Hydroquinone: the latest controlled substance?

[paul_c5x4]

I was puzzled as in the U.K. you can buy in 250 gm lots [hydroquinone] from Silverprint and there seems to be no limit as to how many lots you can have. So I was tempted to conclude that in the U.K. at least there wasn't a problem.

I have been busy trying to source hydroquinone at a lower cost along with borates & sulphites - Whilst it is possible to purchase Borax and Sodium Metaborate from ebay suppliers, one can never be sure of the purity when it arrives in ziploc bags. Hydroquinone and Sodium Sulphite proved to be difficult to find at a reasonable price online in the UK - Eventually bit the bullet and telephoned one of the two main London photographic suppliers... If you are buying in kilo quantities, it is well worth giving Process Supplies a call and asking for a bulk price

 

[pdeeh]

What do you mean by bulk, paul ? 5kg ? 10kg?

 

[paul_c5x4]

Multiples of standard quantities - In my case, 4*250g of Hydroquinone in one container. Should be enough to last a couple of years

 

[pdeeh]

ta.

The only places I can find now to get sulfite is Silverprint or Process Supplies.

 

[Rudeofus]

If you live in the European Union, Fototechnik Suvatlar supplies high quality photo chemistry to us amateurs. You can ask him about bulk pricing, which can be much lower than what their price list shows for small amounts.

 

[DREW WILEY]

A lot of fuss over nothing. I can buy hydroquinone right down the street at the camera store or easily order it online. There are a number of
specialized things I use in the darkroom that require some kind of disclaimer, and I have a signed copy formally on file at Formulary. Just
because you and I aren't familiar with every boneheaded abuse of chemicals doesn't mean such things don't need monitoring. I was shocked
to learn that even heavy metal salts are being smoked.

 

[jim appleyard]

I read somewhere several years ago that people were snorting Dektol for an interesting and cheap high. Like Drew says, it's available.

 

[paul_c5x4]

The only places I can find now to get sulfite is Silverprint or Process Supplies.

I did get a reply from an ebay seller who said "I might be able to supply sodium sulphite", but he has never come back with a price. Got 5Kg from PS, so I'm pretty much set for the next year or three.

 

[removed account4]

Not quite, I think you refering to Quinine also an anti Malarial drug

that is exactly right,and legend goes the reason it is in club soda (tonic water/indian tonic) is because
the only way to give the people it who needed it was as a mixer for their gin and vodka

 

[Photo Engineer]

John, that story is true, having been in that part of the world. I learned to drink Gin and Tonic with a splash of bitters from that part of my life.

PE

 

[Gerald C Koch]

If you have ever had a Gin and Tonic outdoors in bright daylight you will notice that the quinine fluoresces a bright blue. Tonic water was a British invention to get quinine into people in a more palatable manner. The solid is intensely bitter.

 

[Cybertrash]

If you have ever had a Gin and Tonic outdoors in bright daylight you will notice that the quinine fluoresces a bright blue. Tonic water was a British invention to get quinine into people in a more palatable manner. The solid is intensely bitter.

Indeed. Another interesting piece of trivia is that most tonic water today is intensely sweetened, making it impossible to attain that "authentic" British colonial flavour.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Indeed. Another interesting piece of trivia is that most tonic water today is intensely sweetened, making it impossible to attain that "authentic" British colonial flavour.

The 'Fever Tree' brand is good.

Tom