The Jewelers' Journal Book of Recipes 1889
Just for you! Some recipes, 1889 style.

Polishing Powder - The polishing powder for Gold and other metals, known in France as “pondre refulgante,” is composed of 93 per cent magnesia and carbonate of lime (chalk), with 7 per cent red iron oxide. Another good gold polish is 1/2 pound chalk, 3 1/8 oz. clay, 2 oz. white lead, 3/4 oz. magnesia and 3/4 oz. prepared bloodstone, or what is called “caput mortnum.”

I love this one....Can you tell they were not driving cars yet?

Clocks - To clean: Cheap clock movements may be cleaned without taking them down, by thoroughly washing them by agitation in a benzine bath, This should not be done in a room where there is fire or gas or lamp burning, as the vapor is liable to ignite and cause an explosion. A heavier product of petroleum is less dangerous, that known as gasoline being well suited to the purpose. Even this should be handled with care. The lighter petroleum products are not only highly inflammable but explosive and dangerous.

Sheila,
No automobiles to speak of until around 1900. Ford built his first cars around then and Benz had been experimenting in Germany for a few years. I think the British Royals were riding horseless carriages beginning with Edward, son of Victoria. Ladies were driving electrics and the steamers were around too.
Gasoline was used as a cleaner and solvent I believe.
The Goodrich book "The Modern Clock" suggests cleaning cheap alarm clocks in gasoline by removing the escape wheel, lever, and wheel following the escape wheel, then putting the movement into a pail of gasoline and letting it run down, washing out the dirt and grime by the rotation of the wheels as the spring unwinds. I think the first edition of the book was published around 1900, my copy is the second ed, 1950, 9th printing 1970.
Another book I have discusses the British method of cleaning with a chalk material, but I don't remember which it is.

The term "Kaput Mortnum" which sonds like awful death to me would apply better to any prolonged breathing of Benzine Vapors in a closed area. One need not wait for Lung Cancer from any other source, this is a "Guaranteed way out". "Kaput Morte"

Hmmmm... Kaput Morte...? Kaput Morte... Sounds bittersweet... I know, I know... Dark Swiss Chocolate... Right???

Joe

I posted this because it made me wonder how all of the watchmakers lived through these times.

Can you immagine living with what they lived with back then? Wow, what a mass of poisions, the concerns about a fire, or an explosion. They had to live with this every day for their trade.

I read page after page of the super lethal chemicals that they used, sure gives me a better understanding of the real value of my collection.

I remember when I was very young, my uncle used gasoline to clean his brushes, and he told me of how often his friends got burned by a fire from the gas. Makes ya think huh? Times, they do change. Thank God!

Hello Sheila,
I have a book here I found in a junk shop called "Safe Counsel". It must have been popular cause this is the 43rd printing dated 1937 U S A. In it there is a table for Longevity and it lists Jewelers at 44 years, Mechinists at 36 years with the lowest being Operatives at 32 years.
Judges are at the top with 65 years. Times haven't changed that much. Another old engineering book gives a few usefull recipies to try. You just need caustic soda, nitric acid, oxalic acid, white lead, hydrocloric acid, carbon disulphide, acetone, amyl acetate, acetic acid, carbilic acid, alum, led acetate and the list goes on. And I bet they never even used gloves or safety glasses. The one for cleaning brass is not to bad. Oxalic acid 1oz, rottenstone 6 oz, plus whale oil and spirits of turpentine in equal parts to get mixture to a soft paste.
I wonder how well it worked.

The oxalic acid-rotten stone paste probably worked as well or better than Brasso or SimiChrome, etc. Here are two recipes for clock cleaning solutiions: 1 cup 26% ammonia, 1/2 cup oxalic acid, 1/2 cup green soap, mix together with water to make 1 gallon; and the other: 2 ounces oleic acid, 4 ounces acetone, 8 ounces 26% ammonia, mix oleic acid and acetone in some water, add ammonia and enough water to make one gallon. I suspect the current ammoniated cleaner concentrates available from supply houses and usually on sale by one or more at Regional Marts have similiar formulations.