A study of the constituents of the serum of Hevea latex.

The first sample of rubber to reach Europe was sent by a French scientist, travelling in the Andes, to the Academie des Sciences in 1736. Since then, by slow degrees, the civilized world has grown to regard rubber as one of the most useful and indispensable constructional materials in modern life. Since the advent of this substance very rapid advances have been made in the scientific understanding of such subjects as the preparation of rubber from latex on the plantation and the physical properties of raw and vulcanized rubber. Of quite recent years the action of accelerators in vulcanization has claimed the attention of the rubber chemist, while the literature on reclaimed rubber is tremendous. [...