322 A COMPENDIUM OF 
soluble in volatile oils, carbon bi-sulphide, ben- 
zole and chloroform, Gutta Percha becomes 
very soft in boiling water; it has little odor, 
and is entirely tasteless. Contains a yellow 
resin, (fluavil), and a white resin, (termed al- 
bane), of crystalline form—pure gutta is of ex- 
treme whiteness, found either as a solid or fine 
powder. 
Gutta Percha is used in the arts as a water- 
proof dressing; in medicine as a protective and 
adhesive agent for abrasions, wounds, etc., 
also manufactured into pessaries, bougies, and 
other surgical appliances. The name is from 
the Latin gutta, a drop, and the Malay word 
percha, signifying ragged gum. 
This must not be confounded with Caout- 
chouc, or India Rubber, which is used for the 
same purposes. Caoutchouc gum, or Resina 
Elastica, is the milky juices of plants and trees 
belonging to the natural order of the Euphor- 
biaceze, and when incorporated with 10 per 
cent. of sulphur forms the vulcanized rubber of 
commerce: when a larger per cent. of the sul- . 
phur is used, (with the addition of pressure), 
the ebonite or vulcanite rubber is obtained 
which goes to form the many useful articles of 
trade — pessaries, syringes, bougies, knife 
handles, etc, 
Myroxylon Pererie, the Balsam of Peru 
Tree.—Natural order Leguminose Papilliona- 
ce. Is native of Central America and natur- 
alized in the Island of Ceylon, and, according 
to Dr. Royal, is adorned with imparipinnate 
leaves, the leaflets of which are arranged in 5 
to 11 pairs; these are oval-oblong and abruptly 
