Once upon a time there was a fixture in major league dugouts, at least on hot days, called “Florida water.” Stored in an open bucket, Florida water is a solution of water, ice, and (I think) spirits of ammonia. Players would take towels drenched in the the stuff and drape it over their necks and upper bodies. It was said to leave the player “refreshed,” I guess on the same principle that smelling salts (also ammonia-based, no?) snap one out of unconsciouness. Is this stuff still in use? Any thoughts on whether it is a dangerous thing to do? Does anyone know the preferred proportions of water and ammonia?
I tried researching this on the internet before posting here. Admittedly, my skills are not nearly as well honed as others, and I mostly came up with a lot of aquamarine sites, Florida oriented, of course. It was precisely this lack of success in finding any recent references that I came to suspect that the use of Florida water has been largely discontinued, perhaps for reasons of health and safety.
Well, here’s Mathew’s first cite for the term, but it had nothing to do with baseball…
“Florida water, a proprietary name for a particular kind of toilet water; 1840, N.O. Picayune [Merchandise includes] lavender and Florida waters; perfumed toilet and pearl powders.”
Naturally I would if I could. Of course, if I had sources, I likely wouldn’t need to have answered what I asked. I vaguely recall hearing references to it by broadcast announcers and play-by-play folks, circa 1960s-1970s, and I certainly have read references to it in one or more books about baseball, of which I’ve read too many to recall.
Those were the kinds of “references” for which I was looking.
What was your location in the US when you heard those references in the 60’s 70’s? I grew up in the 50’s/60’s listening to Washington Senator’s baseball(sic) and never heard the term. Never remember it on a Nationally broadcast game. That doesn’t mean you didn’t.
Bob T will be along shortly to offer what Dickson has to say in the Baseball Encyclopedia
East coast. But the games, of course, would have been broadcast from anywhere. References to Florida water were by no means frequent, only occasional. Obscurity has never before been an obstacle to revelation here at SD, and I remain hopeful that my own ignorance (or “incomplete knowledge”) on this matter can soon be stamped out.
I don’t see any hits anywhere referring to it as “Florida water”. Not up on all my history of Florida MLB, but I’m WAGing that maybe it was a 1950s/1960s thing, stemming from when the only time MLB was ever played in Florida was during spring training, and all those teams of Northerners needed extra help to cope with the unexpected spring heat, so “Florida water” was invented.
Thank you ** DDGoose.** That answers damn near every question I asked. Yes, it’s still in use (especially in Texas, where I wouldn’t expect references to Florida to be terribly commonplace), and apparently not thought to be particularly dangerous, as long as one keeps it out of one’s eyes and, presumably, mouth. As for the recipe, it looks like an ounce of ammonia spirits or less to one gallon or so of ice water will work fine. Where, exactly, does one get spirits of ammonia? Sounds like a possible hardware store item, perhaps right next to spirits of turpentine? Any idea, anyone?
Probably not. Smelling salts work by activating the ARAS Arousal system by irritating sensory fibers of Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal Nerve). I suspect your formula keeps players cool by increasing the rate of evaporation.
Diver
Don’t know about “Florida Water” but as to the safety concerns re: using ammonia, it may interest you to know that soda fountains in the South used to include “ammonia Cokes” on their bills of fare. Heck, you may still be able to find them.
(In case the caffeine isn’t enough to wake you up.)
Ah, there’s a reference to ammonia Cokes in this site:
Pharmacist said ammonia carbonate or ammonium carbonate (aka ammonia spirits or spirits of ammonia) is no longer regarded as a pharmaceutical; rather it’s now marketed as “baker’s ammonia”–a leavening agent. He suggested I try a large grocery chain. I did. Safeway. No luck. Any other ideas where I might get this crap? A hardware store–my initial thought–now seems increasingly unlikely. Chemical supply? (I hope not; I 'm not interested in buying it by the metric ton.) Health food store? WHY is this so difficult??
Okay, I’ve been researching this, and I have it figured out now. There’s evidently no such thing as a bottle of liquid called just “spirits of ammonia”, the way you can get “spirits of turpentine” or “mineral spirits”.
What you want is definitely either “smelling salts” or the pure ammonium carbonate, if you can find it. “Baking ammonia” is evidently food-grade ammonium bicarbonate, which sounds different.
The Rangers coach says “just a touch”. I’m guessing that he’s using the liquid that surrounds the crystalline ammonium carbonate in the little glass bottle of smelling salts. Which is water.
Okay, so go back to the pharmacy, get a big bottle of “smelling salts”, use the water that surrounds the ammonium carbonate crystals, that presumably has ammonium carbonate dissolved in it. Top up the bottle with distilled water.
Florida Water was very popular among colonial types in old Shanghai - the 1920s posters advertizing the stuff are hot property among collectors. And they still make it…
Now I’m confused. Smelling salts don’t come in a bottle. They come in tiny, TINY glass ampules, “socked” in a mesh netting. There is no way that product can be effectively diluted in a gallon of ice water. It vaporizes immediately when the ampule is crushed.
Hmm. This is turning into GoogleQuest, Part III: The Return of the Queen.
Back in the 1960s, smelling salts came in a little glass bottle. My mother had one in her purse. To activate it, you removed the cap and sniffed the bottle.
Google, “aromatic ammonia inhalants”. Okay, it looks like there are two forms–the “inhalant”, which is the little crushable capsules, and something called “aromatic ammonia spirit USP”, which it doesn’t mention crushing, and which is available in a 100 ml size. http://www.campstuff.com/acatalog/C_A_M_P__Medication_45.html
I notice that both these forms have alcohol in them as well as, presumably, water. Dunno why that is.
I’m thinking you need a serious pharmaceutical supply type of place, and ask them for “aromatic ammonia USP”. Or maybe ask your doctor? Or the Garland Girls’ Softball coach?
Here’s an online hit for “AMMONIA AROMATIC SPIRIT USP 2 oz”, but I have absolutely no clue as to whether they’re (a) legit and (b) still in business.
P.S. It occurs to me that you could crush the ampule underwater, and presumably the powdered ammonium carbonate would then go into the water. Maybe that’s all the Garland Girls’ Softball coach does.
This is the procedure for preparing Ammonia Water for use. please be certain to observe the cautions. Note: use 1-1/2 oz per gallon of water.
Ingredients for ammonia water and use:
2oz. bottle of “Spirits of Ammonia” (local drugstore)
Actually it’s Aromatic Ammonia Spirit U.S.P.
This time of the year, it’s scarce.
3 bottles make 4 gallons
1 gal. plastic bucket (some use a playmate type cooler).
About 4-7 washcloths.
Fill bucket 1/2 full of ice, pour 3/4 bottle of “spirits of ammonia” into bucket for each gallon, fill the rest of bucket with water and mix. Place washcloths into bucket and stir around a couple of times. When player comes off field and into dugout area, pick up washcloth, wring out excess and wipe down arms, face (DON’T suck on washcloth), neck (front and back), shoulders, chest, etc. It really is effective while held on back of neck, especially “catchers” and “pitchers”. And please don’t inhale to a great degree, only mildly. Do this between innings.
Or with the Norfolk Tides.