The dier's assistant in the art of dying wool and woollen goods

Front matter

i UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

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THE

Preface

prepared with some of these ingredients which of themselves give little or no colour. It may easily be conceived what an infinite variety must arise from the mixture of these different matters, or even from the manner of using them ; and what attention must be given to the minutest circumstances, so as perfectly to succeed in an art so complicated, and in which there are many difficulties,

It ' rs not needful to be very particular in describing the utensils of a die-house, as- they' are commonly known ; this work being designed for the experienced dier. A die-house should, however, be erected on a spacious plan, roofed over, but admitting a good lights and as nigh as possible to a running water* which is very necessary, either to prepare the. • wool before it is died, or to wash it afterwards. The coppers should be set at the distance of eight or ten feet, and two or more vats for the blue, according to the quantity of work! that is to be carried on.

The most important point in dieing the primitive blue is to set the vat properly at work, and conduct her till she is in a state to yield her blue. The size of the woad vat h not fixed, as it depends upon necessity or pleasure. A vat containing 9 hogshead, or half that quantity, has often been used with siae-

VI PREFACE.

cess , but then they must be prevented by some means from cooling too suddenly, otherwise these small vats will fail.

Another kind of vat it prepared for blue : this is called the indigo vat, because it is the indigo alone that gives it the colour. Those that use the woad vat do not commonly use the indigo one.

There are two methods of dieing wool of any colour ; the one is called dieing in the great, the other in the lesser die. The first is done by means of drugs or ingredients that procure a lasting die, resist the action of the air and sun, and are not easily stained by sharp or corrosive liquors. The contrary happens to colours of the lesser die. The air fades them in a short time, more particularly if exposed to the sun y most liquors stain them, so as to make them lose their first colour. It is extraordinary that, as there is a methed of making all kinds of colours by the great die^theuseof the lesser should be tolerated ; but three reasons make it difficult, if not impossible, to prevent this practice.

1st, The work is much easier. Most colours and shades which give the greatest trouble ii? the great, are easily carried on m the lessor die.

PREFACE, VII

2d, Most colours in the lesser are more bright and lively than those of the great.

3d, For this reason, which carries more weight, the lesser die is carried on much cheaper than the great. This is sufficient to determine some men to do all in their power to carry it on in preference to the othen Hence it is that the true knowledge of chymistry, to which the art of dicing owes its origin, is of so much use.

In may be observed, that all lasting colours are called colours of the great, and the others of the lesser die. Sometimes the first arecalled fine, and the latter false colours ; but these expressions are equivocal, for the fine' are sometimes confounded with the high colours, which are those in whose composition cochineal enters ; therefore, to avoid all obscurity, I shall call the first colours of the: great, and the latter colours of the lesser die.

Experiments, (which are the best guides in natural philosophy as well as arts) plainly shew, that the difference of colours, according to the foregoing distinction, partly depends on the preparation of the subject that is to be died, and partly on the choice of the ingredients which are afterwards used to give it the colour. I therefore think it may be

VIII PREFACE.

laid down as a general principle, that all the invisible process of dieing consists in dilating the pores of the body that is to be died,, and depositing therein particles of a foreign matter, which are to be detained by a kind of cement which prevents the sun or rain from changing them. To make choice of the colouring particles of such a durability that they may be retained, and sufficiently set in the pores of the subject opened by the heat of boiling water, then contracted by the cold; and afterwards plaistered over with a kind of cement left behind with the salt used for iheir preparation, that the pores of the wool or woollen stuffought to be cleansed, enlarged, cemented and then contracted, that the colouring atom may be contained in a lasting manner.

Experiments also shew that there is n$ colouring ingredient belonging to the great die which has not more or less an astringent and precipitant quality. That this is sufficient to separate the earth of the alum ; this earth, joined to the colouring- atoms, forms a kind of lacque, similar to that used by the painters, but infinitely finer. That in bright colours, such as scarlet, where alum cannot be used, another body must be substituted to supply the colouring atoms (block- tin gives

PREFACE. IX

this basis to the scarlet die.) When all these small atoms of earthy coloured lacque have insinuated themselves into the pores of the subject that is dilated, the cement which the tartar leaves behind serves to masticate these atoms y and lastly, the contracting of the pores, caused by the cold, serves to retain them.

It is certain that the colours of the false die have that defect only because the subject is not sufficiently prepared ; so that the colouring particles being only deposited on its plain surface, it is impossible but the least action of the air or sun must deprive them of part, if not of the whole. If ^ method was discovered to give to the colouring parts of dieing woods, the necessary astriction which; they recjuire, and if the wooFat the same time was prepared to receive them, (as it is the red of madder) I am convinced, by thirty experiments, that these woods might be made as useful in the great, as they have hitherto been in the lesser die.

