184 THE SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF 



an equilibrium at the point of the fault. That is a method which 

 I think is well worthy of the consideration of practical tele- 

 graphists, but there are more roads than one leading to Rome, as 

 is proved by the success of Mr. Varley's method. 



Regarding the early history of gutta-percha which was discussed 

 at the last meeting of the Society I wish to make a few remarks. 

 I may say I stood on the threshold when gutta-percha was first 

 introduced into this country. That was I believe in the winter 

 of 1844-5, and not in 1843 as stated by Mr. "Willoughby Smith, 

 because I recollect well seeing the first specimen of gutta-percha 

 exhibited at the Society of Arts, I think by Mr. Montgomerie. 

 At that time I was young and enthusiastic, and I begged Mr. 

 Montgomerie to give me a piece of this wonderful stuff, the 

 contemplated application of which did not seem to go beyond the 

 formation of whips and similar articles. He was kind enough to 

 give me a piece, which I forwarded to my brother Dr. Werner 

 Siemens, who was at that time an officer in the Prussian service, 

 and a junior member of a Commission appointed to report upon 

 the feasibility of telegraphs. He had the idea that the wires 

 should be covered with india-rubber and laid under ground, and I 

 sent him this piece of gutta-percha in order that he might try 

 whether it was not superior to india-rubber for insulation pur- 

 poses. He did so, and after some time, having procured for him 

 at his request a further supply, he made experiments, and in the 

 course of about twelve months he proposed to the Prussian 

 Government the use of gutta-percha for insulating the telegraphic 

 line wire. In the first place he tried to unite two strips of gutta- 

 percha round the wire, and the line from Berlin to Grossbeeren 

 was laid in 1846 in that way. It was soon found, however, that 

 the moisture penetrated to the wires, and this led my brother to 

 design a machine which is still in existence and was exhibited at 

 Vienna, and which is very similar to that used for macaroni 

 making. This machine was designed in 1847, and in the early 

 part of 1848 some hundreds of miles and in 1849 some thousands 

 of miles of wires made by means of it were laid in Germany. My 

 brother did not at that time take out a patent for his machine 

 because he was in the Government service, and as it had been 

 done partly on behalf of the Government it had become public to 

 a great extent : the patent referred to as having been taken out 



