168 APPENDIX, 
The same tree is referred to in Watt’s Dictionary of the Economic 
Products of India, Vol, IIL., p. 102. In this, an extract taken from 
Drury’s Useful Plants of India, suggests that the gum might be 
usefully utilised as a sub-aqueous cement or glue; or that, on account 
of its perfume when heated, it might possibly be rendered of some 
value to the pastille and incense makers. More recently this gum has 
been analysed by Mr. David Hooper, F.C.S., F.1.C., Quinologist to 
the Government of Madras, and the results are given in the Annual 
Report of the Cinchona Plantations of Madras for 1891, p. 18 :— 
“ Indian Gutta-percha,—An abundance of gutta-percha milk has 
been yielded during the dry weather in the Wyndd by the Panchotee 
tree (Dichopsis elliptica), and some planters have been asking for 
information on the subject, and inquiring whether it could be made 
into a commercial article, The milk has been known for some years 
to afford what was called Indian gutta-percha or Pala-gum, and has 
been used as an adulterant of Singapore gutta. General Cullen 
brought it to notice 35 years ago, and Dr. Cleghorn published a 
memorandum on the subject at the time. It was reported upon by 
experts in London, who found that it was unfit for water-proofing 
p as its solution in coal-tar and turpentine dry up to such 
a brittle consistence that the fabric is useless, It could be used as a 
birdlime or cement, and keeps well under water as a cable insulator, 
especially if mixed with some genuine gutta. By boiling the milk 
of the Panchotee tree, a white mass separates, which can be kneaded 
by the fingers, but which becomes hard and brittle when cold. The 
brittle character of this substance, I find, is due to a large proportion 
of a crystalline substance found also in true gutta, and called crys- 
talban or alban. Crystalban, according to Payen, occurs to the 
extent of 14 to 19 per cent. in the best kinds of gutta-percha, but 
I have extracted as much as 69-2 per cent, of erystalban from the 
dried secretion obtained from Wyndd. The presence of a large 
quantity of crystals in this gum, of course, would interfere with its 
utility, but crystalban is easily removed by boiling alcohol, and the 
residue consists of a very good and pure gutta-percha, I cannot see 
why this process could not be used to purify the Indian gum and so 
obtain an article similar to the Malayan article.” 
A note on a gum from a closely allied plant (Dichopsis obovata, 
C. B. Clarke) received at Kew from Burma appeared in the Kew 
Bulletin, 1892, p. 215. (Hew Bulletin, Dec. 1892.) 
