TONGA.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2430, 19 January 1882, Page 3

TONGA.

A remedy for neuralgia, which has been extensively used in England under this name, composed of leaves and chips of Fijian plants, is described as follows by a writer in the “ Gardener’s Chronicle” Some months ago I saw an account of the newly introduced remedy for neuralgia, named “ Tonga, ” which had come from Fiji in the form of dried leaves and chips. These had been broken np into such small pieces that it had been found impossible to recognise the tree or plant from which they had been taken, Your correspondent said that enquiries had been instituted in Fiji a* to the production, but in vain, as the secret was jealously guarded by those natives who were acquainted with it. On reading the above statement I wrote to my brother, Mr B. L. Holmes, a resident in Fiji for some years past, urging him to seek for information in the matter. I have just received a letter from him, telling of bis complete success, and giving some details of his discovery, which may prove interesting to your readers. He informs me that the medicine derives its name from Tongs, one of the Friendly Islands, whence it had been first introduced to Fiji. An old Tonga man, living on Tavinni, one of the Fijian group, was found willing to impart the secret to a Wesleyan clergyman, at the same time giving him specimens of the plants of which the medicine is composed, and which were indigenous to the island on which he was then living. On receiving these Mr Holmes showed the plants to a Tonga native living near him, on Vanua Levu, who at once recognised them, exclaiming, “ These are our medicines,” giving them at the same time their native names—viz , “Aro” and “Nai Yalu.” My brother subsequently found the plants growing plentifully on his plantation, and describes them as follows :

“The Aro, when growing on open dry ground, is a email shrub, but near watercourses it becomes a tall tree ; of this the inner bark is the part used. The second plant, the Nal Tain, is a creeper or epiphyte, growing freely in sheltered places, especially damp bush, climbing over the stones, &0., till it finds a tree, when it changes its nature, from a small bine like stem, no thicker than a quill, with small simple leaves, to one from 1 inch to 2 inches in diameter, the leaves at same time becoming compound, from X foot to 2 feet in length—a handsome plant. The dried scraped stem of this constitutes the second ingredient in Tonga.” Along with these particulars my brother sent me the original specimens collected in Tavinni by the Tongese. All this was highly satisfactory, but, for want of the necessary books, we could not supply the finishing touch to his discovery by ascertaining the botanical as well as the native names of the plants. This, however, I was happily enabled to obtain from the eminent botanist, Baron von Mueller, to whom the specimens were submitted for identification. He recognised them at a glance, though unaware of -theirmedicinal qualities, and stated their 'proper names to be as follows:—“The Aro is Premia a taitensis, one of the Yerbenaocss j while the Nai Yaln, or Wain, is an Arad, named Bkaphidophora vitiensiß,”