SUNDRY APPLICATIONS OF CASEIN. 163 



CASEIN IN SOAPMAKING. 



The frequency with which casein is offered for use in 

 soapmaking has drawn the attention of interested parties to 

 the matter, and led to exhaustive experiments in order to 

 determine whether it is really suitable for this purpose. 



In Austria the use of casein in soapmaking is protected 

 by Letters Patent. The process is a development of the well- 

 known milk soaps ; and, just as an addition of cows' milk 

 is considered to be an improvement in these soaps, so also, 

 to some extent, is the use of casein in toilet soaps, since it 

 cannot be regarded as merely an adjunct designed to load or 

 cheapen the product, except, perhaps, in a very restricted 

 degree. On the other hand, it has been proved that toilet 

 soaps containing casein have behaved better than those with- 

 out such addition, and that the added casein acts beneficially 

 on the perfumes used by rendering them more pronounced 

 and fixing them to a certain extent. Moreover, albuminoid 

 washes have a beneficial effect on the skin, so that the use 

 of casein seems commendable. 



Casein being insoluble in water, it must be first prepared 

 by combining it with alkalies like borax, calcined soda, sodium 

 bicarbonate or caustic soda. 



From the practice of working up cows' milk into toilet 

 soap to the use of casein for the same purpose is but a step. 



In places where ample supplies of moist casein are avail- 

 able to the soapmaker, the method of working is fairly simple. 

 The casein is placed in a pan fitted with stirrers, and dissolved 

 in one of the aforesaid alkali compounds, with constant stir- 

 ring, the solution being added to the finished soap. 



To bring commercial dry casein into suitable condition 

 for the same purpose it must be mixed with water containing 

 the requisite alkali in solution. Casein will absorb large 

 quantities of water, and it is on this property that its use as 



