l68 A BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF 



So far as I can find, it docs not appear that ever this 

 vine has been taken notice of by any European till now. 

 I have carefully looked over the Hortus Malabaricus, 

 Rumphius's Herbarium Amboinenfe, &c. &c. Figures 

 of Indian Plants, without being able to find any one 

 that can with any degree of certainty be referred to. 

 A fubftance of the fame nature, and probably the very 

 fame, was difcovered in the Ifland of Mauritius, by 

 M. Poivre, and from thence fent to France; but, fo 

 far as I know, we are dill ignorant of the plant that 

 yields it. 



The impropriety of giving to Caout-chouc the term 

 gum, refin, or gum-refin, every one feems fenfible of, 

 as it pofTeires qualities totally different from all fuch 

 fubftances as are ufually arranged under thofe generic 

 names : yet it ftill continues, by moft authors I have 

 met with, to be denominated elaftic refin, or elaftic 

 gum. Some term it iimply Caout-chouc, which I wifh 

 may be xonfidered as the generic name of all fuch 

 concrete vegetable juices (mentioned in this memoir) 

 as poffefs elafticity, inflammability, and are foluble in 

 the effential oils, without the afliftance of heat. 



In a mere definition, it would be improper to flate 

 what qualities the object does not poflefs; confe- 

 quently it mult be underftood that this fubftance is not 

 foluble in the menftruums which ufually diffolve refins 

 and gums. 



Eaft India Caout-chouc would be a very proper fpe- 

 cific name for that of Urceola elaftica, were there not 

 other trees which yield juices fo fimilar, as to come 

 under the fame generic character; but as this is really 

 the cafe, I will apply the name of the tree which yields 

 it for a fpecific one. E. G. Caout-chouc of Urceola 

 elaftica, Caout-chouc of Ficus Indica, Caout-chous of 

 Artocarpus integrifolia, &c. &c. 





