Chapter II: Preface

It is surprising how many large enterprises and fortunes depend upon some few simple trade secrets the knowledge of which has baffled competition and crushed all rivalry. The jealous care with which special information in trade and manufacture is guarded frequently renders it a monumental task to procure a single receipt or formula. Some idea, then, may be formed of the vast amount of labor and expense necessary to compile a work of this character. Books of recipes are quite numerous, but to the average person the good they contain is too often buried beneath a mass of wordy rubbish. In the preparation of this work the object has been to present all the best as well as the latest practical receipts, prescriptions, and trade secrets. Over a quarter of a million pages of patent-office reports, encyclopedias, trade journals, receipt books, and other special publications have been carefully scrutinized. To the knowledge obtained from them we include the original matter procured from tradesmen, chemists, and the published works and private practice of some of the most eminent physicians both in this country and Europe, a greater portion of which has never before appeared in print; all of which has been carefully tested where any doubt existed. It will be found that few, if any, misleading directions have been given. The prescriptions have been reproduced, after careful thought, in the form in which they were originally written. In having them filled patronize only honest and capable druggists. In testing the recipes follow the directions with rigid care, and practice on a small quantity of the article until you get it right. Realizing that perfection in anything has never been attained, yet we believe that the work contains more really practical information for use by the masses in every-day life than any similar publication.

Chicago, March, 1889. THE AUTHOR.

INDEX.

PAGE

A Cheap Charcoal Stove, 48

Approximate Measures, 116

Baking Powders, 15

Bay Rum, Best, 40

Blood Purifier, Dr. Hamilton’s, 120

Blood Purifying Tea, 121

Breath Solution, 34

Butter Color, 125

Care of Teeth, Mouth, and Breath, 32

Cascara Cordial, 120

Catarrh Remedy, Electric, 121

Catarrh Snuff, 122

Catarrh Salve, 122

Cements and Glue, 24
Armenian Glue, 24
Glutina Cement, 24
Iron Cement, 25
Metal, Glass, and Stone Cement, 25

Cement, Rubber, 123

Chapped Hands, etc., Lotion for, 39

Chilblains, Treatment of, 42, 43

Cider, Artificial, 15

Cleaning Preparations, 7
Lightning Grease Renovator, 7
Glove-Cleaning Compound, 7
Cleaning Tarnished Silverware, 8
Cleaning Carpets, 8
Universal Stain-Removing Table, 9
Cleaning Soiled Wall-paper, 12
Cleaning Marble and Tombstones, 13
Cleaning Powder for Show-windows, etc., 13

Cologne, Hoyt’s German, 41

Common Names of Chemical Substances, 117

Copying Paper, Magic, 6

Copying Pad, Gelatine, 1

Corn and Wart Salve, 42

Corn-Killer, German, 42

Essential Oils, To Extract, 17

Face Lotion, Calamine, 39

Fire Extinguishers, 4

Fire Hand Grenades, 4

Fire Extinguishing Compounds, 5

Fire-proofing Compounds, 123, 124

Flavoring Extracts, 16

Foliotypes, 2

Freckles, To Remove, 35 to 38

Freezing Mixtures, 69 to 71

Furniture Varnish, 13

Furniture Polish, 14

Gold and Silver Imitations, 32

Hair Tonic, 41

Hair Grower, Pomade, 41

Hair Oil, Cream, 41

Hamlin’s Wizard Oil, 119

Hektograph, 1

Hog Cholera Cure, 125

Honey, Artificial, 14

How to Make an Incubator, 43 to 48

Ice House and Refrigerator, 64

Ice Houses, Cheap, 66

Ice Chest, Cheap, 69

Ice Without an Ice House, 69

Inks, 20
Black Inks, 20, 21
Red Ink, 21
Violet Ink, 21
Blue Ink, 21
Green Ink, 21
Copying Ink, 21
Indestructible Ink, 22
Hektograph Ink, 22
White Ink, 22
Rubber Stamp Ink, 22
Ribbon Ink, 22
Marking Ink, 22
Indelible Ink, 22
Gold and Silver Ink, 124
Ink for Writing on Metals, 23
Ink Powders, 23
Disappearing Ink, 23
Invisible Inks, 23

