Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts Volume Ii Part 124

Mother of pearl is cut and wrought with nearly similar tools to those used for ivory, but its treatment, owing to its more fragile nature and delicate structure, requires considerably greater care. It is polished with colcothar or putty powder.

The numerous applications of mother of pearl, for b.u.t.tons and knife-handles, boxes, inlaying work, &c., are well known.

=PEARL'ASH.= This is prepared by calcining crude potashes on a reverberatory hearth, dissolving the calcined ma.s.s in water, and, after repose, decanting the clear solution, and evaporating it to dryness in flat iron pans, the product being constantly stirred towards the end to reduce it to a semi-granular state. Although purer, its richness in absolute alkali is less than that of the potashes from which it is prepared, being only from 47% to 51%. This exists almost entirely under the form of carbonate. The commercial value of this substance is determined by the ordinary processes of ALKALIMETRY.

=PEARL BARLEY.= See BARLEY.

=PEARL FLAVOUR.= See ESSENCE.

=PEARL WHITE.= This is a subchloride of bis.m.u.th; but the name is now commonly applied to trisnitrate of bis.m.u.th, which is sold for it.

=PEARLS (Rose).= _Syn._ ROSE BEADS. The petals of red roses beaten in an iron mortar for some hours, until they form a smooth, black paste, then rolled into beads and dried. Hard; very fragrant; take a fine polish.

=Pearls, to Polish.= Take very finely pulverised rotten stone, and make it into a thick paste by adding olive oil; then add sulphuric acid, a sufficient quant.i.ty to make into a thin paste.

This is to be applied on a velvet cork, rub quickly, and as soon as the pearl takes the polish wash it. This mixture when properly applied will give to pearl a brilliant polish.

=PEAS.= _Syn._ GARDEN PEAS, MOTOR P.; PISA, L. The seed of _Pisum sativum_ (Linn.). Poggiale found in 100 parts of common green peas, dried and sh.e.l.led, 57 of starch, 217 of a nitrogenous substance (legumin), 19 of fatty matter, 32 of cellulose, 28 of ash, and 127 of water. In the fresh state (GREEN PEAS) they are nutritive, and, with the pods which contain them, are highly serviceable in scurvy. The last have been used for making beer. The dried seeds are still more nutritious, but are heavy and flatulent unless well cooked. For kitchen use 'SPLIT PEAS' should be chosen, and after having washed them in a little clean soft water, and allowed them to drain, they should be left to soak in cold soft water for at least 12 hours before applying heat to them, and should then be dressed in the same water in which they have been soaked, and be only gently simmered until they are reduced to a pulp. Additions of meat, vegetables, &c., should not be made until they have nearly arrived at this condition.

'WHOLE PEAS' require soaking for at least 18 or 20 hours.

A subst.i.tute for green peas in winter may be obtained by placing the dried seed on a flat dish, sprinkling them with water, and keeping them in a warm situation. In a few days germination commences, and, after it has proceeded sufficiently far, the whole is dressed in the usual manner. An easier and simpler plan is to preserve the green peas, when they are in season, by the common method adopted for gooseberries and other like fruit.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Pea flour is sometimes used to adulterate ordinary flour. It is never added to this latter to a greater extent than 4 per cent., as, if this quant.i.ty be exceeded, it makes the bread heavy and dark.

It is also used as a sophisticant for other substances, particularly for b.u.t.ter.

=Peas, Is'sue.= _Syn._ PISA PRO FONTICULIS, L. Orange berries, or the small unripe fruit of the orange tree, dried, and smoothed in a lathe. See ISSUE.

=PEB'BLE.= The trade name for the transparent colourless variety of rock crystal or quartz used for the lenses of spectacles instead of gla.s.s, over which, from its extreme hardness, it has the advantage of being little apt to be scratched.

=PEC'TIC ACID.= The name given by Braconnot to an acid which is found very generally diffused throughout the vegetable kingdom.

_Prep._ From carrot roots, from which the juice has been pressed out, by boiling them with 1/25th part of their weight of carbonate of pota.s.sium, and about 6 times their weight of water, until the liquid becomes gelatinous when neutralised with an acid. A pectate of pota.s.sium is formed, from which the acid may be obtained by neutralising the alkali with a stronger acid, or by carefully adding a solution of chloride of calcium as long as a gelatinous precipitate (pectate of calcium) falls, and, after washing this with water, decomposing it with dilute hydrochloric acid.

_Prop., &c._ A colourless jelly, having an acid reaction; scarcely soluble in cold water, more so in hot water; and precipitated by acids, alkalies, alcohol, salts, and even sugar. Its compounds with the bases are called pectates. By long boiling with solution of caustic alkali it is converted into metapectic acid, which does not gelatinise. (See _below_.)

=PEC'TIN.= _Syn._ VEGETABLE JELLY. Obtained by adding alcohol to the juice of ripe currants or other fruit, until a gelatinous precipitate forms, which must be drained, washed with a little weak alcohol, and dried.

_Prop., &c._ In the moist state it forms a neutral, tasteless, soluble, transparent jelly; when dried, a translucent ma.s.s, closely resembling isingla.s.s; boiled with water, or with dilute acids, it is converted into parapectin and metapectin; in the presence of alkalies, these, as well as pectin, are changed into pectic acid, and by continuing the ebullition for some time longer, into metapectic acid, which is not gelatinous. See PECTIC ACID.

=PECTORAL BALSAM.= The same as BALSAM OF HONEY, which see. The reference to 'Pectoral balsam,' which occurs at the end of the article 'Balsam of Honey,' conveys the impression that it is a different medicine. This is an error.

