Most of the more important rites practised by the Malay medicine-men (Bomor [652]) may be divided into two well-defined parts. Commencing with a ceremonial "inspection" (the counterpart of our modern "diagnosis"), the Bomor proceeds to carry out a therapeutic ceremony, the nature of which is decided by the results of the "inspection." For the purposes of the diagnosis he resorts to divination, by means of omens taken from the smoke of the burning censer, from the position of coins thrown into water-jars (batu buyong), and parched rice floating upon the water's surface. The therapeutic rites, on the other hand, may be roughly classified as follows according to their types: [653]-- 1. Propitiatory Ceremonies (limas, ambangan, etc.). 2. "Neutralisatory" Ceremonies for destroying the evil principle (tawar). 3. "Expulsory" Ceremonies (for the casting out of the evil principle; [654] of which the "sucking charm" rite (mengalin) is an example). 4. "Revivificatory" Ceremonies (for recalling a sick person's soul, riang semangat). I shall take each of the types in order. For the water-jar ceremony three jars (buyong) containing water are brought to the sick man's room and decorated with the fringe or necklace of plaited cocoa-nut leaves, which is called "Centipedes' Feet" (jari 'lipan). A fourth jar should contain a sort of bouquet of artificial flowers to serve as an attraction to the sick man's soul (semangat). You will also require a tray filled with the usual accessories of Malay magic ceremonies (incense, three sorts of rice, etc.), besides three wax tapers, one of which you will plant upon the brim of each of the three jars. When all is ready, drop the incense upon the embers, and as the smoke rises repeat this charm:-- "If you are at one with me, rise towards me, O smoke; If you are not at one with me, rise athwart me, O smoke, Either to right or left." [655] As you say this, "catch" the first puff of smoke and inhale it (tangkap-lah puchok asap, chium), as it rises towards you. If the smell is pleasant (sedap) it is a good sign; if it has a scorched smell (hangit) it is bad; but if it smells offensive (busok) no medicine can save the patient. Next, before you look into the jars, take handfuls of "parched," "washed," and "saffron" rice, and after fumigating them over the incense, strew them all round the row of jars, saying as you do so:-- "Cluck, cluck! souls of So-and-so, all seven of you! [656] Come, and let all of us here together See (about the) medicine for (you) O souls of So-and-so." Here strew (tabor) the rice first to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again. Before removing the calladium-leaves from the jar-mouths, repeat the following:--