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Title: Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million

Author: Sarah Josepha Buell Hale

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Most recently updated: October 24, 2024

Language: English

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MRS. HALE'S
RECEIPTS FOR THE
MILLION:
CONTAINING

FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE

Receipts, Facts, Directions, etc.
IN THE

USEFUL, ORNAMENTAL, AND DOMESTIC ARTS,
AND IN THE CONDUCT OF LIFE.
BEING A

COMPLETE FAMILY DIRECTORY.
RELATIVE TO
Accomplishments, Economy, Ladies' Work, Phrenology,
Amusements, Etching, Feather Work, Potichomanie,
Beauty, Etiquette, Manners, Poultry,
Birds, Flowers, Marriage, Riding,
Building, Gardening, Medicines, Swimming,
Children, Grecian Painting, Needlework, Surgery, Domestic
Cookery, Health, Nursing, Temperance,
Courtship, Home, Out-Door Work, Trees, etc.
Dress, etc. Housekeeping, Painting, Women's Duties,
Words of Washington, etc.

BY MRS. SARAH JOSEPHA HALE.
Philadelphia:

T. B. PETERSON, NO. 306 CHESTNUT STREET.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
SARAH JOSEPHA HALE,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania.

PREFACE.
"All the labor of man is for his mouth," says Solomon. If this proverb be
understood, as it was undoubtedly meant—that the chief aim and purpose of
all human labor are to make the homes of mankind places of enjoyment, we
see how important the art of household management becomes.
While preparing my "New Cook Book," I was naturally led to examine
the subject, and the result was a deep conviction of the need of another
work on domestic economy, or directions how to guide the house. This led
me to prepare the present treatise, embodying rules and receipts, such as
never before have been brought together for the help and instruction of a
household.
"Knowledge is power" always; knowledge used for good purposes is
wisdom. Knowledge, like gold, must be gained by personal effort; and
usually, in small quantities, and by continued exertions, both wisdom and
gold are accumulated.
It has been by washing the sands of common experience and gathering
the small bits of science and art found here and there on the mining ground
of common knowledge, that this large work, containing the pure gold of
truth, applicable to all the needs of common life, has been made. A few
nuggets will be seen, such as the collected maxims of Franklin, and the
"Words of Washington," never before placed within the reach of the popular
mind.
In the economy and well-being of the family, personally and individually,
improvement should be sedulously kept in view. It is not enough that
woman understands the art of cookery and of managing her house: she must
also take care of herself; of children; of all who will be dependent on her for
direction, for health, for happiness.
Personal appearance is important; the art of beautifying a home is
important; the knowledge of ways and means by which the clothing of a
family may be kept in good order, with the least expense of time and
money, is important; some knowledge of plants, flowers, gardening, and of

domestic animals, is of much benefit, particularly to those who live in the
country; and more important than all, is a knowledge of the best means of
preserving or restoring health. Then there is the very important matter of
home happiness to be kept in view. Amusements, accomplishments, elegant
arts, manners, modes of conduct in society; all these are necessary
knowledge. And to crown the whole, those indispensable rules and maxims
of moral improvement, which are the foundation of good in the character
and life of rational, immortal beings, must be made familiar. All this has
been attempted in "Receipts for the Million," as every person may see by
examining "The Table of Contents" and the "Index."
The aim of both my works on domestic matters has been to awaken the
attention of my own sex to these subjects, belonging, so unquestionably, to
woman's department. The home administration is in her hands; how
salutary and powerful this may be made in its influence on humanity is yet
hardly imagined, even by the most sagacious and earnest advocates of
woman's elevation.
Would that those of my sex who are urging onward, into the industrial
pursuits, and other professions appropriate for men, might turn their
attention to improvements in domestic economy. Here is an open field,
where their heads and hearts as well as hands may find ample scope and
noble objects. The really great woman never undervalues her own sphere.
Madame Roland excelled in her ménage; Mrs. Somerville is eminent for
domestic qualities; Mrs. Sigourney is a pattern housekeeper; and a
multitude of other names and examples may be met with in my recent work,
[A]
where genius is found adorning home pursuits.
There should be Lectures on Housekeeping, and other subjects connected
with domestic life, instituted in every Ladies Seminary. This would serve to
remedy, in some degree, the evils that now attend a boarding-school
education. The grand defect of this is, that teachers too often leave out of
sight the application of learning to the home pursuits of young ladies. So
when these return to the parental roof, they give themselves up to novel
reading, as their chief mental resource.
A better time is coming. Women, capable of using their faculties for the
improvement of society, will not much longer remain in the castle of
indolence. Miss Nightingale will find followers. And as the active pursuits

of women will naturally centre in the domestic circle, great advances in the
art of making home the place of happiness must be made.
May this book help onward the good work.
S. J. H.
Philadelphia, October 1st, 1857.

CONTENTS
Preface 3
Contents 5

PART I.
HOME AND ITS EMPLOYMENTS.

House Cleaning—Repairing Furniture—Cleaning Stoves and Grates—
Mending Glass, China, &c.—Coloring and Polishing Furniture, &c.—
Removing unpleasant Odors—Fires—Water and Cisterns—Carriages and
Harness—Washing—To remove Stains—To clean Silks, Lace, &c.—
Paste, Glue, and Cement—Dyeing—Blacking for Boots, Shoes, &c.—To
destroy Insects—The Kitchen, &c.
Page 9 to 88

PART II.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY.

Rules for the preservation of Health—Simple Recipes efficacious in
common diseases and slight injuries—Burns and Scalds—Fevers—
Plasters, Blisters, Ointments, &c.—Poisons and Antidotes—Baths and
Bathing—The Toilet, or hints for the preservation of Beauty—The
Dressing-Table
Page 89 to 150

PART III.
HOME PURSUITS AND DOMESTIC ARTS.

Needle-work—Explanation of Stitches—Preparation of House-Linen—
Patchwork—Silk Embroidery—Fancy-work—Ink—Birds, Fish, Flowers,

&c.—House-Plants—Window-Plants—To manage a Watch
Page 151 to 187

PART IV.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND OTHER MATTERS WORTH KNOWING.

Teas—Coffee—Various Recipes for making Essences, &c.—Preserving
Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs, &c.—Hints to Farmers—Management of a
Horse—Raising Poultry—Preservation from Fire—Drowning—
Suffocation—Thunderstorms
Page 188 to 209

PART V.
MISTRESS, MOTHER, NURSE, AND MAID.

Of the Table—On the management of Infants, young Children, and the Sick
—Qualifications of a good Nurse—Food for the Sick and for Children—
Drinks for the Sick—Simple mixtures—Rules for Women Servants
Page 210 to 264

PART VI.
HINTS ABOUT AGRICULTURE, GARDENING, DOMESTIC ANIMALS, &c.

Manure—Soil—Hay—Grains—Vegetables—To destroy Insects—Vermin
—Weeds—Cows, Calves, Sheep, &c.—Gardening—The Orchard—
Timber—Building—Bees
Page 265 to 318

PART VII.
MISCELLANEOUS.

