318 ON THE VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF GUTTA PERCHA. 
ART. LXVIL— ON THE VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF GUTTA 
. PERCHA. 
By Mr. Whishaw. 
At a meeting of the British Association, Mr. Whishaw 
read a paper giving an explanation of the various applica- 
tions of gutta percha ; numerous specimens of which in the 
shape of thread, cord, tubular staves, driving bands, con- 
stables' staves, sticks, whips, inkstands, medallions, shields, 
water buckets, stereotype plates, and almost every other 
description of article, both useful and ornamental, were pre- 
sent. The paper, after stating that gutta percha was the 
concrete juice of a large tree of the same name, abounding 
in Borneo, &c., obtained by tapping the tree periodically 
by the Malays, stated that its introduction into this country 
was purely accidental ; Dr. Mortgomery having transmitted 
the first sample of it to the Society of Arts, in 1843, at 
which time he (Mr. Whishaw) was secretary to that So- 
ciety. The first articles of use made of gutta percha in this 
country were laid before the Society of Arts in 1844, and 
consisted of a lathe-band, a short length of pipe, and a bot- 
tle-case, which he had himself made by hand, having caused 
the concrete substance to become sufficiently plastic by 
immersing it in hot water. He also produced casts from 
medals, which attracted considerable attention at the time, 
and surgical instruments were soon after made of this new 
material. It was also adapted to commercial uses ; and from 
the period mentioned to July 11th, in the present year be- 
tween 600 and 700 tons had been imported from the Gutta 
Percha Company. From twenty to sixty tons were now regu- 
larly imported every month. Contrary to the general opinion 
that gutta percha is a simple/ hydrogenous substance, Mr, 
