The British Guiana Exhibition. 113 
dantly than elsewhere, a collector having drunk a con- 
siderable quantity of the milk, proceeded to qualify it by 
drinking another considerable quantity of rum. The 
result was that the milk hardened in the man's intestines 
and caused his death. It is asserted, I do not know with 
what truth, that at the post-mortem enquiry, it was found 
that a cast in balata of the intestines had formed. 
As a matter of fact, balata might be used with 
advantage in taking casts. Even in our Exhibition there 
was shown a beautiful series of vases, and an especially 
beautiful series of leaves, modelled in this substance. 
Moreover if a thin sheet of soft balata is applied to the 
surface of any engraving or printed matter, and is then 
carefully removed, it will be found to bear a facsimile of 
the engraving or other design. Both these applications 
of balata might be turned to considerable service. It is 
perhaps as well to note that of all the natural productions 
of the Guiana forests the three with which we have last 
dealt, tonka beans, locust gum, and balata, are alone 
collected at present with any pretence at system. 
Of the barks shown in this section of the Exhibition 
we have already spoken. There were several large 
series, which should have formed, perhaps, the most in- 
teresting feature of the show. 
Among the miscellaneous chemical products exhibited, 
special mention must be made of the new sugar dis- 
covered and exhibited by our energetic Government 
Chemist and called by him " Laurite," of which mention 
will be found in another part of this Journal, and also of 
the finely prepared samples of drugs exhibited by Mr, 
Alexander Courtenay. 
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