Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes

How to silver a mirror, brew ginger beer, kill moths, make fireworks, tan a hide, bronze iron, cure a ham and clean a straw hat: William B. Dick's numbered encyclopedia answered the questions a nineteenth-century household actually had.

Factitious Mineral Waters

37 receipts in this part of Practical Receipts and Processes.

Starch and Iodine Test Paper

tive reagent for alkalies and acids; it is used Prepared by mixing starch paste with iodide for the preparation of test paper, and is…

Lead Test Paper

From a solu- root with ether; the filtered liquid is ready tion of either acetate or diacetate of lead; for use. The blue paper may be…

Blue Litmus Test Paper

Trit-line and acid test, may be prepared by urate 1 ounce litmus in a wedgwood-ware dividing the ethereal solution of alkanet red mortar…

Red Litmus Paper

Treat the whole of a blue infusion, made as above, with the rod dipped in dilute sulphuric acid until it turns distinctly red. Alkalies…

Mallow Test Paper

From an It is white, but is turned blue by ozonized air infusion of the purple flowers of the common when exposed to it in a slightly…

Manganese Test Paper

From detect the presence of ozone in the atmoa solution of sulphate of manganese; turns sphere. black by contact with ozone.

Rhubarb Test Paper

From a strong infusion of the powdered root; alkalies turn it brown, but boracic acid and its salts do not affect it. Factitious Mineral…

Rose Test Paper

Made with a strong infusion of the petals of the red rose; different celebrated springs, whose waters alkalies turn it a bright green. have…

Starch Test Paper

From a are prepared by adding to pure water the incold decoction of starch; free iodine turns it blue.

Sulphate of Iron Test Paper

Made with a solution of the protosulphate; as a test for hydrocyanic acid and the soluble cyanides. gredients which the original spring…

Turmeric Test Paper

Pre- by the powerful apparatus employed by manpared with a decoction of 2 ounces turmeric ufacturers of soda waters (see No. 718); the (see…

Cabbage Test Paper

Make a strong infusion of red cabbage leaves, strain it, and evaporate it by a gentle heat till considerably reduced. Then dip the paper in…

Alkanet Test Paper

The red bonic acid gas water. Water charged with principle of the alkanet root (Anchusa tinc-five or more volumes of carbonic acid gas, by…

Alkaline Aerated Waters

soda, 8 grains; sulphate of magnesia, 3 grains; Aerated soda and potash waters should be water, 1 pint; dissolve and add 1 scruple dry soda…

Ems Water

Carbonate of soda, water usually offered for sale contains little 2 scruples; sulphate of potash, 1 grain; sulor no soda.

Aerated Magnesia Water

This is a solution of magnesia of various strengths, charged with carbonic acid gas in the same manner as other aerated waters. phate of…

Kissingen Water

Mix together bicarbonate of soda, 1 drachm; carbonate of lime, 8 scruples; precipitated carbonate of 4434. Murray's Fluid Magnesia may be…

Marienbad Purging Salts

Bicarbonate of soda, 5 ounces; dried sulphate of soda, 12 ounces; dry muriate of soda, 14 ounces; sulphate of magnesia, dried, 2 ounces…

Aerated Lithia Water

This and keep them carefully from the air. may be conveniently made from the fresh pre- 4446. Pullna Water. Sulphate of cipitated…

Baden Water

Muriate of magnesia, 2 grains; muriate of lime, 40 grains; muriate of iron, 1 grain (or 3 minims of the tincture); muriate of soda, 30…

Carlsbad Water (Dissolve grains of muriate)

Dissolve 8 grains of muriate of lime, 1 drop of tincture of sesquichloride of iron, 50 grains of sulphate of soda, 60 grains of carbonate…

Carlsbad Water (Muriate of ounces muriate)

Muriate of 14 ounces; muriate of soda, 2 drachms; tarlime, 8 grains; tincture of muriate of iron, 1 taric acid, ounce (or rather…

Congress Water

Take com- lime, 12 grains; crystallized carbonate of soda, mon salt, 78 ounces; hydrate of soda, 23 31 grains; sulphate of soda in…

Eger Water

Carbonate of soda, ese, 36 grain; water, 2 pints; carbonic acid, 5 grains; sulphate of soda, 4 scruples; muri- 5 volumes. Dissolve the…

Vichy Water (Bicarbonate of drachms)

Bicarbonate of drachms sulphate of magnesia in 1 pint of sulphate of soda, 8 grains; sulphate of magwater. It is also made with 4, 6, and 8…

Seidlitz Powders (Common grains of chloride)

The common grains of chloride of sodium, & grain sulphate rects 75 grains of bicarbonate of soda, 4…

Vichy Water (Soubeiran rely- Vichy water)

Soubeiran, rely- Vichy water by the following combination: Bicarbonate of soda, 135 grains; chloride of calcium, 12 grains; sulphate of…

Seidschutz Water

Sulphate of magnesia, 3 drachms; muriate of lime, nitrate of lime, bicarbonate of soda, of each 8 grains; sulphate of potash, 5 grains…

Vichy Salts

Bicarbonate of effloresced effloresced sulphate of soda, 1 drachm; effloresced sulphate of magnesia, 1 scruple; dry taric acid, 1 ounce (or…

Seltzer or Selters Water

The seltzer water, as commonly sold, is prepared as follows: Prepare a solution of fused chloride of calcium, 1 part in 9 of water (specific

Sea-Water

Muriate of soda, 4 gravity should be 1.088 to 1.080); a solution ounces; sulphate of soda, 2 ounces; muriate of calcined carbonate of soda…

Balaruc Water

Muriate of soda, 1 ounce; muriate of lime, 1 ounce;

Seltzer Water

Muriate of lime and muriate of magnesia, of each 4 grains; dissolve these in a small quantity of water, and add it to a similar solution of…

Vichy Water (Sulphate of potassa drachms)

Sulphate of potassa, 2 drachms; sulphate of soda, 4 scruples; phosphate of soda, 25 grains; common salt, 6 drachms; bicarbonate of soda, 54…

Simple Sulphuretted Waters

Pass sulphuretted hydrogen into cold water ( previously deprived of air by boiling, and cooled in a close vessel), till it ceases to be…

Aix-la-Chapelle Water

Bi- 25 grains; muriate of lime, 3 grains; sulphate soda, 8 grains; simple sulphuretted water, 2½ ounces; water slightly carbonated, 17호…

Bareges Water

(Cauterets, Bagnères de Luchon, Bonnes St. Sauveur, may be made in the same manner.) Crystallized hydrosulphate of soda, crystallized car…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes (1872) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.