=PEC'TORALS.= Under this head are popularly included all the various remedies employed in breath or chest diseases.

=PEDIC'ULI.= See LOUSE.

=PEL'LICLE.= See CRYSTALLISATION.

=PEL'LITORY.= _Syn._ PELLITORY OF SPAIN; (PELLITORY ROOT; PYRETHRI RADIX, B. P.); PYRETHRUM (Ph. L. & E.), L. The root of _Anacyclus Pyrethrum_. It is a powerful topical excitant. It is chiefly employed as a masticatory in headache, toothache, palsy of the tongue, and facial neuralgia and rheumatism; and made into a tincture with rectified spirit, it is a common remedy among dentists for the toothache. Internally, it has been given as a gastric stimulant, and in intermittents, &c. Half to 1 dr. may be chewed at a time.

=PEL'TRY.= The name applied to fur skins in the state in which they are received from the hunters. To prepare them as furs, the inside of them is generally first 'tawed' by the application of a solution of alum. They are next well dusted over and rubbed with hot plaster of Paris or whiting, and are, lastly, thoroughly dried and brushed clean. When it is desired to change or modify their colour, the grease being removed by lime water or a weak soda lye, they are stretched out on a table or board, and the ordinary liquid mordants and dyes are applied to them hot by means of a painter's brush.

The furs of the rabbit and hare are rendered fit for the purposes of the felt and hat manufacturers by a process called by the French '_secretage_,' This consists in thoroughly moistening the hair with a solution of quicksilver, 1 part, in aquafortis, 16 parts, diluted with half to an equal bulk of water. This is applied with a brush, and the moistened skins being laid together, face to face, are dried as rapidly as possible in a stove room. See FURS.

=PEMPHIGUS.= A disease of the skin, in which large vesicles or blisters filled with a serous fluid, develop themselves. In the mild form of the disorder the blisters vary in size from a pea to a chestnut. They chiefly attack the extremities, and break after three or four days, when they then give rise to a thin scab, which soon heals and disappears without causing any bodily derangement.

In the acute form, however, there is a considerable const.i.tutional disturbance, which shows itself in the shape of more or less fever and inflammation; the blisters too are larger, and the scabs very irritable and obstinate. Children during teething, or owing to injudicious diet, are frequently subject to this kind of pemphigus. There is also a chronic variety of the disease, which varies but slightly from the acute form, except that it continues longer. Old people are those who princ.i.p.ally suffer from this chronic pemphigus.

A mild attack seldom calls for any treatment; the best course to pursue in the case of an acute one is to administer some saline aperient, to adopt a moderately low diet, and to protect the exposed parts caused by the breaking of the blister by applying to them some simple dressing, such as spermaceti ointment.

When the case becomes chronic it will be advisable to consult the medical pract.i.tioner.

=PENALTIES.= The following sections of the Public Health Act of 1875 refer to various offences for which penalties may be inflicted under the statute:--

BUILDING or re-erecting a house in an urban district without proper drains, &c., 50 (s. 25). For building or re-erecting a house in any district without proper sanitary conveniences (privies, &c.), 20, or less (s. 35).

Unauthorised building over sewers or under streets in an urban district, 5 penalty, and 40s. per day during continuance of offence (s. 26).

BURIAL. For obstructing a justice's order with regard to the burial of a person who has died from an infectious disease, &c., 5, or less (s. 142).

BYE-LAWS. Penalties may be imposed by local authorities for the contravention of bye-laws; such penalties are not to exceed 5, and for continuing offences further penalties of sums not exceeding 40s. a day (s.

183). Penalty for injury or defacement of any board, &c., on which a notice or bye-law of any authority is inscribed by the authority of the Government Local Board, or of the local authority, 5, or less (s. 306).

CELLARS, Unauthorised occupation of, 20s. per day (s. 73).

CLEANSING AND WHITEWASHING, &c., Failure to comply with notice to cleanse and whitewash a house, 10s. per day (s. 46).

CONTRACTS. All contracts are to specify some pecuniary penalty (s. 174).

Officers or servants being concerned or interested in contracts, accepting fees, are liable to a penalty of 50, recoverable with full costs of suit.

DISINFECTION. Failure to comply with notice to disinfect and cleanse articles and premises, not less than 1s. and not more than 10s. per day.

Expenses of local authority doing the work may also be recovered (s. 120).

Failure to disinfect public conveyances after conveying infected persons, 5, or less (s. 127). For letting infected houses without proper disinfection, 20, or less (s. 128).

DRAINS, &c. Unauthorised connection of a drain with a sewer, 20, or less (s. 21). For neglecting to comply with notice for the construction of privies, &c., for factories, 20, or less, and 40s. per day. For non-compliance with notice for the construction of drains, privies, &c., 10s. per day (s. 41).

EPIDEMIC DISEASES. For violation or obstruction of the regulations of the Local Government Board with regard to epidemic diseases, 5, or less (s.

140).

EXPOSURE of infected persons or things, 5, or less (s. 126).

HOUSES OR ROOMS. Making false statements with regard to infectious diseases for the purpose of letting, 20, or less, or imprisonment for one month with or without hard labour (s. 129).

LODGING-HOUSES. Receiving lodgers in unregistered houses, failure to make a report, failure to give notice of infectious diseases, 5, or less, and 40s. per day during continuance of offence. Refusal or neglect to affix or renew notice of regulation in common lodging-houses, 5, or less, and 10s.

a day during continuance of offence after conviction (s. 79). For neglecting the limewashing and cleansing of lodging-houses according to the Act 40s., or less (s. 82).

MANURE. Failure to comply with a notice of urban authority to periodically remove manure, &c., 20s. a day (s. 50).