Choice and cheap Cookery—New Receipts—Southern Dishes—Cakes,
Bread, Pies, and Puddings—Home-made Wines, Mead, Nectar, &c.—

Washing—Hints on Diet, Exercise, and Economy—Painting—Books—
Periodicals and Newspapers
Page 319 to 384

PART VIII.
ELEGANT AND INGENIOUS ARTS.

Water-Colors used in Drawing—Directions for mixing Colors—Wash
Colors for Maps—To paint Flowers, Birds, Landscapes, &c., in Water-
Colors—Potichomanie—Grecian Painting—Diaphanic Feather Flowers
—Sea-Weeds—Botanical Specimens, Leaf Impressions, &c.—
Transferring to Glass, Wood, &c.—Emblematic Stones—Staining Stone,
Wood, &c.—Ornamental Leather work—Dyeing— Games—Evening
Pastime
Page 385 to 431

PART IX.
WORK IN DOORS AND OUT.

Household maxims—Household receipts for many things—Care of Furs—
Wise economy—Things to know—Cleanliness—Prevention of accidents
—Domestic hints—More hints on Agriculture—Cattle—Gardening—
Drying Herbs—Properties and uses of Vegetables—Vegetables to
cultivate—Fruit Trees and Fruit—Vermin on Trees
Page 431 to 484

PART X.
PERSONAL MATTERS.

Dress of Ladies—Dress of a Gentleman—Manners—Rules of Etiquette—
Dinner Parties—Balls and Evening Parties—Courtship and Marriage—
Marriage Ceremony—After Marriage—Directions to a Wife—Directions
to a Husband—Our House—Conversation—Rules of Conduct
Page 484 to 533

PART XI.
HEALTH AND WEALTH.

Preservation of Health—Baths—Exercise—Terms expressing the properties
of medicines—Ointments and Cerates—Embrocations and Liniments—
Enemas—Poultices—Special rules for the prevention of Cholera—Rules
for a Sick Room—Domestic Surgery—Bandages—Riches—Temperance
—Way to Wealth
Page 533 to 590

PART XII.
THE FAMILY AT HOME.

A good Table—Bread, &c.—Meats—Vegetables—Household management
—Beverages—Useful Receipts for Family Practice—Miscellaneous
Receipts, Rules, &c.—Dietetic maxims—Hints to Mechanics and
Workmen—Maxims and Morals for all Men—Home Industry for Young
Ladies—Pets—Swimming—Riding—Home Counsels—Parlor
Amusements—The training of Daughters, &c.—Sentiments of Flowers
—Signs of the Weather—Air—Its effects on Life—Importance of Laws
—Phrenology—Synopsis of American History—Words of Washington—
Useful Family Tables
Page 590 to 699

Index 703

MRS. HALE'S

RECEIPTS FOR THE MILLION,
C O N TA I N I N G

FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE
RECEIPTS, FACTS, ETC.

PART I.
HOME AND ITS EMPLOYMENTS.
House cleaning—Repairing Furniture—Washing—Mending Glass, China, &c.—Dyeing—Blacking
for Boots, Shoes, &c.—To destroy Insects—The Kitchen, &c.

1. House Cleaning.—The spring is more particularly the time for house-
cleaning; though, of course, it requires attention monthly.
Begin at the top of the house; first take up the carpets, and, if they require
it, let them be scoured; or as carpets are sometimes injured by scouring,
they may be well beaten, and if necessary, washed with soda and water.
Remove all the furniture from the room, have the chimneys swept where
fires have been kept, and clean and blacken the grates. Wrap old towels,
(they should be clean), around the bristles of the broom, and sweep lightly
the ceiling and paper; or, if requisite, the paper should be cleaned with
bread, as elsewhere directed. Then wash the paint with a flannel or sponge,
and soap and water, and, as fast as one person cleans, another should follow,
and with clean cloths, wipe the paint perfectly dry. Let the windows be
cleaned, and scour the floor. Let the furniture be well rubbed; and the floor
being dry, and the carpets laid down, the furniture may be replaced. The
paper should be swept every three months.

2. To clean Bed-rooms.—In cleaning bed-rooms infested with bugs, take
the bedsteads asunder, and wash every part of them, but especially the
joints, with a strong solution of corrosive sublimate in spirits of turpentine;
as the sublimate is a fatal poison, the bottle containing the above solution
should be labelled "Poison;" it should be used very carefully, and laid on
with a brush kept for the purpose. Bugs can only be removed from walls by
taking down the paper, washing them with the above poison, and re-
papering.
In bed-rooms with fires, a whisk-brush is best to clear the curtains and
hangings from dust.

To remove grease or oil from boards, drop on the spots spirits of
turpentine before the floor is scoured.
The house-maid should be provided with a box, with divisions, to convey
her various utensils, as brushes, black lead, &c., from room to room, and a
small mat to kneel upon while cleaning the grate.

3. Scouring Bed-rooms.—This should never be done in winter if it can be
avoided, as it is productive of many coughs and colds. If inevitable, a dry
day should be selected, and the windows and doors should be left wide
open till dusk. A fire ought always to be made in the room after cleaning.

4. To clean Carpets.—Before sweeping a carpet, sprinkle over it a few
handfuls of waste tea-leaves. A stiff hair-broom or brush should be used,
unless the carpet be very dirty, when a whisk or carpet-broom should be
used first, followed by another made of hair to take off the loose dirt. The
frequent use of a stiff broom soon injures the beauty of the best carpet. An
ordinary clothes-brush is best adapted for superior carpets.
When Brussels carpets are very much soiled, take them up and beat them
perfectly free from dust. Have the floor thoroughly scoured and dry, and
nail the carpet firmly down to it. If still soiled, take a pailful of clean, cold
water, and put into it about three gills of ox-gall. Take another pail, with
clean, cold water only; now rub with a soft scrubbing-brush some of the ox-
gall water on the carpet, which will raise a lather. When a convenient-sized
portion is done, wash the lather off with a clean linen cloth dipped in the
clean water. Let this water be changed frequently. When all the lather has
disappeared, rub the part with a clean, dry cloth. After all is done, open the
window to allow the carpet to dry. A carpet treated in this manner, will be
greatly refreshed in color, particularly the greens. Kidderminster carpets
will scarcely bear the above treatment without becoming so soft as speedily
to become dirty again. This may, in some measure, be prevented by
brushing them over with a hot, weak solution of size in water, to which a
little alum has been added. Curd soap dissolved in hot water, may be used
instead of ox-gall, but it is more likely to injure the colors, if produced by
false dyes. Where there are spots of grease in the carpeting, they may be
covered with curd soap dissolved in boiling water, and rubbed with a brush

until the stains are removed, when they must be cleaned with warm water as
before. The addition of a little gall to the soap renders it more efficacious.
The carpets should be nailed on the full stretch, else they will shrink.
Fullers' earth is also used for cleaning carpets; and alum, or soda,
dissolved in water, for reviving the colors.

5. To clean Turkey Carpets.—To revive the color of a Turkey carpet, beat
it well with a stick till the dust is all got out; then, with a lemon or sorrel
juice, take out the spots of ink, if the carpet be stained with any; wash it in
cold water, and afterwards shake out all the water from the threads of the
carpet. When it is thoroughly dry, rub it all over with the crumb of a hot
wheaten loaf; and, if the weather is very fine, hang it out in the open air a
night or two.

