The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-30
WHERE DYE COMES FROM.
Vegetable Substances and CoIors Discov-
cred bY the Chemists.


The sudden advance in the art of
dyeing has been due to the general
eause that has contributed so much to
civilization during the last hundred
yeaIs. 1t has been due to the dis
coveries in chemistry. Through all
the many centuries of history the
world knew only of natural dyes, and
down to the beginning of the present
century, or rather till past the middle
of this century, it still busted itself
with the discovery of new natural
agents. 1t had found indigo, cochineal.
logwood, madder, quercitron bark,
sumach. Brazil wood. and other vegeta-
BILE or wood dyes, and it is learned by
various means to be more or less sue
cessfnl, by the use of chemicals in a
process technically known as NOR
danting, in making permanent the
colors produced by these agents. But
it had not learned TO distil color from
the elements. Itcould reach only the
boundaries of an empire that was not
yet won. Finally. the chemist Unver-
darben discovered aniline, a purely
chemical agent. the distillation from
coal-tar. This discovery opened the
way for an industrial revolution which
is perhaps even yet only in the infancy
of its movement. This happened in
1926. But the utility of the discovery
was not known until many years later.
1t was not until the year 1858 that the
tint known as Perkins's purple, pro-
duct of aniline, followed soon after
ward by aniline red, or magenta. be-
came known. Then the revolution was
fairly inaugurated, and since this lat
ter date the advance has. been rapid
All that is most brilliant in color is
credited to this new chemical agent.
But the body of the art remains un-
changed. What are technically known
as the wood dyes have more substance
and permanency than the aniline dyes.
Indigo still forms the basis for blue.
The scarlet on the coats of the British
soldiery, warranted not to run, is
mainly produced from cOchineal; mad
der is the basis for crimson red and
turkey red, and yellow is produced by
fustic, quercitron barks or its concen-
trated extract called fiavine, and from
Avignop or Persian berries. The NOR
dants remain also unchanged. Chief
among them is the oxide of tin, called
tin spirits by the trade. This likes the
scarlet cOlors founded upon cOchi-
neal; but alum is used as II mordant
for crimson red, and cherry red is pro-
duced with a tin mOrdant for ammoni-
cal cochineal. Turkey red is produced
from madder on an aluminous basis.
Thus ran the formula in the old art of
dying, and thus it runs still. Aniline
is rather reinforcement than an in
dependent agent. Prussian blue, how
ever, is purely a chemical product,
and its discovery antedated the dis
covery of aniline colors.
But after the production of the SIM
pie or primary colors comes the pro-
dution of the infinite variety of tints
that go to make up the total used in
the industrial arts. In this work the
process of the dyer differs from the pro-
cess of the painter rather in the means
of execution than in the principles ON
which he works. Does the dyer wish
to produce green fabric? He may
mix indigo (blue) with fustic OF quer-
citron bark (yellow), handling at the
same time the mordants in accordance
with the teachings of the best expert
ence, and the result will be of the de-
sired color. Does he want orange?
The dyes that produce yellow and red
will give him an orange fiber, and by
the same process of combination he
may have purple, violet, mauve, gray,
drab, black, or any one of NJ. Chev-
reufs Is, 900 chromatic tints. But he
should be q man with trained eye,
and person who is color-blind will
hardly make dyer.-Neao York San.