DEXTRIN or British Gum

a substance obtained by roasting starch. Its principal use is in the textile industries, as gum for postage stamps, in mucilage manufacture, etc., but it is also sometimes employed as a glaze for certain candies. It was discovered by the accidental overheating of starch and its process of manufacture was for a long time kept secret. Its name arises from the fact that under polarized light it turns the plane to the right or "dexter."