WOOL. 



Water containing only {our per cent, of potafli difTolves hair, 

 while hydro-fulphurct of ammonia is evolved. If the hair 

 be black, a thick dark-coloured oil, with fome fulphur and 

 iron, remain undifTolved. If the hair be red, this oil is yel- 

 lowifh. Acids throw down from this folution a preci- 

 pitate, folvible in excefs of acid. 



Sulphuric and muriatic acids become red when firff 

 poured on hair, and gradually diffolve it. Nitric acid 

 turns hair yellow, and dilFolves it, while an oil feparales, 

 varying in colour, as before-mentioned, according to the 

 colour of the hair employed. The folution contains a 

 great deal of oxalic acid, befides bitter principle, iron, and 

 fulphuric acid. Chlorine reduces it to a fubftance of the 

 confiftence of turpentine, partly foluble in alcohol. 



Alcohol, digelied on black hair, extrafts from it two 

 kinds of oil. The firft, which is white, fubfides in white 

 fliining fcales as the liquor cools ; the fecond is obtained 

 by evaporating the alcohol. It has a greyifh-green colour, 

 and at laft becomes folid. From red hair alcohol alfo ex- 

 trafts two oils, one white, as above, the other red as blood. 

 After this latter has been extraded, the hair becomes 

 chefnut. Hence its red colour appears to depend upon 

 this oil. 



Hair on incineration yields iron and manganefe, fulphate 

 and carbonate of lime, muriate of foda, and a confiderable 

 proportion of filica. The afhes of red hair contain lefs 

 iron and manganefe. Thofe of white hair ftill lefs ; but in 

 thofe we find magnefia, which is wanting in the afhes of other 

 hair. The afhes of hair do not exceed .015 of the hair. 

 Hence, according to this analyfis, hair confifts of 



1. Animal matters conftituting the greateft part. 



2. A white folid oil, fmall in quantity. 



3. A greyifh-green oil, more abundant. 



4. Iron, llate unknown. 



5. Oxyd of manganefe, 



6. Phofphate of lime. 



7. Carbonate of lime, very fcanty. 



8. Silica. 



9. Sulphur. 



Vauquelin infers from thefe experiments, that hair 

 depends for its colour upon a kind of oil, which varies ac- 

 cording to the colour of the hair in which it is found. He 

 alfo fuppofes, that fulphuret of iron contributes to the 

 colour of black hair. The fudden change of colour in hair 

 from grief, he thinks, is owing to the evolution of an acid. 

 Bichat, however, attributes this change, perhaps with 

 greater probability, to the abforption of the colouring prin- 

 ciple. To whatever caufe it be owing, the faft appears 

 undoubted ; and it fhews a clofer conneflion between the 

 living powers and the hair, than many phyfiologifls are in- 

 clined to admit. 



Wool appears, according to the experiments of BerthoUet, 

 to coincide almoft exaftly in its chemical properties with thofe 

 of hair above-mentioned. When growing on the back of the 

 animal, it is enveloped in a greafy matter, called the yolk, 

 and which appears to be a kind of foap ; or, more properly 

 fpeaking, according to the experiments of Vauquelin, who 

 has examined it, of 



1. A foap of potafh. 



2. Carbonate of potafh. 



3. A httle acetate of potafh. 



4. Lime. 



5. A little muriate of potafh. 



6. An animal matter. 



This fubftance appears to have the property of protefting 

 the animal from infefts to a certain degree, and of preferving 



the foftnefs of the wool, which are perhaps its chief ufes. It k 

 removed from the wool before it is manufadured, by the pro- 

 cefs termed fcounng. The afiinity of the animal matter of 

 wool for all colourmg pnnciples is very great, and in general 

 far exceeds that of the different vegetable fibres, as cotton, 

 flax, &c. for fuch principles. There is one kind of coarfe 

 wool, however, which, according to Dr. Bancroft, does not 

 poffefs this property, and receives colours with great diffi- 

 culty. See Dyeing, and the preceding article. 



M'ooL, Laws relating to. The jealoufy entertained on 

 the fubjeft of our wools, may be learnt from the legal re- 

 flriftion which has been made in relation thereto ; as alfo 

 with the view that as much employment as is poflible may 

 be found for the labouring claffes. This is effeaed by the 

 prohibition of the exportation of wool in an unmanufac- 

 tured flate, as will be feen below. It mull be obvious, 

 however, that it would be to little purpofe to be thus ftrift 

 refpecling the .^rticle itfclf, if that which produced it was 

 not equally guarded; therefore as early as 13 & 14 Ch. II. 

 c. 18. it was made felony to export Iheep from England or 

 Ireland, or even to Scotland : now however the penalty is 

 forfeiture of every ram, (heep, or lamb, and the velTel in 

 which fuch is Ihipped with intent to expoi-tation from Great 

 Britain and the iflands belonging thereto; and offenders are 

 to forfeit 3/. for every (heep, &c. fo (hipped, and to fuffer 

 three months folitary imprifonment, and till the forfeiture 

 be paid, but not to exceed twelve months; and for any 

 fecond offence 5/. for each ram, &c. and fix months impri- 

 fonment, and till the fine is paid, but not to exceed two 

 years. 28 Geo. III. c. 38. § 2. 



By the 9th and 37th fedions, no wool, woolfells, mort- 

 lings, yarn, or worlled made of wool, woolflocks, cover- 

 ings, cruels, waddings, or other manufaftures, or pretended 

 manufafturcs (lightly wrought up fo that it may be reduced 

 to wool again, or mattreffes, or beds fluffed with wool 

 combed or fit for combing or carding, may be fhipped or 

 exported, or carried or moved for that purpofe, from Great 

 Britain, or Guernfey, Jerfey, Alderney, Sark, or Man, to 

 any foreign place, on forfeiture of the wool, with the car- 

 riage, fhip, or cattle on which it is laden or removed ; but 

 300 fheep may be fent annually from Liverpool or White- 

 haven to the Ifie of Man (51 Geo. III. c. 50.); and the 

 perfon offending to forfeit 3^. for every pound weight, or 

 50/. in the whole, and to be imprifoned three months, and 

 till the penalty is paid, but not to exceed fix months ; but 

 for a fecond offence he is to forfeit the like fum.s, and to be 

 imprifoned for fix months, and till fuch fine be paid, not 

 exceeding two years ; but this is not to extend to lambflcins 

 drefTed for furs and linings. 



And perfons qualified by the governors of the following 

 iflands may export the refpeftive qualities fet againft them 

 from Southampton to thofe places in every year : 



To Jerfey 

 To Guernfey 

 To Alderney 

 To Sark 



Tods. 



4000 



2000 



400 



200 



28 Geo. III. c. 38. § 16, 17. And 20,000 pounds weight of 

 worded and woollen yarn may be exported annually from 

 London to Lower Canada, by permiffion of his majefty in 

 council. 47 Geo III. c. 9. 52 Geo. III. c. 55. 



By the 48 Geo. III. c. 44. wool may be (liipped in Eng- 

 land for exportation to Ireland, on being duly entered and 

 bond given for its true exportation there ; and upon obtain- 

 ing a licence under the hands of the commiflioners of the 

 cuftoms to allow it. 



No 



