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The Invention of the Raincoat

Stuff You Missed in History Class

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Waterproofing With Rubber

James Syme was a medical student in Scotland when he started working on waterproofing with rubber. His story butts right up against that of Charles Macintosh who's credited with inventing the raincoat. In 1818 Syme wrote up his findings that mineral naptha was the best thing to thin rubber into a usable liquid form. And like those before him, he worked on waterproofing clothes by spreading this liquid rubber on them.

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