Ink Erasing Fluid, 24

Kidney and Liver Cure, Warner’s Safe, 121

Lemonade Syrup, Artificial, 15

Liniments, 119

Liniment, Wonder, 119

Liniment, Liquid Lightning, 119

Liniment, Rarey’s Horse, 125

Lip Salve, 39

Liver Regulator, 120

Manicure Powder, 40

Manicure Salve, 40

Maple Syrup, Artificial, 14

Maple Sugar, Artificial, 14

Mead, Genuine New Orleans, 15

Medical Department--Prescriptions of eminent physicians, arranged
and revised by F. V. Luse, M. D., Chicago, Ill. Diseases
arranged alphabetically. Authorities quoted: Agnew, Atthill,
Bartholow, Basham, Beasley, Bibron, Browne, Brown-Séquard,
Chapman, Da Costa, Dewees, Ellis, Fenner, Gerhard, Getchell,
Gross, Guy, Hartshorne, Hazard, Hebra, Keyes, Liebreich,
Luse, Mackenzie, Milton, Mitchell, Pancoast, Porcher, Ricord,
Ringer, Schafhirt, Smith, Squibbs, Tanner, Thornton,
Trousseau, Waring, 103

Medicated Pads, 118
Liver Pad, 118
Kidney Pad, 118
Lung Pad, 118

Merchant’s Gargling Oil, 120

Mexican Mustang Liniment, 120

Metal and Glass Secrets, 28
Hardening Composition for Steel, 28
Composition to Toughen Steel, 28
Softening Iron or Steel, 28
Restoring Burnt Steel, 29
Welding Cast Steel, 29
To Drill Hardened Steel, 29
To Drill Holes in Cast Iron, 29
To Solder Ferrules for Tool Handles, 29
Soldering Without a Soldering Iron, 29
Cleaning Gun-Barrels, 29
To Resharpen Old Files, 30
Mending Tinware at Home, 30
Good Way to Sharpen Razors, 30
Razor-Strop Paste, 30
Cutting Ovals, etc., on Glass, 30
Etching on Glass, 30
To Drill and Ornament Glass, 31

Moles, to Remove, 38

Paints, 26
Durable Paint for Roofs, 26, 27
Paint for Blackboards, 27
Removing Smell of Paint, 27
Removing Paint, 27

Pastes, 25
Paste for Wall-paper, 25
Paste for Labeling on Tin, 25
Pasting Cloth or Leather to Wood, 25

Perry Davis’ Pain Killer, 119

Perspiration Powder, 42

Phrases and Abbreviations Used in Prescriptions, 114, 115

Pimple Lotion, 40

Plating Without a Battery, 31
Silver-Plating Solution, 31
Silvering Powder, 31
Gold Plating Solution, 31
Nickeling Iron, 31

Polishing Preparations, 12
Polishing Powder, 12
Polishing Pastes and Balls, 13

Preservative Compounds, 49
Barff’s Boroglyceride, 49 to 57
Fickett’s Preservative Compound, 57
Howard’s Preservative Compound, 58
Preservation of Butter, Lard, etc., 58
Corwin’s Preservative Compound, 59
Fruit Juice Preservatives, 59
Smoke or Vapor Preserving Compounds, 60
Salicylic Acid as a Preservative, 60 to 64

Radway’s Ready Relief, 120

Red Noses, Preparation for, 39

Rose Water, Fine, 40

Rubber Patching, 123

Rubber Stamps, How to Make, 17

Sea Foam, Quillaya, 41

Shampoo Compound, Clifford’s, 41

Shirts, How to Iron, 10

Silos and Ensilage, 73 to 84

Stage Illusions, 85
The Three-Headed Woman, 85 to 87
The Mysterious Voice, 87 to 89
An Improved Psycho, 89 to 92
Magic Cabinets, Boxes, etc., 92 to 96
The Swinging Half Lady, 96 to 98
The Aerial Suspension, 99 to 100
The Ghost Illusion, 100 to 102

Stamping Patterns, 6

Sunburn, to Remove, 36

Symbols or Signs Used in Prescriptions, 114

Table for Calculating the Period of Utero-Gestation, 116

Table to Assist the Beginner in Prescribing Liquids, 116

Toilet Preparations, 39

Toothache Drops, 34

Tooth Powder, Best, 33

Tooth Paste, Cherry, 34

Toothwash, Antiseptic, 34

Transferring Photographs, 6

Transferring Embroidery, 7

Transferring Leaves, 7

Vermin Exterminators, 19
Phosphorus Paste, 19
Roach and Moth Exterminator, 19
Moth Powder, 19
Bedbug Poison, 20
Poison Fly Paper, 20
Sticky Fly Paper, 20
Mosquito and Fly Frightener, 20

Washing Fluid, Liebig’s, 10

Washing Bluing, Liquid, 11

Washing Soaps, Family, 11
Best Soft Soap, 11
Hard Soap with Lard, 11
White Hard Soap with Tallow, 12

Water Baths, 72, 73

Water-proofing Cloth and Canvas, 123

Whitewash, Brilliant Stucco, 26

Wood Stains, 27
Staining Wood Rose Color, 27
Ebonizing Wood, 27
Imitation of Cedar, 28
Hard Coating for Wood, 28

Worcestershire Sauce, 125