Oct. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
275 
A. S., " who writes : — " I have i-ead your 
correspondent's letter. There can be but 
one explanation of the facts. Tlie 
bottles were all empty and only one 
burnt the cable. The inference is that this 
particular one had sides thicker in the 
middle than at the neck or bottom, thus 
forming a meni?cus lens, or burning glass, 
which would collect the parallel rays of the 
8un to a fomis on the table. The large 
majority of caraffes are like the two others 
your correspondent mentions, with sides of 
equal thickness throughout : these would 
have no more effect upon the sun's rays than 
an ordinary pane of glass. It is curious 
to note tiiat there would probably have been 
no burning of the table an hour or so later, as 
the rays would not then be concentrated 
enough for the heating effect to have been 
apparent. This can easily be tried if the 
bottle is still in existence."— Ed. T.A.} 
THE USES OF " GLORIOSA SUPERBA 
AND POISONING THEREBY— AND 
ANTIDOTES. 
Indian Museum, 1, Sudder Street, 
Calcutta, Sept. 1. 
Dear Mr. Editor,— I acknowledge with 
many thanks the receipt of copy of your 
paper for 20th August, 1902, containing 
notice of death of poisoning through eating 
a Gloriosa superha tuber. 
I agree with you that the subject deserves 
further inquiry. Under the title of poisonous 
plants of Bombay (Journ. Bombay Natural 
history Society, VII. No, i, 1893, p. 489) 
Major K. R. Kirtikar gives an interesting 
account of the plant which is illustrated by a 
coloured plate. He states that very few cases 
of poisoning are on record. The plant is 
known all over the country as a virulent 
poison ; it is also said to be useful in fevers 
as an antiperiodic. 
In a paper on " Poison Lore of the Hindus," 
read before the Indian Medical Congress, 
December 1894, by Dr. N. Subramanya Aiyar 
(Indian Medical Gazette XXXI, 1896, p. 5) we 
-■are told that ginger decoction is an antidote 
for "Gloriosa" poisoning. This writer also 
adds that the root divested of deleterious 
constituents is reported to be a great remedy 
for ascites.— I am, yours sincerely, 
J. HENRY BURKITT. 
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO : 
Audi alteram partem. 
Sir, — Your contemporary seems deternnned to 
hang British North Borneo. I do not know what 
actuates tliis desire, but certain it is lie does 
not seem to mind whose opinions he takes. One 
day he publishes an account which the next day 
he has to correct. I look to see Mr Graydon's 
revised before long. 
The Consular Reports show that by a Census 
taken in 1891 the population of Labuan was 
5,853 and of Sandakan 6,350 (including respect- 
ively 25 ancl 127 Europeans). 
The shipping (including uative, with the neigh- 
bouiiug islands, Sulu, Palawan, &c.) of Sandakan 
is returned as follows : — 
1886 .. 11.5 ships .. 29,213 tons) 
1890 ., 198 do .. 64,210 do VEntriea 
1898 .. 651 do ... 93,181 do j 
The trade of Briiish North Borneo amounted 
in thousands to ; — 
Imports Exports 
1885 618 .. 4(11 
1890 2,018 .. 901 
1S9S 2,119 .. 2,881 
*1900 3,178 ,. 3,336 
(* iccordinj to Whitaker.) 
To show the principal trades embodied in the 
above ii»ures, the following statistics, showing a 
steady advance of prosperity— are entertaining : — 
1886, 1890. 1898. 
Value in $ $ $ 
Tobacco 1,618 399,314 1,358,666 
Timber 27,626 44,584 214,343 
Guttapercha, 31,747 54,418 125,280 
Sego 53,417 36,950 118,602 
Rattans 67.1U0 64,961 80,315 
India Rubber 8,535 21,581 79,600 
Provisions — — 77,724 
Birds' Nests 27,953 44,864 47,160 
Camphor 8,711 14,193 37,047 
Coffee — _ 28,620 
Salt Fieh — — 26,777 
Trepang _ _ 26.053 
Damar 11,365 5,287 25,590 
Hemp — — 24.590 
Seed Pearls — — 23,795 
Rice 7,933 6,321 14,248 
I mention rice as it is an industry in which 
Ceylon is interested and one likely to be developed. 
The inhnitesimal Fruit Trade referred to by 
Mr Fyers amounted to §5,412 in 1898. 
The average rainfall might be put down at 100 
inches for the whole country, Chena cultiva- 
tion was generally in vogue, 
I take the following extracts from the Consular 
Report of 1899 :-" As regards openings in N, B, 
there is ample room for encouragement. . , 
Payable minerals will doubtles.s advance the 
prosperity of the country, but I look upon agri- 
cultural products as the backbone of B, N. B.°. . 
The Government olfer a limited number of free 
grants of Ifind of 500 acres to young men with a 
capital of £2,000 or upwards for the cultivation 
*tif tea, coffee, 4c, . . The mineral resources of 
the country cannot be s.aid to have been fully 
investigated and much remains to be done in 
this direction. . . The climate is not unhealthy, 
but, of course, varies in different districts of this 
large country. . . Compared with other coun- 
tries (I do not mean Singapore or Hongkong, 
which are collecting centres of trade) the tariff, 
as regards imports is very low indeed." From 
the same report I gather the highest rate of 
duty was 10 per cent— generally imposed. On a 
good many articles (cloth, leather, metals, &c ) 
5 per cent. Building materials, food-stuffs, 
metals, &c, were on the free list. . . There 
was considerable trade with the neighbouring 
islands, but great room for development with a 
settled Government (over them sic). There were 
three engineering shops in Sandakan and about 
200 Europeans in the whole territory. Readers 
are referred to the Straits and Singapore Directory 
for further information. The concluding words 
of the ftrstpart of the report are, " In my opiuion 
JNor^U Boineo has a promisiug future, ' I'p to th^ 
