Lad) 
manufactured at home. In the courfe of this difeuffion, it 
evidently appeared, from the contradictory teftimonies of many 
of the principal bleachers, that however they might excel in that 
art, when well provided with the inftruments they employ, they 
were but little acquainted with the general agency of the inftru- 
ments themfelves and their refpective powers, or even with the 
moft advantageous and ceconomical method of employing them. 
To elucidate thefe points by an analyfis of fome of the different 
fubftances employed by bleachers, and by giving a fure method 
of diftinguifhing the relative powers of every faline fubftance 
they may ufe, together with an account of the beft method 
of obtaining them, as well as of adapting them to the purpofe 
of bleaching, is the object of this paper. This tafk, which I have 
impofed upon myfelf folely with a view to the utility of the 
public, requires no ingenuity, and might have been long ago 
well executed by many others, if chymiftry, which has fo many 
votaries of the higheft rank in the moft civilized parts of Europe, 
had been more known and cultivated in this country, which 
perhaps of all others ftands moft in need of its affiftance, 
nd 
SECTION 
