Wright. — Absorption of Moisture by Wools. 



219 



described by the author,* with an additional method to determine the 

 water-soluble suint. Suint was determined in the portion of the sample 

 remaining after removal of the adhering sand and dirt. After drying and 

 weighing, the sample was placed in a soxhlet extraction-thimble and re- 

 peatedly extracted with hot water ; thereafter it was dried and weighed, 

 the difference in weight from the previous weighing being suint, and the 

 residue pure wool-fibre- 



Table I. — Greasy Wool. 



Table II. — Slipe Wool. 



100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



100-00 



It will be seen from the above analyses that the slipe wools contain a 

 lower percentage of moisture than the greasy wools ; the cause of this differ- 

 ence will be explained later. It is further seen that the amounts of wool- 

 fat and suint are considerably less in the slipe wools ; this is only to be 

 expected, for in the washing of the skins these matters are removed. 



The increase in fatty matters other than wool-fat is probably due to 

 the fat and grease on the underside of the skin adhering to the wool in 

 rubbing against the woolly side during the process of washing. 



In determining the amomit of moisture absorbed by greasy and slipe 

 wools, the wools were dried absolutely, and, after weighing, were exposed 

 to the atmosphere of the laboratory for from twenty-four hours to 408 hours, 

 being weighed at regular intervals ; at the same time determinations of the 

 relative humidity and the amount of moisture in grains per cubic foot 

 present in the atmosphere were made. 



* Jour. Soc. Chera. lud., vol. xxvii, No. 3, 1909 ; Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xli, 1908. 



