The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-02
CHEMICALS N LAUNDRY WORK.
The Analytical Chemist and His Many
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 a witch. In fact,
you feel that you have been done up
quite as effectively as your clothing.
tt is comforting to know that at last
chemical ingenuity has shown itself
equal to the task of proving the use of
corrosives in tho laundry, and that at
least one laundry concern has come to
grief. The hero of the affair was NJ. A.
Schlumberger. who, for all his TeutOnic
name, is a Freedman, residing in Paris.
He was recently consulted by a party
who had been imposed on by his laun-
drynan until forbearance ceased to be
virtue Brand new tableclOths. nap
kins. shirts, etc. would 90 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 a weak solution Of meth
ylene blue and placed one Of the corrod-
ed articles in it In a moment all around
the burned spots the blue color fixed it.
self in the most intense manner, while
the other parts We're colored weakly.
This was proof positive that his suspi-
sequently justified him by making the
laundrvman settle for the articles de-
stroyed.
The next case was a little harder.
The articles sent to the laundry We're
entirely nov. bat 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
an acid had been used. After trying
two or three reagents he had recourse
to a weak solution Of brasiiein (C16
H12 90. He scattered 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-
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 vas 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 chlorinatse and other like prepare
lions, Oxalic acid. ETC.. is almost uni
versal, and that the laundries, without
exception, disclaim the use Of these cor
rosive and mischievous preparations, it
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, a conviction ought
to follow. The editor of The National
Druggist of St. Louis viii give his serv-
ices as chemical expert free to the first
party who Will undertake a prosecution.
National Druggist.