Chestnut powder

In the article Research and Restoration of the map 'The Borderlands
of Latvi-Russia in 1782/1784' by Arija Ubarste (IPC Conference
Papers, London, 1997), the author describes the use of chestnut
powder, flushed through with water, to reduce staining.

It is also mentioned in Fluorescent Brighteners (Alkaline Paper
Advocate, vol. 3, no. 6, Dec. 1990) that an extract from the inner
bark of the horse chestnut tree was used to facilitate the lawn
bleaching of linen. The bark contains aesculinic (or esculinic)
acid, a natural fluorescent agent.

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As far as I can tell, the seeds of the horse chestnut contain the
surfactant aescin (or escin), a mixture of triterpinoid saponin
glycosides, while the bark contains aesculin, a coumarin derivative.
Both also contain tannins.

Has anyone heard more about this? And can anyone quickly explain the
chemistry behind the treatment?

Sandrine Decoux
Paper Conservator


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:37
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