io8 GERMAN SCIENCE 



to manufacturing ends. But here, as is so often the case in 

 science, aiming at the moon a man hits something terrestrial. 

 Perkin discovered mauve, and thinking it might perhaps serve 

 as a dye he submitted it to Pullar's of Perth who replied, ' If 

 (with an emphasis on the 'if') your discovery does not make 

 the goods too expensive, it is decidedly the most valuable that 

 has come out for a long time.' 



Upon receiving this reply, Perkin decided to take out 

 a patent and begin the manufacture. His father, as he 

 relates, nobly risked his capital in the enterprise, and after 

 many difficulties and anxieties had been outlived, the works 

 were set up at Greenford Green and mauve supplied to the 

 silk dyers in December 1857. 



The discovery of mauve by Perkin was followed by that of 

 magenta on the part of a Frenchman, Verguin, and then came 

 a rapid succession of new colours. The initial difficulties of 

 devising methods of manufacture in a new industry, in con- 

 quering prejudices and accustoming the public to a new 

 thing, had been overcome by Perkin, and now the way was 

 easy to his successors. 



The prejudices of the time were strong, and they remain 

 with us to this day ; everything that could be urged to the dis- 

 advantage of the new colours was of course loudly proclaimed, 

 not only by those who had strong vested interests in the 

 natural dye-stuffs, but by that great national reserve of opinion 

 which is always ready to condemn a new thing because of its 

 newness because it is 4 new-fangled '. 



The first coal-tar colours that were made were no doubt 

 rather of the showy and glaring kind ; some of them also were 

 not very fast either to light or to washing ; some of them 

 were apt to be contaminated with arsenic. It was easy, 

 therefore, to get up a cry against them. The cry was loud 

 and it has been long. There are fugitive dyes among both 

 the natural and the artificial products, but to-day it can be 



