The liability of papers to decay, in respect of the fibrous composition, is almost in direct proportion to the severity of the chemical treatment necessary to convert the raw material into cellulose, and the extent of the deviation of the fibre from pure cellulose is a measure of the degradation which is to be expected. The behaviour of the fibres towards caustic soda or any similar hydrolytic agent serves to distinguish the fibres of maximum durability from those of lesser resistance. It may be noted that in the former the raw materials, viz., cotton, linen, hemp, ramie, etc., contain a high percentage of pure cellulose, while in the latter the percentage of cellulose is very much lower, such fibres as esparto, straw, wood, bamboo, etc., giving only 40-50 per cent. of cellulose. The two extremes are represented by pure cotton rag and mechanical wood pulp. Other things being equal, the decay which may take place in papers containing the fibre only, without the admixture of size or chemicals, may be considered as one of oxidation, which takes place slowly in cotton, and much more rapidly with mechanical wood pulp. Experimental evidence of this oxidation is afforded when thin sheets of paper made from these materials are exposed to a temperature of 100° to 110° C. in an air oven. The cotton paper is but little affected, while the mechanical wood pulp paper soon falls to pieces. The order of durability of various papers in relation to the fibrous constituents may be expressed thus: (1) rag cellulose; (2) chemical wood cellulose; (3) esparto, straw, and bamboo celluloses; (4) mechanical wood pulp. The rate and extent of oxidation is approximately shown by the effect of heat as described. The differences between the celluloses are also shown by heating strips of various papers in a weak solution of aniline sulphate, which has no effect on wood or rag cellulose, dyes esparto and straw a pinkish colour, and imparts a strong yellow colour to mechanical wood pulp and jute. _Physical Qualities._--The permanence of a paper depends not only upon the purity of the fibrous constituents and the freedom from chemicals likely to bring about deterioration, but also upon the general physical properties of the paper itself. Other things being equal, the more resistant a paper is to rough usage the longer will it last. The reason why rag papers are so permanent is that not only is the chemical condition of the cellulose of the highest order, but the physical structure of the fibre is such that the strength of the finished paper is also a maximum. The methods of manufacture may be modified to almost any extent, giving on the one hand a paper of extraordinary toughness, or on the other hand a paper which falls to pieces after a very short time. Thus a strong bank-note paper may be crumpled up between the fingers three or four hundred times without tearing, while an imitation art paper is broken up when crumpled three or four times.