This idea (of using a charm to “neutralise” the active principle of poison) has been extended by Malay medicine-men to cover all cases where any evil principle (even, for instance, a familiar spirit) is believed to have entered the sick person’s system. All such charms are piously regarded by devout Muhammadans as gifts due to the mercy of God, who is believed to have sent them down to the Prophet Muhammad by the hand of his servant Gabriel. This doctrine we find clearly stated in the charms themselves, e.g. (somewhat tautologically):—
“Neutralising charms sprang from God,
Neutralising charms were created by God,
Neutralising charms were a boon from God,
Who commanded Prince Gabriel
To bring them unto Muhammad.”
The ceremony of applying such charms generally takes the form of grating a bezoar-stone[129] (batu guliga), mixing the result with water, and drinking it after repeating the charm.
Thus in one of the charms quoted in the Appendix we read:—
“The Upas loses its venom,
And Poison loses its venom,