Important: Safety Warning
This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Acid Preparations of Tin
The acid preparations of tin used in dyeing are called spirits, with a term prefixed to each denoting their particular application, as red spirits, barwood spirits, &c. The tin employed for making these preparations has to undergo a process called feathering, and is as follows:--the tin is melted in an iron pot, and then poured from some height into a vessel filled with cold water; this granulates or feathers, the tin. (See No. 3319.) 108. Red Spirits are made by mixing together in a stoneware vessel, 3 parts by measure hydrochloric acid, 1 part nitric acid, and 1 part water, and adding to this feathered Or: 8 parts nitric acid, 1 part sal ammoniac or common salt, and 1 part grain tin. This is the common spirit used by dyers.