Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-03-24
Gutta Psfcha.

We find the following in the London
News, respecting this curious and useful ar
tlcle, which has been recently introduced in
10 this country, as an article of manufacture.
This substance is of recent introduction to
England, and was brought under the notice
OF the Society Of Arts in the autumn of 1913.
The history of its discovery is thus given by
DR.. M~ontgomerie:
"While at Singapore, in 1912, I, on one
OCCASION observed In the hands of a Maylay-
an woodsman, the handle of a parang made
OF a substance which appeared quits new to
me. My curiosity was excited, and on in
curry, l found 1t was made of the Gutta Per-
cha, and that it could be moulded into any
form, by simply dipping it into boiling wa
ter until 1t was heated throughout, when it
become plastic as clay, and when cold, re-
gained, unchanged, its original hardness and
rlgldIty. l immediately possessed myself of
the article and desired the man to fetch me
as much more of it as he could get. On ma
king some experiments with it, | at once dis
covered that, if procurable in large quantities,
1t would become extensively useful"
The discovery was communicated to the
Medical Board of Calcutta, and subsequent.
ly 10 the Society Of Arts in London.
Sir w. J. Hooker states the tree from
which Gutta Percha is procured, 10 belong
to the natural order SapOtdceT, found in album
dance IN the Island of Singapore, and in
some dense forests at the extremity of the
Maylayan peninsula. Mr.. Brooke reports
the tree TO be called NiatO by the Sdrawak
people, hut they are not acquainted with the
properties OF the sap it altains a considera-
BILE size, even as large as six feet in dame
ter; Is plentiful in Sarawak, and most prob
ably, all over the Island of Borneo. The
tree is stated TO be one of the largest in the
forests in which it is found. The timber is
too lose and open for building purposes but
the tree bears a fruit which yields a concrete
oil, used for food.
Gutta Percha is contained in the sap and
milky juice which quickly coagulates on ex-
posure 10 the air; from twenty 10 thirty lbs.
being the average produce of one tree. For
collecting the sap, the trees are felled, bark
ed, and left dry, and useless, so great is the
demand for the Gulta, the importation of
which already reaches many hundred tons.
annually. Hence the forests will soon be
cleared OF the Gutta trees whereas, il is be-
lleved that a constant and moderate supply
might be secured by i~ncisions in the bark, as
in the case of caoutchouc.
The Guita is received in scraps, or in rolls
oil thin layers. 1t is first freed from impuri-
ties by deViling or kneading in hot water,
when 1t is left soft and plastic, and of a viii
fish gray color.
When thus prepared, the Gutta has many
curious properties. Below the temperature
Of so degrees, it is as hard as wood, but it
will soon receive an indentation from the fin
ger nail. When softened in hot water, it
may easily be cut and moulded and it will
harden, as 1t cools, TO its former rigidily and
it may be softened and hardened any number
of times without injury to the mat, rial. I'm
like caoutchouc, it has little elasticity but,
ii has such t~enacity, that a slip, one-eighth
OF an inch substance, sustained IL pounds
weight, and only broke with a pressure of
90 lbs. When drawn out, it remains with
out contracting.
In solution, Gutta Pereha is applied, like
caontchoue, for water-proofng cloth. 1t is
likewise used for numerous purposes for
which leather is used; in mastics and CO.
ments, &c. In short, 1t promises 10 become
as important an article of as caout-
chOuc itself.
The name is a pure Maylayan one; gutta
meaning the gum, or concrete juice of a plant,
and percha the particular tree from which
this is procured. The CHI is not pronounced
hard like a Il, but like the oh in the English
nane Of the fish perch. 1t has been sugges-
ted to DIR. M~ontgomeGie, that the Gutta Per
cha would be found most useful in stopping
decayed teeth.
In February last, the London company, in
connection with the East India Company,
took measures TO stop the telling Of the trees,