Coal Tar Soap/Shampoo

[RichardB]

Did Newton Chambers have any part in the development of these products - does anyone know please ? If not, who did ?

[dunsbyowl1867]

Did Newton Chambers have any part in the development of these products - does anyone know please ? If not, who did ?

Possibly the best known brand :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrights_Coal_Tar_Soap

Goes back a long way :

Tar is used in treatment of the skin disease psoriasis, where coal tar is the most effective. Petroleum tar was also used in ancient Egyptian mummification circa 1000 BC

Some history of N&C involvement in coal tar distilling & grand photos of N&C rail wagons on here :

http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/tardis.htm

[Guest 30_degrees]

Possibly the best known brand :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrights_Coal_Tar_Soap

Goes back a long way :

Tar is used in treatment of the skin disease psoriasis, where coal tar is the most effective. Petroleum tar was also used in ancient Egyptian mummification circa 1000 BC

Some history of N&C involvement in coal tar distilling & grand photos of N&C rail wagons on here :

http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/tardis.htm

I remember using Wright's Coal Tar Shampoo as a kid. I loved the smell and my scalp tingled after use. I've never thought about the tingle until now! I presume it was a good thing? Or is it responsible for my premature senile dementia? :unsure:

[DaveH]

I remember using Wright's Coal Tar Shampoo as a kid. I loved the smell and my scalp tingled after use. I've never thought about the tingle until now! I presume it was a good thing? Or is it responsible for my premature senile dementia?

Both coal tar and phenol-carbolic soap (the latter was the pink one with a distinctive odour) both had this effect on the skin.

Both are now banned and no longer on sale as both coal tar and carbolic acid (phenol) are quite nasty chemicals.

Yes they had a powerfull cleansing, disinfecting and antiseptic action, - but at a price.

Interestingly you can still get soap with these names (coal tar and carbolic) which look and smell like the original but they are made using tea tree oil instead.

Tea tree oil is much milder but still has antiseptic properties.

As a shampoo tea tree oil is quite popular.

It seems to be a very effective, convincing and much safer substitute for the real thing.

[DaveH]

Possibly the best known brand :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrights_Coal_Tar_Soap

Goes back a long way :

Tar is used in treatment of the skin disease psoriasis, where coal tar is the most effective. Petroleum tar was also used in ancient Egyptian mummification circa 1000 BC

Some history of N&C involvement in coal tar distilling & grand photos of N&C rail wagons on here :

http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/tardis.htm

Another link for Carbolic soap

Carbolic Soap

[RichardB]

Polytar Scalp Treatment

Contents :

Tar blend 1% w/w which consists of coal tar, pine tar, cade oil, coal tar solution and arachis oil (peanut oil) extract. Also oleyl alcohol, coconut diethanolamide, hexylene glycol, polysorbate 80, triethanolamine lauryl supphate, sodium chloride, hendersons relish, citric acid, octoxinol, imidurea, fragrance 5412, water.

Obtained yesterday, on prescription for the Tiny Wife.

Sounds 'orrible

The Polytar that is ... lol

[jiginc]

This is like Wrights Coal tar.

My dad swore by it, if anyone in the house had a bad chest out came the coal tar burner in went the night light and the coal tar fluid went onto the stone block in the top.

Result, clear chest next morning after a good’s night sleep. All thanks to the coal tar.

This was even better than being sent out when the workmen were mending the road and the vat of tar was giving off fumes. We were told to breath in the fumes and then we would feel better.

The wrights coal tar had to be remanufactured and could only be burnt in a “safety” burner powered by the mains. Now it’s been discontinued.

So like Sellers Salve, sold only at the Wickers Herbal Store, a great product is lost to today’s children.

Just ask the question why did we not die young because of inhaling coal tar.

jiginc

[Guest sammyopisite]

Wrights coal tar soap is still on sale I have used it for nearly 50 years daily

[DaveH]

Wrights coal tar soap is still on sale I have used it for nearly 50 years daily

I still use both coal tar soap and carbolic.

Yes you can still get them but they don't actually contain coal tar any more :(

[DaveH]

This is like Wrights Coal tar.

My dad swore by it, if anyone in the house had a bad chest out came the coal tar burner in went the night light and the coal tar fluid went onto the stone block in the top.

Result, clear chest next morning after a good’s night sleep. All thanks to the coal tar.

This was even better than being sent out when the workmen were mending the road and the vat of tar was giving off fumes. We were told to breath in the fumes and then we would feel better.

The wrights coal tar had to be remanufactured and could only be burnt in a “safety” burner powered by the mains. Now it’s been discontinued.

So like Sellers Salve, sold only at the Wickers Herbal Store, a great product is lost to today’s children.

Just ask the question why did we not die young because of inhaling coal tar.

jiginc

The chemical in coal tar are carcinogenic.

The reason we all didn't die young is that cancers can be slow to develop, and lung cancers can go through a "dormancy" period like asbestosis, having no apparent effect at the time but coming back with a vengance many years later.

It's like smoking cigarettes. We all know they are dangerous and what the risks are, but no one ever died of smoking just one cigarette. It took years of exposure and gradual damage for the final effects were obvious.

Likewise as a youngster I thought coal tar was great and did me no harm, but with the knowledge of later years these days I think I will stick to the "safer" modern substitues.

