G’day;
I have been reading about one or two Orchidians who have 'tattoos’
caused by sharp things producing wounds which go black due to silver
on the sharp thing which did the damage. Also some of you use ferric
nitrate or nitric acid for etching or dissolving silver which
produced silver in solution. You may have noticed that a little
while after the solution contacted some part of your body it
suddenly seemed to turn black.
Well, the ‘black’ is silver and/or silver suboxide which eventually
wears off, taking at least ten days, but due to Murphy’s Law, happens
just when you need to look your best. Rejoice, for succour is at
hand! Go to your nearest pharmacy and buy a small bottle of
tincture of iodine and a small amount of photographic hypo.
Rub the iodine well into the stain (cotton bud?) then rub it with a
strong solution of the hypo. The black stain will go grey with the
iodine, (silver iodide) and then vanish completely with the
application of hypo.
Donkey’s years ago a colleague managed to get black silver stains all
over his face due to performing an illicit experiment with silver
which exploded in his face but no real damage occurred. Big black
patches developed when he went out into the sunshine to do some tests
as part of his job. He looked a bit strange. He was scared the Boss
might see. And the Boss would in those days certainly have presented
him with a week’s wages and The Sack. But the rest of his loyal
colleagues worked hard to discover the cure mentioned above and the
Boss never knew. And it didn’t hurt or cause other damage.
But if your ‘tattoo’ has healed, then this won’t work; you have to do
it as soon as it happens. Moral: ‘When the cats away the mice will
play’ But a knowledge of practical science (generally) wins. PS:
iodine is an antisceptic too.
Cheers for now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua, Nelson NZ