640 ORD. XXXIX. Tricocew. siPHONIA ELASTICA. 
to promise an easy and cheap way of forming various instruments 
of the Caoutchouc, has been prematurely recommended: nor does 
this method of softening the elastic resin with the animal oil of 
Dippelius, or with oil of turpentine, as proposed by Herissant, 
for the purpose of forming it into probes, &c. produce the effect 
desired. It appears therefore that Macquer’s process of dissolving 
this substance in ether, by which he was enabled to give a coat of 
Caoutchouc of considerable thickness to a cylindrical mould of wax, 
is the best way yet discovered of adapting this substance to surgical 
and other purposes: for on immersing the waxen mould, thus 
covered with the elastic resin, in boiling water, the wax soon melts 
and rises to the surface, leaving behind a regular tube of Caout- 
chouc. In order to render the tubes of sufficient firmness to be 
used as catheters, it has been recommended that gold or silver 
wire, rolled in a close spiral manner, should be coated with the 
elastic resin, and these, as possessing both pliability and firmness, 
are said to succeed very well. Various other methods of forming 
catheters, bougies, pessaries, trusses, &c. of this substance, are to 
be found in the Journal de Medicine," especially by Durand and 
Juville; and by its remarkable flexibility and elasticity it accom- 
modates itself to the motion of the body, and thereby possesses 
peculiar advantages. Fora syringe, or injecting machine, the com- 
mon form in which it is brought here is exceedingly well adapted, 
and only requires that a proper pipe be fixed to the neck of the 
elastic bottle to render it fit for use, whichis now well known. 
_ We are told that in Quito one of these bottles, fastened to a hol- 
low reed, and filled with water, is always presented at entertain- 
ments to each of the guests, who use it as an injection before eating. 
_ The Indians make boots of the Caoutchouc ; also a kind of 
cloth which they use for the same purposes as we use oil cloth. 
Flambeaux are likewise made of this resin, which yield a beautiful 
light without any disagreeable smell. In this country it is much 
used for rubbing out black-lead pencil marks. 
9° See tom, 60. & 62. 
