PAPER AND PAPER STANDARDS. 399 



" steady three to two against the purchaser" is maintained ; 

 he seldom condescends to things. The best way out of 

 this difficulty is to adopt a plan somewhat as follows : — - 



For a paper of Class I. your lawyer's letters will supply 

 specimens : the lawyer knows the value of a letter both to 

 himself and client ! The profession knows no laws so bind- 

 ing as those of precedent and convention, and therefore it 

 jealously conserves such papers as it has known through 

 the ages, such also as it knows will preserve our " acts and 

 deeds " for all time. 



For Class II. look up letters from friends in Germany. 

 The chances are several to one that these will be " cellulose " 

 papers. Cellulose we must explain in German technology 

 means "Wood Cellulose". The limitation is the basis of a 

 small quarrel which we have with our cousins ; we are 

 getting the best of it and shall succeed in "depolarising" 

 the term and restoring to it, even in Germany, its general 

 significance. 



For Class III. letters from members of the "lower 

 middle class," or publications, we regret to say, of many of 

 our learned Societies will supply specimens. 



Having by these indirect means obtained authentic speci- 

 mens they may be put through the following simple tests : 

 (1) Place the specimens each in a stoppered bottle contain- 

 ing- a few cc. of water. Set aside in a " warm corner " and 

 after ten or fourteen days note what has happened. Papers 

 of Class I. will have proved themselves an excellent nidus 

 for micro-organisms of all types, colonies of these will have 

 established themselves after their manner and gorgeous 

 effects in yellow, crimson, and blue will reward the observer. 

 The filter paper (which by the way must not be allowed to 

 come in actual contact with the water) will not show any 

 such effects. They are obviously due to the nitrogenous 

 colloid, the gelatine, used in sizing the paper, for as regards 

 the cellulose fibres of which they are composed the two papers 

 may be considered as identical. Probably also the papers 

 of Classes II. and III. will not have grown any organisms. 

 In other words, the pure celluloses are not susceptible to the 

 direct attack of organisms. But given a supply of the 



