184 H. G. SMITH. 
treated with acetone, in which the resinous portion easily 
dissolved. The remaining rubber, representing about 7 per 
cent. of the latex, was elastic, and although somewhat soft. 
had all the properties of a caoutchouc. The portion soluble 
in acetone was white, easily powdered, and melted to an 
almost colourless resinous mass. } 
Whether this Australian plant could be economically 
utilised for the rubber it contains can only be decided by 
further systematic investigations, but it would not be 
possible to collect the latex by incisions in the stems. It 
would be necessary to treat the whole plant by solvents, or 
by mechanical means, as in the case of ‘‘Guayule Rubber” 
btained from Synantherea Mexicana—the coagulated 
ruboer from which plant also contains a high percentage of 
resins, although the rubber itself is of fair quality. 
The wax which occurs on the outside of the stems was 
not easily soluble in ether or in cold alcobol, but was soluble 
in boiling alcohol, from which it separated as the solution 
cooled. Purified in this way, the wax melted at 79°, ina 
capillary tube in water. This isa somewhat high melting 
point for a vegetable wax, so that, if obtainable in quantity, 
this product should have commercial value. 
The accompanying illustration of the material worked 
upon indicates that Sarcostemma australe grows as a leaf- 
less shrub, although it is described in the Flora Australiensis. 
‘asatwiner. That the plant assumes both forms of growth 
has already been shown, and Tate (Journ. Proc. Roy. Soc., 
South Australia, Iv, 136) describes it as a shrub two or 
three feet high, growing on the granitoid-felstone cliffs 
about Tickera,S.A., and also as a twiner in other localities 
(same Journ., Vv, 9). Mr. 8S. Dixon (same Journ., ViII, 26): 
also describes it as growing in the bush form with stems. 
scarcely as thick as a penholder, and states that in the 
North Western districts sheep have lived upon it for months. 
without water; a similar statement is also made by Max 
Koch (same Journ., xxl, 114). The above authors also. 
describe the use made of the latex by the aborigines and 
others as a remedy for healing sores. 

