THE YELLOW DYE STUFFS OF CHINA AND INDIA. 



since I met with thein on sale at an herbalists on Tower-hill ; but the. 

 owner found them a dead stock, as he knew nothing either of their pro- 

 perties or uses, and I was the only one who had purchased any for the 

 sake of experiment. 



Tisso Flowers. — The flowers of Butea frondosa, and probably under the 

 same name, those of Butea superba, are used as a yellow dye in India. 

 They were, on one occasion, imported into Liverpool, under the name of 

 Kessaree flowers, but are not an article of European commerce. With alum 

 they give a yellow dye, which, with the addition of a little soda, turns to 

 orange. 



Malapoo Flowers. — Small dried flowers under this name are obtained 

 from Salem. They are the produce of Cedrela Toona, and yield a yellow 

 dye, with alum. This dye is only in use locally, but appears to be worthy 

 of further attention. 



Avarai-pu. — The yellow flowers of Cassia auricidata are used in some 

 parts of India as a dye stuff". The process adopted has not been 

 described. 



Hueslnghar. — The flowers of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis are used in India 

 for dyeing yellow or orange. This plant scents the gardens with its delici- 

 ous perfume, only during the night. In the morning the ground is covered 

 with its short-lived flowers. These are collected, strung on threads, and 

 worn entwined in the hair of the women. 



Jack wood. — In the Island of Ceylon the duramen of the wood of the 

 Jack {Artocarpus integrifolia) is used to dye the robes of the Buddhist 

 priests yellow. 



Woniwol, or Bangwellgetta. — The dried leaves and roots of Menispermum 

 fenestratum, Gsertn., are in common use by the Cinghalese for dyeing 

 yellow. They are known locally in India by the name of" tree turmeric," 

 and produce a useful colour. Only on the Western Coast do they 

 appear to be in use for dyeing, except in the Island of Ceylon. 



Tiaklou. — A yellow dye is obtained in the Neilgherries from Berberis 

 Asiatica. As long since as 1838, Mr. E. Solly called attention to the 

 Berberry barks of India as sources of a yellow dye stuff. In a paper read 

 before the Asiatic Society, he described the various species of Berberry, 

 which grow in India, mentioning many of their localities, and stated that, 

 from experiments made by him on specimens of Berberry root, received 

 from Ceylon, he was convinced that the Asiatic root would prove an 

 article of considerable value to dyers. He described the colour as being 

 disseminated throughout the whole of the wood, bark, and roots ; and 

 suggested that experiments should be made on the relative quantity and 

 colour in each of those parts respectively. Mr. Solly suggested that, as the 

 root does not contain more than seventeen per cent, of useful colour, it 

 might prove more convenient to import the watery extract, instead of the 

 whole root or stem, which plan would diminish the cost of the dye. The 

 extract is well known to the natives of India, and is the horzis or rusot of 

 their medical writers, and might, doubtless, be easily prepared in large 



