4 June 1881 - Useful Hints

HOUSEHOLD RECIPES FOR DIARRHOEA –

1. Heat a breakfast saucer to insure dryness; pour into it a wineglassful of pale brandy. Set the spirit on fire with a strip of clean lighted writing-paper, and let it burn until the quantity is reduced one third. Pour this into half a point of boiling milk; drink it when moderately warm; repeat, if necessary, but take only half the quantity at once after the first dose. Arrowroot may be substituted for milk, but whether made with water or milk, should be boiled, not merely mixed with boiling liquid.

2. Take twenty to thirty drops of elixir of vitriol, or, as it is often called, diluted sulphuric acid, in a wineglassful of cold water; three to five drops of laudanum may be added to the dose when there is great internal pain. Repeat, if needful, either with or without the laudanum, according to circumstance. The dose is a medium one for an adult. A very eminent physician, who was peculiarly successful during a terrible outbreak of cholera, told the writer that he had found this most valuable in the early stages of that terrible disease and in diarrhoea.

SIMPLE REMEDIES FOR RHEUMATISM –

1. One of the best possible remedies for rheumatism is a soda bath. Dissolve 2 oz sesqui carbonate of soda, or a 1/4 lb of common washing soda, in an ordinary warm bath. Remain in it fifteen to twenty minutes, adding hot water from time to time, so as to keep up the temperature to the last. The bath may be repeated after an interval of three days, or a single affected limb may be bathed daily.

2. Rheumatic pains in a joint may often be much relieved, or even cured, by the application at the outset of spirits of camphor. Pour a little into the hand, and rub the part night and morning; the spirit dries almost instantly. In applying a mustard poultice, always interpose a bit of old transparent muslin between it and the skin. After removing the poultice cover the place inflamed by the mustard with a piece of cotton wadding. It gives great comfort.

CAMOMILE FLOWERS

Amongst the simple domestic remedies which should always be kept within reach may be classed dried camomile flowers. A strong decoction of these, used as a hot fomentation, is extremely soothing. The following are instances of  the value of camomile. A dear little boy had a gathering under the nail of the great toe. His mother stewed camomile flowers, put them in a bowl, and immersed the child's foot in the decoction. She packed the flowers above and around the ailing toe, and as they cooled changed them for hot ones. So long as the child's foot was in the water he suffered little pain; so at bed-time it was packed in a mass of the stewed flowers in a flannel bag. He fell asleep, and in the morning it was found the gathering had broken and the toe was comparatively well. A boil on the cheek and a large gathering inside the mouth and neuralgic pains in the face have been similarly relieved by fomenting with a strong decoction of camomile flowers. The following is an excellent way of applying this simple remedy. Make two flannel bags and fill them; but not so tightly as to make them hard, with boiled flowers. Squeeze one bag and apply it, as hot as can be borne, to the painful part, and cover with two or three thicknesses of warm dry flannel to keep in the  heat. When getting cool, change with the second bag, which should be kept steaming hot between two plates in an oven. Being freshly wrung through the strong decoction after use, and again to put steam in the oven, a supply of hot bags will be kept up. The heat is retained much longer than in the case of fomentations with flannels merely wrung out of the hot decoction and applied. The writer has so often experienced relief and been soothed from pain to rest by the above method of using camomile that she cannot speak too highly of its value as a domestic remedy.

FOR STRENGTHENING THE EYES

Plunge the upper part of the face in a bowl of clean, cold water, opening and shutting the eyes two or three times in the water, so that they have a cold bath every morning. The sensation is neither painful nor unpleasant, but the effect is very beneficial.

 A VERY SOOTHING APPLICATION FOR INFLAMED EYES AND EYELIDS –

Seared milk, prepared as follows:- Stir a cup of new milk with a red hot poker till nearly boiling; let the milk settle, then strain it through muslin, leaving all bits of dust behind, and, when lukewarm, apply with a bit of soft linen to the inflamed eyes. In using eye lotions take a separate rag for each eye, and only pour out as much of the lotion as you are likely to require at one time. Wash and rinse the rags or lint each time after using, so that you may always begin with a perfectly clean piece. The seared milk may be used very often, and is an excellent application, especially  for the tender eyes of infants.

