Part 28

IV.—A good substantial mold for small castings of soft metal is made of brass. The expense of making the cast mold is considerable, however, and, on that account, some manufacturers are making their molds by electro-deposition. This produces a much cheaper mold, which can be made very quickly. The electro-deposited mold, however, is very frail in comparison with a brass casting, and consequently must be handled very carefully to keep its shape. The electro-deposited ones are made out of copper, and the backs filled in with a softer metal. The handles are secured with screws.

«Plaster Molds.»—Castings of any metal can be done in a plaster mold, provided the mold has dried, at a moderate heat, for several days. Smoke the mold well with a brand of rosin to insure a full cast. Where there are only one or two ornaments or figures to cast, it may be done in a mold made out of dental plaster. After the mold is made and set enough so that it can be taken apart, it should be placed in a warm place and left to dry for a day or two. When ready to use the inside should be well smoked over a gaslight; the mold should be well warmed and the metal must not be too hot. Very good castings may be obtained this way; the only objection being the length of time needed for a thorough drying of the mold.

«Temperature of Metal.»—Metals for casting purposes should not be overheated. If any of the softer metals show blue colors after cooling it is an indication that the metal is too hot. The metal should be heated enough so that it can be poured, and the finished casting have a bright, clean appearance. The mold may be very warm, then the metal need not be so hot for bright, clean castings. Some of the metals will not stand reheating too often, as this will cause them to run sluggish. Britannia metal should not be skimmed or stirred too much, otherwise there will be too much loss in the dross.

CASTING IN WAX: See Modeling.

CASTINGS, TO SOFTEN IRON: See Iron. {153}

«CASTOR OIL:»

«Purifying Rancid Castor Oil.»—To clean rancid castor oil mix 100 parts of the oil at 95° F. with a mixture of 1 part of alcohol (96 per cent) and 1 part of sulphuric acid. Allow to settle for 24 hours and then carefully decant from the precipitate. Now wash with warm water, boiling for 1⁠/⁠2 hour; allow to settle for 24 hours in well closed vessels, after which time the purified oil may be taken off.

«How to Pour Out Castor Oil.»—Any one who has tried to pour castor oil from a square, 5-gallon can, when it is full, knows how difficult it is to avoid a mess. This, however, may be avoided by having a hole punched in the cap which screws onto the can, and a tube, 2 inches long and 3⁠/⁠4 of an inch in diameter, soldered on. With a wire nail a hole is punched in the top of the can between the screw cap and the edge of the can. This will admit air while pouring. Resting the can on a table, with the screw-cap tube to the rear, the can is carefully tilted forward with one hand and the shop bottle held in the other. In this way the bottle may be filled without spilling any of the oil and that, too, without a funnel. It is preferable to rest the can on a table when pouring from a 1- or 2-gallon square varnish can, when filling shop bottles. With the opening to the rear, the can is likewise tilted forward slowly so as to allow the surface of the liquid to become “at rest.” Even mobile liquids, such as spirits of turpentine, may be poured into shop bottles without a funnel. Of course, the main thing is that the can be lowered slowly, otherwise the first portion may spurt out over the bottle. With 5-gallon round cans it is possible to fill shop bottles in the same manner by resting the can on a box or counter. When a funnel is used for non-greasy liquids, the funnel may be slightly raised with the thumb and little finger from the neck of the bottle, while holding the bottle by the neck between the middle and ring fingers, to allow egress of air.

«Tasteless Castor Oil.»—

I.—Pure castor oil 1 pint Cologne spirit 3 fluidounces Oil of wintergreen 40 minims Oil of sassafras 20 minims Oil of anise 15 minims Saccharine 5 grains Hot water, a sufficient quantity.

Place the castor oil in a gallon bottle. Add a pint of hot water and shake vigorously for about 15 minutes. Then pour the mixture into a vessel with a stopcock at its base, and allow the mixture to stand for 12 hours. Draw off the oil, excepting the last portion, which must be rejected. Dissolve the essential oils and saccharine in the cologne spirit and add to the washed castor oil.

