The Gutta Percha Tree, or Gutta Tuban, as it ought more properly to be
called--the Percha being a spurious article--abounds in the indigenous
forests of Singapore, although it was only about the year 1840 that it
was discovered by Europeans. The first notice taken of it appears to
have been by Dr. W. Montgomerie, in a letter to the Bengal Medical
Board, in the beginning of 1843, wherein he commends the substance as
likely to prove useful for some surgical purposes; and supposes it to
belong to the Fig tribe. In April, 1843, the substance was taken to
Europe by Dr. D. Almeida, who presented it to the Royal Society of Arts
of London; but it did not at first attract much attention, as the
Society simply acknowledged the receipt of the gift. Its uses would
rather appear to have been found out by the Malays, who first
manufactured some of the Gutta Percha into whips, and brought them into
the town at Singapore for sale, where they were seen by Europeans.
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