Syntax error when using geometry functions

[Cpt Nautilus]

Hello,
I just discovered MySQL spatial extensions and I am trying to put them to good use. However, I am stumbling on a very strange problem:

I create a test table with a geometry column for polygons. I create a polygon inside a user-defined variable and insert it into the table. So far, everything works properly. When I browse the table, I can see the binary code showing the polygon I have just created.

The problem arises when I try to use a function on this polygon. I have tried AsText and Area (and also X() and Y() on a POINT field) and in each case, the function works properly when applied to the variable, but fails with a syntax error (#1064) when used on the table.

Here is a code allowing to reproducing the error:

CREATE TABLE Pol (Poly POLYGON);
SET @p:=PolygonFromText('POLYGON((60.000418 -31.999583,60.000418 67.999584,-2.000417 67.999584,-2.000417 -31.999583, 60.000418 -31.999583))');
INSERT INTO Pol VALUES(@p);

SELECT Area(@p); # This produces correct results
SELECT Area(Poly) FROM `Pol`; # This produces a Syntax error #1064

I am using MySQL - 4.1.22

Where am I doing a mistake????