160

THE CEYLON EXHIBIT.

The Musical instruments in use among the natives of this
day are few in number and of no melody ; they consist of a
variety of drums—0G4 of which are known—and a few wind
instruments, including the rancous chanks, so essential to
the service of a Hindu temple. A fairly representative
collection of these is shown by the Ceylon Government.
Akin to them are the Masks, several hundreds of which are
available for sale; these are chiefly employed in the
“dances” that are performed, with long incantations, over
persons afflicted with the various diseases ascribed to various
“devils,” They are chiefly manufactured in the south of
Ceylon. The list of Medicinal plants and drugs known to
the native doctor is infinite, and several of them have been
already transferred to the Western Pharmacopeein. The
science is chiefly empirical, but the experience of 25 cen turies
has laid bare knowledge of much value, and the skill of
the Vedarala in purely tropical diseases like dysentery is
anquestioned. The jealousy with which spacial knowledge
is concealed by its possessor has unfortunately greatly
hampered the progress of the science. A collection of
the chief medicinal plants is shown by Mr. C. Drieberg,
Superintendent of School Gardens. Medicinal oils, some
of them of undoubted efficacy, play an important part in
fhe treatment. They are exhibited by Mr, M., C. Feri:ando
and Mr. P. Perera Gunasekera. as well as by the Ceylon
Government.
The chief economic products of the Island are discussed
at length in Chapter V., “Agriculture.” The Cocoanut,
which covers the largest acreage of cultivated land, is
particularly well represented in all its branches : oil, copra,
poonac, desiccated cocoanut, arrack, &amp;e. ‘I'he uses of the tree
are infinite, and it yields six cropsin the year. The exhibits
of Messrs. Leechman &amp; Co. and Messrs. Freudenberg &amp; Co.
of Colombo are comprehensive, and the desiccated cocoanut
shown, among numerous others, by Messrs. J. C. de Silva &amp;
Co., should be noted. Mr. C. E. A. Dias of Panadnre has a
good exhibit of cocoanut vinegar and arrack, as well as a
model of the still used in distilling the latter. Old arrack
is much prized as a liqueur. Mr. C. Stouter exhibits some
cocoanut oil sixty-eight years old, which is great] vin demand
among native medical practitioners for its curative properties.
 Messrs. J. W. Chas. de Soysa, T. G. Harrison, and
C. P. Hayley have a good display of cocoanut fibre. The
samples of pure hrir oils from the king cocoanut exhibited
by Mr. J. P. Obeyesekere should be noted; the luxuriant
and glossy hair of the natives is ascribed to the frequent use
of this oil.