Q^ ON- THK VOLK 0? WOOL. 



The volk excr- The yolk itfelf, when a little concentrated, as I havealrearlj 

 cifes an aftion mentioned, has an efficacious a6lion on the portion of greafe 

 brneVereafe. which is not in a faponaceous ftate ; for I have found that, in 

 putting to the wool only the quantity of water neceffary to 

 cover it, it fcours better, particularly with a little heat. 

 Danger of contl- than when it is wafiied in running water. But I alfo found 

 nuing Its z&ion ^j^^ when wooI has remained too Ions: in its own yolk, it 



To^> long j or or ' - o J ' 



ufingftiong fwells, fplits, and lofes its firength : this efFeft alfo takes place 

 foap feds. ^ijIj foap-fuds which are too ftrong. 



Since the folulion of the yolk occafions this fwelling and fplit- 

 ting of the wool, is it not poflible that this accident may hap- 

 pen on the flieep's back, particularly in hot, moid feafons, 

 or when they are lliut up in folds in which the litter is not often 

 Tke acrimony of enough renewed? Nor would it be impoffible that the acri- 

 the yolk pro- mony of the yolk Ihould occalion an irritation in their fkins, 

 the living ani- and, by that means, be the caufe of fome of the diforders to 

 roa'' which this organ is liable in thefe animals^ which muft princi- 



pally happen in hot and damp weather : fortunately, in thefe 

 ieafons, they are from time to time expofed to rains which 

 waAi them, and carry off at leafl a portion of this matter. On 

 Wa/hingrccom- this fubje6t f Cordially agree with thofe who think that wa(h- 

 mended. -^^^ flieep in hot and dry weather, would be ufeful to their 



health and the quality of their wool. 



Lofs of weight Tlie lofs experienced by fcouring wool .is very variable; 



by fcouring. ^^^ greateft I met with was 45 per cent, aiid the leaft 35 ; it 



it is true, thofe which I waQied were very dry. This lofs is 



not wholly owing to the yolk ; the humidity, the earthy and 



the filth of every fpecies, alfo contribute to it. 



BIjachingof I have made fome attempts to bleach fcoured wool, but I 



fcoured wgol. confefs that they have not been carried fo far as they ought to 



have been. I have remarked, generally, that thofe which 



bad been waQied with foap-fuds whitened better, by every 



method, than thofe which had not. Sulphureous acid diflblved 



in water whitened it pretty well, but it did not deftroy the 



yellow colour which the wool, growing in the groin and under 



the fore-legs of the (heep, had contraded. In liquid fulphu- 



reou'5 acid the wool acquires the property of crackling between 



the fingers like brimftoned filk, and, at the fame time, con- 



tra6ls a very powerful fetid fmell, which is not diflipated in a 



long time. 



I did 