6. Cheap Carpeting.—Sew together strips of the cheapest cotton cloth, of
the size of the room, and tack the edges to the floor. Then paper the cloth, as
you would the sides of a room, with any sort of room paper. After being
well dried, give it two coats of varnish, and your carpet is finished. It can be
washed like carpets, without injury, retains its gloss, and, on chambers or
sleeping rooms, where it will not meet rough usage, will last for two years,
as good as new.

7. To beat a Carpet.—Hang the carpet upon a clothes-line, or upon a
stout line between two trees; it should then be beaten on the wrong side, by
three or four persons, each having a pliable stick, with cloth tied strongly in
a knob on the end, in order to prevent the carpet from being torn, or the
seams split, by the sharp end of the stick. When thoroughly beaten on the
wrong side, the carpet should be turned, and beaten on the right side.

8. Floor or Oil Cloths.—Floor-cloths should be chosen that are painted
on a fine cloth, which is well covered with the color, and the patterns on
which do not rise much above the ground, as they wear out first. The
durability of the cloth will depend much on these particulars, but more
especially on the time it has been painted, and the goodness of the colors. If

they have not been allowed sufficient time for becoming thoroughly
hardened, a very little use will injure them; and, as they are very expensive
articles, care in preserving them is necessary. It answers to keep them some
time before they are used, either hung up in a dry barn where they will have
air, or laid down in a spare room.
When taken up for the winter, they should be rolled round a carpet-roller,
and observe not to crack the paint by turning the edges in too suddenly.
Old carpets answer extremely well, painted and seasoned some months
before laid down. If for passages, the width must be directed when they are
sent to the manufactory, as they are cut before painting.

9. To clean Floor cloths.—Sweep, then wipe them with a flannel; and
when all dust and spots are removed, rub with a waxed flannel, and then
with a dry plain one; but use little wax, and rub only enough with the latter
to give a little smoothness, or it may endanger falling.
Washing now and then with milk, after the above sweeping and dry-
rubbing them, gives as beautiful a look, and they are less slippery.

10. Method of Cleaning Paper-hangings.—Cut into eight half quarters a
large loaf, two days old; it must neither be newer nor staler. With one of
these pieces, after having blown off all the dust from the paper to be
cleaned, by means of a good pair of bellows, begin at the top of the room,
holding the crust in the hand, and wiping lightly downward with the crumb,
about half a yard at each stroke, till the upper part of the hangings is
completely cleaned all round. Then go round again, with the like sweeping
stroke downwards, always commencing each successive course a little
higher than the upper stroke had extended, till the bottom be finished. This
operation, if carefully performed, will frequently make very old paper look
almost equal to new.
Great caution must be used not by any means to rub the paper hard, nor
to attempt cleaning it the cross, or horizontal way. The dirty part of the
bread, too, must be each time cut away, and the pieces renewed as soon as it
may become necessary.

11. To clean Paint.—Never use a cloth, but take off the dust with a little
long-haired brush, after blowing off the loose parts with the bellows. With
care, paint will look well for a long time, if guarded from the influence of
the sun. When soiled, dip a sponge or a bit of flannel into soda and water,
wash it off quickly, and dry immediately, or the soda will eat off the color.
Some persons use strong soap and water, instead.
When the wainscot requires scouring, it should be done from the top
downwards, and the water be prevented from running on the unclean parts
as much as possible, or marks will be made which will appear after the
whole is finished. One person should dry with old linen, as fast as the other
has scoured off the dirt, and washed off the soap.

12. To give to Boards a beautiful appearance.—After washing them very
nicely with soda and warm water and a brush, wash them with a very large
sponge and clean water. Both times observe to leave no spot untouched; and
clean straight up and down, not crossing from board to board; then dry with
clean cloths, rubbed hard up and down in the same way.
The floors should not be often wetted, but very thoroughly when done;
and once a-week dry-rubbed with hot sand and a heavy brush the right way
of the boards.
The sides of stairs or passages on which are carpets or floor-cloths,
should be washed with sponge instead of linen or flannel, and the edges will
not be soiled. Different sponges should be kept for the above two uses; and
those and the brushes should be well washed when done with, and kept in
dry places.

12a. To extract Oil from Boards or Stone.—Make a strong ley of
pearlashes and soft water, and add as much unslaked lime as it will take up;
stir it together, and then let it settle a few minutes; bottle it, and stop close;
have ready some water to lower it as used, and scour the part with it. If the
liquor should lie long on the boards, it will draw out the color of them;
therefore do it with care and expedition.

13. To scour Boards.—Mix together one part lime, three parts common
sand, and two parts soft soap; lay a little of this on the scrubbing-brush, and
rub the board thoroughly. Afterwards rinse with clean water, and dry with a
clean coarse cloth. This will keep the boards a good color: it is also useful
in keeping away vermin. For that object, early in the spring, beds should be
taken down, and furniture in general removed and examined; bed-hangings
and window-curtains, if not washed, should be shaken and brushed; and the
joints of bedsteads, the backs of drawers, and indeed, every part of
furniture, except polished mahogany, should be carefully cleaned with the
above mixture, or with equal parts of lime and soft soap, without any sand.
In old houses, where there are holes in the boards, which often abound with
vermin, after scrubbing in, as far as the brush can reach, a thick plaster of
the above should be spread over the holes, and covered with paper. When
these things are timely attended to, and combined with general cleanliness,
vermin may generally be kept away, even in crowded cities.

14. To wash Stone Stairs and Halls.—Wash them first with hot water and
a clean flannel, and then wash them over with pipe-clay mixed in water.
When dry, rub them, with a coarse flannel.

15. To take Oil and Grease out of Floors and Stone Halls.—Make a
strong infusion of potash with boiling water; add to it as much quick-lime
as will make it of the consistence of thick cream; let it stand a night, then
pour off the clear part, which is to be bottled for use. When wanted, warm a
little of it; pour it upon the spots, and after it has been on them for a few
minutes, scour it off with warm water and soap, as it is apt to discolor the
boards when left too long on them. When put upon stone, it is best to let it
remain all night; and if the stain be a bad one, a little powdered hot lime
may be put upon it before the infusion is poured on.

16. To clean Marble.—Muriatic acid, either diluted or pure, as occasion
may require, proves efficacious. If too strong, it will deprive the marble of
its polish, which may be easily restored by the use of a piece of felt, with
some powder of putty or tripoli, with either, making use of water.

17. To clean Marble. Another way.—Mix ¼ lb. of soft soap with the same
of pounded whiting, 1 oz. of soda, and a piece of stone-blue the size of a
walnut; boil these together for ¼ of an hour; whilst hot, rub it over the
marble with a piece of flannel, and leave it on for 24 hours; then wash it off
with clean water, and polish the marble with a piece of coarse flannel, or
what is better, a piece of an old hat.

18. To take Stains out of Marble.—Mix unslaked lime in finest powder
with stringent soap-ley, pretty thick, and instantly with a painter's brush lay
it on the whole of the marble. In two months' time wash it off perfectly
clean; then have ready a fine thick lather of soft soap, boiled in soft water;
dip a brush in it, and scour the marble. This will, with very good rubbing,
give a beautiful polish.

19. To take Iron-stains out of Marble.—An equal quantity of fresh spirit
of vitriol and lemon-juice being mixed in a bottle, shake it well; wet the
spots, and in a few minutes rub with soft linen till they disappear.

20. Mixture for cleaning Stone Stairs, Hall Pavements, &c.—Boil
together half a pint each of size and stone-blue water, with two table-
spoonfuls of whiting, and two cakes of pipe-makers' clay, in about two
quarts of water. Wash the stones over with a flannel slightly wetted in this
mixture; and when dry, rub them with flannel and a brush. Some persons
recommend beer, but water is much better for the purpose.

21. To Color or Paper the Walls of Rooms.—If a ceiling or wall is to be
whitewashed or colored, the first thing to be done is, to wash off the dirt
and stains with a brush and clean water, being careful to move the brush in
one direction, up and down, and not all sorts of ways, or the work will look
smeary afterwards. When dry, the ceiling is ready for whitewash, which is
to be made by mixing whiting and water together, till quite smooth, and as
thick as cream. Dissolve half-an-ounce of glue in a teacupful of water, stir it
into the whitewash. This size, as it is called, prevents the white or color
rubbing off the wall, and a teacupful is enough for a gallon of wash. Stone
color is made by mixing a little yellow ochre and blue black with the size,

and then stirring it into the whitewash; yellow or red ochre are also good
colors, and, with vermilion or indigo, any shade may be prepared, according
to taste.
If paper is to be used, the wall must be washed with clean water, as above
explained; and while wet, the old color must be scraped off with a knife, or
a smooth-edged steel scraper of any sort. It will be best to wet a yard or two
at a time, and then scrape. Next, wash the wall all over with size, made with
an ounce of glue to a gallon of water; and when this is dry, the wall is ready
for the paper. This must be cut into lengths according to the different parts
of the room; one edge of the plain strip must be cut off close to the pattern,
and the other left half an inch wide. If the paper is thick, it should lie a
minute or two after it is pasted; but if thin, the sooner it is on the wall, the
better. Begin by placing the close-cut edge of the paper at one side of the
window, stick it securely to meet the ceiling, let it hang straight, and then
press it down lightly and regularly with a clean cloth. The close-cut edge of
the next length will cover the half-inch left on the first one, and so make a
neat join; and in this way you may go all round the room, and finish at the
other side of the window.

22. Damp Walls.—Damp may be prevented from exuding from walls by
first drying them thoroughly, and then covering them with the following
mixture: In a quart of linseed oil, boil three ounces of litharge, and four
ounces of resin. Apply this in successive coats, and it will form a hard
varnish on the wall after the fifth coating.

23. To clean Moreen Curtains.—Having removed the dust and clinging
dirt as much as possible with a brush, lay the curtain on a large table,
sprinkle on it a little bran, and rub it round with a piece of clean flannel;
when the bran and flannel become soiled, use fresh, and continue rubbing
till the moreen looks bright, which it will do in a short time.

24. To clean Calico Furniture.—Shake off the loose dust; then lightly
brush with a small, long-haired furniture-brush; after which wipe it closely
with clean flannels, and rub it with dry bread.

If properly done, the curtains will look nearly as well as at first; and, if
the color be not light, they will not require washing for years.
Fold in large parcels, and put carefully by.
While the furniture remains up, it should be preserved from the sun and
air as much as possible, which injure delicate colors; and the dust may be
blown off with bellows.
By the above mode curtains may be kept clean, even to use with the
linings newly dipped.

25. Making Beds.—Close or press bedsteads are ill adapted for young
persons or invalids; when their use is unavoidable, the bed-clothes should
be displaced every morning, and left for a short time before they are shut
up.
The windows of bed-rooms should be kept open for some hours every
day, to carry off the effluvia from the bed-clothes; the bed should also be
shaken up, and the clothes spread about, in which state the longer they
remain, the better.
The bed being made, the clothes should not be tucked in at the sides or
foot, as that prevents any further purification taking place, by the cool air
passing through them.
A warming-pan should be chosen without holes in the lid. About a yard
of moderately-sized iron chain, made red hot and put into the pan, is a
simple and excellent substitute for coals.

26. To Detect Dampness in Beds.—Let the bed be well warmed, and
immediately after the warming-pan is taken out, introduce between the
sheets, in an inverted position, a clean glass goblet: after it has remained in
that situation a few minutes, examine it; if found dry and not tarnished with
steam, the bed is perfectly safe; and vice versa. In the latter case, it will be
best to sleep between the blankets.

27. Beech-tree Leaves.—The leaves of the beech-tree, collected at
autumn, in dry weather, form an admirable article for filling beds for the

poor. The smell is grateful and wholesome; they do not harbor vermin, are
very elastic, and may be replenished annually without cost.

28. Useful Hints relative to Bed-clothes, Mattresses, Cushions, &c.—The
purity of feathers and wool employed for mattresses and cushions ought to
be considered as a first object of salubrity. Animal emanations may, under
many circumstances, be prejudicial to the health; but the danger is still
greater, when the wool is impregnated with sweat of persons who have
experienced putrid and contagious diseases. Bed-clothes, and the wool of
mattresses, therefore, cannot be too often beat, carded, cleaned, and
washed. This is a caution which cannot be too often recommended.
It would be very easy in most situations, and very effectual, to fumigate
them with muriatic gas.

29. To clean Feathers of their Oil.—In each gallon of clean water mix a
pound of quick-lime, and when the undissolved lime settles in fine powder,
pour off the lime-water for use. Having put the feathers to be cleaned into a
tub, pour the clear lime-water upon them, and stir them well about; let them
remain three or four days in the lime-water, which should then be separated
from them by laying them in a sieve. The feathers should next be washed in
clean water, and dried upon fine nets; they will then only require beating, to
get rid of the dust, previous to use.
To restore the spring of damaged feathers, it is only necessary to dip them
in warm water for a short time.

30. To purify Wool infested with Insects.—The process of purification
consists in putting into three pints of boiling water a pound and a half of
alum, and as much cream of tartar, which are diluted in twenty-three pints
more of cold water. The wool is then left immersed in this liquor during
some days, after which it is washed and dried. After this operation, it will
no longer be subject to be attacked by insects.

31. To clean Looking-glasses.—Keep for this purpose a piece of sponge,
a cloth, and a silk handkerchief, all entirely free from dirt, as the least grit

will scratch the fine surface of the glass. First, sponge it with a little spirit of
wine, or gin and water, so as to clean off all spots; then, dust over it
powder-blue, tied in muslin, rub it lightly and quickly off with the cloth,
and finish by rubbing it with the silk handkerchief. Be careful not to rub the
edges of the frames.

32. To preserve Gilding, and clean it.—It is impossible to prevent flies
from staining the gilding without covering it; before which, blow off the
light dust, and pass a feather or clean brush over it, but never touch it with
water; then, with strips of paper, or rather gauze, cover the frames of your
glasses, and do not remove till the flies are gone.
Linen takes off the gilding and deadens its brightness; it should,
therefore, never be used for wiping it.
A good preventive against flies is, to boil three or four leeks in a pint of
water, and then with a gilding-brush wash over the glasses and frames with
the liquid, and the flies will not go near the articles so washed. This will not
injure the frames in the least. Stains or spots may be removed by gently
wiping them with cotton dipped in sweet oil.

