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III. On the Besin of Ficus rubiginosa, and a new Homologue of Benzylic Alcohol. By 
Waeeen De la Eue, Ph.D., F.B.S., Treasurer of the Chemical Society, Secretary 
of the Boyal Astronomical Society, &c., and Hugo Muller, Ph.D., F.C.S. 
Keceived December 27, 1859, — Bead February 9, 1860. 
A^io:^g the interesting collection of natural products contributed to the Paris Universal 
Exhibition of 1855 by the British Colonies, was a gum presenting some remarkable 
quahties. This substance was stated by the exhibitor to be a new species of gutta 
percha, in consequence of its becoming plastic when masticated, and on this account it 
attracted considerable attention. It had been contributed by Dr. Stephenson, of Man- 
ning River, N.S.W., who had obtained it from a species of Ficus, known as F. rubiginosa. 
The zealous Commissioner for New South Wales, Mr. (now Sir William) MWrthur, 
brought this gum under our notice with the \iew of obtaining some information respect- 
ing its chemical properties. 
A few preliminary experiments, which were made in Paris, at once showed us that 
this substance had very little in common with gutta percha, and, moreover, its chemical 
properties were found to be entirely different from those of that gum. Although our 
experiments did not allow us to hold out hopes to Mr. MWrthur of the gum becoming 
a valuable article of exportation from the colony, they offered some inducement to us to 
make a more rigorous investigation of it on purely scientific grounds. On communi- 
cating this riew to Mr. M' Arthur, he liberally placed at our disposal the remainder of 
the specimen exhibited. 
In pursuing subsequently the study of this subject, we discovered one of the proximate 
constituents to be a Natural Acetic Ether of anew radical homologous to benzyl (C 14 H^). 
The peculiar interest which attaches to this class of compounds, induces us to bring 
under the notice of the Society the results of our investigation. 
As the resin under consideration has not, so far as we know, been described, it will 
not be out of place to commence with an account of its physical characters ; we shall 
next proceed to state the results of our investigation in respect of the chemical charac- 
ters, first of the gum, then of its constituents. On account of the greater importance of 
the new Acetic Ether, we shall reserve a description of it until the concluding part of 
our paper, in order that we may place in immediate juxtaposition an account of the 
derivatives by which we have been enabled to establish its formula and chemical 
relations. 
This gum or resin exhibits, on the first glance, great similarity in its general appear- 
ance to “ Gum Euphorbium,” occurring, like that substance, in irregular pieces, generally 
