Kislak Center Recipe Books

Arts and sciences; chemistry.

[England], 1777. Collection of recipes (numbered 1-253 with many errors) for alchemical and practical applications such as making candles, butter, varnish, many types of ink (including a recipe for "magic ink", p. 201), sealant for waterproofing shoes (p. 15), cement for mending broken china or glass (p. 205), and occasional medicinal uses such as preventing yellow fever (p. 158). Alchemical recipes include instructions for turning white sapphires into diamonds (p. 208), creating artificial diamonds (p. 193) and artificial pearls (p. 206), creating a powder that burns green (p. 160), and how to give new colors (p. 85) or new fragrances (p. 87) to flowers. Other instructions include a method for preserving animals such as dogs and horses at the size they were at birth (p. 183), purifying water (p. 15), sending secret letters written on the inside of an egg (p. 185-186), how to wash fleecy hosiery (p. 191), and predicting whether a sick person will live or die (p. 135). A printed clipping for how to grow radishes has been pasted in (p. 118) and a print of a plan for a smelting furnace has been laid into the manuscript. Also includes an alphabetical index (p. v-xxviii) and 7 leaves laid into the manuscript with additional recipes such as a remedy for scurvy and a recipe for iron gall ink. One leaf written in French for a recipe for magic ink (Gibraltar, 15 May 1795).

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p. 31

Factitious Agate [double line] 1. Dissolve Gum Arabic in Safron Water and let it harden again, You may put in Insects if you please. [double line] 2. To find if you have any strange Bees in your Hive [double line] Early in the morning when Dew is upon the Bees, take a Powder Puff & strew some Powder upon the Bees till they are white, then observe what Hive they go to, and there the Strange Bees [double line] 3. Salt Cat for Pigeons [double line]

Last edit over 2 years ago by Kareobl

Complete

p. 32

Rx [recipe] Gravel _ Loam . Old Mortar eq. Parts ℔ [pound] i [1] Cummin Seed ℥ [ounce] iiii [4] Bay Salt ℥ [ounce] ii [2] Mix with stale urine to a Paste & dry it before the Fire __ Put it in the Pigeon House in a [T]ar with Holes in the Side & coverd at top. [double line] 4. To prevent Moths eating woollen Shifts [single line] The Wool must be quite cleaned from all Grease, and then moistened with Oil of Turpentine, and afterwards dyed of what Colour you please, it will take the Colour the better for this Preparation, & the Smell of the Turpen: :tine goes of with the dying __ Neither

Last edit over 4 years ago by Mick

Complete

p. 33

Moths or other Insects will come neer this Cloth. [double line] 5 To draw Birds that have been preserved in Spirits. [single line] Take them out & wash them well in Warm Water, & rinse them afterwards with cold Water. let them dry and the Feather will have their natural Colour You must ~~take Care~~ observe that some Feathers will have a different Colour than what they had at first, [pens] being soak'd in the Spirits [double line]

Last edit over 4 years ago by Mick

Complete

p. 34

6 To polish Brass Utensils [single line] Make a streng Tee of Ashes ~~of Allum~~ [symbol for recipe]. ℔ [pound] i [1] _ Allum ℥ [ounce] i [1] _ boil them a little, & rub your Utensils with it __ when they are quite dry, polish them with Tripoli _ and you will see [Mettel]. [double line] 7 To make Shell Gold or Silver [single line] R. Sal. Ammon: make it to a Pap with water, mix and rub well in it. [sesse] Leaf Gold, a Leaf at a time till you have enough then rub well for an Hour [double line]

Last edit over 4 years ago by Mick

Complete

p. 35

8. To prepare German Schwam from Agaric [double line] Take the Agaric from Beech Tree, which grows like a Fungus. lay it in a Pot of Ashes, [smollen] the Ashes with Water, let the Fungus lay 12 days in it ake it out & beat it well upon a Stene with a Stene, or on wood with wood but not with Iron - & it will swell & be good for life, & take [Fire] like [T]inder [double line] 9 The Specific Gravity of Metals [single line] [Go] Two Peices of Gold & Silver of equal oz dwt Size. the Gold outweighs the Silver 3. 7. in the [Mask]. & the other Metal also have

Last edit over 4 years ago by Mick

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