When it comes to Indian inventions for which they never received any benefit, I once read a blog that demonstrated how aboriginal people, somewhere in Burma or Sumatra actually invented a precursor to a diesel engine!

Now, you might call that a tall order, but they had a small piston that was filled with very inflammable liquid. They would push the piston by hand, very abruptly, and that wold create ignition. The advantage that device gave them came from the fact that piston was completely enclosed and it rains a lot in the jungle in which they live. So they were able to make fire even under a heavy showers.

Now late in 19th century, their government invited a German professor of engineering university to give a lecture in their country. In the course of events they had shown him the device and he took it back to Germany. He took upon himself to organize a lecture about curios device in Berlin, and it is very likely that Diesel attended, because they were personal friends.

It is just interesting story, I have no way of verifying it.

is latex dangerous?

Chewing gum is a sweetened, flavored confection composed primarily of latex, both natural and artificial. Organic latex, a milky white fluid produced by a variety of seed plants, is best known as the principle component of rubber.  Some of the latex used are leche, caspi  and sorva, found in the Amazon Valley; nispero and tunu, from Central America; and jelutong, found in Indonesia, Malaya, and British Borneo.

Wow, Great Post! Makes you wonder what is actually in the food we eat..Not all good!

It's very harmful fot health..

If so that does not sound appealing at all, youck 

It's good to hear that I am not alone in chewing latex    until I sap all the juice it. I guess today's generation should not worry much about it nor put much toll on chewing as we know the process of gum making has changed from one generation to the next.

You know the way of really getting into perfection right?

I only have one thing to say about this and that would be nasty.