A paper read before the Chemical Section of the Franklin Institute in March 1898 on new chemical treatments of textile fibers. It covers Mercer's mercerizing patent and the silk-luster finish given to cotton yarns under tension, with bath strengths, times and scroop treatments. It also describes the Thomas & Prevost and Hoechst resist-printing effects, silky luster on wool by hypochlorite or bromine, artificial silk from nitrocellulose (Lehner, Chardonnet), and uses of formaldehyde and gelatine in fibers, sizing, printing, waterproofing and souple silk.