47 8 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Chinese Trading Boat, collecting Gutta-percha at Parang Parang. 



have some fame in distant lands, chiefly ' 

 because of a wonderful, clear narrative 

 of the bilious yellow fever of 1793 

 which he had written. To us, who see 

 him through the vista of one hundred 

 years, he stands, not, indeed, the most 

 conspicuous figure of a time brilliant 

 with heroic men and deeds, but great 

 among the greatest, and certainly the 

 most striking and impressive figure of 

 the medical life of America at that 

 period or any period since." 



GUTTA PERCHA AND RUBBER IN 



Till-: I'lIIIJI'PINES. 

 I x the recent report of the superin- 

 tended of the Government Labora- 

 tories in the Philippine Island-, to 



which we have already called attention, 

 a good deal of space is given to the 

 question of the production of gutta- 

 percha and rubber in the islands. 

 Owing to the recent development of 

 applied science, these substances have 

 become very widely used, and there is 

 danger lest the supply become ex- 

 hausted. It is indeed certain that this 

 will happen unless the production is 

 artificially guarded and increased. 

 Thus in the Philippines gutta-percha 

 is collected by the savage tribes, who 

 cut down t he trees and collect perhaps 

 one fortieth of the gutta-percha they 

 contain. The native collectors sell it 

 for about $5 per picul of 108* pounds; 

 the middlemen sell it to the Chinese 



