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Imperial Institute, (South Kensington, London, S.W 



REPORT ON GUTTA PERCHAS FROM THE 

 STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 



By Professor WYNDHAM R. DUNSTA.N, M. A., F. R. S., Director. 



These samples of Gutta-perchas were forwarded to the Imperial 

 Institute by Mr. CURTIS, the Assistant Superintendent of Forests, 

 Penang, with a request that they should he examined in the Scien- 

 tific and Technical Department for the purpose of ascertaining 

 their chemical composition and commercial value (see letter dated 

 April 4th, 1902). 



The specimens received wen- as follows : - 



1. Sample of Gutta-percha and about 50 lbs. of dried leaves of 



the species of Palaquium (Palaquium pustulatum? ) known, 

 in the State of Perak as " Gutta Taban Putih". 



2. Sample of 'Gutta Simper". (PaMquium Mmngayi). 



3. Sample of "Gutta Taban Chaia". (Palaquium polyant hum ?), 



4. Sample of " Gutta Minjato ". (Bkssiusp?) from Langkawi 



f-lands. 



5. Sample of "Gutta Susu". ( Dyera sp.) from Langkawi Islands. 



C). ' Gutta Taban Merah" (Palaqmum gutta) from Renang 

 Forests. 



The specimens \ T ns. I. 2, 3 and 6 were collected under the 

 supervision of European Forest Officers in order to ensure their 

 authenticity, and they therefore represent the products of the differ 

 ent species of Palaquium without any admixture whatsoever. 



Information was particularly desired concerning Xos. 1 to 5, and 

 of these No. I Gutta Taban Putih. was stated to be the most im- 

 portant. This gutta is derived from a tree, probably Palaquium 

 pustulatum, though its botanical identity is a little uncertain at 

 present, this is the most abundant of the Palaquiums in the State 

 of Perak and will grow at an elevation of over 2,000 feet. If the 

 gutta-percha yielded by this species proved to be of good quality 

 it was proposed to establish extensive plantations of the trees. 



Numerous proposals have been made during recent years to 

 extract the gutta-percha from the h aves of the Palaquiums, therebv 

 obtaining an earlier vield from the plantations than would be pos- 

 sible otherwise, and several processes have been already patented 

 for this purpose. A large sample ol the dried leaves of the tree 

 yielding the Gutta Taban Putih was therefore forwarded, so that 

 experiments could be made to determine the amount and quality 

 of the gutta-percha contained in them, and the feasibility of ex- 

 tracting it upon a commercial scale. 



