View report page

23
London Chamber of Commerce extends to 20 or more varieties of
furs.
Certain furs become fashionable and in order to supply the
demand for this particular kind of fur, imitations and substitutes
are prepared. There may be only a limited supply of the natural
coloured skin which is popular for the season, and the demand
of fashion fosters the preparation of the counterfeits. Hare is
dyed to represent sable or fox, kid dyed to represent Persian lamb
or caracul, rabbit dyed to represent otter or mole, and numerous
other skins are dyed to imitate the saleable or fashionable fur.
It cannot well be called fraud, as in most cases the public are
conscious and willing participator in the counterfeit, though
possibly they are not aware of the processes through which the skin
has to pass before it emerges in the final form in which it is sold.
The process of preparation has become a very complicated one,
and though, as a rule, the dyes are the cause of illness, any of
the processes may be so negligently carried out as to result in
injury to the wearer of the fur.
It was suggested that the irritation of the skin was due to
arsenic, and a good deal of unnecessary harm caused. The suggestion
was probably made because of the large quantities of arsenic
which the taxidermist employs, but the taxidermist uses special
methods for the curing of his specimens. He applies white arsenic
V> the fleshy side of the green skins.
The taxidermist also employs a pickle, in which he steeps the
dried pelts, and this pickle consists of arsenic, alum, strong
sulphuric acid and water. In every instance of rashes in fur
wearers, arsenic has been ruled out as. the cause. In one case, a
mere trace was found on analysis and in another 1 in 20,000. This
means that three pounds of the dyed fur contain about one grain
of arsenic. Some furs have been sent for analysis, and particular
mention was made that arsenic was not present. Arsenic is very
seldom used at all in the curing of coney rabbit furs.
The skins of sheep, goats, kids and other smaller animals are
sometimes treated by the application of soaps before they come
into the hands of the furriers. These soaps, which are rubbed
into the fleshy sides of the pelts before they are dry, may contain
arsenic, zinc or mercury. Usually salt alone, or mixed with alum,
is the sole application. In any case, the chemicals should be.
removed completely by the first washing.
After washing, the skins are hung up to dry. The next operation
is called "killing." Its object is to make the fur more
absorbent and permit the dye Honors to penetrate to the very tips.
For this purpose the whole skin is immersed in some alkaline
solution for two or three hours. The treatment with lime gives
the brightest and clearest colours on dyeing afterwards.