II.—First prepare an aromatic solution of saccharine as follows:

Refined saccharine 25 parts Vanillin 5 parts Absolute alcohol 950 parts Oil of cinnamon 20 parts

Dissolve the saccharine and vanillin in the alcohol, then add the cinnamon oil, agitate well and filter. Of this liquid add 20 parts to 980 parts of castor oil and mix by agitation. Castor oil, like cod-liver oil, may be rendered nearly tasteless, it is claimed, by treating it as follows: Into a matrass of suitable size put 50 parts of freshly roasted coffee, ground as fine as possible, and 25 parts of purified and freshly prepared bone or ivory black. Pour over the mass 1,000 parts of the oil to be deodorized and rendered tasteless, and mix. Cork the container tightly, put on a water bath, and raise the temperature to about 140° F. Keep at this heat from 15 to 20 minutes, then let cool down, slowly, to 90°, at which temperature let stand for 3 hours. Finally filter, and put up in small, well-stoppered bottles.

III.—Vanillin 3 grains Garantose 4 grains Ol. menth. pip. 8 minims Alcoholis 3 drachms Ol. ricinus 12 ounces Ol. olivæ (imported), quantity sufficient 1 pint

M. ft. sol.

Mix vanillin, garantose, ol. menth. pip. with alcohol and add castor oil and olive oil.

Dose: One drachm to 2 fluidounces.

IV.—The following keeps well:

Castor oil 24 parts Glycerine 24 parts Tincture of orange peel 8 parts Tincture of senega 2 parts Cinnamon water enough to make 100 parts

Mix and make an emulsion. Dose is 1 tablespoonful.

V.—One part of common cooking molasses to 2 of castor oil is the best {154} disguise for the taste of the oil that can be used.

VI.—Castor oil 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Powdered acacia 2 drachms Sugar 2 drachms Peppermint water 4 ounces

Triturate the sugar and acacia, adding the oil gradually; when these have been thoroughly incorporated add the peppermint water in small portions, triturating the mixture until an emulsion is formed.

VII.—This formula for an emulsion is said to yield a fairly satisfactory product:

Castor oil 500 c.c. Mucilage of acacia 125 c.c. Spirit of gaultheria 10 grams Sugar 1 gram Sodium bicarbonate 1 gram

VIII.—Castor oil 1 ounce Compound tincture of cardamom 4 drachms Oil of wintergreen 3 drops Powdered acacia 3 drachms Sugar 2 drachms Cinnamon water enough to make 4 ounces. IX.—Castor oil 12 ounces Vanillin 3 grains Saccharine 4 grains Oil of peppermint 8 minims Alcohol 3 drachms Olive oil enough to make 1 pint.

In any case, use only a fresh oil.

«How to Take Castor Oil.»—The disgust for castor oil is due to the odor, not to the taste. If the patient grips the nostrils firmly before pouring out the dose, drinks the oil complacently, and then thoroughly cleanses the mouth, lips, larynx, etc., with water, removing the last vestige of the oil before removing the fingers, he will not get the least taste from the oil, which is bland and tasteless. It all depends upon preventing any oil from entering the nose during the time while there is any oil present.

«Castor-Oil Chocolate Lozenges.»—

Cacao, free from oil 250 parts Castor oil 250 parts Sugar, pulverized 500 parts Vanillin sugar 5 parts

Mix the chocolate and oil and heat in the water, both under constant stirring. Have the sugar well dried and add, stirring constantly, to the molten mass. Continue the heat for 30 minutes, then pour out and divide into lozenges in the usual way.

CAT DISEASES AND THEIR REMEDIES: See Insecticides and Veterinary Formulas.

«CATATYPY.»

