Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-08
CHEMICALS IN LAUNDRY wo. '.'s.
The Analytical Chemist and His Many
Ruined Garments.

Inc AnAtINttAt Nhtuihet bhN Hhs hAbhy
| Ruined Garments.
Probably every person who has cloth
ing "done up at the laundries, public
and private, has at one time or another
probably frequently-had some arti-
Gle come home in tatters, eaten up by
some corrosive material used by the
laundry people to save labor If you
make complaint, you are told with much
show of Indignation that mo chemicals,
nothing but pure soap and water" are
used in that laundry. You know on
such occasions that the party is lying,
but you have no recourse except TO
change laundries, and this is usually
swapping the devil for witch. In fact,
you feel that you have been "done up"
quite as effectively as your clothing.
1t is comforting to know that at last
chemical ingenuity has shown itself
equal to the task of proving the use Of
corrosives in the laundry, and that at
least one laundry concern has come to
grief The hero of the affair was M. A.
Sjchlumberger, who, for all his Teutonic
name, is Frenchman, residing in Paris.
He was recently consulted by party
who had been imposed ON by his laun-
dryman until forbearance ceased to be a
virtue. Brand new tsblecloths, nap
kins, shirts, ETC., would go to the laun-
dry whole and return in tatters.
On looking at the articles the chem
ist thought that they had been submit
ted to the action of javel water. He
therefore made weak solution of meth
ylene blue and placed one of the corrod-
ed articles i'll it la moment all around
the burned spots the blue color fixed it
self in the most intense manner, while
the other parts were colored weakly.
This was proof positive that his suspi-
cions were correct, and the courts sub
sequently justified him by making the
laundryman settle for the articles de.
stroyed.
The next case was little harder
The articles sent to the laundry were
entirely new. but on being returned
we're found to be eaten in spots. The
test first named would not work in this
case, and since there was no evidence
of chlorine the chemist concluded that
all acid had been used. After trying
two or three reagents ne had recourse
to weak solution Of brasilein (C16
H12 O5). He scattered a few drops of
this around the burned or eroded spots
and had the pleasure of seeing the rose
color changed to yellow, showing that
an acid had been used. Subsequently it
was shown that the clothing, having
been thrown carelessly into some recep-
taole, had become spotted with iron
rust, and this latter had been removed
by oxalic acid. The acid had been care
lessly used and had eaten out the fabric
wherever it was applied.
In the absence of any statute specific
ally bearing upon the subject, and In
the presence OF the fact that the use by
the laundries of javel water, liquor cal
els chlorinate and other like prepara-
tions, oxalic acid, ETC., is almost uni
versal, and that the laundries, without
exception, disclaim the use Of these cor
rosive and mischievous preparations, il
would seem that the offenders might be
reached under the statute furnishing the
obtention of money under false pretenses
or made to pay for goods thus destroyed
under those regulating the mischievous
and careless destruction Of property.
With the chemical means of providing
the offense at hand, q conviction ought
to follow. The editor Of The National
Druggist of st. Louis will give his serv-
ices as chemical expert free to the first
party who will undertake prosecution.
National Druggist.