Important: Safety Warning
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.
In addition, this page directs the use of hazardous substances — such as benzine, gasoline, lye, or strong acids — for household tasks. These materials are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous, and the practices described have caused fires, burns, and poisonings.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Clear Gutta-Percha Solution
Cut gutta-percha into thin strips and put it in a glass bottle, and add as much chloroform as makes a thick paste. This paste is then placed in very hot water, and kneaded with the fingers. After considerable manipulation the gutta-percha loses much of its color, and if this process is repeated, becomes very nearly colorless, having only a pale straw tint. A chloroform solution may then be made of any strength, which is useful for many purposes-when thin, as a substitute for court plaster, and when thick, as a stopping for decayed teeth. mineral naphtha, or benzole; then strain it.
This dries very badly, and never gets perfectly hard.