ELDER FLOWER WATER –

The simple distilled water without any mixture – is an admirable cosmetic. After exposure to a burning sun, wet the corner of a towel with elder flower water, and dab it lightly over the face. The heat and smarting will be immediately allayed, and freckles prevented. A rag wetted with it will remove the smarting caused by nettle stings, and is also a very cooling and pleasant application to a tender skin after washing. It may be used twice daily.

 A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION –

At the end of a meal a good deal is tea is often left in the pot. Perhaps the readers of THE GIRL'S OWN PAPER may care to know what we do with such "leavings." We pour it into a large bottle and give it to a poor old woman, who is thankful to be thus saved the expense of providing herself with her favourite beverage. If the cork is left out the tea will keep perfectly through the day, and the old woman sends for it in the afternoon. It is easily warmed up, and she finds it has a far better flavour than what she used to buy for herself.

3 January 1880 - Useful Hints

CHEAP QUILTS AND PILLOWS - In the absence of eider-down, or other expensive quilts, a warm coverlet can be cheaply made by sewing cotton wadding in brown paper. A pillow, far more cool and wholesome than one stuffed with feathers, can be cheaply made by filling the case with waste paper, cut or torn into small pieces. Old letters will do, but not printed paper - the effluviam from which, when heated, may be as bad as that from badly-dressed feathers.

CHILBLAINS, HOW TO CURE - The following mixture is useful for allaying intense itching caused by chilblains. Sulphurous acid three parts, and glycerine one part, diluted with the same quantity of water. Apply with a soft camel-hair pencil.

HORSERADISH SAUCE - This is a capital addition to cold roast-beef. Take a stick or two of horseradish, grate them until you have enough pulp to fill two table-spoons. Dissolve a tea-spoonful of Swiss milk in the same quantity of ordinary milk, mix in a tea-spoonful of made mustard and a tea-spoonful of vinegar, add the horseradish pulp and mix together.

TEA - If a pot of tea has boiled on the hob, the bitter taste can be removed by adding a little cold water.

BAKING - A bowl of water put into the oven while baking will keep cakes and pastry from burning.

GILT FRAMES, TO REVIVE - After carefully dusting, wash with an ounce of soda beaten up with the whites of three eggs.

OLD BLACK SILK DRESS, TO RENOVATE - Dissolve some glue or gum-arabic in boiling water. Mix with sufficient cold water, and sponge the dress all over with it on the wrong side; dry the silk, sprinkle it a little, roll up tightly in a towel, let it remain thus for several hours. The with an iron, only moderately hot, iron it carefully out and your dress will be as good as new.

EVERTON TOFFEE, HOW TO MAKE - Procure a pound of treacle, a pound of moist sugar, and half a pound of butter. Put into a large saucepan over a clear fire. The butter of course goes in first, and then the treacle and sugar. Stir slowly with a knife; drop a little into cold water to ascertain if it is done, and if everything is satisfactory it will come out quite crisp. 

17 February 1880 - Useful Hints

TO MAKE YEAST - Yeast for home-made bread may be easily made as follows. Boil 1 lb of good flour, 1/4 lb of brown sugar, and 1/2 oz of salt in two gallons of water for one hour. When almost cold, bottle and cork closely. It will be fit for use in twenty-four hours and one pint will make four quarter loaves.

TEA CAKES - 1/4 lb fresh butter, 1/4 lb sifted sugar, 1/2 lb of flour, one egg and a little milk.

BURNS AND SCALDS - Mix limewater and olive oil in equal parts; if you have it at hand, dissolve as much carbonate of soda as possible in it; soak a piece of lint or rag in the mixture, and cover the injured part entirely with it, that it may be kept from the air. Another plan is to make a thick paste of whitening and spread it over the burn.

RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN A SICK CHAMBER.

The first thing to be remembers is that the doctor's orders are to be implicitly obeyed.

Be careful that the room is kept perfectly clean and well aired.

