January 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
499 
The Mysore Government Museum, Bangalore, is 
also under Mr. Cameron's supervision. It has a moat 
varied collection of products and antiquities of the 
country — coins, minerals, stones, fibres, rubbers, dyes, 
tanning agent", besides a number of gums and resins 
taken from troeB in tho Lai Bagh. Dr. Kirkpatrick 
has given a case of specimens illustrating the 
medicines used by tho "Nakocms," or native doctors 
of India, together with their uses and doses. 
Tho teaching of scientific chemistry is carried out 
at the Central College, and iu a few minor schools. 
The laboratory iu the former place has accommodation 
for about thirty students, where, for the matriculation 
or the Madras University, they undergo a course of 
practical work that has been denominated " test-tubing." 
For the F. A. (First in Arts) and B. A. degrees the 
pupils are instructed in elementary quantitative analysis. 
The laboratory, like those iu Madras, has the dis- 
advantage of having no gas, and the light, which 
is hen: accompanied by heat, is not liberally admitted ; 
iu other respects, with its teak counters, side benches, 
and water-supply, it is well appointed. 
Tho pharmacies ia Bangaloro aro hold mostly by 
Europeans, but Parsoes, Muhammadaus, and Hindus, 
who have obtained a certificate as "Chemist and 
Druggist," retail drugs and chemicals, and dispense 
medicines. The certificate is givon to those who attend 
a course of lectures in chemistry, pharmacy, botany, 
and materia modica duriug a curriculum lasting two 
years at some medical college, usually Madras, and 
who pass an examination at its close. Each pharmacy 
is well stocked with proprietary preparations, which 
aro well advertised in all Indian newspapers; the 
bottlos and drawers, forming so prominent a spect- 
acle in shops in England, aro here usually kept out 
of sight iu the dispensing department. Iu one store 
I noticed a stock of the flat Calisaya bark from 
South America, some gamboge from Siam, gum 
arabic from Konlofan, powdered opium aud " ext. 
caunab. iod.," obtained from a London wholesale 
house, but all of which could be obtained or prepared 
in the country. The oftioial Cinthona succi rubra is 
cultivated in South Mysore, and in tho neighbouring 
territories of the Nilgiris, Wynaad, andOoorg Garcinia 
Woretla and Acacia Arahica, both indigenous, yield, 
respectively a gum-resin and a clear gum quite equal 
to the Pharmacopeia characters aud tests; while 
opium in a very pure state can be purchased iu the 
bazaars. Tho British Pharmacoptoia of 1885 is now 
official all over" India ; the Indian Pharmacopeia of 
18C8, built upon tho BP. of 1807, although a useful 
compilation, is hardly commensuruted with tho present 
state of pharmacognosy. 
Tho manufacture of castor-oil is carried on exten- 
sively in the villages by the class (idnigas. Tho mill 
for crushing tho seeds and pressing tho oil is in the 
form of a largo stono pestle and mortar worked by 
bullocks. Two kinds of oil are made; the better is 
obtaiuud from small seeds, and is the kind used iu 
modicine; the inforior is pressed from large seeds, 
and is usod for lamps. Castor-cake is usually burnt 
as fuel, but is well adapted as a manure for ex- 
hausted soils. Of the other kinds of oil made gingelly 
or jesame oil, called "Woll cllu," from Se-iamum 
In !i, urn, is universally regarded as tho best. "Hippo," 
a fatty oil from the ripe kernels of Iia.-s^iu lonyi folia, 
is used in lamps burnt beforo gods, and tho cake acts 
a* a soap to wash oil out of tho hair of those who 
anoint themselves. "Houge" oil, from the seeds of 
!\> i mitt glabra, consumes very quickly when burnt ; 
it is employed as a remedy for rheumatism and for 
outAueout disossos. " Kobri " oil, or coconut oil, 
from tho kernel (" kobri ") of tho coconut, is a 
common illumiiiuut, and is often resorted to by the 
doctor and the oo.de. " Huch ollu," or " lUm-til," a 
thin oil from Clui-nti.i ifrra, is a lubricant for 
delicate machinery. 