It is a well-known fact that the reactions of the compounds of silver, platinum, and chromium in photographic processes are generally voluntary ones and that the light really acts only as an accelerator, that is to say the chemical properties of the preparations also change in the dark, though a longer time is required. When these preparations are exposed to the light under a negative, the modification of their chemical properties is accelerated in such a way that, through the gradations of the tone-values in the negative, the positive print is formed. Now it has been found that we also have such accelerators in material substances that can be used in the light, the process being termed catalysis. It is remarkable that these substances, called catalyzers, apparently do not take part in the process, but bring about merely by their presence, decomposition or combination of other bodies during or upon contact. Hence, catalysis may be defined, in short, as the act of changing or accelerating the speed of a chemical reaction by means of agents which appear to remain stable.

Professor Ostwald and Dr. O. Gros, of the Leipsic University, have given the name of “catatypy” to the new copying process. The use of light is entirely done away with, except that for the sake of convenience the manipulations are executed in the light. All that is necessary is to bring paper and negative into contact, no matter whether in the light or in the dark. Hence the negative (if necessary a positive may also be employed) need not even be transparent, for the ascending and descending action of the tone values in the positive picture is produced only by the quantity in the varying density of the silver powder contained in the negative. Hence no photographic (light) picture, but a catatypic picture (produced by contact) is created, but the final result is the same.

Catatypy is carried out as follows: Pour dioxide of hydrogen over the negative, which can be done without any damage to the latter, and lay a piece of paper on (sized or unsized, rough or smooth, according to the effect desired); by a contact lasting a few seconds the paper receives the picture, dioxide of hydrogen being destroyed. From a single application several prints can be made. The acquired picture—still {155} invisible—may now in the further course of the process, have a reducing or oxydizing action. As picture-producing bodies, the large group of iron salts are above all eminently adapted, but other substances, such as chromium, manganese, etc., as well as pigments with glue solutions may also be employed. The development takes place as follows: When the paper which has been in contact with the negative is drawn through a solution of ferrous oxide, the protoxide is transformed into oxide by the peroxide, hence a yellow positive picture, consisting of iron oxide, results, which can be readily changed into other compounds, so that the most varying tones of color can be obtained. With the use of pigments, in conjunction with a glue solution, the action is as follows: In the places where the picture is, the layer with the pigments becomes insoluble and all other dye stuffs can be washed off with water.

The chemical inks and reductions, as well as color pigments, of which the pictures consist, have been carefully tested and are composed of such as are known to possess unlimited durability.

After a short contact, simply immerse the picture in the respective solution, wash out, and a permanent picture is obtained.

CATERPILLAR DESTROYERS: See Insecticides.

«CATGUT:»

«Preparation of Catgut Sutures.»—The catgut is stretched tightly over a glass plate tanned in 5 per cent watery extract of quebracho, washed for a short time in water, subjected to the action of a 4 per cent formalin solution for 24 to 48 hours, washed in running water for 24 hours, boiled in water for 10 to 15 minutes, and stored in a mixture of absolute alcohol with 5 per cent glycerine and 4 per cent carbolic acid. In experiments on dogs, this suture material in aseptic wounds remained intact for 65 days, and was absorbed after 83 days. In infected wounds it was absorbed after 32 days.

CATSUP (ADULTERATED): See Foods.

CATTLE DIPS AND APPLICATIONS: See Disinfectants and Insecticides.

CEILING CLEANERS: See Cleaning Preparations and Methods, and also Household Formulas.

«CELERY COMPOUND.»

Celery (seed ground) 25 parts Coca leaves (ground) 25 parts Black haw (ground) 25 parts Hyoscyamus leaves (ground) 12 1⁠/⁠2 parts Podophyllum (powdered) 10 parts Orange peel (ground) 6 parts Sugar (granulated) 100 parts Alcohol 150 parts Water, q. s. ad. 400 parts

Mix the alcohol with 150 parts of water and macerate drugs for 24 hours; pack in percolator and pour on menstruum till 340 parts is obtained; dissolve sugar in it and strain.

CELLS, SOLUTIONS AND FILLERS FOR BATTERY: See Battery Solutions and Fillers.

CELLARS, WATERPROOF: See Household Formulas.

CELLOIDIN PAPER: See Paper.

