Part 164

«Picture Transferrer.»—A very weak solution of soft soap and pearlashes is used to transfer recent prints, such as illustrations from papers, magazines, etc., to unglazed paper, on the decalcomania principle. Such a solution is:

I.—Soft soap 1⁠/⁠2 ounce Pearlash 2 drachms Distilled water 16 fluidounces

The print is laid upon a flat surface, such as a drawing board, and moistened with the liquid. The paper on which the reproduction is required is laid over this, and then a sheet of thicker paper placed on the top, and the whole rubbed evenly and hard with a blunt instrument, such as the bowl of a spoon, until the desired depth of color in the transferrer is obtained. Another and more artistic process is to cover the print with a transparent sheet of material coated with wax, to trace out the pictures with a point and to take rubbings of the same after powdering with plumbago.

II.—Hard soap 1 drachm Glycerine 30 grains Alcohol 4 fluidrachms Water 1 fluidounce

Dampen the printed matter with the solution by sponging, and proceed as with I.

DEHORNERS: See Horn.

DELTA METAL: See Alloys.

DEMON BOWLS OF FIRE: See Pyrotechnics.

DENTAL CEMENTS: See Cements.

«Dentifrices»

«TOOTH POWDERS:»

A perfect tooth powder that will clean the teeth and mouth with thoroughness need contain but few ingredients and is easily made. For the base there is nothing better than precipitated chalk; it possesses all the detergent and polishing properties necessary for the thorough cleansing of the teeth, and it is too soft to do any injury to soft or to defective or thinly enameled teeth. This cannot be said of pumice, cuttlebone, charcoal, kieselguhr, and similar abradants that are used in tooth powders. Their use is reprehensible in a tooth powder. The use of pumice or other active abradant is well enough occasionally, by persons afflicted with a growth of tartar on the teeth, but even then it is best applied by a competent dentist. Abrading powders have much to answer for in hastening the day of the toothless race.

Next in value comes soap. Powdered white castile soap is usually an ingredient of tooth powders. There is nothing so effective for removing sordes or thickened mucus from the gums or mouth. But used alone or in too large proportions, the taste is unpleasant. Orris possesses no cleansing properties, but is used for its flavor and because it is most effective for masking the taste of the soap. Sugar or saccharine may be used for sweetening, and for flavoring almost anything can be used. Flavors should, in the main, be used singly, though mixed flavors lack the clean taste of simple flavors.

The most popular tooth powder sold is the white, saponaceous, wintergreen-flavored powder, and here is a formula for this type:

I.—Precipitated chalk 1 pound White castile soap 1 ounce Florentine orris 2 ounces Sugar (or saccharine, 2 grains) 1 ounce Oil of wintergreen 1⁠/⁠4 ounce

The first four ingredients should be in the finest possible powder and well dried. Triturate the oil of wintergreen with part of the chalk, and mix this with the balance of the chalk. Sift each ingredient separately through a sieve (No. 80 or finer), and mix well together, afterwards sifting the mixture 5 or 6 times. The finer the sieve and the more the mixture is sifted, the finer and lighter the powder will be. {252}

This powder will cost about 15 cents a pound.

Pink, rose-flavored powder of the Caswell and Hazard, Hudnut, or McMahan type, once so popular in New York. It was made in two styles, with and without soap.

II.—Precipitated chalk 1 pound Florentine orris 2 ounces Sugar 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces White castile soap 1 ounce No. 40 carmine 15 grains Oil of rose 12 drops Oil of cloves 4 drops

Dissolve the carmine in an ounce of water of ammonia and triturate this with part of the chalk until the chalk is uniformly dyed. Then spread it in a thin layer on a sheet of paper and allow the ammonia to evaporate. When there is no ammoniacal odor left, mix this dyed chalk with the rest of the chalk and sift the whole several times until thoroughly mixed. Then proceed to make up the powder as in the previous formula, first sifting each ingredient separately and then together, being careful thoroughly to triturate the oils of rose and cloves with the orris after it is sifted and before it is added to the other powders. The oil of cloves is used to back up the oil of rose. It strengthens and accentuates the rose odor. Be careful not to get a drop too much, or it will predominate over the rose.

«Violet Tooth Powder.»—

Precipitated chalk 1 pound Florentine orris 4 ounces Castile soap 1 ounce Sugar 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Extract of violet 1⁠/⁠4 ounce Evergreen coloring, R. & F., quantity sufficient.

Proceed as in the second formula, dyeing the chalk with the evergreen coloring to the desired shade before mixing.

III.—Precipitated chalk 16 pounds Powdered orris 4 pounds Powdered cuttlefish bone 2 pounds Ultramarine 9 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Geranium lake 340 grains Jasmine 110 minims Oil of neroli 110 minims Oil of bitter almonds 35 minims Vanillin 50 grains Artificial musk (Lautier’s) 60 grains Saccharine 140 grains

Rub up the perfumes with 2 ounces of alcohol, dissolve the saccharine in warm water, add all to the orris, and set aside to dry. Rub the colors up with water and some chalk, and when dry pass all through a mixer and sifter twice to bring out the color.

«Camphorated and Carbolated Powders.»—A camphorated tooth powder may be made by leaving out the oil of wintergreen in the first formula and adding 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces of powdered camphor.

Carbolated tooth powder may likewise be made with the first formula by substituting 2 drachms of liquefied carbolic acid for the oil of wintergreen. But the tooth powder gradually loses the odor and taste of the acid. It is not of much utility anyway, as the castile soap in the powder is of far greater antiseptic power than the small amount of carbolic acid that can safely be combined in a tooth powder. Soap is one of the best antiseptics.

Alkaline salts, borax, sodium bicarbonate, etc., are superfluous in a powder already containing soap. The only useful purpose they might serve is to correct acidity of the mouth, and that end can be reached much better by rinsing the mouth with a solution of sodium bicarbonate. Acids have no place in tooth powders, the French Codex to the contrary notwithstanding.