- 
setter." Tne medicinal properties reside in the 
bark, and the native doctors are accustomede to 
apply the pounded drug in the shape of poultic to 
a broken limb, for the space of about twenty minutes, 
or as they calculate for the time a pot of rice takes 
to boil, when it is removed and the limb bound up 
in the confident expectation that the several parts 
will unite without further trouble. Fabulous stories 
are told, as a matter of course, of the virtues of this 
remedy, but a case came under my own observation 
which may as well be stated. A Singhalese, aged 
about fifty, was brought to Mr. Simon Oasie Chitty, 
late Judge of Chiiaw, having been picked up on the 
roadside where he was left by robbers. 1'hey had 
beaten him with sticks until nis arm was smashed 
from shoulder to wrist, and the Judge was for calling 
in at once the Sub-Assistant Surgeon, but the 
men declined the offer with somewnat of scorn. Me 
was, he said, a Vederale (doctor) himself and 
* The price of nux vomica now in the home market 
is from i)a to 11a per cwt.— Be. 
could set his arm to right. 1'ortuuately for him 
ther^ happened to be aeoliury Elamboreka tree in 
the jail compound, and be had the bark of it applied 
in the manner above detailed. It seemed impossible 
that he could escape amputation, but two months 
afterwards he was in the field, superintending his 
laborers, with a sound and apparently strong limb. 
For the truth of this statement I can vouch, having 
seen the battered arm, and also seen the man after 
recovery. 
The Coccinium Frustratum (beniwelle) is a creeper 
which grows in vast abundance in the Western and 
Central Provinces, is an excellent febrifuge, and was 
warmly recommended as such by the late Dr. 
Elliott. As a bitter tonic it is serviceable and 
pleasant, and could be converted into an extract for 
the smallest trifle of cost. But there are so many 
medicinal substances worth enquiry and analysis, 
that it is idle to attempt to enumerate them. 
W ere the Government to engage a competent person 
to report upon them, they would do great service to 
the colony, and perhaps even to mankind at large. 

OrL of Eucalyptus. — A correspondent writes : — " Mr. 
S. G. Wallace, of ' West End,' Ootacamund, has tor 
some time past been engaged in conducting a series of 
experiments with the oil of eucalyptus. The oil is ex- 
tracted from the eucalyptus globulus which grows 
luxuriantly on the Neilgherry Hills, and is said to pos- 
sess great medicinal virtues. It is largely used in some 
of the hill tracts in Northern India, and is gradually 
coming into use in Southern India. It is specially 
effective in cases of rheumatism, bronchitis, &c, and is 
a good deodorant and disinfectant. The experiments 
made with it by Mr. Wallace have been attended 
with very considerable success, and the oil is said 
to have effected some marvellous cures in cases of 
chronic dysentery. The oil has a pleasant taste and 
odour, and is a powerful tonic. Mr. Wallace's labours 
in this matter are deserving of encouragement." — 
Madras Mail, 29th August. 
ALaege Beautiful Locust was sent to us a 
few days ago from " the field " by Mr. Scott Barber, 
who says he has never seen one before in Ceylon. 
Mr. Staniforth Green at once identifies it as No. 23 
(Phymateus punctatus) in our edition of " Nietner's 
Enemies of the Coffee Tree. 1 ' We quote as follows : — 
This is the large, well-known, beautiful loctiat with 
the scarlet abdomen, yellow and bronze above, which 
seems to attack all agricultural produce that comes 
it its way. It does not habitually attack the coffee 
tree, but does so occasionally, and I speak from ex- 
perience when I state that its ravages are very annoy- 
ing. A swarm of them settled upon a field of one year 
old coffee and gnawed the bark off the stems. The 
consequence Was that the growth of the tree was 
checked in the upper part, and that a multitude of 
unsightly shoots were thrown out by the lower ; even- 
tually the top broke off, or was cue off, aua the tree 
remained disfigured for the rest of its existence. There 
wtre at least fifteen per cent of the trees thus in- 
jured. I remember seeing a coconut plantation at 
Negombo infested with these locusts, the enormous 
leaves of the trees bending under their weight, and 
presented mere skeletons— everything but the ribs hav- 
ing been devoured. A great many of the locusts had 
dropped off upon the illook-grass (Sacch. Koenigii 
Reitz) which grew beneath, but they would not touch 
this. In fact, I have never seen them to eat any but 
cultivated plants or trees. At TaogaUa I have known 
them to destroy tobacco plantations ; and a couple of 
years ago I was addressed by the Government Agent, 
Kandy, with reference to the injury the grain crops 
of the natives in Matale were then suffering from these 
locusts. Fortunately, this seems the only species of 
locust that does any real injury in Ceylon, and this 
injury is in importance not to be compared with that 
tone by other species in other countries.— See Kir by 
and Spence's Introd. to Eut. for details on this sub- 
ject. The larvae and pupse are equally destructive as 
the perfect insects. 
