20 



••food for the Devil." This Act was fortunately repealed in Charles 

 the Second's reign. 



The chief improvements of the moderns consist in the employ- 

 ment of those splendid dyes obtained from coal tar, — thi^ aniline 

 dyes. 



The Lecturer showed some samples of staffs and silks, which had 

 been obligingly furnished him by Messrs. Jay, of Regent Street, and 

 he stated that that firm had favoured him with a description of the 

 manner in which the black silks, so fashionable now and known as 

 •'■ loaded," are prepared. The skeins of silk are first soaked in a 

 bath of acid nitrate of iron, then in a bath of carbonate of soda, and 

 lastly in a bath of pure cold water. This is done three times. The 

 silk is next placed in a bath of pnissiate of potash and hydrochloric 

 acid. It is now dipped in a hot bath of tannin and extract of 

 chestnuts. By these processes the thread of the silk is opened so 

 that it can take up a large quantity of dye. In order to give it 

 weight, the silk is fii-st washed in a bath of soap water ; then, to 

 give it brilliancy, some sulphuric acid, which decomposes the soap, 

 is put into the bath, and consequently the silk freely takes the 

 grease of the soap as well as the chemicals. The former of these 

 gives the desirable biilliancy, and the latter cause the rustling 

 which is produced when the silk is squeezed. When ladies buy 

 rustling silks they buy also grease and chemicals, and it cannot be 

 reasonable to expect that such materials will not " wear greasy." But 

 ladies will not look at pure silks, they prefer the loaded ones. 

 The Lecturer here showed a black silk loaded to the extent of 

 i>0 per cent., another loaded up to 20 per cent., and a thii-d which 

 was absolutely unloaded, and which was described as "grease proof." 



