DYEING- AND CALICO PRINTING. 31 



printing albumen or lactarine on muslin, and fixing the same by coagu- 

 lating it by the action of steam. The pieces were then passed into the 

 dye-beck, containing in solution either aniline purple, or French purple, 

 when the albumen or lactarine took up the colour, and fixed it on the 

 cloth, after which the pieces were thoroughly washed, to remove any ex- 

 cess of colour. In the middle of the same year a beautiful green pig- 

 ment, which had been patented in 1859 by Mr. Griiignet, was introduced ; 

 and as it is extensively employed, it may be interesting to know how 

 this green oxide of chrome is produced. Three parts of boracic acid are 

 intimately mixed with one part of bichromate of potash, and a sufficient 

 quantity of water to form the whole into a thick paste. It is then intro- 

 duced into a furnace, and heated to a dull red heat, when a borate of 

 potash, and a borate of oxide of chrome are produced. The mass is 

 allowed to cool, and is then thrown into cold water, when the borate of 

 potash dissolves, and the borate of oxide of chrome is decomposed. The 

 hydrate of oxide of chromium, Cr 2 3 + 3HO, falls to the bottom as a 

 magnificent green powder, requiring only to be well washed and drained 

 to be ready for use. 



The peculiarity of this green, as well as of one prepared by M. 

 Arnaudon, of Turin, from phosphate of ammonia and bichromate of 

 potash, is that, besides being of a brilliant green, it maintains this colour 

 by artificial light. In November, 1859, the magenta colour, or fuchsine, 

 of Messrs. Renard Freres, was introduced to the printing trade, and 

 fixed by the above-described method. The beautiful pinks thus pro- 

 duced were soon followed by the application of roseine, azaleine, and 

 other aniline reds. In May, ] 859, a further improvement was made 

 which reduced the cost of applying these colours to muslins, by Mr 

 Walter Crura, who made the curious observation, that if the gluten of 

 wheat flour is allowed, by exposure to the atmosphere, to fall into a 

 semi-fluid condition, it dissolves easily in a weak solution of caustic 

 soda, which solution he used as a substitute for albumen or lactarine. 

 About the same time Mr. Scheurer Kestner also introduced the use of 

 gluten by the aid of weak acids ; and Messrs. W. A. Perkin and Matthew 

 Gray, of the Dalmarnock Printing Company, proposed to fix the coal- 

 tar colours on fabrics by means of a lead-soap. 



Early in 1860, calico printers succeeded in printing the aniline 

 colours directly with the animal mordants, instead of dyeing the mor- 

 dants after the latter were printed and fixed, and thus were enabled not 

 only to print a variety of colours on the same piece, but also to effect a 

 .great saving and simplicity in the operation. By this means the pig- 

 ment style was fully developed, and an entirely new class of prints was 

 introduced. 



Owing to the great extension of this style, the cost of the animal 

 mordants employed became such a serious consideration as to cause 

 anxious search for other means of fixing the colours ; and Messrs. Cal- 



