524 
Pseudo-Gutta  Perchas. 
Am.. I  our.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1883. 
The  "  Balata  "  gum  is  of  a  character  somewhat  between  caoutchouc 
and  gutta  percha,  combining  in  some  degree  the  elasticity  of  the  one 
with  the  ductility  of  the  other,  freely  softening  and  becoming  plastic 
and  easily  moulded  like  gutta  percha.  What  small  parcels  arrived  in 
England  met  with  a  ready  sale  and  were  remarkably  free  from  adul- 
teration. But  unfortunately,  through  the  difficulty  of  collection — the 
undertaking  being  so  dangerous  and  unhealthy — the  supply  of  this 
excellent  article  has  fallen  off.  It  is  collected  by  making  incisions  in 
the  bark  about  7  feet  from  the  ground,  and  a  ring  of  clay  placed  round 
the  tree  to  catch  the  milk  as  it  exudes.  The  yield  is  said  to  be  in  pro- 
fusion especially  at  the  time  of  the  full  moon,  and  the  operation  can 
be  repeated  every  two  months  in  the  rainy  season.  It  takes  six  hours 
to  bring  about  coalescence  by  simple  atmospheric  influence,  but  very 
quickly  by  boiling  in  water.  A  large  tree  is  said  to  yield  as  much  as 
45  lb.  of  "  dry  gum."  The  tree  in  every  way  is  well  worthy  of  a  trial 
by  acclimating  it. 
In  India  there  are  several  plants  whose  products  may  be  classed  as 
pseudo-guttas.  First  and  foremost  of  these  we  have  the  Pauchontee 
or  India  gutta  tree,  the  Bassia  eUiptica  of  Dalzell  the  Isonandra 
acuminata  of  Lindley,  but  now  known  as  Pichopsis  eUiptica,  It  is 
found  in  the  Wynaad,  Coorg,  Anamallay  and  Neilgherry  Hills,  Sholah 
Forest,  Cochin,  Sichar,  and  according  to  General  Cullen,  "appears  to 
be  common  in  all  the  forest  tracts  at  all  within  the  influences  of  the 
southwest  rains."  This  tree,  which  is  now  placed  in  the  same  genus 
as  the  true  gutta  percha,  is  a  large  one — from  80  to  100  feet  high — 
and  was  first  met  with  by  Mr.  Dalzell,  in  North  Canara,  near  the  falls 
of  Goirsuppah,  in  1849.  Since  that  date  General  Cullen  and  Dr. 
Cleghorn  have  used  every  exertion  to  bring  the  substance  prominently 
forward  but  without  success.  The  gum  is  obtained  by  tapping,  IJ  lb. 
being  obtained  from  one  tree  by  five  or  six  incisions,  a  large  tree  yield- 
ing as  much  as  20  to  40  lb.  of  sap.  Many  experiments  have  been 
made  with  specimens  of  the  raw  milk,  i.e.,  milk  simply  dried  by  ex- 
posure to  the  atmosphere.  The  results  of  these  experiments  have  shown 
tiiat  for  telegraphic  purposes  it  is  wanting  in  some  essential  qualities, 
but  it  has  been  recommended  as  a  subaqueous  cement  or  glue.  When 
dissolved  in  ordinary  gutta  percha  solvents,  it,  after  the  evaporation  of 
the  solvent,  remains  some  times  soft  and  viscid,  and  partakes  somewhat 
of  the  character  of  bird-lime.  When  cold,  it  is  hard  and  brittle. 
Without  wishing  in  the  slightest  degree  to  throw  doubt  or  discredit  on 
