I am paper. I was formerly part of a vegetable substance, from which I have derived my name, but I have been so altered by chemical means, that I no longer consist of vegetable matter. I am composed chiefly of fibre, to which I have added a certain proportion of mineral substances. My fibre is so intimately blended with the mineral matter, that I must be regarded as a compound. The union of the two has been effected by means of a peculiar kind of cement, so that I may be said to be a sort of artificial stone. I have an affinity for water, and am therefore moist. I have also an affinity for organic matter, so that I can take a mould of it, and am consequently become a medium for preserving the shape of animal substances. In return, I allow
