I 
i 
At i k I C U LI U K A L B ULLEI'IN 
OK THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 2. j FEBRUARY, 1905. [Vol. IV. 
SOME FACTS ABOUT GUTTA PERCHA, 
Gutta Percha, derived almost entirely from trees growing within 
six or seven degrees of the equator, is naturally one of the most 
important products of the Federated Malay States of Perak. Se- 
langor, Pahang and Negri Sembilan. I will endeavour in this 
article to give a general idea of the subject, under the following 
heads: — 
1. General, species distribution, etc. 
II.. Measures taken for protection, past and present. 
III. Methods of extraction. 
IV. Manufacture, adulteration, lines of transit. 
V. Properties. 
I, — General. 
The word Gutta Percha- is derived from the Malay word “ Get ah'” , 
which means any substance such as gum, latex, resin, etc., which 
exudes from wounds or incisions in^the bark of trees. “ Percha 
refers to the Malay name for Sumatra, “ Pulau Percha.” Gutta 
Percha. therefore, originally meant Get»th from Sumatra. 
Gutta Percha in its pure state may be taken to mean the coagu 
lated latex of trees belonging to the genera Palaqmum (Syn, 
Dichopsis, I son and ra) and Payena. Inferior Gutta Perchas are 
yielded also by several species of Russia, and one or two species 
of Ficus, but these will not be discussed here*, the object of this 
article being to discuss the best Gutta Percha producing species, 
which are also the ones found most commonly in the Federated 
Malay States. 
Mr. CURTIS, in the Agricultural Bu n etin of the Federated Malay 
States and Straits Settlements, has madq the following observa- 
tions : — “ Palaquium, the tree referred to as'”Getah Taban,” was 
" originally described as an Isonandra . but subsequently found not 
" to agree in certain particulars with that genus, consequently a 
new genus was created, called i'Hchopsi < . Later it was found that 
