PREPARATION OF CARMINE. 
109 
and the liquor well stirred. Sometimes the carmine sepa- 
rates immediately in a flocculent form, and of a beautiful 
scarlet colour. Sometimes the separation does not imme- 
diately take place ; in this case the pan must be placed on 
the fire, and left there until the flocculent carmine floats on 
the surface, which always occurs before the commencement 
of ebullition. The pan is then taken off the fire, and the 
floating carmine made to deposit by submerging it with a 
brush ; it is then allowed to stand for ten minutes, and 
carefully decanted. The liquor becomes transparent, and 
the deposited carmine is afterwards separated, washed with 
three or four pints of water and collected on a strainer. 
It is dried in a stove at a temperature from S2° to S6° 
Fahr. If dried in the open air it would become mouldy. 
The carmiue thus prepared, will be in the proportion of 
five or six drachms to the pound of cochineal used ; but 
two or three drachms more, almost as good as the former, 
may be obtained, by boiling the decanted liquor, and treat- 
ing it with white of egg as before. 
This carmine is well suited for the use of confectioners, 
perfumers, artificial-flower-makers, and manufacturers of 
red ink ; but it cannot be used by artists, as it is too granu- 
lar, and does not work well under the brush. 
Carmine, prepared with Isinglass. — Tho following is 
the process for preparing this kind of carmine : — 
{&. Cochineal, in powder, ifej. 
Subcarbonate of potash, 3iijss. 
Alum, in powder, Sviij. 
Isinglass, 3iijss. 
Boil the cochineal and carbonate of potash, in a boiler con- 
taining five pails of water. After boiling for a few minutes, 
take the boiler off the fire and place, it on a table, inclined 
to one side so as to facilitate decantation. Add the alum 
in powder, and stir the solution. The liquor changes co- 
lour and assumes a more brilliant tint. After a quarter of 
an hour, the cochineal will have deposited, and the liquor 
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