-222 



DYEING. 



gt*thig six pounds of the powder of turmeric in a 

 gallon <>!' null spirits and afterwnrds by press separa- 

 ting three quarts of a rich tincture, which cost about 

 four shillings the qu.-rt. The tincture was applied 

 topically, and without thickening to the spots of the 

 silk handkerchiefs, which in the dyeing hail l>ccn re- 

 xiTvod white by the usual moans. l)r K nuvutt found 

 that a tincture of turmeric so obtained, and gun. 

 when applied topically to calico, produced a beautiful 

 yellow, which, by washing with soap, became red ; but 

 bem well rinced, ami expo-i-d to the atmosphere, it 

 it* former colour, and retained it after seve- 

 ral washings. )/'. vol. i. p. 278. 



80. The seeds of the bixa orellana, which g 

 spontaneously in different parts <!' (iui.ma, are covered 

 with a reddish pulp, which is collected and exported 

 to different parts of Europe under the names of an- 

 notta, arnotta, and roucon. This substance is - 

 tones employed for dyeing silk, and occasionally for 

 cotton ; but in either case it adheres but slightly to the 

 stuff. It partakes so much of a re.-inous nature, tlmt it 

 is very imperfectly dissolved in water. It is therefore 

 usual to employ at le.ist its own weight of pot;>h to 

 increase its solubility, and afterwards to immer.se, in 

 the solution, the silk or cotton to be dyed, without any 

 mordant. The colour of the annotta thus dissolved may 

 be rendered of various shades of yellow, by destroying, 

 by means of citric acid, the effects of the alkali. In 

 dye-houses, where much annottu is consumed, it is put 

 into a copper cullender, having very small holes, (be- 

 ing previously reduced to a state of minute division,) 

 and the whole immersed in a copper filled with tepid 

 water. The annotta is stirred and diffused by a stick 

 in the form of a pestle, ami passes into the bath through 

 the holes of the cullender. The strainer is then filled 

 with ashes from the dregs of wine, which i:i treated in 

 the same manner ; after which the bath is well stirred, 

 and made to boil up, two or three times when the boiling 

 is stopped by throwing in cold water. When the bath 

 is not sufficiently alkalized, it produces a brick or tile 

 colour; in which case an additional quantity is applied, 

 it is made to boil up, and the boiling stepped as be- 

 fore with cold water. (Chaptnl.) In Britain, annotta 

 is scarcely employed tor any other purpose than in 

 giving a yellowish orange tint to cheese. 



81. Carthamus, or bastard saffron, (carthamus tine- 

 torius, ) of which the flower only is useful in dyeing, 

 is an annual plant, cultivated in the southern parts of 

 Europe, Egypt, and the Levant. The flower of car- 

 thamus affords two colouring matters, one of which is 

 soluble in water, and yields an inferior yellow ; the 

 other is resinous, and obtained by the action of the fixed 

 alkalies. The latter alone is valuable, as it furnishes a 

 red of greater delicacy and beauty than can be pro- 

 cured from any other colouring matter, though of but 

 little durability. 



Method of 82. The colour is obtained by tying up the flowers 

 in a linen bag, and then subjecting them to maceration 

 and pressure in clear running water, until all the yel- 

 low colouring matter which they contain is dissolved, 

 and washed away. After this has been done, the flowers 

 are again macerated in a solution of pure soda, just 

 sufficient to dissolve and extract the resinous colouring 

 matter, which la separated by draining, and tl> 

 peated effusion of portions of water, until it is whol! < 

 solved and carried off. A solution of the colouring mat- 

 ter being thin obtained, the soda is neutralized by an 

 acid ; the citric is usually preferred, and it is thought 



Carthamus. 



extracting 

 its colour. 



to answer the purpose best, when it is in the state in S"' v 

 which it exists in lemons, or 1 'lining to spoil. <-'olouring 



\e\t to the citric acid, some have recommended that of 

 tamarinds and tart.ir ; though Bergman prefers tin- sul- 

 phuric, if it be not used in excess. SchelFer iillirmsthat 

 the acid juice of the mountain ash produces a better, 

 and more durable colour than even the citric acid. The 

 cxni-issfd juice after being allowed to fenmnt. is bot- 

 tled up, and becomes fitter for use the longer it is kept. 



colour of carthaimis, extra; ted by soda, Kouge ob- ' 

 and afterwards detached from the alkali by ciiric acid, tail ' 

 affords the '. n of the beautiful paint Known by the cartllaluu - 



of rouge. The colouring matter 1 rip- slowly 



dried in the shade, is finely ground with the purest 



. and in this state is applied to give to the cheeks 



the hue of health and beauty, by tho-e females who are 



stful of their nath e charms. 



,s 1. Archil, or orchnll, i* a colouring matter, obtained Archil, 

 from several species of lichens. NVhen it is prvpa'-td 

 for the purposes of dyeing, it is in the form of a ). 

 and of a red violet colour. The most \aln;:M 

 traded from the lichen roceella, I.inn. which grows at 

 (.'ape Verd, and tho Canary Isles, on the rocks ne:ir the 

 sea. Dillenius has endeavoured to shew, that this phut 

 is the same that was used by the ancients, ;md held by 

 them in such estimation, that the colour which it af- 

 fovded was reckoned more beautiful, when first dyed, 

 even than the Tyrian purple. It is mentioned by Pliny 

 under the name of fucns marinus, and was used in his 

 time as a ground for that colour. 



85. The knowledge of iirchil as a dye, was lost, how- Long mo- 

 ever, in Europe, till about the beginning of the 1 1-th nopolizcd 

 century, when it was restored by a native of Florence, ''! 



who had become acquainted with its properties during rc 

 his residence in the Levant. He communicated the in- 

 formation he had acquired to his fellow citizens, anil 

 for a considerable time the Florentines enjoyed the ex- 

 clusive use of it as a dye, as they purchased all that 

 could be procured of it, among the islands of the Archi- 

 pelago, and on the shores of the Mediterranean. After 

 the discovery of the Canary Isles, the lichen, which 

 yielded the archil, was found in great abundance on 

 their coasts, and by this means the other nations of Eu- 

 rope were relieved from their dependence upon Italy 

 for a supply of the commodity. The plants which 

 yield this colouring matter, have also been discovered 

 in great abundance at the Cape Vord Lies; and as 

 they had been allowed to attain their full maturity, they 

 were found to be richer in colouring matter than any 

 which had been previously known. 



86. Michel i has given an account of the melhixl of Their me- 

 preparing archil, conformable to the practice of Flo- tllwl " f .P rc - 

 rence. The plant was first reduced to a line powdir, * 1111 1L 

 and after being passed through a sie\e, was moistened 

 slightly with stale urine. The mixture \v.i< stirred once 



a day, and a certain portion of soda added each time, 

 till it acquired a dove colour. It was then put into a 

 wooden cask, and covered with a sufficient quantity of 

 urine, lime water, or a solution of gypsum ; and in tin's 

 state it was retained until wanted by the dyer. In the 

 de-rription given in I'lictho, (a work which we men- 

 tioned under the history of dyeing,) sal ammonia'.', 

 sal gem, and saltpetre, are added in the preparation ; 

 but Hellot thinks, from experience, that lime am! urine 

 are the only ingredients necessary ; and that the mix- 

 ture ought to be frequently stirred adding. -A the -ami? 

 time, fresh quantities of these. It i- proper when tin- 

 process is completed, says Bertliollet, to allow the vo 





