CONCLUDING REMARKS. 173 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 



In conclusion of this chapter, the writer would say, that he has 

 endeavored to be so explicit as to guard the experimenter against 

 the mistakes that were the cause of serious hindrance and delay 

 in his own progress, in experimenting for a great length of time. 

 In doing this, although it may, in some cases, prove a detriment 

 to his pecuniary interests, he would gladly remove from the way 

 of all others the perplexities which he encountered, considering 

 that it is warranted by the advantage that others may derive by 

 this publication. Where persons are at such a distance that 

 they cannot recognize the legal claims of the inventor, they are 

 entitled to such information, as being conducive to the extension 

 of the manufacture, and the welfare of mankind ; and it is the 

 wish of the writer that those who are disposed to recognize such 

 claims, may be prevented from needless waste of time and 

 money, which every one will not fail to encounter who under- 

 takes to experiment with gum-elastic without any knowledge of 

 the substance. 



Further, it may be remarked that these instructions, brief as 

 they are, may be of service to those who desire to make articles 

 on a small scale, or for experiment merely, where access cannot 

 be had to the factories, or is not desired from motives of secrecy, 

 by those who invent new applications of the substance. It 

 may be satisfactory to such persons to know, that they can now 

 manufacture gum-elastic by hand with some advantage, however 

 much more advantageously it may be done by machinery. 



The present intention of the writer is to give, in a future 

 edition of this work, a more minute description of the different 

 processes of this manufacture, and the proportional ingredients 

 of the different compounds which produce such various, although 

 similar results. 



It may be well, however, to state here for the benefit of those 

 who may hereafter experiment or engage in this manufacture, 



