128 BLEACHING COTTON. 



Salzburg two thirds wood afhes and one third lime, and concentrated* 



bleaching cot- unt '' an e #S defcends flowly in it (fpecific gravity about 1 .OS 1 ). 

 ton thread, &c This ley in a boiling Rate is poured upon the cotton; after 

 which it is drawn off', again heated, and again poured on; 

 and this repetition is continued from midnight to noon, or for 

 twelve hours. The whole of the ley is then drawn off, and 

 the cotton taken out of the veffel while hot, with the hands 

 defended by gloves, and after fpreading it upon a table, it is 

 again put into the veffel, but in a reverfed order. The fame 

 wafhing is repeated with other leys and continued for twenty- 

 four hours. 



Laftly, the boiler is filled with water, to which 2lbs. of foap 

 are added, and the liquid brought to the boiling heat. The 

 cotton is waflied with this water, conftantly kept boiling for 

 twenty hours, and is afterwards left to fteep for ten or eleven 

 hours. The fluid is then drawn off, the cotton taken out of 

 the veffel, and fpread on a long wooden table, where it is 

 wafhed and beetled, and afterwards waflied in a running 

 water. LafiJy, the water is prefled out by means of a prefs, 

 and the cotton dried upon fiaves in the fun, or in damp weather 

 in a room appropriated to that purpofe. 



The remaining leys after thefe wafhings cannot be ufed a 

 fecond time, but have a blood-red colour; they are mixed to- 

 gether, and are ufed in the common operations of the laundry. 

 The foap waters are thrown away. 



The ftaves on which the cotton is fufpended mufl be waflied 

 every time. It is preferable, when the weather permits, to 

 fufpend each piece by threads and ftretched cords in the open 

 air. The pieces ought not to be brought too near together, for 

 fear left the places to which the air has not free accefs (hould 

 be fpotted with brown i'pots. 



Piece goods and raw linen thread will receive a partial 

 bleaching by this method. It is neceffary however to make 

 the leys of only half the ftrength, and the lixiviation muff, be 

 continued only half the time, for fear of weakening the tex- 

 ture. 



Linen and cotton as vegetable fubflances have the defect of 

 not taking fixed colours. The caufe refides in their refinous 

 principle, of which they muff, be deprived. Alcohol would 

 be a fure and eafy folvent for this principle, but it is too ex- 

 pend ve. After alcohol, the beft folvents of this principle are 



oils 