Tim town of Seringapatam, so woll known for tho 
defeat of th» great Muhnmmadau "Tiger," Tippu 
Sultan, in 17'Jf, might bo considered more tho resort 
of tho historian or antiquarian than of tho chemiit ; 
but many objects of iutorest among tho ruins wore 
hero found aud made a uoto of. I ha I tho privilege 
of being conducted over the town by Mr. S. Busappah, 
the native apothecary in charge, an I the author of a 
" Guide to Seringapatam." As the guido was out of 
print, the alternative of the author's services was will- 
iugly accorded and as gratefully received. S ■riogipatam 
is an islaud on the river Oauvery, aud the inhabitants, 
exclusively native, find employment iu extensive paddy 
cultivation. It is considered to be very unhealthy, 
fevers and cholera often prevailing. Wuon occupied 
by tho British it did not appear to bo unsalubriom. 
The inhabitants attribute this to the destruction of 
the sweet flag (Acorua calamus), which formerly grew 
iu great profusion on the banks of the river, and 
was supposed to possess febrifugal properties. The 
palace, within the fort has now disappeared, with 
the exception of the rooms previously occupied by 
the servants of Tippu's harem, which are converted 
iuto a " sandal kote." 
The "Summer Palace," outside the fort, was 
decorated iu true Oriental style with semes of battle 
aud everyday lifo depicted on the wall, and most 
gau ly colours, red, yellow, purple, thrown together 
with the usual artistic taste. It does not seem to 
be generally known that the " false gilding," at one 
time largely used iu ornamenting this aud other 
palaces, was made from aloes. A country-made aloes, 
called "JIusambra," was boiled and mixed with some 
thick oil and gum. This paste was applied to pieces 
of paper cut in the shape of ilowers, and made to 
adhere to the wood work of the building. The 
"musambra" I have examined is a very impure 
article, but it contains a large quantity of orange- 
ooloured material which in thin strata would well 
imitate brass or goldware. 
A neglected tomple iu the fort showed a 11 Bruuda- 
vaua " within the outer court. This is a square 
brick structure built on a raised piece of ground upon 
which is planted the purple-stalked basil (Ocimu-m 
sanctum) or "Tulasi" of the natives ; it is preserved 
aud worshipped iu honour of Vishnu. These Brunda- 
vanas are occasionally seen outside the houses of 
high-caste Hindus. As the fragrant leaves of tolas 
(of the natural order Sibiataj; are saere 1 to Vishnu 
so the leives of the "Iiilpat i" ^HEjle mirmelos) are 
held iu veneration of Siva or Eiwara. The pipiw 
(Carica jiupuya), although a native of the West, has 
long been domesticated iu India. It has been used 
for years as an anthelmintic and emmeua^ogue, but 
the administration of the juice of the fruit as a 
"vegetable pepsin" is, even now, little known. -It is 
satisfactory to find the papaw tolerably abundant 
in these parts. What with the chupatties, the buff do 
steaks, the goat-mutton chops, aud the curried dishes 
the Anglo-Indian has at times to devour, the 
digestion very often stands iu need of artificial 
assistance, aud it is a source of comfort to kuow 
that such an effective remedy is at haud. 
The residents of Seringapatam place arrack aud 
toddy at a discount, as they take their narcotic like 
the Chinese, by fumigation. They meet together iu 
tho evenings and indulge in the soothing inlluenco 
of the ganj a-pipe. The ganja usod for smoking is 
tho dried loaves and stalks of the C&iinahis satica 
sometimes mixed with tobacco leaves. Other pre- 
parations of tho plant aro "white aud black inarjoon." 
The former is made by grinding the leaves of Indian 
hemp with milk aud adding sugar and spices; it is 
a mild preparation, aud is given to children. The 
latter is a stronger confection, used by adults, aud 
made with " jtggery," or country susiar. For odmiual 
purposes an extract is sweeteued with sugar aud 
flavoured with spices ; a piece of this about tho 
size of a pea is quite sufficient to render anyone 
uucouscious for several hours. The first effec's of 
ganja aro very exhilarating, aud afterwards sedative, 
or, as described to me by a native gentleman, "It 
wns first like heaven and earth going round on a 
wheel, and myself with them, and then oue gets us 
■leepy as an owl." 
A ICeugah rCopalu, on the uorthoru bank of tVj 
Oauvery, above Seringapatam, there is a quantity of 
*' rod aud yellowish quartz," or what to me appeared 
liko p orphoiy. Tho native doctors hore aud elsewhere 
