308 
Shellac. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm- 
June,  1886. 
keeps  down  the  price  of  shellac,  there  being,  consequently,  more  insect 
workers  than  formerly. 
The  process  of  dealiDg  with  stick-lac  for  the  making  of  shellac  and 
lac  dye  was  witnessed  by  the  writer  when  in  India,  and  is  as  follows  : — 
The  first  part  of  the  process  is  to  separate  the  lac  from  the  twigs.  This 
is  done  by  two  women— one  turning  and  the  other  feeding  a  primitive- 
shaped  wooden  mill.  "When  a  heap  is  formed  (about  a  bushel  in  quan- 
tity), it  is  winnowed  in  a  rustic-looking  winnower,  the  lighter  debris 
separating ;  the  remainder  is  then  hand-picked.  The  process  of  grind- 
ing and  winnowing  is  repeated  until  the  whole  is  reduced  to  small, 
orange-colored  nodules.  When  in  this  condition  it  is  termed  seed-lac; 
the  bright  garnet-colored  pieces,  being  few  in  number,  are  now  picked 
out  and  set  aside  for  native  ornaments.  The  seed-lac  is  then  placed 
into  a  large  earthenware  pan,  and  with  it  some  water.  A  woman  steps 
into  the  pan,  steadying  herself  against  the  mud  wall  with  her  hands, 
then  turning  violently  to  the  right  and  left,  in  order  to  keep  the  lac 
in  a  continual  state  of  motion  against  her  feet  and  the  sides  of  the  pan 
for  some  time,  the  other  woman  occasionally  adding  more  water, 
until  the  vessel  is  full  of  a  dark-colored  liquid.  After  settlement,  the 
dye  water  is  removed  into  another  earthenware  pan,  and  the  lac  again 
washed  until  the  water  runs  away  clear. 
Lac  Dye. — The  treatment  of  the  colored  water  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  from  it  the  lac  dye  is  very  simple.  After  straining,  lime 
water  is  added  which  precipitates  the  dye.  The  water  is  then  drawn 
off,  and  the  dye  drained  through  cotton  cloth ;  from  this  it  is  transferred  to 
compressible  frames,  containing  strong  iron  plates,  and  reduced  by  a 
native  screw  press  to  solid  sheets  of  dark  purple  dye,  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  thick ;  these  are  cut  up  into  cakes  and  stored  until  dry  enough 
for  packing,  and  then  forwarded  to  Calcutta  for  sale  in  the  bazaars. 
The  utilitarian  value  of  lac  dye  over  cochineal  in  a  humid  climate, 
especially  in  dyeing  the  scarlet  cloth  of  the  soldiers'  coats,  lies  in  its 
power  to  resist  the  action  of  human  perspiration. 
Shellac. — The  manufacture  of  shellac  is  an  entirely  distinct  process. 
The  seed-lac  at  the  bottom  of  the  pan  is  removed,  dried  and  sifted. 
The  finer  dust,  which  is  highly  inflammable,  is  removed.  The  lac 
workers  of  India  make  it  up  into  bracelets  and  ornaments  of  various 
kinds. 
The  coarse  lac  which  is  to  be  made  into  shell  is  put  into  long  sausage- 
shaped  bags  of  about  two  inches  diameter,  made  of  cloth  like  American 
