Page 8 Advertisements Column 1

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 April 1914, Page 8

Safety-match Cough ; Lozenges. Chlorate of potash is a favourite ingredient in. "cough" lozenges, andwhen made up with a little sugar it forms a very palatable and effective confection. But it is not generally known (says the "Scientific American") that one of these lozenges if rubbed on the igniting surface of a safety-match box will take fire and burn. Most of the lozenges sold by druggists, however, contain too little sugar to work well, and some are composed of pure chlorate and will not work at all. But it is easy to make a lozenge that will give startling results. Take two ounces of chlorate of potash and one ounce of white sugar and grind them separately to a very fine powder. If you attempt to grind them after they are mixed, you . will get into trouble. Mix the two dry powders thoroughly and moisten them with a little water or syru|jk so that they may be worked into c^ stiff dough. Sprinkle some dry. and finely powdered chlorate on a smooth board, so as to prevent the dough from sticking to it, and roll the dough into a thin cake, about. the thickness of an ordinary lozenge. ■ The cake may then be cut into tablets with a knife or into round lozenges by means of a cutter. A tin tube, with the edge filed sharp, answers well. I use a gun-punch. , Dry the lozenges thoroughly ; this is essential and takes time, as the drying must be done at-a moderate temperature ;if placed in an oven, ' they may take fire. One of these lozenges rubbed against the active surface of a safety-match box will take fire and burn furiously, to the great surprise of those who perhaps at the very time are dissolving one of them in the mouth. But be careful not to hold the lozenge in your bare fingers when you rub it or you may get a very severe burn. It may be grasped between the folds of a piece of stiff cardboard, but a better plan is to take a small wooden board, 4 by 2 inches, and in it, with a centrebit, bore a hole to a depth a little more than half the thickness of the lozenge, so that when the latter is placed in the hole it will rise a little above the surface of the board ; or the lozenge, while rubbed, may be held in place by four tacks or small nails driven into the board so far that they will stick up just about half the thickness of the lozenge. Having placed the lozenge in the hole or between the tacks, rub it with the safety-match igniting surface, and it will immediately burst into flame. It may be used to light a cigar, lamp or candle.