226 
As the eye clears Alum water i drachm alum to 8 ozs. water can 
be used in place of sulphate of zinc, as it seems to be very bene- 
ficial. 
As the cobra can spit even after its back has been broken by 
the blow of a stick, persons 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 
him. The Indian Cobra apparently does not defend itself in this 
way. 
H. N. R. 
-:o: — 
GUTTA PERCHA NOTES. 
In an account of the specimens of Gutta percha and allied sub- 
stances shown at the Hanoi Exhibition, Dr. SPIRE (Bulletin Eco- 
nomique Ser. ii, No. 17) gives some account of the gutta produced 
by Dichopsis krantziana , a tree much resembling our D, 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 Saigon, and are growing steadily though not 
rapidly. Samples from Kampot, were shown at the Hanoi Exhibi- 
tion, by M. CASSIER, 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 percent, 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 oblongifolia. 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. 
The gutta so produced was the best for cables, but the amount 
obtained was much less H to 2 per cent, instead of 9 to 10. 
As to chemical processes, Dr. Van Roaiburgh 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 8o°, 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. 
