Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets Part 10

Take a thick mucilage of gum arabic, and stir into it plaster of Paris to form a thick paste, apply to the edges with a brush, and press firmly together and confine them two or three days, and you will be astonished at their firmness.

195. ANGLER'S SECRET

The juice of loveage or smellage mixed with any kind of bait, or a few drops of the oil of rhodium; India c.o.c.kle, also, is sometimes mixed with flour dough, and sprinkled on the surface of still water.

This intoxicates the fish, and makes him turn up on the top of the water, when he is taken and put in a tub of fresh water until he revives, when all is right; he may be eaten without fear; but this will destroy many fish.

196. MORELLA WINE

Take the juice of morella or tame cherries, and to each quart put 3 quarts of water, and 4 lbs. of coa.r.s.e brown sugar; let them ferment, and skim until worked clear; then draw off, avoiding the sediment at the bottom, bung up, or bottle, which is best for all wines, letting the bottles lie always on the side, either for wines or beers.

197. HAIR DYE

No. 1 Crystalised nitrate of silver, 1 drachm; soft water, 1 oz.

No. 2 Sulphide (sulphuret is the same) of pota.s.sium, 1 drachm; soft water, 1 oz.; wash the beard or hair with soap to remove oil, dry with a towel a little then apply No. 1, and directly after it No. 2, for a few minutes, alternately, using different tooth brushes for each No. Clear days are best on which to apply it. As soon as dry, wash out well with soap. Keep it from s.h.i.+rt bosoms and face, especially No. 1, as it will make the face sore as well as colour it. If you do get it on the skin, cyanide (cyanuret is the same) of pota.s.sium, 1 drachm, to 2 ozs. of water, will take it off. This last is poison, however, and should not touch sore places, nor be left where children may get at it.

198. TALLOW CANDLES IN IMITATION OF WAX

Purify melted mutton tallow by throwing in powdered quicklime, then add 2 parts of wax to 1 of tallow. A most beautiful article of candle, resembling wax, will be produced by the mixture. Dip the wicks in lime-water and saltpetre on making.

199. TO STAIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS A CRIMSON STAIN

Take of ground Brazil, 1 lb.; water, 3 quarts; cochineal, 1/2 oz.; boil the Brazil in the water for an hour; then strain, and add the cochineal; then boil it gently for half-an-hour, when it will be fit for use. If you wish a scarlet tint, boil an ounce of saffron in a quart of water, and pa.s.s over the work before you stain it. The article must be very clean, and of firwood, or the best sycamore.

When varnished over this stain it is most elegant.

200. A PURPLE STAIN FOR VIOLINS, &c.

Take of chipped logwood, 1 lb.; of water, 3 quarts; of pearl-ash, 4 ozs.; of indigo, pounded, 2 ozs.; put the logwood in the water, boil well for an hour, then add the pearl-ash and indigo, and when dissolved, you will have a beautiful purple.

201. A BLUE STAIN FOR VIOLINS, &c.

Take of oil of vitriol in a gla.s.s bottle, 1 lb.; put into it 4 ozs.

of indigo, and precede as directed in dyeing.

202. GREEN STAIN FOR VIOLINS, &c.

Take of strong vinegar, 3 pints; of best verdigris, 4 ozs., ground fine; of sap green, 1/2 oz.; of indigo, 1/2 oz.; mix all together.

203. GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR DYEING

The materials should be perfectly clean; soap should be rinsed out in soft water; the article should be entirely wetted, or it will spot; light colours should be steeped in bra.s.s, tin or earthen; and, if set at all, should be set with alum. Dark colours should be boiled in iron, and set with copperas; too much copperas rots the thread.

204. FOR COLOURING SKY BLUE

Get the blue composition; it may be had at the druggist's, or clothier's, for a s.h.i.+lling an ounce. If the articles are not white, the old colours should all be discharged by soap or a strong solution of tartaric acid, then rinsed; 12 or 16 drops of the composition, stirred into a quart-bowl of warm water, and strained if settlings are seen, will dye a great many articles. If you want a deeper colour, add a few drops more of the composition. If you wish to colour cotton goods, put in pounded chalk to destroy the acid, which is very destructive to all cotton; let it stand until the effervescence subsides, and then it may be safely used for cotton or silk.

205. FOR LILAC COLOUR

Take a little pinch of archil, and put some boiling-hot water upon it, add to it a very little lump of pear-lash. Shades may be altered by pear-lash, common slat, or wine.

206. TO COLOUR BLACK

Logwood and cider, boiled together in iron, water being added for the evaporation, makes a good durable black. Rusty nails or any bits of rusty iron, boiled in vinegar, with a small piece of copperas, will also dye black; so will ink powder, if boiled with vinegar. In all cases, black must be set with copperas.

207. TO DYE LEMON COLOUR

Peach leaves, bark sc.r.a.ped from the barberry bush, or saffron, steeped in water, and set with alum, will colour a bright lemon, drop in a little gum-arabic to make the articles stiff.

208. TO DYE ROYAL PURPLE

Soak logwood chips in soft water until the strength is out, then add a teaspoonful of alum to a quart of the liquid; if this is not bright enough, add more alum, rinse and dry. When the dye is exhausted, it will colour a fine lilac.

209. TO DYE SLATE COLOUR

Tea grounds, boiled in iron vessels, set with copperas, makes a good slate colour. To produce a light slate colour, boil white maple bark in clear water, with a little alum. The bark should be boiled in bra.s.s utensils. The goods should be boiled in it, and then hung where they will drain and dry.

210. TO DYE SCARLET

Dip the cloth in a solution of alkaline or metallic salt, then in a cochineal dye, and let it remain some time, and it will come out permanently coloured. Another method: 1/2 lb. of madder, 1/2 oz. of cream tartar, and 1 oz. of marine acid to 1 lb. of cloth; put it all together, and bring the dye to a scalding heat; put in your materials, and they will be coloured in ten minutes. The dye must be only scalding hot. Rinse your goods in cold water as soon as they come from the dye.

211. TO COLOUR A BRIGHT MADDER

For 1 lb. of yard or cloth, take 3 ozs. of madder; 3 ozs. of alum; 1 oz. of cream tartar; prepare a bra.s.s kettle with two gallons of water, and bring the liquor to a steady heat, then add your alum and tartar, and bring it to a boil; put in your cloth, and boil it two hours; take it out, and rinse it in cold water; empty your kettle, and fill it with as much water as before; then add your madder; rub it in fine in the water before your cloth is in. When your dye is as warm as you can bear your hand in, then put in your cloth, and let it lie one hour, and keep a steady heat; keep it in motion constantly, then bring it to a boil fifteen minutes, then air and rinse it. If your goods are new, use 4 ozs. of madder to a lb.

212. TO COLOUR GREEN

If you wish to colour green, have your cloth as free as possible from the old colour, clean, and rinsed; and, in the first place, colour it deep yellow. Fustic, boiled in soft water, makes the strongest and brightest yellow dye; but saffron, barberry-bush, peach-leaves, or onion-skins, will answer pretty well. Next take a bowlful of strong yellow dye, and pour in a great spoonful or more of the blue composition, stir it up well with a clean stick, and dip the articles you have already coloured yellow into it, and they will take a lively gra.s.s-green. This is a good plan for old bombazet-curtains, dessert-cloths, old flannel for desk coverings, &c.

213. TO DYE STRAW COLOUR AND YELLOW