l8 Some Account of the Elajlic-G urn Vine. 



cloth. In fome degree correfpondent to the elaftlcity of the 

 gum, were u led for boots, llockings, gloves, and other arti- 

 cles where that property was neceflary, that the defers 

 above-mentioned might in a great meafure be remedied. I 

 accordingly made my firft experiment with Coflimbazar 

 Itockings and gloves. 



Having drawn them upon the wax moulds, I plunged 

 them into veflels containing the milk, which the cloth 

 greedily abforbed. When taken out, they were fo com- 

 pletely diftendcd with the gum in folutlon, that, upon be- 

 coming dry by expol'ure to the air, not only every thread, 

 but every fibre oF the cotton had its own diftinft envelope, 

 and, in confequence, was equally capable of refilling the ac- 

 tion of foreign bodies as if of folid gum. 



The firfl; coat by this method was of fuch thicknefs, that, 

 for ftockings or gloves, nothing farther was neccfliiry. What 

 were intended for boots required a few more applications of 

 milk with the fingers, and were finilhed as thofe made with 

 the gum only. 



This mode of giving cloth as a bafis I found to be a very 

 great improvement; for, befides the addition of ftrength re- 

 ceived by the gum, the operation was much fhortened. 



Woven fubftancts, that are to be covered with the gum, 

 as alfo the moulds on which they are to be placed, ought to 

 be confiderably larger than the bodies they are afterwards in- 

 tended to fit,' for, being much contracted from the abforp- 

 tion of the milk, little alteration takes place in this diminu- 

 tion in fize even when dry, as about one-third only of the 

 fluid evaporates before the gum acquires its folid form. 



Great attention muft be paid to prevent one part of the 

 gvmi coming in contact with another while wet with the 

 milk, or its whey ; for, the inftant that takes place, they be- 

 come inseparably united. But ftiould we ever fucceed in 

 having large plantations of our own vine, or in transferring 

 the American tree (which is, perhaps, more productive) to, 

 our pofleflions, fo that milk could be procured in fufficient 

 quantity for the covering various cloths, which fliould be 

 done on the fpot, and atterwards exported to Europe, then 

 the advautages attending this fingulur property of the milk 



would 



