No. 216] 243 



which appeared quite new to me. My curiosity was excited, and 

 on enquiry found it was made of Gutta Percha, and that it could be 

 moulded into any form by simply dipping into hot water. 



On making some experiments with it, I at once discovered that 

 if procurable in large quantities, it would become i^xteni:ively useful, 

 and even if only in small quantities, it would i>lill be invaluable for 

 many purposes. I therefore wrote to the medical board in Calcutta, 

 strongly recommending its adoption for various surgical instruments, 

 and sent specimens of the substance; at the same time specimens of 

 the Gutta Percha were sent to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and 

 to the Society of Arts in London. 



The tree from which the Gtitta Percha is derived is, according to 

 Sir William Hooker, one of the natural order Sapoteceae, which 

 comprehends those plants in which tha leaves of the flower bud are 

 imbricated, or overlap each other, and Sir W. Hooker gives it the 

 name of Isowandra Gutta. 



In the Journal of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of 

 India, will be found several communications on the Gutta Percha 

 plant, and its milky juice, from the Rev. W. White, chaplain of 

 Singapore, Mr. W^m. Griffiths, and Mr. J. G. Scott. From these we 

 ■learn that this valuable tree is known for producing much esteemed 

 fruits, good timber, useful gum, for affording a vegetable oil or but- 

 ter; an ardent spirit and febrifuge medicine; the flowers in addition 

 are used for food. Specimens of the wood collected at Singapore by 

 Mr. Thomas Lobb, exhibit a soft, fibrous and spongy character. It 

 is pale colored, and traversed by longitudinal receptacles or reser- 

 voirs, filled with the juice, forming ebony black lines. An analysis 

 of the Gutta Percha will be found in the Calcutta Journal of Natu- 

 ral History, by Dr. Monat, and in the Edinburgh Philosophical 

 Journal, another by Dr. Maclagan, from which it appears to consist 

 of carbon, hydrogen, and a very small quantity of oxygen. 



The Gutta Percha tree grows abundantly in the island of Singa- 

 pore, and in the dense forests at the extremity of the Malayan 

 peninsula, also in the island of Borneo. The tree attains a consid- 

 erable size, even as large as 6 feet diameter; is plentiful in Sara- 

 nak, and most probably all over the island of Borneo, and there is 

 little doubt that it will be found in most of the forests of all those 

 islands which range from Sumatra to the Phillipines, and probably 

 on the main continent along the whole range of China to Malaya. 



