The Dyer's Guide. Chapter VI. On Dyeing Cotton And Silk. Observations on crimson and scarlet upon silk.

The Dyer's Guide
Being a Compendium of the Art of Dyeing
Linen, Cotton, Silk, Wool, Muslin, Dresses, Furniture, &c. &c.
With The Method of
Scouring Wool, Bleaching Cotton, &c.
And
Directions for Ungumming Silk, And For Whitening And Sulphuring Silk And Wool.
And Also
An Inttroductory Epitome of The Leading Facts in Chemistry, As Connected With The Art of Dyeing.

By Thomas Packer,
Dyer and Practical Chemist.

"Cet arte est un des plus utiles et des plus merveilleux qu'on connoisse."
- Chaptal.

"There is no art which depends so much on chemistry as dyeing."
- Garnett.

Second Edition,
Corrected and Materially Improved.

London:
Printed for Sherwood, Gilbert, And Piper,
Paternoster-Row.
1830.
Crimson upon silk is produced at Norwich, London, and many other places, by using a much larger quantity of cochineal than that which is directed by Macquer: for in some cases, as much as a guinea a pound, has, it is said, been paid for dyeing silk crimson at Norwich. Archil has been used, likewise, in crimson, and the time of boiling is not so long. In some shades a little of the composition and tartar may be admitted, but in a small degree. It should be stated, however, that scarlet upon silk, is often done by annatto and safflower.

Observe, that although we have given the preceding processes for crimson and scarlet, yet many others might be mentioned. What has been said in regard to dyeing scarlet on woollen, (page 85.) should also be carefully attended to, particularly relative to the conversion of scarlet into crimson by alum, soap, and the alkalies. And though we have given directions for the preparation of a mtro-muriate of tin, yet pure Muriate of tin is now very often used for dyeing silk red. Mr. M'Kernan, gives us the following process for preparing it:;

Take of fine muriatic acid, of the specific gravity of 1.120, two quarts; add by degrees, one ounce at a time, of feathered tin, for twenty-four hours. Put the vessel in a sand heat and bring it gently to boil, observing to add more tin as that in the acid becomes dissolved. There should be some tin left undissolved when the liquor is cold, thus indicating that the acid is perfectly neutralized by the tin. Bottle for use.