33. To retouch the rubbed parts of a Picture-frame.—Give the wood a
coating of size made by dissolving isinglass with a weak spirit. When
nearly dry, lay on some gold leaf; and polish, when quite dry, with an agate
burnisher, or any similar substance.

34. Furniture Oil.—Put into a jar one pint of linseed oil into which stir
one ounce of powdered rose pink, and one ounce of alkanet root, beaten in a
mortar: set the jar in a warm place for a few days, when the oil will be
deeply colored, and the substances having settled, the oil may be poured
off, and will be excellent for darkening new mahogany.

35. Furniture Paste.—Put turpentine into a glazed pot, and scrape
beeswax into it, which stir about till the liquid is of the thickness of cream;
it will then be good for months, if kept clean; and furniture cleaned with the
liquid thus made, will not receive stains so readily as when the turpentine

and wax are heated over the fire; which plan is, besides, very dangerous;
but if the heating be preferred, place the vessel containing the wax and
turpentine in another containing boiling water.

36. French Polish for Furniture.—To one pint of spirits of wine, add half
an ounce of gum-shellac, half an ounce of gum-lac, a quarter of an ounce of
gum-sandarac; place the whole in a gentle heat, frequently shaking it, till
the gums are dissolved, when it is fit for use. Make a roller of list, put a
little of the polish upon it, and cover that with a piece of soft linen rag,
which must be lightly touched with cold-drawn linseed oil. Rub the wood in
a circular direction, not covering too large a space at a time, till the pores of
the wood are sufficiently filled up. After this, rub in the same manner spirits
of wine, with a small portion of the polish added to it; and a most brilliant
polish will be produced. If the article should have been polished with wax,
it will be necessary to clean it off with fine glass paper.

37. Another Polish and Varnish.—The only way to preserve polish on
rosewood French-polished furniture, is to keep it continually rubbed with a
chamois leather and a silk handkerchief. We have no better remedy to offer
for scratches on the wood than filling them in with a little oil covered with
alkanet-root. The following varnish for furniture not French-polished, has
been highly recommended: Melt one part of virgin white wax with eight
parts of petroleum; lay a slight coat of this mixture on the wood with a fine
brush while warm; the oil will then evaporate, and leave a thin coat of wax,
which should afterwards be polished with a coarse woolen cloth.

38. Polish for Dining Tables.—Is to rub them with cold-drawn linseed
oil, thus: Put a little in the middle of a table, and then with a piece of linen
(never use woolen) cloth rub it well all over the table; then take another
piece of linen and rub it for ten minutes, then rub it till quite dry with
another cloth. This must be done every day for some months, when you will
find your mahogany acquire a permanent and beautiful lustre, unattainable
by any other means, and equal to the finest French polish; and if the table is
covered with the table-cloth only, the hottest dishes will make no
impression upon it; and when once this polish is produced, it will only
require dry rubbing with a linen cloth for about ten minutes, twice in a

week, to preserve it in the highest perfection; which never fails to please
your employers; and remember, that to please others is always the surest
way to profit yourself.
If the appearance must be more immediately produced, take some
Furniture Paste.

39. Varnished Furniture.—This may be finished off so as to look equal to
the best French polished wood, in the following manner, which is also
suitable to other varnished surfaces. Take two ounces of Tripoli powder, put
it into an earthen pot, with just enough water to cover it; then take a piece of
white flannel, lay it over a piece of cork or rubber, and proceed to polish the
varnish, always wetting it with the Tripoli and water. It will be known when
the process is finished by wiping a part of the work with a sponge, and
observing whether there is a fair, even gloss. When this is the case, take a
bit of mutton suet and fine flour, and clean the work.
Frames of varnished wood may be cleaned to look new, by careful
washing with a sponge and soap and water, but nothing stronger should be
used.

40. Varnish for Violins, &c.—Take a gallon of rectified spirits of wine,
twelve ounces of mastic, and a pint of turpentine varnish; put them all
together in a tin can, and keep it in a very warm place, shaking it
occasionally till it is perfectly dissolved; then strain it, and it is fit for use. If
you find it necessary, you may dilute it with turpentine varnish. This varnish
is also very useful for furniture of plum-tree, mahogany, or rosewood.

41. White Varnish.—The white varnish used for toys is made of sandarac,
eight ounces; mastic, two ounces; Canada balsam, four ounces; alcohol, one
quart. This is white, drying, and capable of being polished when hard.
Another varnish for objects of the toilet, such as work-boxes, card-cases,
&c., is made of gum sandarac, six ounces; elemi (genuine), four ounces:
anime, one ounce; camphor, half an ounce; rectified spirit, one quart. Melt
slowly. These ingredients may, of course, be lessened in proportion.

42. To remove Ink-spots from Mahogany.—Drop on the spots a very
small quantity of spirits of salt; rub it with a feather or piece of flannel,
taking care not to let the spirit reach the fingers or clothes; in four or five
minutes, wash it off with water.
Or, mix a teaspoonful of burnt alum, powdered, with a quarter of an
ounce of oxalic acid, in half a pint of cold water; to be used by wetting a rag
with it, and rubbing it on the ink-spots.
Or, crumple a piece of blotting-paper, so as to make it firm, wet it, and
with it rub the ink-spot firmly and briskly, when it will disappear; and the
white mark from the operation may be immediately removed by rubbing it
with a cloth.
43. Or:—Dilute ½ a teaspoonful of oil of vitriol with a large spoonful of
water, and touch the part with a feather; watch it, for if it stays too long, it
will leave a white mark. It is, therefore, better to rub it quickly, and repeat if
not quite removed.

44. To clean Chairs.—Scrape down one or two ounces of beeswax, put it
into a jar, and pour as much spirits of turpentine over it as will cover it: let it
stand till dissolved. Put a little upon a flannel or bit of green baize, rub it
upon the chairs, and polish them with a brush. A very small portion of
finely-powdered white rosin may be mixed with the turpentine and wax.

45. To clean and restore the Elasticity of Cane Chair Bottoms, Couches,
&c.—Turn up the chair bottom, &c., and with hot water and a sponge wash
the cane work well, so that it may be well soaked; should it be dirty, you
must add soap; let it dry in the air, and you will find it as tight and firm as
when new, providing the cane is not broken.

46. Blacking for Leather Seats, &c.—Beat well the yolks of two eggs,
and the white of one; mix a tablespoonful of gin and a teaspoonful of sugar,
thicken it with ivory black, add it to the eggs, and use as common blacking;
the seats or cushions being left a day or two to harden.

47. To prevent Hinges Creaking.—Rub them with soft soap, or a feather
dipped in oil.

48. Swallows' Nests.—To prevent swallows building under eaves, or in
window corners, rub the places with oil or soft soap.

49. To clean Polished Grates and Irons.—Make into a paste with cold
water, four pounds of putty-powder and one of finely-powdered whiting;
rub off carefully the spots from the irons, and with a dry clean duster rub
the irons with the mixture always in the same direction till bright and clear.
Plain dry whiting will keep it highly polished if well attended to every day.
The putty mixture should be used only to remove spots.

