WOODY TISSUE. 



247 



administered, or the extent and character of the effects 

 produced. (See Reports of the Analytical Sanitary Com- 

 mission, Lancet, 1853 and 1854.) 



We nevertheless believe that the growing intelligence 

 and inquiring spirit of the masses, with the greatly in- 

 creased facilities of detection so ably pointed out by Dr. 

 Hassall, and afforded by modern science, will tend not 

 merely to check the evil for the time being, but ultimately 

 suppress such dangerous practices. Every man, and good 

 housewife, should be able to ascertain the quality and 

 general purity of the substances that form our daily 

 food ; this may be done by taking such a book as Dr. 

 HassaU's Adulterations Detected for our guide, and there 

 learn to look for adulterations, and to detect them in- 

 stantly. 



The next in order for investigation is the Woody tissue 

 of plants, which consists of elongated transparent tubes 

 of considerable strength : some are almost entirely made 

 up of this tissue. It is by far the most useful, and 

 supplies material for our linen, cordage, paper, and many 

 other important articles in every 

 branch of art. This tissue, re- 

 markable for its toughness, is 

 termed fibre, the outer membrane 

 of which is usually structureless. 

 In Flax and Hemp, in which the 

 fibres are of great length, there 

 are traces of transverse markings, 

 and tubercles at short intervals. 

 In the rough condition, in which 

 it is imported into this country, 

 the fibres have been separated, to 

 a certain extent, by a process 

 termed hackling. It is once 

 more subjected to a repetition of 

 hackling, maceration, and bleach- 

 ing, before it can be reduced to the 

 white silky condition required by the spinner and weaver, 

 when it has the appearance of structureless tubes, fig. 153 A. 

 China-grass, New Zealand flax, and some other plants, pro- 

 duce a similar material, but are not so strong, in conse- 



Fig. 153. 



Fibres of Flax. B, Fibres 

 of Cotton. 



