HEMP MADE TO RESEMBLE COTTON. QKO 



I know not the procefles which have been heretofore em- 

 ployed, but I have fucceeded, by means of the oxigenated 

 muriatic acid, in obtaining a matter more beautiful than any 

 of thofe, the knowledge of which has reached me. 



The very fimple procefs I am about to defcribe, was ex- 

 ecuted in the laboratory of the Polytechnic School, by Cit. 

 Gai-Luflac, at that time one of it pupils^ 



The flax is cut into fragments about fix centimetres long ; Berthollei's 

 it is covered with water in which it is left forthree or four days; P>^ocefs. 

 after this it is boiled in fimple water ; it is waflied with care ; 

 it is lyed, it is put into oxigenated muriatic acid. Four im- 

 merfions in the oxigenated muriatic acid and four lyes are 

 commonly fufficient : the operation is finiOied by immerfing it 

 in a bath of water charged with one two-hundredth part of 

 fulphuric acid. On removing it from this tepid bath in wiiich 

 it has been left for near half an hour, it is waflied with great 

 care, and plunged into water charged with foap : it is then 

 fpread, without being wrung, on hurdles, where it is left to 

 dry, without, however, fuffering it to become too dry. All 

 thefe operations, from the firft iramerfion to the drying, do 

 not require more than five or fix hours, when the procefs is 

 made with (mall quantities. 



The flax thus prepared was then fent to Cit. Molar, who Meehanicaj 

 was kind enough to undertake the mechanical operations ; he 'iperatigni, 

 firft combed and then carded the bleached flax. He ex- 

 perienced fome difficilties from the knots that were fcattered 

 through the flax, but this Ikilful mechanic foon overcame this 

 inconvenience. I prefented to the clafs of phyfical and 

 mathematical fciences of the Inftitute, on the 6th Prairial of 

 the year 8, a fample of the prepared materials, which was 

 equal to cotton in its whitenefs, and other apparent qualities ; 

 neverthelefs, Cit. Molar found fault with the cottony matter The filamentg 

 for being too (liort in the flaple. »^e too (hon. 



Cit. Bawens alfo manufaftured the cottony matter prepared 

 in the laboratory of the fchool, with the beautiful machines 

 which he polTefles at his manufa^ory at Chaillot. He found 

 no difficulty in the execution, but he alfo found the filaments 

 too fhort, although he procured a very fine thread of con- 

 fiderable tenacity. 



It is therefore the inconvenience of being reduced into Propcfed re- 

 (hort filaments which requires to be correded in the firfl'"^'^)'- 



preparation; 



