Smoking beaker.

[ojc123]

The one that interested me was a 'natural' indicator made using an ex-lax tablet which contains Phenolphthalein, this is apparently clear with pH up to 8.3 and then turns red at pH 9, I had sort of concluded that 1 tablet mixed in pure water would just look like a clear acid and then if the actor puts his hand in with some bicarb it should fizz (or maybe the solution would need some lemon juice) and go pink. My only concern with this is that there is some argument over the safety of this because it has been linked to cancer, even though I would be using a tiny amount it seems a risk.

 

I think it's a question of quantity. You'd need a lot of Phenolphthalein to get a deep colour and it's a sort of pinky red rather than a blood red and might not be convincing. Phenolphthalein is an excellent laxative and one of our favourite tricks in the 70's (before H&S was thought about) was to put a few drops in someone's tea and then wait for the effect. Public apologies to all those affected.

 

The latest plan - taking into account the many helpful suggestions and doing a little research is making a solution of water and lemon juice and releasing a small amount of bicarb and a blood capsule as the hand enters, I don't know whether you can get soluble blood capsules, most seem to be activated by biting but it seems a reasonably safe idea, unless bicarbonate of soda has any precautions for use.

 

You'd neet a lot of bicarb and acid to get enough fizz to see from the audience.

 

re: bicarbonate of soda

As part of good industrial and personal hygiene and safety procedure, avoid all unnecessary exposure to the chemical substance and ensure prompt removal from skin, eyes and clothing. It'd be ok really I suppose. If you are putting the solid on the actors skin then it may dry out his skin by osmosis. Also the alkali released when the bicarbonate of soda meets water in your skin would neutralise your slightly acid skin which isn't good for it. The alkali would remove the oils from your skin which, again, isn't good for it. Solutions would be ok as long as they are not too concentrated. But then I doubt you'd get adequate fizz.

 

Check that fake blood remains red in the resulting solution. Many dyes change colour with pH.

 

I think I'd still try to get a system where the fizzing and the blood are separate so you avoid contact with the reactions or fogger and can control how the blood is applied. As I said before I don't think you'd get fizzing or blood if you tried this properly with strong concentrated acid. But that's theatre.

 

I like Sim's idea too. That seems a safe idea and with a coloured light beneath it you can go to town on the mad scientist bit. (Don't we get a bad press?)