An early form of fire extinguisher popular in the late 1800s was the fire grenade.
The glass bulb shattered on contact and the water contained inside helped to extinguish the flames.
Salt water was chosen instead of plain water because salt water has a lower freezing point.
This kept the water liquid even in severe winter.
Some grenades were fitted with a spring-loaded trigger that dispersed the water like a sprinkler.
The fire grenade first appeared in the 1870s.
The earliest types were hand-blown, etched with decorative patterns and often colored.
Sometimes the glass containers were uncolored but the water they contained was colored blue or red with coloring agents.
Early fire grenades contained salt water mixed with ammonium chloride.
Heated ammonium chloride produces fumes that should help to suppress the fire, at least in theory.
The gaseous carbon tetrachloride is heavier than air so it sinks and helps smother the flames.
Unfortunately, carbon tetrachloride is extremely toxic to humans.
Chronic exposure to carbon tetrachloride can cause liver and kidney damage and could result in cancer.
More than 85,000 deaths have been attributed to the gas.
In 1911, the Pyrene Manufacturing Company of Delaware patented a small, portable extinguisher that used CTC.
As the container was unpressurized, it could easily be refilled after use.
It wasnt until 1970 when carbon tetrachloride was banned in consumer products.
