^44 ^^' tJenrfs Con/tdiraihniondiffiifent Materials t 



procefles for the dying of wool, filk, and cotton, 

 and to endeavour to deduce a theory better fuited 

 to account for the refults, than has hitherto been 

 advanced. In the execution of this undertaking 

 it will be neceflary to repeat feveral things from 

 Hellot, Macquer, aijd d'Apligny, who have 

 written feparate treatifes on the dying of thefe 

 materials ; and I am to confefs great obligations 

 to that very celebrated chemift M. BerthoUet, 

 whofe refearches are, every day, ajffbrding new 

 and important information in the feveral depart- 

 ments of the hermetic art. 



The art of dying, or of imparting to different 

 materials, employed for the fabrication of gar- 

 ments and furniture, thofe beautiful colours 

 which are afforded by many articles of the vege- 

 table, animal, and mineral kingdoms, appears to 

 have been of high antiquity*. As mod of thefe 

 materials are, of themfelves, either of dark and 

 difagreeable colours, or elfe devoid of all calour, 

 it is probable, that, even in the very carlieft 

 ages, the love of ornament, which is natural to 

 mankind, would induce them to (lain their veft- 

 ments with various colouring ingredients, efpe- 

 cially with vegetable juices. But the art of 

 imparting permanent dyes to cloth, and affixing 

 to its fibres fuch colouring materials, as could 

 not eafily be walhed out by water, or obliterated 



^ Pelaval on lA^ht and Colours. 



or 



