Hints to Travellers, Scientific and General, Vol. 2 / Tenth edition, revised and corrected

by Royal Geographical Society

B.—Cleaning and Conservation.

The traveller will not have occasion to render more than ‘First Aid’ to objects of antiquity, i.e. to clean them so that their true character may appear, and to consolidate them with a view to safe transport. He should do the least that is absolutely necessary, leaving all elaborate treatment to experts at home. The hints here given are therefore elementary, and concerned mainly with portable objects. In this connection these are best classified by the materials of which they are made.

(a) Gold.—Gold requires no immediate treatment, unless it be laid over a core of other metal, e.g. copper or bronze, which has oxidised out through cracks. This oxide can usually be removed by picking or by sharp scaling blows with a small hammer and chisel. If it is obstinate, use dilute hydrochloric acid laid on with a brush. The proportion of pure acid should not be more than one part to ten of water.

(b) Silver.—If in very much corroded condition, technically known as ‘dead,’ silver should be left alone. If there is only slight superficial corrosion, soak in a solution of common salt or lemon juice, or strong ammonia, and polish after a few hours. If there is a good deal of chloride on the surface, but the body of the metal seems sound, put zinc or iron in the solvent and the chlorine will pass over, leaving a powdery surface which can be brushed clean. Silver should never be packed in a tin box, even if wrapped up, or it will be found on arrival at home to be stained with a brown rust, very difficult to remove. Pack in wood or cardboard.

(c) Copper and Bronze.—Both copper and bronze objects are best cleaned, if possible, with hammer and burin. Bronze, however, which the traveller will meet with most often, is frequently covered with a corrosion which cannot be scaled off at once, and calls for an acid solvent. Diluted hydrochloric (1:10) will act most quickly and effectually, but it leaves a white oxy-chloride coat, not easily got rid of either from the metal or the fingers of the operator, which it stains deeply. On the whole, we recommend that (1) if the bronze be badly cracked it be left alone; (2) if not cracked, but covered with very hard corrosion, soaking in a weak solvent like lemon-juice be tried; and (3) after that (or before, if the corrosion will yield to a tool at all) every effort be made to pick or flake off the corrosion, after which the object should be rubbed well with oil in the palms of the hands.

(d) Lead and Iron, after oiling, are both best left alone by the traveller.

(e) Stone.—The traveller will seldom or never be under the necessity to treat stone surfaces, except in the case of inscribed marbles on which carbonate of lime has formed, or small objects attacked by salt. The former can be cleaned with strong acid; the latter must be soaked in water for long periods, and when drying laid with the most important surface downwards, so that evaporation into the air may take place through the less important surfaces.

(f) Pottery and Terra-cotta.—The same enemies, carbonate of lime and salt, attack pottery and terra-cotta, and are met in the same way as in the case of stone; but the hydrochloric or other acid solvent should be weaker, and where there is colour be very cautiously used, if at all. In packing vases, it should be remembered that if many are put into one case without partitions, and one collapses, this will probably entail the breaking of the lot. Large vases should be filled with tightly rammed packing. Nothing of heavier or more solid material, e.g., stone, should be put in a case with pottery.

(g) Wood, Ivory, and Bone.—These materials are generally found flaked, split, or scaly, and need consolidation before packing. The methods most likely to be open to the traveller are: (1) if the objects are not excessively tender, to dip them in melted vaseline, let this set, wrap in tissue paper and pack carefully in cotton wool; (2) if the objects are very tender or rotten with salt, to make a stiff jelly, drop them in before it sets, and convey them home in aspic. On the way the jelly will absorb the salt. In addition to either process, it is often well to bind the object in every direction and part with fine thread to keep it from splitting, or prevent the sections, if already split, falling apart and splintering or warping in different directions. If there is crystalline carbonate of lime on the surface of bone or ivory, it had better not be touched except by experts.

(h) Papyrus.—Papyrus needs damping and flattening out as far as possible without breaking its fibre. Lay it between two damp towels, and after flattening, pack it between sheets of paper in close tin boxes, filling each box up tightly. But the traveller will be wise not to try too much. As soon as the edges of his roll or fragment cease to be brittle to the touch he had best leave the papyrus as it is without further unrolling, and pack very carefully away.

(j) Glass, Glazed Objects, Pastes, Amber, Various Compositions.—None of these should the traveller try to treat. Glass must be left wholly alone if in a flaking state; other objects, if flaky or powdery, will, at least, be no worse for having been dipped in melted vaseline than they would be in any case, after transport.

No general hints can be usefully given about either the methods of discovering antiquities or those of detecting forgeries. It is not supposed that the travellers here addressed will undertake regular excavations. Should they propose to do so, they will need special training and much more elaborate instruction. Mr. Petrie’s ‘Methods and Aims’ will supply much of the latter, but the tyro excavator will not have Mr. Petrie’s success without serving a long apprenticeship.

The above hints will serve for the traveller who takes antiquities by the way and in the day’s work, having other objects more in view. For him the following list of necessities will suffice:—

1. Long extension camera and all photographic requisites, including, if possible, a stand and frame for overhead photography (v. [p. 52]).

2. ‘Squeeze’ paper, brushes with hand-straps or curved handles, and tin cylinders for carrying the paper and moulds; heel-ball, sealing-wax, tin-foil, beeswax.

3. Planning and drawing outfit.

4. Notebooks ruled en quadrille, magnifying-glass and hand-mirror.

5. Small hammer and chisels for metal work, hydrochloric acid, ammonia, emery-paper, tissue paper, burin, plate brushes, sheet zinc, vaseline, cotton-wool (not raw cotton-waste with hard seeds in it).

VIII.
MEDICAL HINTS.

By the late William Henry Crosse, M.D.

Revised and brought up to date by Andrew Balfour, C.B., C.M.G., M.D.

The following hints, which were compiled by the late Dr. W. H. Crosse, formerly the experienced medical adviser of the Royal Niger Company, based upon previous editions of this work, have been edited so as to bring them up to date. A good deal remains as Dr. Crosse wrote it, but several sections have been almost entirely re-written, in order to bring them into line with modern views. New sections have been introduced and there have been numerous additions and corrections.