«Celluloid»

«New Celluloid.»—M. Ortmann has ascertained that turpentine produced by the _Pinus larix_, generally denominated Venice turpentine, in combination with acetone (dimethyl ketone), yields the best results; but other turpentines, such as the American from the _Pinus australis_, the Canada turpentine from the _Pinus balsamea_, the French turpentine from the _Pinus maritima_, and ketones, such as the ketone of methyl-ethyl, the ketone of dinaphthyl, the ketone of methyl-oxynaphthyl, and the ketone of dioxy-naphthyl, may be employed.

To put this process in practice, 1,000 parts of pyroxyline is prepared in the usual manner, and mixed with 65 parts of turpentine, or 250 parts of ketone and 250 parts of ether; 500 parts or 750 parts of methyl alcohol is added, and a colorant, such as desired. Instead of turpentine, rosins derived from it may be employed. If the employment of camphor is desired to a certain extent, it may be added to the mixture. The whole is shaken and left at rest for about 12 hours. It is then passed between hot rollers, and finally pressed, cut, and dried, like ordinary celluloid. {156}

The product thus obtained is without odor, when camphor is not employed; and in appearance and properties it cannot be distinguished from ordinary celluloid, while the expense of production is considerably reduced.

«Formol Albumen for Preparation of Celluloid.»—Formol has the property of forming combinations with most albuminoid substances. These are not identical with reference to plasticity, and the use which may be derived from them for the manufacture of plastic substances. This difference explains why albumen should not be confounded with gelatin or casein. With this in view, the Société Anonyme l’Oyonnaxienne has originated the following processes:

I.—The albumen may be that of the egg or that of the blood, which are readily found in trade. The formolizing may be effected in the moist state or in the dry state. The dry or moist albumen is brought into contact with the solution of commercial formol diluted to 5 or 10 per cent for an hour. Care must be taken to pulverize the albumen, if it is dry. The formol penetrates rapidly into the albuminoid matter, and is filtered or decanted and washed with water until all the formol in excess has completely disappeared; this it is easy to ascertain by means of aniline water, which produces a turbid white as long as a trace of formic aldehyde remains.

The formol albumen is afterwards dried at low temperature by submitting it to the action of a current of dry air at a temperature not exceeding 107° F. Thus obtained, the product appears as a transparent corneous substance. On pulverizing, it becomes opaque and loses its transparency. It is completely insoluble in water, but swells in this liquid.

II.—The formol albumen is reduced to a perfectly homogeneous powder, and mixed intimately with the plastic matter before rolling. This cannot be considered an adequate means for effecting the mixture. It is necessary to introduce the formol albumen, in the course of the moistening, either by making an emulsion with camphor alcohol, or by mixing it thoroughly with nitro-cellulose, or by making simultaneously a thorough mixture of the three substances. When the mixture is accomplished, the paste is rolled according to the usual operation. The quantity of formol albumen to add is variable, being diminished according to the quantity of camphor.

Instead of adding the desiccated formol albumen, it may previously be swollen in water in order to render it more malleable.

Instead of simple water, alkalinized or acidified water may be taken for this purpose, or even alcoholized water. The albumen, then, should be pressed between paper or cloth, in order to remove the excess of moisture.

«Plastic Substances of Nitro-Cellulose Base.»—To manufacture plastic substances the Compagnie Française du Celluloid commences by submitting casein to a special operation. It is soaked with a solution of acetate of urea in alcohol; for 100 parts of casein 5 parts of acetate of urea and 50 parts of alcohol are employed. The mass swells, and in 48 hours the casein is thoroughly penetrated. It is then ready to be incorporated with the camphored nitro-cellulose. The nitro-cellulose, having received the addition of camphor, is soaked in the alcohol, and the mass is well mixed. The casein prepared as described is introduced into the mass. The whole is mixed and left at rest for 2 days.

The plastic pulp thus obtained is rolled, cut, and dried like ordinary cellulose, and by the same processes and apparatus. The pulp may also be converted into tubes and other forms, like ordinary celluloid.

