MUCILAGE Gum arabic and similar substances, as gum tragacanth, senegal, and the like, are readily soluble in water, and hence form the base of the liquid ad hesives known as mucilage.
Gum-arabic Paste. — Dissolve 2i ounces of gum acacia in 2 quarts of warm water. Stir in 1 pound of wheat flour to form a paste. Add 1 ounces of sugar of lead and 13 ounces of alum dissolved in water. Stir and bring to a boil with gentle heat. Re move the mixture from the fire, but before it boils, and cool for use. Thin, if necessary, with a solution of gum arabic in water.
Or dissolve 9 ounces of gum arabic in 1 pint of water. Add 3 ounce of laundry starch and 3 ounce of white sugar mixed with a little cold water to a thick paste free from lumps, and boil in a double boiler until the starch becomes clear. Add a few cloves or a few drops of any essential oil as a preservative.
Or mix 4 ounces of gum arabic, 3 ounces of starch, and 1 ounce of sugar in a dry mortar. Add cold water to make a paste as thick as melted glue. Bottle for use.
Or dissolve 1 ounce of gum arabic in 2 ounces of water and thicken to a paste with starch.
Gum-arabic Cement. — Dissolve I. ounce of gum arabic in 2 tablespoon fuls of boiling water. Add plaster of Paris to make a thick paste. Ap ply with a brush to the broken edges of glass, china, and earthenware. Press or tie together, and let stand two or three days. The article can not be broken again at the same place. The whiteness of this cement adds to its value.
Or dissolve 13 ounces of gum arabic to a thick mucilage with water, add 19 ounces of plaster of Paris and 9i ounces of sifted lime. Mix well. Use to cement broken marble. Heat the cement and also the edges of the mar ble, and apply with brush.
Gum arabic is also mixed with plas ter of Paris and other substances to form pastes and cements.
Mucilage.—To make mucilage, put 3 ounces of gum arabic in a glass bot tle with pint of cold water. Let stand 94 hours and stir occasionally. Add a few whole cloves or a few drops of any of the essential oils to prevent molding.
Or mix 1 ounces of gum ara bic and 1 ounces of gum tragacanth. Add pint of water and dissolve.
The solution may be made much more quickly by the use of gentle heat by means of a double boiler or other wise.
Or mix 3 ounces of gum arabic or gum tragacanth, 3 ounces of distilled vinegar, and 1 ounce of white sugar.
Or 6 ounces of gum arabic, 1 ounce of acetic acid, 1 ounce of white sugar, and 5 ounces of water.
Botanical Mucilage.—Mix 5 ounces of gum arabic, 3 ounces of sugar, 2 ounces of starch, and 5 ounces of water. Boil and stir until very thick and white. Thin with hot water if necessary. Use for mounting pressed flowers and other botanical specimens.
Ivory Mucilage.—Mix 9 ounces of pulverized gum arabic and 1 ounce of calomel. Add water to make a thin paste. Use for gluing on ivory veneers, piano keys, and the like.
Label Mucilage.—Mix 3 ounce of gum arabic, 10 grains of sulphate of aluminum, and 5 ounces of water. This will attach labels to wood, tin, or metal, and will not become moldy. Before attaching the label, free tin or metal surfaces from grease by washing them with a dilute solution of caustic soda or potash by means of a rag or brush.
Or dissolve 23 ounces of glue in 10 ounces of water. Add 5 ounces of rock candy and 13 ounces of gum arabic. Brush this upon paper while lukewarm and allow it to dry. It keeps well without sticking, and when moistened will adhere firmly to clean glass or tin.
Dextrin Mucilage. — Dextrin and gelatin or glue treated with glycerin are also used to make mucilage.
Dissolve dextrin in hot water to the consistency of cream or honey. Add a few drops of any of the es sential oils or alcohol as a preven tive.
Dextrin mucilage is used on the backs of labels, envelopes, postage stamps, etc. To make the kind of mucilage used on the United States postage stamps, dissolve 9 ounces of dextrin in 5 ounces of water. Add 1 ounce of acetic acid, and when the dextrin is dissolved, add 1 ounce of alcohol as a preservative.
Or use gelatin in place of dextrin in the above.
To Preserve Mucilage.—Mucilage composed of gum arabic and dextrin is liable to become moldy and to de cay. It may be preserved by the ad dition of alcohol or a few drops of any of the essential oils, as oil of cloves, lavender, etc.; or a few whole cloves, or a few drops of sulphuric acid, or carbolic acid or creosote in such quantity that the odor is just apparent; or corrosive sublimate, salicylic acid, or boracic acid.
If the use of these is objection able, the addition of 10 or 10 grains of sulphate of quinine to pint of mucilage is a good and safe preserv ative. Ordinary quinine pills dis solved in hot water may be used for this purpose.