2S4 
Supplement to the " Tropical AgricuUurist." [Oct. 2, 1893. 
and the cattle let in to graze and trample the 
land. After the stubbles of kurakkan &c. are 
thus fairly trampled down, the chena, on whieli 
the gingelly seeds -were sown, is set on fire, 
and when the rain sets in the fence around it is 
mended and the gingelly crop is carefully 
tended. 
In about a month or six weeks the gingelly 
plants begin to flower, and in about 3 months 
the foliage leaves will drop off and the capsules 
(fruits) will also dry up and assume a yellow 
colour. The plants are then cut down w ith a 
scythe and heaped up in a suitable place in the 
chena in a Tertical position with the tops pointing 
upwards. After a few days the capsules burst 
tinder the heat of the sun ; during midday, when 
*he sun is very powerful, the seeds are shaken off 
the capsules. The seeds thus separated are put 
in bags and carried home. 
The oil is extracted in the following manner :— 
The seeds are first of all winnowed in order to 
get rid of any rubbish that they may contain 
find afterwards soaked in water for a day. The 
soaked seeds are then taken and pounded gently 
ia order to remove their outer covering. The 
pounded seeds are afterwards put into a vessel 
containing water and squeezed with the hands 
until the husks are all washed off. The cleaned 
seeds are then dried in the sun until they assume 
an oily appearance. They are next taken and well 
pounded in a mortar until reduced to a pulpy 
tnass. A small quantity of hot water is also 
sprinkled on the seeds whilst being pounded, and 
tphen thoroughly pounded the oil is easily squeezed 
out either with the hand or by the aid of a pehn 
t)ressed between two poles. Large quantities of 
oil are extracted by the aid of chekkus. 
MAN AND BEA8T. I. 
it is with domesticated animals that man has 
to do most, though he not unfrequently comes 
in contact with others of a wild nature in his 
'daily life. In considering the subject of this 
paper, however, I shall confine myself to the 
domesticated animals, and particularly to the 
animals commonly foimd in Ceylon. 
The relation which man bears to animals is 
manifold. First and foremost, the mainstay of the 
cultivator in the tropics is the animals which help 
him to till the land, convey his produce to the 
market, and supply manure to fertilize his field. 
Secondly, animals are a source of food supply, 
even among tribes who strictly adhere to so- 
called vegetable food. Milk is an indispensable 
article of diet, be it the milk of the cow, the 
buffaloe, or the goat. Butter, cheese, ghee and 
curd, as secondary products of milking animals, 
are also used to a great extent, while mutton 
and beef as well as pork are largely consumed 
articles of diet. Thirdly come what may be 
called the luxuries (though not in the strict 
sense of the word), viz., the wool from the sheep 
.and the hide from the buffaloe and ox, which are 
■made use of in the manufacture of wearing apparel. 
The horse and the ox convey man from plase to 
place in more or less comfort, whilst the elephant 
|ej^If|^es them uader sowQ circumsta.t)ce9 XbQ 
value of these and other animals for military 
purposes is admitted. Fourthly come the 
dog and the cat, both pets kept in tlic houae, 
but the former on many occasions also a« a 
useful servant and a guard. 
Tlie importance of these animals is so great, 
that they have iu fact become indispensable 
to man. There is, however, another serious 
aspect which is not sufficiently considered, 
but is of vital importance. These animals 
are liable to bring much trouble, sufferiiig 
and loss to man, not through tlieir own 
fault, but under quite natural circurndtancef. 
They are like all other living bodies liable to 
disease, and some of these diseases it has bwii 
found out are communicated to man with 
disastrous results, and no one can deny the 
importance of an acquaintance with at least 
the more common dangers which we are liable 
to contract thiough our domesticat«d animals. 
Very often a timely knowledge of these helps to 
prevent much miserj- and loss. 
Taking first the ox, let us enquire what are 
the diseases which it is liable to convey to us. 
Of the diseases of the above description in 
the ox may be mentioned anthr«jt, foot and 
mouth disease, tuberculosis, actinomycosis, rinder- 
pest, pleuropneumonia, and skin-diseases. 
Antkra.r is common in India among cattle, 
sheep and horses, to say nothing of pigs and 
poultry. It is a rapidly-progressing disease, and 
the flesh from an animal which has suffered 
from anthrax could in many instances be dis* 
tinguished by the dark appearance of the blood. 
One of the forms of this disease in Ceylon is 
commonly known as Kandamala, manifested by 
the rapidly swollen condition of the throat and 
the tongue. This disease is communicable to 
man, through inoculation, and if a person 
happens to touch the parts of an animal dead 
from anthrax, and be so unfortunate as to have 
an abrasion on the skin, he is liable to suffer 
from carbuucular boils. Even the hide of the 
animal after several months is liable to com- 
municate the disease, and numbers of such sad 
fatalities are recorded among workmen in wool 
manutactorie.* and tanneries. The meat from an 
animal dead of anthrax, when consumed, ia 
liable to bring on typhoid fever. 
Foot and Mouth disease is more common in 
Ceylon, and is easily made out, at least in its 
later stages. The milk from foot and mouth 
diseased cattle is liable to cause aphtha (sore 
mouth) and diarrhoea in those who consume it, 
especially ia the case of children and those with 
a weak constitution. The consumption of the 
meat brings on various dikeases of the stomach 
in man. 
W. A. D. S. 
Bombay. 
{To be continued.) 
BY HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES. 
Referring to Faspalum scrobiculatnm, " Dutch 
millet,'' the Sinhalese amu and Tamil varagu, 
known in India also as koda millet, Professor 
Church says : — " It is said, apparently with 
truth, to be at times the cause of vertigo, and 14 