It is advisable to subject the improved plastic pulp to a treatment with formaldehyde for the purpose of rendering insoluble the casein incorporated in the celluloid. The plastic product of nitro-cellulose base, thus obtained, presents in employment the same general properties as ordinary celluloid. It may be applied to the various manufacturing processes in use for the preparation of articles of all kinds, and its cost price diminishes more or less according to the proportion of casein associated with the ordinary celluloid. In this plastic product various colorants may be incorporated, and the appearance of shell, pearl, wood, marble, or ivory may also be imparted.

«Improved Celluloid.»—This product is obtained by mingling with celluloid, under suitable conditions, gelatin or strong glue of gelatin base. It is clear that the replacement of part of the celluloid by the gelatin, of which the cost is much less, lowers materially the cost of the final product. The result is obtained without detriment to the qualities of the objects. These are said to be of superior properties, having more firmness than those of celluloid. And the new material {157} is worked more readily than the celluloid employed alone.

The new product may be prepared in open air or in a closed vessel under pressure. When operated in the air, the gelatin is first immersed cold (in any form, and in a state more or less pure) in alcohol marking about 140° F., with the addition of a certain quantity (for example, 5 to 10 per cent) of crystallizable acetic acid. In a few hours the material has swollen considerably, and it is then introduced in alcohol of about 90 per cent, and at the same time the celluloid pulp (camphor and gun cotton), taking care to add a little acetone. The proportion of celluloid in the mixture may be 50 to 75 per cent of the weight of the gelatin, more or less, according to the result desired. After heating the mixture slightly, it is worked, cold, by the rollers ordinarily employed for celluloid and other similar pastes, or by any other suitable methods.

The preparation in a closed vessel does not differ from that which has been described, except for the introduction of the mixture of gelatin, celluloid, alcohol, and acetone, at the moment when the heating is to be accomplished in an autoclave heated with steam, capable of supporting a pressure of 2 to 5 pounds, and furnished with a mechanical agitator. This method of proceeding abridges the operation considerably; the paste comes from the autoclave well mingled, and is then submitted to the action of rollers. There is but little work in distilling the alcohol and acetic acid in the autoclave. These may be recovered, and on account of their evaporation the mass presents the desired consistency when it reaches the rollers. Whichever of the two methods of preparation may be employed, the substance may be rolled as in the ordinary process, if a boiler with agitator is made use of; the mass may be produced in any form.

«Preparation of Uninflammable Celluloid.»—The operation of this process by Woodward is the following: In a receiver of glass or porcelain, liquefied fish glue and gum arabic are introduced and allowed to swell for 24 hours in a very dry position, allowing the air to circulate freely. The receiver is not covered. Afterwards it is heated on a water bath, and the contents stirred (for example, by means of a porcelain spatula) until the gum is completely liquefied. The heating of the mass should not exceed 77° F. Then the gelatin is added in such a way that there are no solid pieces. The receiver is removed from the water bath and colza oil added, while agitating anew. When the mixture is complete it is left to repose for 24 hours.

Before cooling, the mixture is passed through a sieve in order to retain the pieces which may not have been dissolved. After swelling, and the dissolution and purification by means of the sieve, it is allowed to rest still in the same position, with access of air. The films formed while cooling may be removed. The treatment of celluloid necessitates employing a solution completely colorless and clear. The celluloid to be treated while it is still in the pasty state should be in a receiver of glass, porcelain, or similar material.

The mass containing the fish glue is poured in, drop by drop, while stirring carefully, taking care to pour it in the middle of the celluloid and to increase the surface of contact.

When the mixture is complete, the celluloid is ready to be employed and does not produce flame when exposed.

The solution of fish glue may be prepared by allowing 200 parts of it to swell for 48 hours in 1,000 parts of cold distilled water. It is then passed through the sieve, and the pieces which may remain are broken up, in order to mingle them thoroughly with the water. Ten parts of kitchen salt are then added, and the whole mass passed through the sieve.

This product may be utilized for the preparation of photographic films or for those used for cinematographs, or for replacing hard caoutchouc for the insulation of electric conductors, and for the preparation of plastic objects.