THE ROYAL INSTITUTION,
On the 17th instant, a lecture "On the Influence of Science on. the Art of Calico Printing" was given at the Royal Institution by Dr. Cal- vert. Calico-printing was stated to depend on chemistry, drawing, and mechanics, and the wonderful perfection to which the art was now brought, was due solely to the rapid increase of our knowledge during the last thirty years in these departments of science. A. sketch was given of the various plans in operation since 1815 to the present time-from the employment of simple wood blocks and pencilling, to the systems of en- graved steel cylinders, by which sixteen tints were successively impressed on a piece of calico in the short space of three minutes, the same opera- tion formerly requiring a period of eight days for its completion, and costing seven times as much as at the present day. By the introduction of bleaching powder, chemists had rendered a most important service to the manufacturer, and enabled him to prepare his calico in. twelve hours instead of six weeks, as formerly required. The various substances em- ployed for colouring were then referred to, and the action of uric acid when subjected to heat was illustrated before the audience by the pro- duction of a beautiful red. The most valuable discovery recently made, was that a delicate purple could be prepared from coal tar. Hoffman had given great attention to this subject, and Mr. Perkins, a young chemist, had since ascertained, that by using different oxidizing agents in the process, a variety of colours could be produced, thus rendering us independent of foreign materials, and enabling us to procure all our colours from the refuse of the gas works.
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