As for treating a bad chest, I now wonder about how safe it was to inhale Vicks from a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head or to rub your bad chest with an ointment that burnt like hell and had a name to match like "Deep Heat" or "Firey JacK"

[ukelele lady]

Have you any idea what goes into Vick Dave?

[DaveH]

Have you any idea what goes into Vick Dave?

Guessing from the smell of it, camphor, and from the the stinging clearing of the airways, eucaliptus oil, even then it not quite right it seems to have some sort of terpene in it but don't ask me which one (sorry, gone into chemist mode )

For a more complete answer I will add this Vicks link to the ones previously given for coal tar soap and carbolic soap

Vicks for a bad chest

[RichardB]

Polytar Scalp Treatment

Contents :

Tar blend 1% w/w which consists of coal tar, pine tar, cade oil, coal tar solution and arachis oil (peanut oil) extract. Also oleyl alcohol, coconut diethanolamide, hexylene glycol, polysorbate 80, triethanolamine lauryl supphate, sodium chloride, hendersons relish, citric acid, octoxinol, imidurea, fragrance 5412, water.

Obtained yesterday, on prescription for the Tiny Wife.

Sounds 'orrible

The Polytar that is ...

I suspect the Coal tar mentioned here is a substitute (a 1970's Single by Clout maybe ?) and that the reference to Hendersons was merely a jest.

[DaveH]

I suspect the Coal tar mentioned here is a substitute (a 1970's Single by Clout maybe ?) and that the reference to Hendersons was merely a jest.

Substitue, not a 1966 single by the Who then?

Now, I once read the list of ingredients on the back of a bottle of Hendersons Relish

You would be amazed at what goes into that :blink:

[madannie77]

Substitue, not a 1966 single by the Who then?

Now, I once read the list of ingredients on the back of a bottle of Hendersons Relish

You would be amazed at what goes into that

Does it have coal tar in it? :rolleyes:

[Stuart0742]

Does it have coal tar in it?

Oh no 2 chemists contributing to the same topic, it will get complicated lol

[RichardB]

Oh no 2 chemists contributing to the same topic, it will get complicated

Grief, they will be discussing Boron Nitride next ... possibly :rolleyes:

[madannie77]

Grief, they will be discussing Boron Nitride next ... possibly

Is that an ingredient in coal tar soap or Henderson's Relish as well :o

[DaveH]

Does it have coal tar in it?

No, - but I can't stand horrible little oily fish full of bones like sardines

and it contains anchovies

Not that you can tell, it is well disguised by all the other flavours.

A bit like when they try to sneak whole anchovies onto a pizza byhiding them under the mozzarella cheese instead of putting them on top of it, YUK :angry:

[DaveH]

Oh no 2 chemists contributing to the same topic, it will get complicated

Whats up Stuart? Are you still waiting for one of us to make up your prescription? lol

[DaveH]

Grief, they will be discussing Boron Nitride next ... possibly

Boron Nitride has the tetrahedral Diamond lattice structure due to the outer electron arrangements of Boron (3) and Nitrogen (5) still adding up to 8 like they do for Carbon (4) bonded to Carbon (4).

However the B-N covalent bond is stronger than the C-C bond in Diamond and so Boron Nitride should be harder than Diamond

So on the Mohr hardness scale, where Diamond, the hardest naturally occuring mineral is 10, Boron nitride should be 10+

In this case Boron Nitride should be capable of cutting glass, making excellent cutting tool edges and even scratching / cutting diamond itself

Anything else you want to know Richard? lol

[madannie77]

No, - but I can't stand horrible little oily fish full of bones like sardines

and it contains anchovies

Not that you can tell, it is well disguised by all the other flavours.

A bit like when they try to sneak whole anchovies onto a pizza byhiding them under the mozzarella cheese instead of putting them on top of it, YUK

That's odd: my current bottle of Henderson's makes no mention of anchovies. Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce does, however, contain anchovies. Are you getting the two mixed up. No mention of coal tar or boron nitride, but Henderson's does contain IPA (and I don't mean India Pale Ale)

[DaveH]

That's odd: my current bottle of Henderson's makes no mention of anchovies. Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce does, however, contain anchovies. Are you getting the two mixed up. No mention of coal tar or boron nitride, but Henderson's does contain IPA (and I don't mean India Pale Ale)

Have they changed the recipe?

Could be Lee & Perrins, but even that has the anchovies even better disguised as it is spicier and "hotter" than Hendersons

...and thats another thing

Hendersons v Lee & Perrins

Why do they both use a similar bottle with the label in the same shade of orange and the same style of black text?

Come to think of it madannie I could quite easily be getting them mixed up.

[Oh No, have I been using Lee & Perrins thinking it was Hendersons ]

[DaveH]

That's odd: my current bottle of Henderson's makes no mention of anchovies. Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce does, however, contain anchovies. Are you getting the two mixed up. No mention of coal tar or boron nitride, but Henderson's does contain IPA (and I don't mean India Pale Ale)

Whats IPA then?

Isopropyl alcohol ?

Is Hendersons an alcoholic condiment?

Do you have to be over 18 to buy it?

[madannie77]

Whats IPA then?

Isopropyl alcohol ?

Is Hendersons an alcoholic condiment?

Do you have to be over 18 to buy it?

Isopropyl alcohol is what the label says , but no indication of the amount is given. As it is included as an emulsifier I imagine it is not at a high level. Not sure I would want to drink too much isopropyl alcohol.