CHAPTEE II 



THE COTTON FIBBE 



THE cotton fibre was first critically studied under the microscope 

 in connection with the controversy as to the nature of mummy cloth. Micro- 

 Mr. James Thomson, F.E.S., of Clitheroe, employed Mr. Bauer, of examina- 

 Kew, to examine and figure for him authenticated samples of both tlon - 

 cotton and linen, and thereafter to critically study and compare with 

 the types, thus established, some 400 specimens of mummy cloth. 

 The results obtained were published in the ' Philosophical Magazine ' 

 (November 1834), and also by Yates (' Text. Anti.' pp. 261-5), and put 

 an end, once and for all, to the controversy by establishing, beyond 

 dispute, that mummy cloth was made of linen (flax), not cotton. The 

 drawings produced by Bauer were not, however, sufficiently accurate 

 to serve as standards in the future microscopic study of cotton, and 

 the subject was accordingly taken up by many subsequent investi- 

 gators, of whom the names of Varley, Walter Crum, E. Wilson, 

 Bowman, and Monie must be specially mentioned. Mr. Walter The 

 Crum published, in 1863, drawings of the cotton cells or hairs, which j\ ton 

 are remarkably accurate, and Dr. Bowman delivered in Bradford a 

 course of lectures, which were finally issued in the form of a 

 goodly-sized volume, entitled ' Structure of the Cotton Fibre.' These 

 lectures dealt with the practical aspects of the study on the arts 

 of spinning, weaving, and dyeing cotton. The first edition of 

 Dr. Bowman's useful book appeared in 1881, and a second was 

 called for in the year following. It had the great advantage of 

 being the work of a scientist who was also an expert cotton-spinner. 

 Mr. Hugh Monie's work (' The Cotton Fibre : Its Structure, &c.,' 

 published 1890) gives much additional and useful information. 

 Dr. F. Eoyle and Dr. Forbes Watson both devoted considerable 

 time and attention to the subject of the structure, length, strength, 

 uniformity and other particulars of the various grades of cotton. 



