ON THE MANUFACTURE OP ARTIFICIAL GUM. 285 
Since the discovery of diastase by Messrs. Payen and 
Persoz, and owing to the successful applications, made by 
the former of these gentlemen, of the various products from 
starch under the influence of that powerful reagent, a new 
discovery has been made in this branch of industry, viz., 
dextrine or artificial gum. 
During the last two years, especially, the manufacture of 
dextrine has made immense progress in France, England, 
and Germany. I will not here recapitulate the various 
uses to which this product may be advantageously applied ; 
but I would observe, that the rapid development of a new 
branch of industry nearly always occasions, as in the pre- 
sent instance, the substitution of an economical product, of 
an easy and quick manufacture, for an expensive product, 
obtained by an uncertain manufacture. 
In this case dextrine has replaced exotic gum for nearly 
all the purposes to which it was applied. 
Dextrine is now met with in commerce in three distinct 
forms, viz., in the form of a white, brilliant, and pearly 
powder; as a syrupy solution; and in the form of exotic 
gum, in greater or less perfection, either broken into small 
fragments, or made into rolls of various sizes. 
Some short time ago, dextrine was only produced in the 
state of powder; and if some manufacturers have sought to 
give to it the appearance of the product for which it is to 
be substituted, they may have been induced to do so from 
the conviction that the only way to supersede the old plan 
was by humouring and even deceiving its disciples with the 
outward appearance of the new product. In this way our 
learned professor, M. Payen, who was formerly a manu- 
facturer of some eminence, introduced borax of French 
manufacture, by giving it the dusty appearance of the 
Dutch crystals of borax, rounded and polished by the 
friction during their conveyance. 
It has since been discovered that the gummy form of 
dextrine possessed many great advantages not at first con- 
