398 
Scientific Intelligence. 
Singapore, situated at the extremity of the Malay peninsula, 
and forming, as it were, the connecting link between continental 
or Western India and the islands of the great Eastern Archi- 
pelago, partakes of this character in its Flora, which exhibits 
many remarkable points of coincidence with the Floras of both 
regions. Dr Jack had occasion to observe resemblances between 
its productions and those of the northern frontier of Bengal, on 
the one hand, and of the Moluccas on the other ; while the pre- 
sent connects it with the still more distant range of New Hol- 
land. 
52. Oriental Sassqfras.-^ln describing a new species of Lau- 
rus, the Parihenoxylon^ a native of the woods of Sumatra, Dr 
Jack informs us, that its fruit has a strong balsamic smell, 
and yields an oil, which is considered as useful in rheumatic af- 
fections, and has the same balsamic odour, as the fruit itself. 
An infusion of the root is drank in the same manner as sassa- 
fras, which it appears to resemble in its qualities. The wood is 
strong and durable, when not exposed to wet. Dr Jack in- 
quires, May this not be the oriental Sassafras wood mentioned 
under the article Laurus in Rees’s Cyclopaedia ?” 
53. Rajfflesia Titan.-^0^ this new genus, established by Dr 
Jack, and named in honour of our distinguished countryman 
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, a full account is given in the de- 
scriptions already mentioned. The only species hitherto met 
with, is that described under the name Titan^ from the gigantic 
size of its flowers. Dr Jack informs us, that it is a native of the 
forests in the interior of Sumatra, where it was first discovered 
by Sir Tj S, Raffles, during a journey into that country in 1818. 
This gigantic flower is parasitic on the lower stems and roots of 
the Cissus angustifolia^ Roxb. The bud, before expansion, is 
nearly a foot in diameter, and of a deep dusky red. The flower, 
'when fully expanded, is in point of size the wonder of the vege- 
table kingdom ; the breadth across from the tip of one petal to 
the tip of the other, is little short of three feet. The cup may 
be estimated capable of containing twelve pints ; and the weight 
of the whole is from twelve to fifteen pounds. The inside of 
the cup is of a deep purple, but towards the mouth it is marked 
with numerous spots of white. The petals are of a brick red, 
