In a message dated 00-12-06 13:32:53 EST, Cate Cooney wrote:

<< A document which discusses and describes "vinegar syndrome" on nitrate
 based films is
 http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/messier/negrmcc.html >>

I haven't double-checked this document, but trust it does not add to the
confusion.  Vinegar syndrome concerns the deterioration of cellulose ACETATE
films, not nitrate.  Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is what you smell
when acetate films deteriorate--hence the name "vinegar syndrome".
Deteriorating nitrate film has a nitric acid smell, which is different from
the odor of vinegar.  Both are pungent, but you can tell the difference.
Applying "vinegar syndrome" to the smell of deteriorating nitrate film is
inaccurate and misleading.  You need to know the difference.  Misuse of the
term "vingegar syndrome" could lead to misidentifcation of nitrate for
acetate or vice-versa.  Both types of deteriorating film ultimately can
disintegrate into unusable junk and should be isolated because the gases of
decomposition can attack nearby materials (you don't want to store either
type with "healthy" photographs), but nitrate is more dangerous than acetate
due to the fire hazard.

David Haberstich

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