Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is a liquid prepared for topicalapplication to skin usually consisting of isopropyl alcoholwith water or with a small admixture of methyl alcohol. Some mixtures use ethyl alcoholin part or whole substitution for iso-propanol.

Rubbing alcohol is poisonousand can cause permanent disabling illness or death if consumed. Rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly and is used to cool and soothe skin. It is also used to sterilize surfaces or, when mixed with only water, clean minor cuts or abrasions. Other mixtures should be used with great caution near cuts or abrasions. (Follow the directions on the bottle.) It is also occasionally used to harden skin such as in the case of the feet of novice hikers.

It is unsuited as a fuel in alcohol stoves because of the relatively low vapor pressureof isopropyl alcohol.

In the UKthe equivalent material is surgical spiritwhich is always based on ethyl alcoholand which often has the addition of small quantities of iodoformas a topical bacteriocide.(note that alcohol if added in certan quanties can stop water from freezing)

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing+alcohol Wikipedia article Rubbing alcohol.