96 MR. EDWARD SCHUNCK ON SOME 



3. A certain quantity of fatty matter^ a very small por- 

 tion of which is inherent in the fibre, the greatest part 

 being derived from the operations of spinning and weaving. 



4. A neutral substance, which consists either of flour, 

 starch, or glue, according as one or the other has been em- 

 ployed in sizing the warp before weaving. 



5. Inorganic salts, some of which are peculiar to the 

 fibre, while the others are derived from the water and the 

 matters used in preparing the dressing of the warp. 



In his excellent article on bleaching, in the last edition 

 of ^ lire's Dictionary of Arts,' Dr. R. A. Smith says, 

 " The substances present in cotton goods, and to be treated 

 in bleaching, are as follows : — a. the resinous matter 

 natural to the filaments ; h. the colouring matter of the 

 plant ; c. the paste of the weaver ; d. a fatty matter ; e. a 

 cupreous soap ; /. a calcareous soap ; g. the filth of the 

 hands ; h. iron rust, earthy matters, and dust ; i. the 

 cotton-fibre itself; j. the carbonaceous matter caused by 

 singeing; k. the seed-vessels." And he then proceeds to 

 give a short account of these various substances, containing 

 all that was known regarding them at the time the article 

 was written. 



My object in undertaking the investigation, the results 

 of which I am about to describe, was to endeavour to 

 throw a little more light on the nature of the substances 

 which are contained in, or attached to, the framework of 

 cellulose of which cotton-fibre mainly consists, and which 

 are, together with the latter, produced by the plant, with- 

 out taking into consideration the foreign and extraneous 

 matters introduced during the process of manufacture. It 

 is well known that these substances are almost insoluble 

 in water, but soluble in hot alkaline lye. Indeed the prin- 

 cipal operation in the bleaching of cotton goods consists 

 in subjecting them for some time to the action of boiling 

 solutions of soda or some other alkali — chlorine or its 



