226 
As  the  eye  clears  Alum  water  i drachm  alum  to  8 ozs.  water  can 
he  used  in  place  of  sulphate  of  zinc,  as  it  seems  to  he  very  bene- 
ficial. 
As  the  cobra  can  spit  even  after  its  back  has  been  broken  by 
the  blow  of  a stick,  j)er.-,ons  killing  them  should  be  careful  not  to 
put  their  faces  too  near  the  animal  as  long  as  it  is  not  completely 
disabled.  Some  years  ago  a gentleman  well  acquainted  with  the 
Indian  Cobra,  who  was  examining  one  in  a cage  in  the  Botanic 
Gardens  was  hurt  in  this  manner,  the  Cobra  suddenly  spitting  at 
Iiim.  The  Indian  Cobra  aj)parently  does  not  defend  itself  in  this 
way. 
H.  N.  R. 
GUTTA  PERCHA  NOTES. 
In  an  account  of  the  specimens  of  Gutta  percha  and  allied  sub- 
stances shown  at  the  Hanoi  Exhibition,  Dr.  SPIRK  (Bulletin  Eco- 
nomique  Ser.  ii,  No.  17)  gives  some  account  of  the  gutta  produced 
by  Dichopsis  krantzlana,  a tree  much  resembling  our  I),  obovata. 
It  is  a native  of  Cochin-China,  and  plants  were  received  in  the 
Botanic  Gardens  of  Singapore  some  years  ago  through  the  kindness 
of  Dr.  HaffnER  of  wSaigon,  and  are  growing  steadily  though  not 
rapidly.  Samples  from  Kampot,  were  shown  at  the  Hanoi  Exhibi- 
tion, by  M.  Gassier,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  be  very  abundant. 
It  is  sold  at  the  rate  of  a piastre  a kilogram. 
The  most  interesting  exhibit  of  this  was  the  series  of  exhibits  of 
products  obtained  from  the  latex  ; by  purification  with  hot  water, 
extraction  cold  by  sulphuric  ether  as  made  by  M.  Lefevre,  a pro- 
cess .producing  a substance  containing  81*9  per  cent,  of  gutta,  a 
gutta  purified  by  petroleum  ether  which  produces  a material  more 
suitable  for  industrial  purposes  than  that  obtained  by  sulphuric 
ether.  At  the  suggestion  of  M.  Lourme,  Director  of  Posts  and 
Telegraphs,  experiments  are  being  made  with  this  gutta  for  cables. 
Dr.  Spire  gives  also  in  the  same  paper  an  account  of  the  extrac- 
tion of  gutta  from  the  leaves  of  Dichopsis  oblongifolin.  He  points 
out  that  there  are  two  methods  of  manufacture,  one  from  fresh 
leaves  mechanically  on  the  spot,  and  one  from  dried  leaves  by 
chemical  processes.  The  former  process  was  used  by  M.  Brandt 
at  Pontianak,  and  Dr.  Ledeboer  in  Singapore. 
'fhe  gutta  so  produced  was  the  best  for  cables,  but  the  amount 
obtained  was  much  less  i j to  2 per  cent,  instead  of  g to  lo. 
As  to  chemical  processes,  Dr.  Van  Romburgh  and  M.  Tromp 
DE  Haas,  have  attempted  to  put  the  business  on  a practical  foot- 
ing. They  treated  the  dry  leaves  by  petroleum  ether  at  Sourabaya. 
First  treating  them  with  boiling  alcohol,  then  by  petroleum  ether 
and  distilling  between  60  and  80°,  they  obtained  a gutta  valued  by 
European  experts  at  12  francs  a kilogramme.  No  further  exploit- 
ation of  the  cultivated  plants  has  been  carried  on  till  experience  has 
shown  that  this  gutta  can  be  used  for  cables. 
