Jan. 2, 1899.] THE TEOPICAL AGEICULTUPJST. 489 
to the best way to further Ceylon's interest"? Mr. 
McKenzie may be capable to treat Englishmen, but 
he evidently lacks all ability for Germany. He may 
find it very difficult to introduce tea in Germany, 
bat that is no reason that hs should get already 
disheartened at so early a stage of th= campaign ; 
and iu his disappointment make use of questionable 
expletives. It would be a new way of acquiring 
customers. Mr. McKenzie may or may not have the 
''unanimous" approval and confidence of the Coai- 
miltee, but if he holds the same still, the latter 
evidently loses sight of the Planters' interest. Even 
a dilavowment of the remark made by its commissioner 
will not enable the Committee to smooth the rcatter 
over entirely, if at all. It were a pity, if at the very 
outset the Ceylon industry should be seriously 
handicapped. The Germans may be great beer 
drinkers, but what about the English and their 
whisky? Do Germans give the British nation an 
opprobrious appendix to its name on that account? 
There is a proverb about a "glass house," &c. 
"ATHOS." 
["Atlios" should know that Mr. McKenzie is 
Tea Coiiiini.ssioner only for America and has 
nothing to do with Gennauy. — Ed. T.A.] 
PALK3 STRAIT AND PALK'S BAY. 
Croydon, Oct. 21, 1898. 
Dear Sir, — Xow that the discussion in your 
columns oa the origin oi the above names has 
come to an end, perhaps 1 may point out that 
more than three years ago 1 gave j'oor readers the 
intorijiatiou that it was Governor Palk whose 
name was thus immortalized. This, Jiowever, is 
not niy object iu writin<j ; but to send you, iu 
confirmation of Sir M. E. Grant- Duffs authori- 
tative statement, tlie foUowiag extract from Sir 
Clements 1!. Markiiani's interesting book " Major 
Jaii:e-( Uenueil and tiie Rise of Modern Geography 
(London, 189-5), |)p. 4U-41 : — 
On the 2l3t of October, 1763, a hurricane destroyed 
every ship in Madras Roads, not two Europeans being 
saved out of the crews of twelve large vessels. 
Providentially, young Eennell was on shore, but he 
lost everything he had in tiie world, lie had, how- 
ever, made numerous friends at Madras ; and amongst 
the warmest and most active was the Governor 
himself, Mr. Robert Palk,* who soon found employ- 
ment for the youthful sailor where his services would 
be most useful. The home of the Palks, on Haldon 
Hill, almost overlooked the little town of Chndleigh, 
BO that home feelings may have had something to do 
with Mr. Palk's steady friendship, which endured 
through life. 
Rennell was appointed to the command of a small 
vessel, called the "Neptune,"' belonging, to a worthy 
Madras merchant, and he was recommended by the 
Governor as a proper person to superintend the 
landing of stores and the disembarkation of troops 
for the siege of Madura, in the extreme south of the 
Madras Presidency. . . . On the 16th of Decem- 
ber, 1763, Rennell sailed in the " Neptune " on the 
duty with which he had been entrusted, and which 
he performed to the satisfaction of the Governor. 
The troops for the siege of Madura were landed 
without accident, and Rennell was then ordered to 
remain between Ceylon and the continent, in charge 
of a fleet of small vessels, ready to land reiuforce- 
ments. It was at this time that he executed surveys 
about Cape Calimir and the Pamben Channel, and 
' Mr. Robert Palk, the Governor of Madras in 1763, 
had married Anne, sister of Mr. Henry Vansittart, 
the Governor of Bengal. He was created a Baronet 
in 17S2, and died ia 1791. His son, Sir Lawrence 
Palk, Bart., was M.P. for Devon, and his great- 
grandson was created Lord Haldon in 18S0. [Lady 
Haldon recently passed through Cijioinbo,— p.f.] 
the Strait between Ceylon and Tinnevelli was named 
after the Governor — Palk Strait. .A.ftsr the com- 
pletion of this s.rduous work, Captain Rennell returned 
to Fort St. George, and hid the gratification of 
receiving the thanks of the Madras Government and 
a handsome present of money. While commanding 
his little squadron, he held the local rank of Com- 
modore. 
I will only add, that in my communication to 
your columns three years ago (and lately in the 
pages of tue Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society) 
I commented on the absurd .statement of Schla- 
gintweit, that "Palk" meant " The Whirl " in 
Sinhalese, Almost as ridiculous is the assertion 
of Captain Percival, in his work on Ceylon (p. 77), 
that "Pauik's [sic] Pas.sage " is called " from a 
Duccliman of that name, who first attempted 
it " ! The Tamil name for Palk's Bay, mentioned 
by your Indian correspondent "K.I. P.," viz. 
Pakka-kudakkadal ("arecanut bay""), is an 
admirable example of "popular etymology. — 
Yours truly, D. F. 
DIETETIC VALUE OF TEA, 
Nov. 29. 
Dear Sir,— In Mr. Ryan's letter re Ceylon tea 
in Aus:ria and Hungary I see reference is made 
to tje dietetic value of tea, and in this con- 
nection I think enclosed abstract from an Ameri- 
can Scientific Paper may interest your readers. 
— I am, sir. yours truly, T. 
We may state that one poani of good tsa coii« 
tains about a third of an ounce of theine, two an d 
a half ounces of caseine, one-twelfth ounce of voiaiiJe 
oil, two and a half ounces of gum, half an ounce 
of sugar, half an ounce of fat, four ounces of tannic 
acid. Mineral matter or ash, water, and woody fibre 
make up the remainder. Caseine of which there ia 
so Urge a quantity, it will be remembered, is the 
nutritive principle of milk ; vegetable caseiae, or 
legumen, is analogous in principle. Tea is therefore 
a highly nutritious substauie, and fully capable of 
forming flesh and sustaining life. Peas and beans 
are highly concentrated forms of food, and yet 
analysis shows that the better qualities of tea ara 
as rich in the nitrogeneous element or nutrient 
priniiple as are ihese seeds. Caseine is identical in 
composition with the muscular fibre and with the 
albuinen of the blood, aud is easy of assimilation. 
[We trust our 'American cousins may read, 
mark and inwardly digest the above. -Ed. T.A.'} 
TREATMENT OF DOGS IN CEYLON. 
Sib,— In Dalziel's "Diseases of Dogs," arecanut 
powder is said to be a safe vermifuge for dogs but 
experience has taught us that this is not so. Areca- 
nut may be a good espeller of worms ; but it ia 
positively dangerous to the dog, its effect being too 
drastic, many valuable dogs have succumbed to it, 
Intestinal parasites are very common in dogs in 
this country, especially in the puppy stage: the adminis- 
tering of arecanut powder should however be scrupu- 
lously avoided. If it is found necessary to resort lo a 
vermifuge, Santonine (from 2 to 5 grains) mixed in 
a lump of butter may be safely given on an empty 
stomach, to be followed within ten or twelve hoars by 
a table-spoon of castor oil. A local remedy easily 
procured may also be used with equally good results : 
a decoction of the leaves of the Hydrocoti/U Asiatica or 
the Gotii kola of the Sinhalese ; a handful of thesa 
leaves boiled down in a cup full of water to half a 
cup, and administered with a spoon, and the effect ia 
very satisfactory. 
Gotu kola is a commoa wo id found in almost any 
garden in the Island and is well-kaowa to all Siabaleso 
aervaats. It^ limil aaaj is, V^UUri, C, 
