Recipe: a caustic paste to dissolve hair and nails
Lime and orpiment made into merdocco, then a lye or distillation
A short practical note, written upside down, records a caustic recipe. Lime and orpiment combined make merdocco, a depilatory paste; turned into a lye or a distillation it will dissolve hairs, horn, bristles and nails. The rest of the sheet is nearly blank, with only these few faint lines at the foot.
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Depilatory of lime and orpiment
The note states that lime (calcina) and orpiment (orpimento) together make merdocco. Made into a lye or a distillation, the preparation will dissolve hairs, horn, bristles and nails. It is a practical household or cosmetic recipe jotted in passing.