50. To clean the Back of the Grate, the inner Hearth, and the fronts of
Cast-Iron Stoves.—Mix black lead and whites of eggs well beaten together;
dip a painter's brush, and wet all over, then rub it bright with a hard brush.

51. To remove the Black from the Bright Bars of Polished Stoves in a few
minutes.—Rub them well with some of the following mixture on a bit of
broadcloth; when the dirt is removed, wipe them clean, and polish with
glass (not sand) paper.
52. For Mixture:—Boil slowly one pound of soft soap in two quarts of
water to one quart. Of this jelly take three or four spoonfuls, and mix to a
consistence with emery.

53. To clean Bright Stoves.—There are many ways of cleaning a stove,
but if the ornamental parts be neglected, rust will soon disfigure the surface,
and lead to incalculable trouble. Emery dust, moistened into a paste with
sweet oil, should be kept in a little jar; this should be applied on a bung, up
and down, never crossways, until marks or burns disappear. A dry leather
should then remove the oil, and a polish should afterwards be given with
putty powder on a dry clean leather.

54. Another way to clean Grates.—The best mixture for cleaning bright
stove-grates is rotten-stone and sweet oil: they require constant attention,
for, if rust be once suffered to make its appearance, it will become a toil to
efface it. Polished fire-irons, if not allowed to rust by neglect, will require
merely rubbing with leather; and the higher the polish, the less likely they
are to rust. If the room be shut up for a time, and the grates be not used, to
prevent their rusting, cover them with lime and sweet oil.
Bright fenders are cleaned as stoves; cast-iron fenders require black lead;
they should not, however, be cleaned in the sitting-room, as the powdered
lead may fly about and injure carpets and furniture. A good plan is to send
cast-iron fenders to be bronzed or lackered by the iron-monger; they will
then only require brushing, to free the dust from the ornamental work. The
bright top of a fender should be cleaned with fine emery-paper.

55. To prevent Fire-Irons becoming Rusty.—Rub them with sweet oil,
and dust over them unslaked lime. If they be rusty, oil them for two or three
days, then wipe them dry, and polish with flour emery, powdered pumice-
stone, or lime. A mixture of tripoli with half its quantity of sulphur, will also
remove rust; as will emery mixed with soft soap, boiled to a jelly. The last
mixture is also used for removing the fire-marks from bright bars.

56. To Color the Backs of Chimneys with Lead Ore.—Clean them with a
very strong brush, and carefully rub off the dust and rust; pound about a
quarter of a pound of lead ore into a fine powder, and put it into a vessel
with half a pint of vinegar, then apply it to the back of the chimney with a
brush. When it is made black with this liquid, take a dry brush, dip it in the
same powder without vinegar; then dry and rub it with this brush, till it
becomes as shining as glass.

57. To blacken the fronts of Stone Chimney-pieces.—Mix oil-varnish with
lamp-black, and a little spirit of turpentine to thin it to the consistence of
paint. Wash the stone with soap and water very clean; then sponge it with
clear water; and when perfectly dry, brush it over twice with this color,
letting it dry between the times. It looks extremely well. The lamp-black
must be sifted first.

58. Composition that will effectually prevent Iron, Steel, &c., from
rusting.—This method consists in mixing, with fat oil varnish, four-fifths of
well rectified spirit of turpentine. The varnish is to be applied by means of a
sponge; and articles varnished in this manner will retain their metallic
brilliancy, and never contract any spots of rust. It may be applied to copper,
and to the preservation of philosophical instruments; which, by being
brought into contact with water, are liable to lose their splendor, and
become tarnished.

59. To keep Arms and polished Metal from Rust.—Dissolve one ounce of
camphor in two pounds of hog's lard, observing to take off the scum; then
mix as much black lead as will give the mixture an iron color. Fire-arms,
&c., rubbed over with this mixture, and left with it on twenty-four hours,
and then dried with a linen cloth, will keep clean for many months.

60. To preserve Irons from Rust.—Melt fresh mutton-suet, and smear
over the iron with it while hot; then dust it well with unslaked lime pounded
and tied up in a muslin. Irons so prepared will keep many months. Use no
oil for them but salad-oil, there being water in all other.
Fire-irons should be wrapped in baize, and kept in a dry place, when not
used.

61. To prevent polished Hardware and Cutlery from taking Rust.—Case-
knives, snuffers, watch-chains, and other small articles made of steel, may
be preserved from rust, by being carefully wiped after use, and then
wrapped in coarse brown paper, the virtue of which is such, that all
hardware goods from Sheffield, Birmingham, &c., are always wrapped in
the same.

62. Another way.—Beat into three pounds of fresh hog's-lard two
drachms of camphor till it is dissolved; then add as much black lead as will
make it the color of broken steel. Dip a rag in it, and rub it thick on the
stove, &c., and the steel will never rust, even if wet. When it is to be used,

the grease must be washed off with hot water, and the steel be dried before
polishing.

63. To take Rust out of Steel.—Cover the steel with sweet oil well rubbed
on it, and in forty-eight hours use unslaked lime finely powdered, to rub
until all the rust disappears.

64. To clean Plate.—See that the plate is quite free from grease, by
having been washed, if necessary, in warm soap and water. Then mix some
whiting with water, and with a sponge rub it well on the plate, which will
take the tarnish off, making use of a brush not too hard, to clean the
intricate parts. Next, take some rouge-powder, mix it with water to about
the thickness of cream, and with a small piece of leather (which should be
kept for that purpose only) apply the rouge. This, with a little rubbing, will
produce a most beautiful polish. This is the actual manner in which
silversmiths clean their plate.

65. The common method of cleaning Plate.—First wash it well with soap
and warm water; when perfectly dry, mix together a little whiting and sweet
oil, so as to make a soft paste; then take a piece of flannel, rub it on the
plate, then with a leather, and plenty of dry whiting, rub it clean off again;
then with a clean leather and a brush, finish it.

66. An easy way to clean Plate.—A flannel and soap, and soft water, with
proper rubbing, will clean plate nicely. It should be wiped dry with a good-
sized piece of soft leather.

67. Plate Powder.—In most of the articles sold as plate powders, under a
variety of names, there is an injurious mixture of quicksilver, which is said
sometimes so far to penetrate and render silver brittle, that it will even
break with a fall. Whiting, properly purified from sand, applied wet, and
rubbed till dry, is one of the easiest, safest, and certainly the cheapest of all
plate powders: jewelers and silversmiths, for small articles, seldom use any
thing else. If, however, the plate be boiled a little in water, with an ounce of
calcined hartshorn in powder to about three pints of water, then drained

over the vessel in which it was boiled, and afterwards dried by the fire,
while some soft linen rags are boiled in the liquid till they have wholly
imbibed it; these rags will, when dry, not only assist to clean the plate,
which must afterwards be rubbed bright with leather, but also serve
admirably for cleaning brass locks, finger-plates, &c.

68. To cleanse Gold.—Wash the article in warm suds made of delicate
soap and water, with ten or fifteen drops of sal-volatile. (The sal-volatile
will render the metal brittle. This hint may be used or left, at pleasure.)

