231 
“Such gums as those used at the commencement of the industry are 
no longer met with except in exceptional cases. ose which have 
replaced them will share the same fate within the next 50 years. Little 
by little exportations are beginning to cease from the Malay ports. 
ed 
not of the better "XE but of those which though rich in latex yield 
an inferior product. Submarine telegraphy, in point of fact, is on the 
eve of finding itself destitute of those plants which are indispensable to 
it in the present es of science, yet the source of these guttas is still 
imperfectly understo 
* Historically the first plant described as a source of Gutta Percha 
was Jsonandra Gutta, Hooker. This is the only tree of which the 
coagulated latex, when sent to Europe, has stood the test of practice. 
It is described as extinct since 1857 in the island of Singapore, and as 
existing only in the Malay forests. 
* In point of fact this species has become excessively rare, but it i 
still in existence. Its adult representatives were still propagating 
themselves in 1887 at Chasseriau estate in the ravines of the anci 
forest of Boukett Timah, situated in the centre of Singapore, deni it 
was discovered in 1847 by Mr. Thomas жаг" who collected on the 
spec 
spot the ens preserved in the erbarium. Except Dr 
Oxley no one has since succeeded in obtain it. e tree only 
flowers when 3 ars old, and at in of tw ars. en 
The extinction of the tree was supposed to be complete. Nevertheless 
hardly three years ago there still existed in the remnants of the ancient 
forests of the island adult trees of this species, represented chiefly by 
offshoots 
“The w ‘gutta’ in the Malay language is only used in Le 
SUB 8 general sense of ‘gum > or “glue” The word ‘ vtech 
not mean merely ‘Sumatra’ as has hitherto been generally belie jad 
east} is enlied, * perxa, which means the inhabited terrestrial — 
Percha means ‘rag’ and exactly characterises the appearance o 
gums, which before treatment with warm water resemble rags half 
reduced to compressed paper- pulp. 
“In the Malay forests, in which I меннн for four years, I me 
. а 
possible to confuse it with the other species of Jsonandra which ch podus 
gutta of different quality, Gutta Sundek in this respect being in 
“ The Gutta Sundek of commerce is evidently a complex ener 
CCXIV.—NEW PROCESS FOR RECOVERING LOSS OF 
GUTTA PERCHA. 
The following eR eta gives "Y; account of the attempts which 
have been made, both recently and at a later date, to recover some 
portion of the Gutta ащ which is jet i in the bark of the trees after 
collection by the ordinary native method. 
