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Story
September 7, 1882
The Daily Bulletin
Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii
What is this article about?
Historical account of Malay gambling addiction in Ceylon, where losers in draughts had finger joints chopped off and cauterized in boiling oil, leading some to lose fingertips.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
The Malays have at all times been addicted to gambling. In those days, in Ceylon, they would "play away the ends of their fingers" over the draught-board. They would sit down with a fire burning, whereon was set a pot of walnut or sesame oil, while beside it lay a small hatchet with an exceedingly sharp edge. The loser placed his hand upon a stone, and the winner chopped off a joint, when the mutilated finger was plunged into the boiling oil and thereby cauterized. Some men, fond of the game, but unskilful or unlucky, had every finger shorn of its tip.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Malay Gambling
Finger Amputation
Cauterization
Ceylon Customs
Draughts Game
Where did it happen?
Ceylon
Story Details
Location
Ceylon
Event Date
In Those Days
Story Details
Malays in Ceylon gambled intensely over draughts, with losers having finger joints severed by hatchet and cauterized in boiling oil, resulting in some losing all finger tips due to repeated losses.