L. TECHNOLOGY. 517 



ADULTERATION OF FUCHSINE. 



Aii examination of certain specimens of commercial fuch- 

 sine, made by a chemist of Vienna, proved that it consisted 

 mainly of coarsely powdered white sugar, superficially color- 

 ed with a concentrated solution of fuchsine, in general ap- 

 pearance precisely similar to the genuine article. Attention 

 was first called to this peculiarity from its insolubility in al- 

 cohol. 14 6 r ,CC.,339. 



YELLOW COLORING FOR SOAP. 



The best substance for imparting a yellow color to toilet 

 soap, according to Shering, consists of sulphide of cadmium, 

 as not being affected either by light or by time. For this 

 purpose cadmium yellow is to be rubbed up finely with some 

 kind of oil and added to the melted soap, with continued stir- 

 ring. 18 (7,xxil, ilTay, 1871,352. 



COLORING ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS. 



A French chemist has suggested what he considers an ex- 

 cellent method for coloring artificial flowers. For this pur- 

 pose he selects colors of different tints, soluble in water, and 

 mixes them with a clean mucilaginous gum, and then pours 

 this out upon highly polished square glass tablets of several 

 inches in diameter. The layer must be put on uniformly, 

 and the tablets exposed for a time to a well-heated stove. 

 The gummy mucilage dries rapidly into a thin polished plate, 

 which afterward separates from the glass and falls off. It 

 may then be reduced to a powder possessing any required 

 degree of fineness, the result obtained being remarkable for 

 its permanency and transparency. The sheets obtained with 

 aniline colors are considered especially beautiful. The tinc- 

 ture of curcuma, combined with a solution of soda, gives a 

 beautiful chestnut ; a solution of alcohol and curcuma with 

 fuchsia, a beautiful scarlet red; and with aniline blue, a hand- 

 some greenish-yellow. Science pour Tous, JVov. 30, 1 870, 363. 



HYDEOFUGINE. 



A substance called hydrofugine is recommended for the 

 purpose of rendering fabrics water-proof, without interfering 

 with the circulation of the air through them. The method 



