LAPORTEA CRENULATA. Gaud., Roxb. Urtica crenulata, Roxb. I Dendrocnide crenulata, U. Javanensis, Gaud. Mig.
L. gigantea, Gaud.
Fever nettle, . . ENG. I Maoosa-gass, . . SINGH.
Devil nettle, . . . „ This dreadfully stinging tree or large shrub is only too common in most of the western coast moist forests of the Peninsula up to 5000 feet. It also grows in Ceylon, Bengal, and Java. Lesche nault de la Tour, describing the effect of gathering Urtica crenulata in the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, says:—' One of the leaves slightly touched the first three fingers of my left hand ; at the time I only perceived a slight pricking, to which I paid no attention. This was at seven in the morning. The pain continued to increase ; in an hour it had become intolerable ; it seemed as if some one was rubbing my fingers with a hot iron. Nevertheless there was no remarkable appearance, neither swelling, nor pustule, nor inflammation. The pain rapidly spread along the arm as far as the armpit. I was then seized with frequent sneezing, and with a copious running at the nose, as if I had caught a violent cold in the\ head. About noon I experienced a painful contraction of the back of the jaws, which made me f6.r an attack of tetanus. I then went to bed, hoping that repose would alleviate my sufferings, but it did not abate ; on the contrary, it continued nearly the whole of the following night, but I lost the contraction of the jaws about seven in the even ing. The next morning the pain'began to leave
me, and I fell asleep. I continued to suffer for two days, and the pain returned in full force when I put my hand into water. I did not finally lose it for nine days.' A similar circumstance occurred with precisely the same symptoms to a workman in the Calcutta. Garden. This man described the sensation when water was applied to the stung part, to be as if boiling oil was poured over him. In cutting boundary lines, exploring forests, botanizing, etc., Colonel Bed dome has been very often stung by this plant both on the hands and face, but never found the effects so violent as described by Leschenault ; they are, however, bad enough, the pain being felt more or less for several days, and always being intensified by the application of water. With natives the sting often brings on fever, and the plant is known to coffee-planters as the fever nettle and the devil nettle.—Beddoine, Fl. Sylo. ; Thu". En. Pl. Zeyl. p. 259.