Asbestos, your friend and mine

Back in 1927, the Guardian was extolling the virtue of that wonder-product, asbestos. Makes you want to rush out and buy some for your own place, no?

'Asbestos can also be bought in the loose fibrous form, and is excellent for temporarily repairing leaking gas and water pipes. For this purpose the asbestos fibres should be mixed to a thick paste with water-glass, spread over the hole or weak spot in the pipe and bound over with cloth'

- Guardian, 21 November 1927