Mr. Rawles:
First, I’d like to thank you for your novel “Patriots”. I bought it and read [the 31 chapter edition] in 2002, and loved it. I implemented many of your suggestions, and have my bug out bags prepared and ready. I especially have medical supplies on hand.
I have been trying to remember the name and author of a “formulary” book I believe you mention in Patriots. You said it was out of print but showed how to make things like paint, if you had no paint. You said it was a fixture on American farms at the turn of the 20th century. I would look in my copy of Patriots for this, but it is packed with my bug out items in a special safe place away from my home, so I can’t just quickly go get it. Please let me know the title of this “formulary” so that I can be looking for a copy. Thanks! – Pamela G. in Oregon
JWR Replies: I believe that you are referring to Kurt Saxon’s book: “Granddad’s Wonderful Book of Chemistry”, which is primarily a reprint of he classic formulary “Dick’s Encyclopedia“, circa 1872. Saxon also assembled a dictionary of old fashioned chemical terms and synonyms and included it in the front of his reprint. This is worth its weight in gold. (Having an old formulary is great, but if you don’t know that “oil of mirbane” is now called nitro-benzene, then a lot of formulary knowledge verges on useless.) Kurt has some far-our political beliefs which, as a Christian, I find abhorrent. (Kurt Saxon is an atheist and a eugenicist.) But if you skip past those rantings, all of his books are great references. I’ve heard that a few of his hard copy books are now out of print, but that they are all still available on CD-ROM.
OBTW, if you search through used book stores, you will occasionally find other old formulary book from the late 1800s. Buy them when you find them. They are treasure troves of useful arcana!
Some special notes of caution on home chemistry: Use extreme care whenever working with chemicals–even when doing something as basic as making soap. Always wear full goggles, long sleeves, and gloves. Always work in a well-ventilated area. Wear a respirator mask, when appropriate. Always keep an A-B-C fire extinguisher handy. Keep an emergency eyewash bottle handy. When working with a chemical that could burn your skin, be prepared with a bucket of water (if appropriate) or the appropriate neutralizer. Never use any of your regular kitchen utensils, containers, or measuring instruments when working with chemicals. (Have a dedicated set, and clearly mark them as such!) Never work alone. Study reactivity tables, and always keep them in mind. Whenever working with anything flammable or potentially explosive, always work with minute quantities for your experiments. Keep in mind that 19th Century safety standards were considerably more relaxed than today’s, so old formularies often omit safety warnings. Always remember that exposure to some substances such as lead, mercury, and carbon monoxide are insidious and cumulative. FWIW, I’m not putting forth all these strong warnings simply to cover my assets from a lawsuit. I really sincerely mean them, since I’ve “been there, done that”, and caught my hair on fire a time or two.