The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-11-27
1esrriptire Artlrles,
From Land and Water.
The India-Rubber and Gutta Peroha In
dustries.

lub la-huUDbr anu uuLLA EtrCua IN
dustries.
The lecture, of which the following is
an extract, lately given by Mr.. Thomas
Bolas, +. G. s., before the Society Of Arts,
formed one Of those admirable Cantor
Lectures which are annually given to
members The importance Of the India
rubber tree in connection with the many
and useful purposes to which it is applied
will be seen, upon perusal Of the lecture,
which was opened by description of the
sources of India rubber,
The earliest rumor of the existence of
caoutchouc reached Europe nearly 500
years ago, the frst visit of Columbus to
Hayti having brought to light the fact
that the natives Of this island were in the
habit of making playing balls of an elastic
gum. Nothing more appears to have been
heard of India rubber until Torquemada,
rather over 250 years ago, described the
Mexican Indians as not only making balls
of lndia.rubber, but also as fabricating
helmets, shoes, waterproof fabrics, aud
other articles of elastic gum. We do not
hear, however, Of samples Of India rubber
reaching Europe until long after this, and
little more appears to have been learned
regarding the substance until the celebra-
ted French naturalist, La Condamine,
made communication to the Academy OF
Sciences at Paris concerning eaoutchoue,
he having had ample opportunities Of
studying the subject in Para. lie tells us
that the substance in question was used
for making torches, these being only an
inch and half in diameter by two feet
long, and yet burning for twelve hours,
Again We hear of the use Of India rubber
for playing balls, and it appears that the
natives were in the habit Of using enema
or election bottles made Of eaoutchouc.
Soon after La Coudamine communica.
tion to the Academy of Sciences, samples
ofIndia-rubber frequently reached Europe
and scientific men began to make investi.
cations regarding this remarkable body
Between 1850 aud 1770 We find Fresneau
aud Macquer studying the subject, and
the last named investigator made tubes
and other articles Of caoutchouc by dissol.
wing it in ether and coating moulds with
the solution, so that solid skin of caout.
chouc should remain adhcrent to tho mould
on the evaporation Of the solvent.
From this time until the end Of the
eighteenth century, the India-rubber in.
dustry may be considered to have been
undergoing its period Of CESSATION, and to
have been born with the dawn of the pres.
ent century. Among the first Of the i'm
portant patents regarding the utilization
of eaoutchouc is that granted in 1923 to
Charles Macintosh, for dissolying the
substance in coal oil, or coal naptha, and
the use of this solution as a waterproofng
agent.
About tho same time, elastic webbins
was first made with threads cut from the
raw rubber, and other minor applications
of caoutchouc to the industrial arts were
adopted from time to time, until the great
discovery Of vulcanization inaugurated q
new epoch in this branch of industry, ren-
dering it possible to SO far alter caoutchouc
as to make it capable of resisting, to q
great extent, the action of heat on the one
hand and cold on the other hand.
The milky sap of many plants contains
caoutchouc, suspended in tho form Of
minute transparent globules, these being
frequently as small as one twenty thou.
sandth and one 6fty-thousandth of an inch
in diameter; but comparatively few plants
eontain sufficient caoutchouc TO render
them important sources Of this body.
The trees which yield the largest supply
Of the best quality of caoutchouc consist Of
various species Of hevea, which flourish in
the northern districts of South Amsrica,
especially in the province of Para, some
portions Of the valley Of the Amazon being
crowded to an extraordinary extent with
heveas. The abundance Of the India.rub.
Der trees in Para may be judged Of by the
fact that this province alone exported $40
tons Of caoutchouc Ia the year 1877 more
than half Of this being sent to Liverpool.
Among the heveas most productive Of
eaoutchOuc may be mentioned the Herea
brdsilieasis, which fiourishes 10 Para, and
yields some Of the finest caoutchouc, and
and often attains height Of sixty 70 sew
enty feet, with diameter Of nearly three
feet and the Heved gaid,,eRsis, similarly
magnificent tree, likewise abuudautly pro.
ductiye Of caoutchouc aud the Hsrea
sprnceana, smaller tree, which grows al
most exclusively in the province of Para.
The lecturer here projected on a screen a
lantern slide, representing tho foliage and
Hover Of the Heped gataneAsis. lsi
in collecting the juice, series Of
cuts are made through the bark Of
the tree either shells or clay vessels are
attached to receive the exuding milky SAP.
and when sufficient Of this has been eel.
lected, the operation Of drying it's pers
formed as follows: A kind Of wooden bat
ihinly covered over With clay, Il dipped
into pail tilled with the juice, and the
hatthns coated is held hSofK Ere, ltdwah
certain wild nuts, which in burning
give OF On abundance Of aromatic
smoke As soon Is the frat LAYER
Of juice has become ibdulated, the bat 1
again dipped, aud the drying operaiion 4
repeated, layer after layer being thus dried
on the bat, luhtil q tbi6kness .Sf nearly al
inch isattaiped. a knife cut is now mnde
u the bottle or biscuit Of eaoa,eh6uc skuS
obtained 80 that Il can be removed from