Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 3, 1802).djvu/23

Rh little or no advantage, unless the patient take moderate and daily exercise in the open air, and endeavour to preserve a cheerful, contented mind. Early rising ought to form an indispensable part of his attention; while his diet should consist principally of solid, but tender aliment, which he, from experience, has found easy of digestion.  INDIGO, a drug for dyeing blue, prepared from the indigo plant, or Indigofera tinctoria, L. a native of the warmer parts of Asia, Africa, and America.

Instead of describing the particular culture of this exotic, which cannot be raised with success, even in the hot-houses of our climate, we shall briefly point out the characters of the best indigo that is imported, and which has frequently undergone the various processes of adulteration with earth, ashes, and pounded slate.—The genuine drug ought to be of a rich dark blue colour, approaching to black, and, when broken, to display the lustre of copper: nor should it sink in water, or leave behind any sediment, after being dissolved. The purest indigo is brought from Guatimala, in South America.

Although large quantities of this dyeing material are annually produced in the British colonies, and thence imported, yet we might easily dispense with this costly drug, which, to the detriment of native productions, and especially that of, was first brought to Europe by the trafficking Dutch, about the middle of the 16th century. Indeed, there is every reason to believe, that many plants of English growth would yield excellent substitutes for indigo.—We have, in the progress of this work, already hinted at several vegetables of this description; and, as a repetition of their names and properties would be here superfluous (though incomplete, at the present letter of the alphabet) we shall purposely delay that useful task till the conclusion of our labours, when it will appear in the .

Indigo is much used in washing, to impart a blueish cast to linen; painters also employ it as a water-colour; and dyers consume large quantities in the various tints of blue cloths.

In March 1797, a patent was granted to Mr., chemist, for an improved method of preparing indigo for dyeing wool, &c. in a more perfect manner than has hitherto been discovered. As, however, this patent is not expired, and the process is too expensive to be attempted for the gratification of the experimenter, we refer the inquisitive reader to the 9th volume of the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures, where it is minutely described.

By the 36th III. c. 40, indigo and cochineal may be imported from any place, in British ships, or such as belong to friendly nations, free from duty, except that of convoy, until the 29th of September 1802, and to the end of the then next session of parliament.  INDUSTRY, Houses of, are buildings erected in various parts of England, in order to maintain the sick, infirm, and aged poor; while children and healthy adults, who are received into the house, labour for their support, and are allowed a certain part of their earnings, as an inducement to industrious habits.

These buildings, doubtless, contribute to the comfort of the poor,