"David (in Normandy)" wrote
But also as NM says, quicklime is really nasty stuff and can cause
serious burns to eyes, lungs and skin. You should take extreme
precautions when handling it.

Yes, I know it's nasty stuff and plan to treat it with considerable
respect.
The thing that surprised me was that I could actually walk into a garden
centre here and casually buy a 50kg sack of quicklime.
It wasn't until I got it home that I noticed it was marked 92% CaO, 1% MgO
then I realised I'd bought quicklime instead of slaked lime (CaOH). There
are no hazard warning labels on the sack.

It seems strange that some trivial things here in France are heavily
restricted and regulated but other more hazardous items are freely
available. For example, the local garden centre also has a large selection
of "jin" traps! These traps have been illegal in the UK for years. I'm not
sure what they are intended to "catch", but the larger ones look powerful
enough to chop an unwary foot off!

Well you can also buy "Eau de vie" (spelling?) alcohol to preserve your
fruit in and thereby make interesting drinks. I also found Awotrol (kills
rust, runs into gaps, seals) in a French supermarket, you have to go to a
specialist vehicle restorer/paintshop over here. No chance of the local
Sainsbury's selling either of those here.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK