Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
August,  1903.  j 
Pharmacy  and  Chemistry. 
371 
all  people  who  have  lived  long  in  the  tropics,  they  are  very  swarthy, 
of  average  height,  quick  and  intelligent ;  with  long,  straight,  black 
hair,  knotted  at  the  back  and  held  up  by  a  peculiar  comb-ornament, 
together  with  their  dark  eyes  and  white  teeth,  they  make  a  very 
pleasant  and  striking  impression. 
The  Cingalese  tongue  is  very  musical,  there  being  a  preponder- 
ance of  the  vowel  tones.  No  attempt  is  made  by  the  English  to  do 
away  with  this  v£ry  ancient  language,  as  the  Cingalese  have  a  very 
rich  literature.  The  native  tongue  is  taught  in  all  the  English 
schools  of  Ceylon. 
The  men  of  Colombo  wear  long,  flowing,  light  garments,  as  do  all 
the  women.  The  workmen  in  the  country  wear  only  the  comfort- 
able loin  cloth. 
England  has  established  many  schools  for  the  natives,  common, 
technical  and  medical.  The  medical  school  of  Colombo  turns  out 
many  physicians  learned  in  the  medicine  of  the  Europeans.  Dis- 
pensaries in  charge  of  such  natives  furnish  free  to  the  people  medi- 
cal and  surgical  aid.  Some  graduates  start  up  a  private  practice, 
but  the  greater  part  of  this  work  is  in  the  hands  of  the  so-called 
"  native  physicians."  These  have  learnt  by  the  experience  of  the 
ages  where  the  various  herbs,  roots,  etc.,  are  found  and  when  they 
may  be  used.  Most  of  their  medicines,  as  exhibited  by  Ceylon, 
are  medicated  oils.  In  some  cases  it  was  said  where  the  European 
uses  the  knife,  as  in  severe  compound  fractures,  these  native  phy- 
sicians wrap  the  injured  limb  in  certain  leaves,  allow  it  to  remain 
in  perfect  rest  for  a  week,  when  they  find  the  bones  have  knit. 
What  they  use  is  unknown,  as  their  knowledge  passes  from  father 
to  son,  and  no  one  outside  the  family  is  taken  into  confidence. 
Those  following  trade  have  usually  studied  at  one  of  the  techni- 
cal schools.  The  gentleman  in  charge,  Mr.  Peter  de  Abrew,  is  very 
polite,  speaks  fluent  English,  and  is  well  versed  in  everything  Cinga- 
lese. In  his  general  appearance  and  bearing  he  reminds  one  of  an 
educated  Frenchman. 
The  resources  of  Ceylon  are  mainly  agricultural,  though  they 
have  a  very  well-developed  graphite  industry.  Spices,  drugs  and 
food  are  no  longer  a  matter  of  gathering  what  nature  presents  in 
the  jungle,  but  are  followed  out  along  strict  agricultural  lines. 
As  stated,  two  agricultural  regions  are  distinguished  in  Ceylon, 
viz.,  the  maritime  or  lowland,  where  the  main  products  raised  are 
