Henley's Twentieth Century Book of Formulas, Processes and Trade

Of course, you never use any of the medical or veterinary treatments out of this book. Other than that, for the careful and preferably experienced home experimenter, this has a load of fun things to try out. My favorites are the cosmetics, run up and put into little glass pots for re-enactor friends who want something old and different but not full of toxic lead and such. Even if you aren't inclined to break out the annatto and gum arabic, this book is a fascinating window back to a day when most things COULD be made at home, and often had to be, because factory goods weren't readily available. This book must have been a valued resource to the small town apothecary or tinkerer who could use his experience to supply customers with everything from fireworks to magic tricks, and a godsend to the young experimenter who wanted to try out some things that had more point than making the liquid change colour in the beaker--especially if they made Mom more positive about all this chemical or mechanical stuff.