69. To clean Brass and Copper.—Rub it over slightly with a bit of flannel
dipped in sweet oil; next, rub it hard with another bit dipped in finely-
powdered rotten stone; then make it clean with a soft linen cloth, and finish
by polishing it with a plate-leather.

70. Obs.—The inside of brass or copper vessels should be scoured with
fullers' earth and water, and set to dry, else the tinning will be injured.

71. Another way to clean Brass and Copper.—Put one pennyworth of
powdered rotten stone into a dry, clean quart bottle; nearly fill it up with
cold soft water; shake it well, and add one penny-worth of vitriol. Rub it on
with a rag, and dry it with a clean, soft cloth, and then polish it with a plate-
leather. This mixture will keep for a long time, and becomes better the
longer it is kept. But the first method gives the most lasting polish, as well
as the finest color.

72. To clean Brass Ornaments.—Wash the ornament in a strong solution
of boiled roche-alum, in the proportion of an ounce to a pint of water. When
dry, rub them with fine tripoli powder.

73. Polishing Paste for Britannia metal, tins, brasses, and coppers, is
composed of rotten-stone, soft soap, and oil of turpentine.
The stone must be powdered and sifted through a muslin or hair sieve:
mix with it as much soft soap as will bring it to the stiffness of putty: to

about half-a-pound of this, add two ozs. of oil of turpentine. It may be made
up in balls, or put in gallipots; it will soon become hard, and will keep any
length of time. Method of using:—The articles to be polished should be
perfectly freed from grease and dirt. Moisten a little of the paste with water,
smear it over the metal, then rub briskly with dry rag or wash-leather, and it
will soon bear a beautiful polish.

74. To clean Britannia metal.—Rub the article with a piece of flannel
moistened with sweet oil; then apply a little pounded rotten-stone or
polishing paste with the finger, till the polish is produced; then wash the
article with soap and hot water, and when dry, rub with soft wash-leather,
and a little fine whiting.

75. To clean Pewter.—Scour it with fine white sand, and strong ley made
with wood-ashes, soda, or pearl-ash; then rinse the pewter in clean water,
and set it to drain. The best method, however, is to use the oil of tartar and
sand.

76. To clean Tin Covers.—Get the finest whiting; mix a little of it
powdered with the least drop of sweet oil, rub the covers well with it, and
wipe them clean; then dust over them some dry whiting in a muslin bag,
and rub bright with dry leather. This last is to prevent rust, which the cook
must guard against by wiping them dry, and putting them by the fire when
they come from the parlor; for if but once hung up damp, the inside will
rust.

77. Safe Method of cleaning Tea-urns.—In an earthen gallipot put one
ounce of bees'-wax, cut up in small pieces; set it by the fireside, until
perfectly melted and quite hot, very near boiling heat; remove the jar from
the fire, and stir into it rather less than a table-spoonful of salad oil, and
rather more than a table-spoonful of best spirits of turpentine; continue
stirring till well mixed and nearly cold; fill the urn with boiling water so as
to make it thoroughly hot, apply a thin coating of the above mixture, and
rub with a soft cloth, till all stickiness is removed, then polish with a clean
rag and a little crocus powder.

N. B.—The crocus powder must be very fine, so as to sift through
muslin.

78. To clean Gilt or Lacquered Articles.—Brush them with warm soap
and water, wipe them, and set them before the fire to dry; finish with a soft
cloth. By this simple means may be cleaned ormolu and French gilt
candelabra, branches, and lamps; mosaic gold and gilt jewelry, toys and
ornaments. Care is requisite in brushing the dirt from fine work, and
finishing it quite dry. Any thing stronger than soap, as acids, pearl-ash, or
soda, will be liable to remove the lacquer.
To polish inlaid Brass Ornaments.—Mix powdered tripoli and linseed
oil, and dip in it a piece of hat, with which rub the brass; then, if the wood
be ebony, or dark rosewood, polish it with elder ashes in fine powder.

79. To clean Lacquer.—Make a paste of starch, one part; powdered
rotten-stone, twelve parts; sweet oil, two parts; oxalic acid, one part; water
to mix.

80. To clean Door-plates.—To clean brass-plates on doors, so as not to
injure the paint at the edges, cut the size of the plate out of a large piece of
mill-board, place it against the door, and rub the plate with rotten-stone, or
crocus and sweet oil, upon leather.

81. To clean Mother-o'-pearl.—Wash in whiting and water. Soap destroys
the brilliancy.

82. To clean Knives and Forks.—Hold the knives straightly on the board,
and pass them backward and forward in as straight a line as possible. Forks
should be cleaned with a stick covered with buff-leather, and finished with a
brush. The best article for cleaning is the powder of the well-known
Flanders bricks.

83. Of Knife-boards.—A knife-board properly made, should consist of an
inch-deal-board, five feet long, with a hole at one end by which it is to be

hung up when not in use. At this end, the left hand, and close to the front
edge, should be fastened a stiff brush for cleaning forks. At the other end
should be a box, with the open end towards the hand, and a sliding lid; this
should contain a bath-brick, leathers for forks, &c., so that the materials for
cleaning may be shut in and hung up with the board.
Or, cover a smooth board free from knots, with thick buff-leather, on
which spread, the thickness of a shilling, the following paste:—emery, one
ounce; crocus, three ounces; mixed with lard or sweet oil. This composition
will not only improve the polish, but also the edges of the knives.

84. To re-fasten the loose handles of Knives and Forks.—Make a cement
of common brick-dust and rosin, melted together. Seal-engravers
understand this receipt.

85. Metal Kettles and other Vessels.—The crust on boilers and kettles
arises from the hardness of the water boiled in them. Its formation may be
prevented by keeping in the vessel a marble, or a potato tied in a piece of
linen.
Tin-plate vessels are cleanly and convenient; but, unless carefully dried
after washing, they will soon rust in holes.
Iron coal-scoops are liable to rust from the damp of the coals.
If cold water be thrown on cast-iron when hot (as the back of a grate), it
will crack. Cast-iron articles are brittle, and cannot be repaired.
The tinning of copper-saucepans should be kept perfect, clean, and dry:
in which case they may be used with safety.
Copper pans, if put away damp, will become coated with poisonous crust,
or verdigris, as will also a boiling-copper, if left wet. When used for
cooking, and not properly cleaned, copper vessels have occasioned death to
persons partaking of soup which had been warmed in a pan infected with
verdigris.
Untinned copper or brass vessels are at all times dangerous: it is absurd
to suppose, that if the copper or brass pan be scoured bright and clean, there

is little or no danger, for this makes but a trifling difference; such vessels
for culinary purposes ought to be banished for ever from the kitchen.
A polished silver or brass tea-urn will keep the water hotter than one of a
dull brown color, such as is most commonly used. The more of the surface
of a kettle that is polished, the sooner will water boil in it, as the part coated
with soot drives off rather than retains heat.
A polished metal tea-pot is preferable to one of earthenware; because the
earthen pot retains the heat only one-eighth of the time that a silver or
polished metal pot will; consequently, the latter will best draw the tea.
A German saucepan is best adapted for boiling milk in: this is a saucepan
glazed with white earthenware, instead of being tinned in the usual manner;
the glaze prevents the tendency to burn, which, it is well known, milk
possesses.
A stewpan, made as the German saucepan, is preferable to a metal
preserving-pan; simple washing keeps it sweet and clean, and neither color
nor flavor can by any chance be communicated to the article boiled in it.
Ornamental furniture, inlaid with brass or buhl, should not be placed very
near the fire, as the metal when it becomes warm expands, and, being then
too large for the space in which it was laid, starts from the wood.
"German silver" will not rust; but it does not contain a particle of silver, it
being only white copper. If left in vinegar, or any acid mixture, it will
become coated with verdigris. Salt should never be left in silver cellars, else
the metal will be much injured.

