CHAPTER XIV. 



MUSICAL. 



Fife. Flute. Clarionet. Clarionet reeds. Piano-fortes. Instrument key stops. Organs Ac- 

 cordions. Bag-pipes. Music boxes. Bass viols and violins. Drums. 



Soon after the invention of caoutchouc or gum-elastic ivory, 

 it was supposed that it would probably answer well for some 

 kinds of musical instruments, before any experiments had been 

 made to ascertain how far it might be used for such purposes. 

 Since that time it has been proved that this material may be 

 applied to a much greater variety of them than was even sup- 

 posed, and that, including the other compounds and fabrics, 

 some one or more of them may be used either for the whole or 

 for parts of almost every musical instrument. 



The advantages claimed for these substances for this use, will 

 be alluded to in the description of some of the articles hereafter 

 specified, as the different substances have their peculiar advanta- 

 ges for particular instruments. There is great economy in the 

 manufacture of nearly all of them. They may be moulded into 

 perfect forms, with a perfect finish, as easily as wax or lead 

 could be made into the same shapes, and the farther facility with 

 which they are vulcanized by a new method, described Vol. I., 

 page , renders it certain that this new use of caoutchouc or 

 gum-elastic, will become one of the most extensive. 



Another superiority claimed for these instruments is that, ow- 

 ing to their uniform quality (unlike those of wood) and to their 



