Historical firework recipes
Steven A. Walton
fireworks and pyrotechnics. I ran across some recipes from the 16th/17th century in
my own work and would like to see what sorts of literature there is out there before I
go blowing my hands off.
SW
--
Steven A. Walton "All of human history, adequately examined,
Dept. of Social Sciences in the end is the history of better tools"
Michigan Tech. Univ. -Ernst Kapp, 1877
(906) 487-2459
CD Ward
reading the original sources (Babington, Simienowicz, etc) is that most of the
formulations given are relatively tame. Let me know if you find a good source for Oil of
Spike!
-- CDW
rob...@bestweb.net
>Does anyone out there know if any work has been done on the
>composition of pre-19thC fireworks and pyrotechnics. I ran across
>some recipes from the 16th/17th century in my own work and would
>like to see what sorts of literature there is out there before I go
>blowing my hands off.
>SW
>--
Brock mentioned that the old recipes often included ingredients that turned
out to be nonfunctional and could therefore be eliminated.
Net-Tamer V 1.11 - Registered
Richard Ogden
news:39F78041...@hotbot.com...
> Seems like somebody in the PGI made up a bunch of those some years back.
My take from
> reading the original sources (Babington, Simienowicz, etc) is that most of
the
> formulations given are relatively tame. Let me know if you find a good
source for Oil of
> Spike!
> -- CDW
From http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lavend13.html :
"'The chymical oil drawn from Lavender,' to quote Culpepper, 'usually called
Oil of Spike, is of so fierce and piercing a quality, that it is cautiously
to be used, some few drops being sufficient to be given with other things,
either for inward or outward griefs.' "
"Lavender oil is found of service when rubbed externally for stimulating
paralysed limbs. Mixed with 3/4 spirit of turpentine or spirit of wine it
made the famous Oleum Spicae, formerly much celebrated for curing old
sprains and stiff joints. Fomentations with Lavender in bags, applied hot,
will speedily relieve local pains."
I believe the name is drawn from a species of lavender grown (or once grown)
commonly in France called "Lavendula spica" or "Spike Lavender", which is
much stronger smelling than and chemically distinct from the common English
lavender species. Health food stores commonly sell the oils of each, but as
for the price...! http://www.essentialoil.com/index2.html sells French
lavender oil in bulk at prices starting at around $34/pound (down to around
$25/lb. in 25 lb. quantities).
-Rich
CD Ward
I'm aware of the essential nature of "Oil of Spike." However, although
tongue-in-cheek, my inquiry concerning oil of spike would be for real *if* I
could find a decent price. Always wanted to play with some of those formulations
from Babington & contemporaries, but strictly on the cheap. If I could land a
pound or two at $25, that would be a decent source for oil of spike. I've seen
it in health food stores at several bucks for a bottle with maybe five or ten
mls.
-- CDW