sence in the former of a considerable quantity of rosin, which, as before observed, is capable of uniting with alkalies to form a detergent compound soluble in water (page 319). The unctuous ingredient introduced into this soap, besides the rosin, was formerly tallow, but of late years palm oil has been very largely used. The usual proportions of palm oil and rosin are three and a-half parts of the former to one of the latter:* if made with a larger proportion of rosin, the soap is soft and dark-coloured. Since the compound of rosin and soda does not separate, like soap, from an alkaline solution on concentration, it would be improper to have the rosin present in the copper while the palm oil is being brought through all the stages of the saponifying process, as a portion of the rosin would, in that case, be removed with the spent leys. When the saponification of the palm oil is nearly complete, namely, at the last charge of ley, the rosin should be introduced in a state of coarse powder, and well mixed with the soap by agitation. The mixture is then boiled for some hours, (a small quantity of ley being occasionally added, if necessary, to preserve an excess of alkali,) until the soap is fully formed, when the ley may be withdrawn, and one or two waters or else weak fresh leys applied successively with agitation, for the purpose of washing and purifying the soap. The resinous scum being removed for another operation, the soap may be conveyed to the iron frames (page 326) to solidify. Yellow soap usually contains to one part of alkali (soda) from The extreme proportions are, three parts of oil to one of rosin, and nine parts of oil to two of rosin. ten to eleven parts of oil or fat and rosin, with from twenty-four to fifty per cent. of water. The yellow soap which contains a large proportion of water, has just the same appearance as that which contains only a small proportion. When the soap contains anything like fifty per cent. it has been added while the soap is in the frames for the purpose of sophistication. Transparent Soap.-This fancy soap is made by gently heating, in a copper still, equal weights of white tallow soap cut in shreds and made perfectly dry, and spirits of wine, a little turmeric or archil being added as a colouring matter. When the spirit has taken up as much of the soap as it is capable of dissolving, the source of heat is withdrawn from the still, and the solution allowed to settle for a few hours, after which it is poured into tin frames to become solid. After exposure to dry air for a few weeks, the mass becomes transparent, and is then fashioned into the cakes in which it is sold. . § IV. MANUFACTURE OF SOFT SOAP. The manufacture of soft soap is much simpler than that of hard. This article differs considerably from hard soap in its consistence and general appearance, and is made from different materials, potash and either a drying oil or a fish oil being essential ingredients. It is more alkaline and more soluble in water than hard soap, and is principally used for cleansing stuffs of wool and silk. The fish or drying oil, either alone or mixed with tal low or a vegetable fat oil, is boiled with weak potash ley until the saponification is complete, more ley being added occasionally if required; but no waste leys are pumped off, as in the manufacture of hard soap. Soft soap is insoluble in moderately strong potash ley, and may be precipitated from its solution in water by the addition of a strong ley; hence arises a necessity for employing ley of a certain state of dilution. If the ley is in too small proportion, a binoleate of potash is formed, which adheres to the bottom of the soap-pan in thick masses; by the addition of more ley it becomes the neutral oleate. In this country, tallow is always introduced in small quantity as one of the materials for soft soap, being added for the purpose of producing the solid white granulations of stearate of potash called "figging." Hence British soft soap presents the appearance of a brownish transparent body through which white grains are disseminated. On the Continent, this kind of soap is sometimes made without tallow or fish oils. Oils require for their saponification a larger proportion of potash than of soda, one part of pure potash being capable of completely saponifying only from four and a half to five parts of oil. Potash soaps also always contain about half their weight of water, chiefly in a state of mechanical admixture, besides glycerine, carbonate of potash, caustic potash, and saline impurities introduced with the ley, which are not removed as in the manufacture of hard soap by pumping off the waste ley. By applying strong alkaline leys towards the completion of the process, the soap might be separated from the ley, and the saline impurities and glycerine removed by pumping out the ley; but such a plan is never resorted to on the large scale. Since potash soaps contain so much water, &c., a given quantity of oil yields a considerably larger quantity of soap with potash than with soda. The general composition of soft soap may be taken at, alkali one part, fatty acids from four and a half to five parts, water and impurities from five to six parts. In some soaperies the whole of the oil and tallow is introduced at once, together with a portion of the ley, and the remainder of the ley is added after some hours' gentle ebullition; but in others both the oil and ley are introduced gradually. When the mass is become transparent, ceases to have an acrid taste, and assumes the proper consistence on cooling, the saponification is considered to be complete, and the soap is transferred to the barrels or casks in which it is sent out of the soapery. The green tinge in Continental soft soap is communicated by adding a little indigo, which has been previously boiled with water, or brayed with weak potash ley. Some oils produce a greenish-coloured soap without indigo. The figged granulations of stearate of potash do not usually make their appearance until two or three weeks after the soap has been made; in very warm weather they do not appear at all. They are improperly considered to be a proof of the good quality of the soap, and hence the figged appearance has been imitated by the addition of starch. EXTRACTS FROM STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE SOAP DUTIES; PRE PARED BY DIRECTION OF A GENERAL MEETING OF SOAP MANUFAC TURERS OF ENGLAND, HELD MARCH 13th, 1844." Nett Annual Consumption of Soap in Great Britain, for which duty 1829-95,367,362 1830–109,577,918 1831-97,296,726 1832-101,231,295 1833-Duty reduced. 1834-115,655,987 was paid. Average consumption 100,605,850 lbs. ; | Average consumption 118,902,631 lbs.; 1835-123,163,968 Duty 14/. per ton. 1836-117,887,939 1837-113,163,182 1838-127,040,657 Average consumption 119,542,150 lbs. ; 1840-121,044,787 1841-122,863,105 Average consumption 128,164,991 lbs. ; Duty 14/. 14s. per ton. There are good reasons for attributing this considerable increase entirely to the increased vigilance of the Excise. An Estimate of the actual Quantity of Soap used in Great Britain. According to the Excise Returns, the quantity of soap now used in England per head, per annum, is 7.21 lbs. The following statements of the quantity of soap used by different classes of society, derived from authentic sources, it is believed, may be relied on: 1. The average consumption per head in work- lbs. } 7 11 4 2. Convicts are allowed each per annum 10 to 12 |