Endeavour always to have a supply of fresh flowers, or, where their scent is too powerful, branches of bright leaves without perfume may be substituted.

Never introduce disagreeable topics, but seek to entertain the patient by some pleasant news or tale, so as to keep the mind as much as possible from dwelling on suffering and disease.

Never ask a sick person what he will have to eat, but carefully procure such food as is suitable. Should the patient particularly desire anything, hasten to satisfy the wish unless it would be hurtful. Serve the food in small portions in an appetising manner. A small dish well cooked and served awakens an appetite, whilst a large and carelessly dressed repast produces nausea and disgust.

Be very patient and of an even and cheery temper when attending on a suffering invalid. Remember that illness often renders us unreasonable and capricious. Listen with kindness and sympathy to the complaints and murmurings of the poor sufferer.

23 January 1897 - Household Hints

 Be very careful where you throw lighted matches. It is very common for people to carelessly throw them aside when done with, and a lady of our acquaintance had her dress set alight by a match thrown down from a balcony window. In another case, last summer, a lighted match thrown from the top of an omnibus fell onto a cart horse's head, frightening him so much that an accident was the result.

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In the case of dropsy, the following recipe has been found a great alleviation. Take a few dried figs - the tenderest you can find - cut them up into small pieces, pour over them sufficient rum of good quality, let them soak in it for some hours and then give to the patient to eat.

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A little water should be mixed with the milk given to cats. It is better for them and improves their fur.

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Cooks should never be allowed to stick pins in the front of their dress; these are apt to drop into the cooking. A cake was once found to contain three pins.

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The greatest care should be taken in purchasing violet-powder - only to have that made by a firm of repute. Lead, arsenic and other injurious ingredients are sometimes mixed with it, and a little while ago some of this deleterious mixture caused the death of some infants. Where there is any uncertainty about it, the finest oatmeal should be used instead.

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Bread and good raisins with a glass of hot milk are an admirable luncheon. The hot milk is a good stimulant, and the raisins are very sustaining.

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The insides of banana skins are said to be very good for cleaning tan shoes.

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Every young person should learn how to carve joints of meat, poultry and game. It is not a difficult accomplishment if learnt at leisure and at home. IT should be practised at one's own table, and will be found to be of practical use and benefit at the table of others. A good carver is a public benefactor.

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It is not always safe to carry money in one's glove. You do not know who has handled it last, and it is safer not to carry it next to one's skin.

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Chamois leather should not be used for rubbing lenses or glass, as it scratches a delicate surface.

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Boots that have been cleaned with blacking should not be left wher4e black-beetles can get at them. They will quite destroy the leather in their eagerness to devour the blacking, for which they have a particular liking.

21 May 1898 - Household Hints

DISCARDED tea cosies of a large size can be usefully employed to cover over hot water cans in bedrooms. The water can be kept hot for a long time if thus covered over.

CELLULOID balls and other toys, though very pretty to look at, should never be given to children, as they are highly inflammable and very dangerous.

NEVER slam an oven door if pastry or cakes are cooking in the oven - it will make them heavy.

DO not ever burn or throw away corks - they are valuable in many ways.

THE nicest way to eat an orange is to cut a slice off the top and scoop out all the juice with a tea-spoon; a spoonful of sugar can be put in the middle if the fruit is sour.

PINEAPPLE juice is said to be valuable in cases of diphtheria.

BOOTS and shoes should never be kept in a cupboard or box; they should be left where air can get freely to them, and whenever it is possible the insides should be aired.

SILK handkerchiefs are extremely nice to use, and a present of a few to an invalid would be very acceptable.

COCOA is always best made with milk, not water, and should be boiled, not merely made with boiling water.

NUTS and almonds are very nourishing food.

BEDROOM fires should be lit oftener than they are; it would save much illness and many colds, for it is when one goes to bed tired and weary after sitting in hot rooms that one is most apt to catch colds.

TOOTHBRUSHES should be occasionally placed in cold water with a little borax, sanitas or other disinfectant, and left to stand in it for a while.