Important: Safety Warning
This page contains instructions involving gunpowder or other explosive or pyrotechnic compositions. Preparing explosives as described has caused severe injuries and deaths, and is illegal in most places.
In addition, this page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Collodion
or COLLODIUM, a substance prepared by dissolving one part of gun-cotton in a mixture of 36 fluid parts of ether and 12 fluid parts of rectified spirit. The gun-cotton or pyroxylin used for making collodion is prepared by immersing one part of raw cotton fiber in a mixture of five fluid parts of sulphuric acid, and five fluid parts of nitric acid, for three minutes, then carefully washing it with water, and drying it in a water bath; it must be kept in a well-corked bottle. Collodion is used in photography; also in surgery, to form a protecting surface to the skin.