Balls, Poultry. See Poultry.
Balls, Scent. See Pastils (Toilet), Perfumery, Pomambra, Scents, &c.
Balls, Scouring. Syn. Breech′es balls, Clothes b., Carpet b., &c. Prep. 1. Curd soap (sliced), 1 lb.; water, 2 oz.; melt in a water bath, or a glue-pot, and when cooled a little, add ox-gall and oil of turpentine, of each, 51⁄2 oz.; mix well and roll or mould the mass into balls or cakes.
2. Fuller’s earth, 2 lbs.; curd-soap, 1 lb.; beat to a stiff paste with ox-gall, q. s.
3. Soft soap and fuller’s earth, equal parts, beat up with a little oil of turpentine, and either with or without a little essence of lemons.—Obs. The above are used to remove paint, grease, and dirt from cloth, carpets, &c. The spot, first moistened with hot water, is rubbed with the cake, and allowed to soak a few minutes, or to become nearly dry, when it is well rubbed with a little warm water and a brush or piece of woollen cloth, and afterwards rinsed in clean water, and finally rubbed dry and smoothed off with a piece of dry
cloth or a dry brush. The last formula produces the composition so commonly vended about the streets of London in penny cakes.
4. Whiting and pipe-clay, equal parts; water, q. s. Used for soldiers’ belts, trousers, &c.
5. Pipe-clay, 2 lbs.; fuller’s earth, 1 lb.; whiting, 1⁄2 lb.; water, q. s.
6. Bath brick, 1 lb.; pipe-clay, 2 lbs.; soft soap, 1⁄4 lb.; ox-gall, 1⁄2 pint.
7. To the last add of pumice-stone, in very fine powder, 6 oz.—Obs. The last four are used for cloth and leather, especially for drab and light-coloured coats, trousers, leather breeches, belts, and gloves. Rose pink, yellow ochre, umber, Irish slate, or other like colouring matter, may be added to produce any desired tint. White pepper, cloves, &c., are also occasionally added to drive away moths and insects; and orris root, or essence of bergamot or of lemon-grass, as perfume.