Textile Fabrics. 427 | 
But even the presence of all these components scarcely 
accounts for some phenomena observed in treating fibres. 
It appears certain, that cellulin exists in all stages of con- 
solidation from the easily soluble form found in Iceland 
Moss, or the brittle top-shoot of plants, to the insoluble 
and tenacious flax and cotton fibres. It appears consonant 
with reason to suppose that cellulin in a difficultly soluble 
state, should be used by Nature to agglutine short consoli- 
dated cells into firm substances. Observation bears out 
the supposition :—Near the tops of the shoots of plants 
where the cells are forming and maturing by the deposition 
of insoluble cellulin, and consequently, where cellulin must 
exist in the juices, the cells are invariably found to be more 
tenaciously agglutined together, than in other positions, 
where the deposition, and probably the secretion, of cellulin 
is terminated; for in proportion as the cells are nearerthe 
root where full development of the whole plant is earliest 
obtained, they are found coarser, stronger, and adhering to 
each other in a very slight degree. Wemay conclude from 
these significant facts, that cellulin is found around 
the not fully developed cells, in all stages of solubility. 
Again, insoluble deposited cellulin is not gelatinous. But 
it is well known, that when partially dissolved or its par- 
ticles swollen with water, it becomes so. Witness the stiff- 
ness induced on even old linen by washing ; the starchy sub- 
stance produced by boiling cellulin, after exposure to high 
heat; by heating with superheated steam ; by the action of 
strong caustic alkalis, &c. May not this view more clearly 
define a large proportion of the “large quantity of gum” so 
much spoken of as existing in some fibres, and perhaps some 
portion of the undefined “extractive matter” of analysts, 
and the “inter-cellulose” of students on fibres. Assuming 
this to be fact, it opens to our view a field of difficulty not 
easily overcome, for the undeposited but insoluble cellulin 
is probably isomeric with the deposited cells; or at most, the 
former being mechanically mixed with water, and the latter 
having chemically appropriated it. 
For the removal of substances so near akin to those de- 
sired to be retained, let us consider what means have been 
employed. First and chiefly, alkalis. It is well known 
that these powerfully aid the solution of all vegetable sub- 
stances, and seeing that they enter with facility into com- 
bination with all vegetable acids, and substances acting the 
role of acids, whiist cellulin is not visibly affected in form 
by them, they have been made the foundation of the treat- 