What I have said shall be applied in the sequel of this treatise,, where I shall shew what engaged me to use them as general principles.

I should have been glad to have seen a work of this sort, (knowing the great need

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there is of a chymical understanding of this art) signed by the name of some person of distinction, to have given it abetter face syet, in defect of that, I was prevailed upon to undertake the tedious task. I dare not flatter myself to have brought it to its last perfection, as arts daily improve, and this in particular ; but I hope some acknowledgment will be due to me for bringing, this matter a little further out of that obscurity in which it has laid, and for assisting the diers in making discoveries to help to perfect this most useful art* I shall now proceed to examine the five primary colours above mentioned, and give the different methods of preparing them after- $ie most solid and permanent manner.

JAMES HAIGH*.

fNTRODU€TK)N.

THE materials of which cloths are made, for the most part are naturally of dull and gloomy colours. Garments would consequently have had a disagreeable uniformity, if this art had not beenfound out to remedy it, and vary their shades. The accidental bruising of fruits or herbs, the effect of rain upon certain earths and minerals might suggest the first hint of the art of dieing, and of the materials proper for it. Every climate furnishes man with ferruginous earths, with boles of all colours, with saline and vegetable materials for this art. The difficulty must have been to find the art of applying them. But how many trials and essays must have i)een made, before they found out the most proper methods of applying them to stuffs, so as to stain them with beautiful and lasting colours ? In this consists the principal excellence of the dier's art, one of the most ingenious and 4ifffieult which we know.

:t:il INTRODUCTION..

Dieing is performed by means of limes, salts, waters, leys, fermentations, macerations, &c. It is certain that #ieing is very ancient. The Chinese pretend that they owe the discovery of it to Hoan-ti, one of their first sovereigns.

One of the most agreeable effects of the art of dieing, is the diversifying the colours of stuffs. There are two ways by which this agreeable variety is produced, either by needle-work with threads of different colours, on an uniform ground, or by making use of yarn of different colours in the weaving.

The first of these inventions is attributed to the Phrygians, a very ancient nation ; the last to the Babylonians. Many things in- -line us to think that these arts were known even in the times of which we are now treating. The great progress these arts had made in the days of Moses., supposes that they had been discovered long before. It appears to me certain, then, that the arts of embroidery or weaving stuffs of various colours were invented in the ages we are now upon. But I shall not insist on the manner in which they were then practised, as I can say nothing satisfactory upon that subject.

Another art nearly related to that of dieing* is that of cleaning and whitening garments*

INTRODUCTION. XIII

garments when they have been stained and sullied. Water alone is not sufficient for this. We must communicate to it by means of powders, ashes, &c. that detersive quality which is necessary to extract the stains which they have contracted. The ancients knew nothing of soap, but supplied the want of it by various means. Job speaks of washing his garments in a pit with the herb borith. This passage shows that the method of cleaning garments in these ages, was by throwing them into a pit full of water, impregnated with some kind of ashes ; a method which seems to have been very universal in these first times. Homer describes Nausicaa and her companions washing their garments, by treading them with thoir fe^t in a pit.

With rcpect to the herb which Job calls borith, I imagine it is salworth. This plant is very common in Syria, Judea, Egpyt, and Arabia. They burn it, and pour water upon the ashes. This water becomes impregnated with a very strong lixivial salt proper for taking stains or impurities out of wool or cloth.

The Greeks and Romans used several kinds of earths and plants instead of soap. The savages of America make a kind of soapwater of certain fruits, with which they wash,

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XIV INTRODUCTION.

their cotton-beds and other stuffs. In Iceland the women make a ley of ashes and urine. The Persians employ boles and mark. In many countries they find earths, which, dissolved in water, have the property of cleaning and whitening cloth and linen. All these methods might perhaps be practiced in the primitive ages. The necessities of all mankind are much the same, and all climates present them with nearly the same resources. It is the art of applying them, which distinguishes polite and civilized nations from savages and barbarians*

CHAPTER II. Of the Garden- Woad or Pastel-Vat .- # . 29

The vat set to work . . . . . . . , r 30

Marks how to conduct a Vat regularly ... 33

The opening of the Vat . ... . . . 37

Chapter X

Of Flame-coloured Scarlet . . * Composition for Scarlet ....

Water for the Preparation of Scarlet Reddening . . . . ^ * .

Experiments on Cochineal Liquor * Violet without Blue * . . . »

119 121 124 126 143 144

.CHAPTER XI,

Of Crimson . , * . ■ ' •• .

Languedoc Crimson . . . « Natural Crimson in Grain « ,

145 149 151

CONTENTS. XVH