solemnity, record the opinions of the learned
doctors, and careworn compositors set up the
types that tell all about it— all about what?
Muslin, and how to prevent it from catching
fire?

As early as the year 1735, a patent  " for
preventing combustible substances from flaming"
was granted to one Obadiah Wild. From that
time this subject has been continually brought
before the attention of scientific men, and various
experiments have been made with all sorts of
chemicals in pursuit of this one object of
discovering some composition which might be
applied to textile fabrics and which should
render them non-inflammable, without either
injuring or disfiguring them. To discover any
such preparation appears, however, to have been
a very difficult thing, and especially when it was
necessary to consider economy. A number of
chemicals possessed the power of rendering
light fabrics non-inflammable, many of which
spoiled the article on. which they were used,
or else required to be employed in expensive
quantities. It may be mentioned as an additional
difficulty in the way of those engaged in
such experiments, that they have been obliged
to keep a twofold end in view. They have had
to consider, first, what will be applicable to new
fabrics to be used without previous washing,
and next, what may be fitly employed for
materials continually passing through the hands of
the laundress. Quoting from the pamphlet of
Messrs. Versmann and Oppenheim, we find
that  " the processes resorted to by finishers and
laundresses differ principally in this, that in the
manufacturing process the muslin is finished
without the application of heat, whereas, in
laundries, the ironing with hot irons cannot be
dispensed with."  Thus it will be seen that a
discovery applicable to the purposes of the
manufacturer would be useless in the laundry,
and vice versa.

To give some idea of the difficulty environing
our subject, we quote, from the above-mentioned
work, the names of a few of the chemicals best
known as of a non-inflammatory kind, and the
different objections to their practical application:

"Of Borax, one of the oldest expedients
recommended, a twenty-five per cent. solution is
the weakest that can be applied. A piece of
muslin prepared with borax, and then ironed,
was perfectly rotten, whereby the application of
this salt becomes at once impracticable.

"Of Phosphate of Soda, a solution containing
thirty-two per cent, of anhydrous salt, or eighty
per cent. of crystals, is required, so that the
muslin gets perfectly hardened by the large
quantity of salt.'

No chemical to which non-combustible pro-
perties were attributed appears to have been
left unexamined by M. Versmann and Dr.
Oppenheim. It is curious to observe how many
of the drugs tested by them would have served
the purpose but for some one inherent defect.

With regard, however, to the preparations
which we previously spoke of as recommended
by Dr. Odling, of Guy's Hospital, the
case is widely different. The non-combustible
properties of tungstate of soda and sulphate of
ammonia are borne out by experiments which
we ourselves have witnessed, and which any of
our readers may try for themselves. It is to
these two drugs that Messrs. Versmann and
Oppenheim turn as the only preparations
practically efficacious for the finishing of new
materials, and the getting-up of those which require
frequent washing. Let us hear what these
gentlemen have to say of sulphate of ammonia:

"Sulphate of Ammonia, the cheapest salt of
ammonia, because the ammonia obtained in gas
works is generally converted into the sulphate,
and then frequently used as a manure. A solution
containing seven per cent. of the crystals, or
6.2 per cent. of anhydrous salt, is a perfect
anti-inflammable.  .  .  .  .We have kept for six
months whole pieces of muslin prepared in various
ways with this salt, some having been even
ironed; but we cannot find that the texture was
in the least degree weakened.  .  .  .   The
sulphate of ammonia is by far the cheapest and
the most efficacious salt, and it was therefore
tried on a large scale. Whole pieces of muslin
(eight to sixteen yards long) were finished, and
then dipped into a solution containing ten per
cent. of the salt and dried in the hydro-extractor.
This was done with printed muslins as with
white ones, and none of the colour gave way,
with the sole exception of madder purple, which
became pale. But even this change might be
avoided if care be taken not to expose the piece
while wet to a higher than ordinary temperature.
. . . . The pieces had a good finish, and
some of them were afterwards submitted to her
Majesty for inspection, who was pleased to
express her satisfaction.  .  .  . If we repeat
our observation that during the space of six
months none of the fabrics prepared with sulphate
of ammonia have changed either in colour
or in texture, we consider it to be an established
fact that the sulphate of ammonia may be most
advantageously applied in the finishing of muslins
and similar highly-inflammable fabrics. We
felt, however, the necessity of inquiring further
into the effect which ironing would have upon
fabrics thus prepared. For all the above-mentioned
salts being soluble in water, require
to be renewed after the prepared fabrics have
been washed. Now, the sulphate of ammonia
does not interfere with the ironing so much as
other salts do, because a comparatively small
proportion is required; but still the difficulty
is unpleasant, and sometimes pieces, after being
ironed, showed brown spots like ironmoulds.
. . . . For all laundry purposes, therefore,
the tungstate of soda only can be recommended.
This salt offers only one difficulty, viz. the
formation of a bitungstate of little solubility,
which crystallises from the solution. To obtain
a constant solution this inconvenience must be
surmounted; and it was found that not only
phosphoric acid in very small proportion kept
the solution in its original state, but that a
small per-centage of phosphate of soda had the
same effect."