Collodion

Common card · No. 348538

Collodion is a flammable, syrupy solution of nitrocellulose in ether and alcohol. There are two basic types: flexible and non-flexible. The flexible type is often used as a surgical dressing or to hold dressings in place. When painted on the skin, collodion dries to form a flexible nitrocellulose film. While it is initially colorless, it discolors over time. Non-flexible collodion is often used in theatrical make-up. Collodion is also the basis of the photographic "collodion process", common through the later half of the nineteenth century until it was superseded by less cumbersome gelatin processes.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Frank S. Herrmann, Public domain