Solution For Preparing Color Sensitive Plates.

For depression of the over-active blue rays he recommends the addition of picric acid to the coloring solution. The picric acid erythrosin silver citrate ammonia solution is prepared as follows:

Solution I
Citrate of potassa 1 gram
Distilled water10 cubic centimeters
Solution II
Silver nitrate 1 gram
Distilled water10 cubic centimeters

Both solutions are mixed and a white precipitate is formed which is allowed to subside. The clear supernatant liquid is poured off carefully, precipitate washed with water, allowed again to subside, and the wash water again decanted. This process is repeated two or three times. Finally a large bulk of water (20 cubic centimeters) is added to the precipitate and well shaken; 5 cubic centimeters of this is reserved, the remainder is treated to ammonia, drop by drop, until the precipitate is redissolved. Now add the 5 cubic centimeters of reserved solution and shake the whole until every particle is dissolved. Then make up the solution to 50 cubic centimeters and filter; this forms Solution III.

Solution IV
Distilled water300 cubic centimeters
Pure erythrosin  1 grain

Under lamplight the 50 cubic centimeters of Solution III are poured slowly with repeated shaking in Solution IV, by which the originally beautiful red is converted into a dirty turbid bluish red somewhat viscid fluid; add—

Solution V
Picric acid 4 grams
Absolute alcohol30 cubic centimeters

Shake well, and add to the whole 33 cubic centimeters ammonia (specific gravity, 0.91), wherewith the beautiful red color is restored.

After the filtration call this Solution VI. This solution keeps well. The slight deposit formed is redissolved on shaking.

The plates are sensitized as follows: The plate to be sensitized is first laid in a tray of distilled water for 2 or 3 minutes, then bathed in a mixture of 1 cubic centimeter ammonia for 1 minute and finally for 2 minutes in a bath composed of the following: