FIRST EXPERIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR. 101 



account for the heavy losses sustained by the different companies 

 referred to, in the article headed American Manufacture. The 

 goods which were made in large quantities during the winter, 

 decomposed on the return of warm weather, and were a total 

 loss. The subsequent experiments of the inventor were attended 

 with the same results. The hopes which had been raised by his 

 apparent success, were repeatedly dissipated by the gradual fer- 

 mentation of the goods on the return of warm weather. 



He had not proceeded far in his experiments, before he learned 

 the fact, that the substance had baffled all the efforts of chem- 

 ists and manufacturers, to divest it of its objectionable qualities. 

 He not unfrequently met with physicians and others, who had 

 made a long course of experiments for this purpose, but who had 

 only met with disappointment. The attention of individuals of 

 the medical profession was probably drawn to this substance 

 before that of any other class, from the fact that gum-elastic 

 was found useful for medical and surgical purposes. A descrip- 

 tion of articles of this class will be found in the list of ap- 

 plications. 



The inventor was, however, encouraged in his efforts by the 

 reflection, that that which is hidden and unknown, and cannot 

 be discovered by scientific research, will most likely be dis- 

 covered by accident, if at all, and by the man who applies him- 

 self most perseveringly to the subject, and is most observing 

 of every thing relating thereto. This fact is corroborated and 

 illustrated by the circumstances attending this discovery, and, 

 in all probability, had it not been made by perseverance against 

 the probabilities of success, it never would have been made at 

 all ; for it was well established that India rubber melted at a heat 

 of about 200 degi'ees, Fahrenheit, and in the sun's rays at 100 or 

 less. India rubber manufacturers had always been careful to 

 avoid a heat of more than 100 degrees of Fahrenheit in the 

 manufacture of their wares ; and in the case of the Macintosh 

 goods, their circulars cautioned customers not to approach too 

 near the fire with them. No one who had any knowledge of the 

 nature of the gum, would be likely to apply a high degree of 



