Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra21221890roya).pdf/387

 ON THE SO-CALLED TIGER'S MILK "SUSU RIMAU" OF THE MALAYS.

While staying recently at Pekan I procured, through the kindness of Mr. RODGER, a fine specimen of the remarkable vegetable production, known to the Malays here as "Susu Rimau." The tradition is that it is the congealed milk of the tiger, and it is stated to produce eventually a climbing plant. It is considered a valuable medicine for asthma and other chest complaints, and is sold in the bazaars at a high price. The specimen given me by Mr. RODGER was considered a very large one, being about four inches cube, but a later one was brought in from the forests at Bukit Mandai in Singapore which is even larger, being six inches in length and three inches through in the thickest part. Professor VAUGHAN STEPHENS gave me also a smaller specimen from the interior of Pahang.

The structure and appearance of all seem very much the same. Each consists of an irregular white mass lobed and cracked all over, covered with a thin rind, terra-cotta red in the fresh specimen, browner when older. When fresh the interior is of the consistency of cheese, white, scentless, and with a faint funguslike taste. When dryer, and in old specimens it becames [sic] chalky and vimer [sic].

Under the microscope a section shows it to be a very compact mass of fungus threads (mycelium) with which are mixed innumerable globose cells. In the fresh specimen from Bukit Mandai the mycelium is very scanty, and in all it is very much less in quantity than the white globose cells.