Chestnut powder

Reni Teygeler <rene.teygeler [at] wxs__nl> writes
>
>However, I do know that an extract of the green pulp of the chestnut
>was in use in Persia since the 11th century to make the papers
>insect repellent,
>...
>If I remember correctly the same procedure has been applied
>in Japan as well and for the same reasons.

Ah! This reminds me of the great Conker (a.k.a. Horse Chestnut, or
inedible chestnut) debate of 1995. Presumably the active ingredient
is similar. I always meant to do some head-space GC-MS of the
off-gassing of conkers--I wish somebody would.

I asked:

>I have known several people who place conkers in with textiles, to
>serve as odourless mothballs. (Renewing them each autumn.) Does
>anyone know if they really work?

and Dominique Rogers replied:

>When I was little, my mother used conkers in the wardrobe, I do not
>know how efficient it was, but we did not have moths.

Mark Clarke
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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:39
                Distributed: Tuesday, December 10, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-39-004
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