OF VIOLET PUIIPLE DYE9. J g3 



matter only to alcohol. I shall not attempt to define the na- 

 ture of the colouring matter of alkanet: it is so readily de- 

 composed by the continued action of heat, even below the j ts co i our ^ e . 

 temperature of boiling water, that, after it has been extracted composed at a 

 by alcohol, r it cannot be concentrated by evaporation without 

 being destroyed; so that it is impossible to make any farther 

 use of the spiritous part of the tincture of alkanet, as I have 

 convinced myself, by reducing a certain quantity to one 

 fourth by distillation. The alcohol that came over appeared 

 to me perfectly pure; and the residuum was muddy, and un- 

 fit for dyeing. I confess I was to blame for not having exa- 

 mined it more thoroughly, to see whether it contained any 

 thing oily or resinous; but I had then no other object in 

 view, than to avail myself of the colouring properties of alka- 

 net, with which I had reason to be satisfied. 



On mixing a sufficient quantity of spirituous tincture of Tincture of 



alkanet with six or eight parts of pure water in a copper Alkanet, with 

 ... , „ ° * . * l * 6 or 8 parts of 



boiler; and afterward dyeing in it hanks of cotton prepared wa ter. 



for Adrianople red, according to my process inserted in the Gave cotton 

 Annals de Chimie, year 10, by Mr. Chaptal, at that time prepared for 

 Minister of the Home Department; at the expiration of an re d rian0i> 

 hour, raisingthe fire gradually till the bath was brought to boil, 

 they were of a fine violet purple colour.To produce this colour a fine purp i e 

 constantly of the greatest brightness, the cotton must not be 

 made dull by the preliminary preparations, and consequently 

 must not be galled. The linsed oil [ employed for the prepa- 

 ration was boiled with ceruse, taking care not to burn it, that 

 it might not soil the cotton. 



The great lustre of this violet purple on cotton, which sur- f a i us t re sua , 



passes that of the finest satin dved in the common manner, perior to tlut 



of satin, 

 suggested to me the idea of producing it in fine printed goods. 



My expectations were so far answered with success, that we 



presently manufactured some whole pieces of long shawls, 



with a ground of this colour, for Mr. Soehne, Sen. and Co. of 



Paris, who received them a few years ago, and admired them 



very much. They found the price, however, too high for the 



J J l ' . . DUt to ° ex ' 



times. Formerly, when it was common for ladies of fashion pensive for the 



to wear printed calicoes both in summer and winter, it was P resent timei - 

 necessary for those who would force a business to have arti- 

 cles 



