INVESTIGATION OF JAPANESE LAQUOR. 255 



When the laquor is exposed to sunlight in an atmosphere 

 of carbonic acid in hermetically closed flasks, the blacking 

 does not take place; and, to my surprise, I found a great 

 deal of moisture collected on the sides of the flask. The 

 loss of weight in the air is almost, if not entirely due to 

 the escape of water with a minute quantity of carbonic 

 acid, which may be formed by the oxidation of some 

 organic compound existing in the laquor. The attempt 

 has been made to estimate the relative amount of carbonic 

 acid and water, yet it was not successful at the time, being 

 too difficult, and it must be left open to future investigation. 



The laquor is a substance which is very difficult to dry ; 

 and the way by which the Japanese artists dry the laquored 

 articles is this : — Those who perform these operations have 

 a square wooden box of various sizes according to the 

 amount of work they do, the insides of which are furnished 

 with shelves to hold the laquored articles ; and the boxes 

 are provided with doors. In order to do this, the inside 

 is moistened with spray of water, and then laquored articles 

 are introduced and the door closed. It is a well known 

 fact to the artist that the removal of air, dry air, or heating 

 it are the great checks to the drying of the laquor. It is 

 usually the case to dry a paste like gum arabic or dextrin, 

 to place it in a current of air, diy air, or heat it ; but in 

 the case of the laquor the reverse is the case. This seems 

 strange, but it is really the fact. I have inquired of many 

 artists, they all say the same. This is then true, as we 

 cannot deny the fact ; and there must be some reason or 

 other for it being so. 



According to my opinion, the following is the probable 

 explanation of it, if not really the true one. If we expose 

 the laquored articles in the current of air, dry air, or heat 

 it, then only the surface is di'ied and forms a crust — a wall 

 as it were ; and this impervious crust prevents the volatile 



