The Dyer's Guide / Being a compendium of the art of dyeing linen, cotton, silk, wool, muslin, dresses, furniture, &c. &c.; with the method of scouring wool, bleaching cotton, &c., and directions for ungumming silk, and for whitening and sulphuring silk and wool; and also an introductory epitome of the leading facts in chemistry, as connected with the art of dyeing

by Thomas Packer

Whitening.

Put into a copper with thirty pails of water half a pound of soap; when it boils, and the soap dissolved, add for China white a little prepared annatto, (of which hereafter.) The silk, being on rods, is now to be put into the copper and kept turning end for end without intermission till the shade is uniform. For India white a little azure is added, to give the blue shade: for thread white and others a little azure is also to be added.

Observe, the liquor should be very hot, but not boiling; the turnings five times repeated, by which the shade is made even. When finished it is taken out, wrung, Spread on poles to dry, and that part of it required for sulphuring must be put upon rods or slight poles.