On the absorption of water by cotton and wool
In a footnote to my paper entitled “ The Law of Distribution where one of the Phases possesses Mechanical Rigidity," I attempted to show how the results obtained by Professor Trouton for the absorption of water vapour by cotton could be reconciled with those obtained by me in the case of similar systems, such as carbon dioxide and amorphous carbon. As the apparatus I had employed in the investigation referred to was particularly suited to the accurate measurement of low pressures, I obtained Professor Trouton’s permission to repeat his work, and to investigate the relationship of pressure and concentration for the systems water-cotton and water-wool at the temperature of melting ice. I was particularly anxious to redetermine the lower portions of the curves, for as in Professor Trouton’s experiments the material was dried at the air temperature, it appeared probable that it contained water at the commencement of the experiment, and that the true origin of his curves lay further to the left than the results appeared to show. If this were the case, the true curve representing equilibrium in the system water-cotton might closely resemble those representing equilibrium in the system carbon dioxide and amorphous carbon.