54 
/ 
Absorbent  Cotton. 
j  Am.  .Tour.Pharm„ 
\      Feb.,  1881. 
before'  bleaching,  an  insoluble  lime  soap  would  be  formed  and  precipi- 
tated on  the  fibres.  Dipping  in  very  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  after 
bleaching  renders  the  removal  of  calcium  compounds  more  easy.  At 
this  stage  the  cotton  has  all  the  appearance  of  absorbent  cotton,  but  it 
absorbs  water  rather  slowly ;  when  again  boiled  with  a  caustic  alkali,, 
more  organic  matter  of  a  non-greasy  nature  is  removed,  and  the  cotton  is. 
rendered  perfectly  absorbent.  On  dipping  the  cotton  in  dilute  hydro- 
chloric acid  at  the  last  w^ashing  a  chloride  is  produced  with  the  caustic 
base  usedj  which  is  more  readily  washed  out  than  the  alkali  itself. 
The  amount  of  loss  by  this  process  is  practically  10  per  cent.  A 
sample  of  360  grs.  lost,  on  boiling  with  alkali  and  bleaching,  15  grs.,, 
or  4"  17  per  cent.,  and  270  grs.  of  this  bleached  sample  lost,  on  again 
boiling  with  an  alkali,  14  grs.,  or  5'18  per  cent,  a  total  loss  of  9*35 
per  cent. 
There  are  on  the  market  two  brands  which  are  principally  sold,  and 
are  held  at  Avholesale  at  the  following  prices : 
111  one  i^ouiid  rolls,  65c.  and      $1.12  per  pound, 
one-half  pound  rolls,      75c.  1.35 
one  ounce  boxes,  $1.25   
oiie-lialf  ounce  boxes,    2.25 
Each  of  the  half  ounce  boxes  contains  about  1*45  grs.  of  cotton. 
Good  cotton  costs  at  retail  about  25  cents  per  pound ;  enough  alkali 
to  wash  it  wdll  cost  say  10  cents,  and  chlorinated  lime  2  or  3  cents  p 
loss  in  manufacture  10  per  cent.,  which  equals  3  cents — making  a  total 
cost  of  material  from  40  to  45  cents  per  pound.  This  is  not  counting 
time,  wear  of  apparatus,  fuel,  etc.  From  these  data  any  one  can  figure 
out  the  handsome  profit  gained  by  using  his  leisure  moments  not  other- 
wise employed  in  making  his  own  absorbent  cotton.  The  process  is 
simple  and  easily  performed,  requires  little  attention  and  gives  satisfac- 
tory results,  and  if  care  is  taken  not  to  wad  the  cotton  or  tear  it  apart 
from  its  original  carded  form,  it  will,  when  dry,  pull  apart  readily  and 
look  as  nice  as  the  commercial  samples,  exce23t  the  commercial  is 
recarded  and  is  in  one  sheet,  but  otherwise  it  is  its  equal. 
A  microscopical  examination  was  made  to  ascertain  the  change  that 
takes  place  in  the  cotton  by  this  process.  Cotton  fibres  are  tubes,  with 
two  sides  collapsed  together,  forming  ribbon-like  fibres ;  at  each  edge 
the  fibre  does  not  come  wholly  together,  thus  leaving  two  tubes,  one 
on  each  edge  of  the  fibre.  If  one  end  of  the  crude  cotton  fibre  be 
brought  in  contact  Avith  water,  capillary  attraction  is  generally  soon 
