I58 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



hundred paces, I loft it, from its afcending among 

 the branches of trees that were inacceflible either from 

 their fize or height. On the weft coaft of Sumatra I 

 underftand they have been more fuccefsful; Doftor 

 Roxburgh having procured from thence a fpecimen of 

 the vine in flowers, from which he has daffed it; but 

 whofe defcription I have not yet feen. 



With us the Malays have found tafting of the milk 

 the beft mode of difcriminating between the elaftic 

 gum vine and thofe which refemble it in giving out a 

 milky juice, of which we have a great variety; the li- 

 quid from the former being much lefs pungent or 

 corrofive than that obtained from the latter. 



The ufual method of drawing off the milk is by 

 wounding the bark deeply in different places, from 

 which it runs but flowly, it being full employment 

 for one perfon to collect a quart in the courfe of two 

 days. A much more expeditious mode, but ruinous 

 to the vine, is cutting it in lengths of two feet, and 

 placing under both ends vefTels to receive the milk. 

 The beft is always procured from the oldeft vines. 

 From them it is often obtained in a confidence equal 

 to thick cream, and which will yield two thirds of its 

 own weight in gum. 



The chemical properties of this vegetable milk, fo 

 far as 1 have had an opportunity of examining, fur- 

 prizingly refemble thofe of animal milk. From its 

 decompofuion in confequence of fpontaneous fermen- 

 tation, or by the addition of acids, a feparation takes 

 place between its cajeous and ferous parts, both of 

 which are very fimilar to thofe produced by the fame 

 procefles from animal milk. An oily or butyrous 

 matter is alfo one of its component parts, which ap- 

 pears 



