SAFFRON. 217 



happiness to the heart of many a faded belle, who, self- 

 deceived, believes she has hidden the ravages of time be- 

 neath its friendly mask; and thirdly, in dyeing. Two 

 colouring principles exist in Safflower : one is soluble in 

 water, and is a bright saffron yellow colour; the other, 

 which has been called carthamic acid and carthamin, is so- 

 luble in alkaline solutions, and is of a fine rose-red colour : 

 this latter, when precipitated from its solution, dried, and 

 mixed with very finely powdered talc, constitutes rouge. 

 Properly prepared, the red colouring-matter communicates 

 a beautiful red colour to silks, but is very fugitive, and will 

 not bear washing. The quantity of safflower imported is 

 considerable. The greater portion comes from the East 

 Indies ; this is always pressed into the little cakes before 

 mentioned. A small quantity has latterly come from Egypt, 

 of very fine quality, not pressed, but loose, like saffron, 

 which it very much resembles. The imports into the United 

 Kingdom in 1851 were nearly 600 tons. 



Saffron. — The dried pistils of the common Crocus. 

 (Crocus sativus : Nat. Ord. Iridacece.) 



Though affording a brilliant yellow colour, more easily 

 perhaps than any other vegetable product, saffron can hardly, 

 in the common acceptation of the term, be considered a dye- 