86. To clean Glasses.—Glasses should be first washed in warm clean
soap-suds, and rinsed in fresh cold water; wipe off the wet with one cloth,
and finish them with another.

87. Cleaning Decanters.—Those encrusted with dregs of port wine, can
be readily freed from stain by washing them with the refuse of the teapot,
leaves and all. Dip the decanter into a vessel containing warm water, to
prevent the hot tea-leaves from cracking the glass, then empty the teapot
into the decanter, and shake it well. The tannin of the tea has a chemical
affinity for the crust on the glass.

88. To clean Decanters.—Put into them broken egg-shells, pieces of
coarse brown or blotting paper, with pearlash, and nearly fill them with
lukewarm water; shake them well for a few minutes, or, if very dirty, leave
them for some hours, when rinse the decanters with cold water. The
settlement of the crust of wine in decanters, may be best prevented by
rinsing at night, with cold water, all the decanters used during the day. To
clean the outer work of decanters, rub it with a damp sponge dipped in
whiting; then brush it well, rinse the vessel in cold water, drain, and finish
with a fine dry cloth.

89. To remove Crust from Glass.—It often happens that glass vessels
used for flowers and other purposes, receive an unsightly crust hard to be
removed by scouring. The best method is to wash it with a little diluted
spirit of salts, which will soon loosen it.

90. To cleanse Bottles.—To cleanse bottles with bad smells, put into them
pieces of blotting or brown paper, and fill up with water; shake the bottles,
and leave them for a day or two, when, if they be not sweetened, repeat the
process, and rinse with pure water.

91. To restore the Lustre of Glasses tarnished by Age or Accident.—
Strew on them powdered fuller's-earth, carefully cleared from sand, &c.,
and rub them carefully with a linen cloth. Oxide of tin (putty) would
perhaps be better.

92. To clean China.—China is best cleaned, when very dirty, with finely-
powdered fuller's-earth and warm water; afterwards rinsing it well in clean
water. A little clean soft soap may be added to the water instead of fuller's-
earth. The same plan is recommended for cleaning glass.

93. To clean Alabaster.—Remove any spots of grease with spirit of
turpentine: then dip the article in water for about ten minutes, rub it with a
painter's brush and let it dry; finish by rubbing it with a soft brush dipped
into dry and fine plaster of Paris.

94. To bleach Ivory.—Ivory that has become discolored, may be brought
to a pure whiteness by exposing it to the sun under glasses; having first
brushed the ivory with pumice-stone, burnt and made into a paste with
water. To conceal the cracks in antique ivory, brush out the dust with warm
water and soap, and then place the ivory under glass. It should be daily
exposed to the sun, and turned from time to time, that it may become
equally bleached.

95. Glazed Vessels.—The glazing of stone ware is sometimes very
imperfect: to test it, nearly fill the vessel with vinegar, into which put some
fat of beef, salted; boil for half an hour, and set it by for a day, when, if the
glazing be imperfect, small black particles of lead will be seen at the bottom
of the vessel.

96. Use of Candle Snuffs for cleaning Glass.—Candle snuffs are
generally thrown away as useless; they are, however, of great utility for
cleaning mirrors and windows, especially the former. For this purpose take
a small quantity of the burnt snuffs and rub them with a soft cloth upon the
surface of the mirror. In a short time a splendid polish will appear, superior
to that obtained by other means. We know those who clean the whole of the
windows in a large house with snuffs; and we are told that not only are the
windows cleaned much better but also much quicker than by the ordinary
methods.
A Razor Strop Paste is also made of candle-snuffs, and answers very
well. It consists in simply rubbing a small quantity of the snuffs upon the
strop; this imparts a keener edge to the razor than when no such paste is
employed. Mechi's celebrated Magic Razor Strop Paste is certainly an
excellent article, but we question whether it be much superior to the
ordinary and common-place substance now recommended.

97. To loosen the Glass Stopples of Smelling Bottles and Decanters.—
With a feather rub a drop or two of olive oil round the stopple, close to the
mouth of the bottle or decanter, which must be then placed before the fire,
at the distance of a foot or eighteen inches; in which position the heat will
cause the oil to spread downward between the stopple and the neck. When

the bottle or decanter has grown warm, gently strike the stopple on one side,
and on the other, with any light wooden instrument; then try it with the
hand. If it will not yet move, place it again before the fire, adding, if you
choose, another drop of oil. After a while strike again as before; and by
persevering in this process, however tightly the stopple may be fastened in,
you will at length succeed in loosening it.

98. Or, knocking the stopper gently with a piece of wood, first on one
side, then on the other, will generally loosen it. If this method does not
succeed, a cloth wetted with hot water and applied to the neck, will
sometimes expand the glass sufficiently to allow the stopper to be easily
withdrawn.

99. Crockery and Glass.—Crockery and glass, to be used for holding hot
water, are best seasoned by boiling them, by putting the articles in a
saucepan of cold water over the fire, and letting the water just boil; the
saucepan should then be removed, and the articles should be allowed to
remain in it till the water is cold. Some kind of pottery is best seasoned by
soaking in cold water.
Choose thin rather than thick glasses, as the thin glass is less likely to be
broken by boiling water than that which is thicker; for, thin glass allows the
heat to pass through it in least time. The safest plan is to pour boiling water
very slowly into cold glasses.
As boiling water will often break cold glass, so a cold liquid will break
hot glass; thus wine, if poured into decanters that have been placed before
the fire, will frequently break them.
Glass dishes and stands made in moulds are much cheaper than others,
and they have a good appearance, if not placed near cut-glass.
Lamp-glasses are often cracked by the flame being too high when they
are first placed round it; the only method of preventing which is to lower
the flame before the glass is put on the lamp, and to raise the flame
gradually as the glass heats.

100. Polished Tea Urns preferable to varnished ones.—Polished tea urns
may be kept boiling with a much less expense of spirits of wine, than such
as are varnished; and the cleaner and brighter the dishes, and covers for
dishes, which are used for bringing food to table, and for keeping it hot, the
more effectually will they answer that purpose.

101. Japanned Candlesticks and Tea-Trays, and Paper work.—To
remove grease from these, let the water be just warm enough to melt it; then
wipe them with a cloth, and if they look smeared, sprinkle a little flour on
them, and wipe it clean off. Wax candles should not be burned in the
candlesticks, as the wax cannot be taken off without injuring the varnish.
Paper work is liable to break if let fall, or if boiling water be poured on it.

102. To clean Lamps.—Bronzed lamps should be wiped carefully; if oil
be frequently spilled over them, it will cause the bronzing to be rubbed off
sooner than it would disappear by wear. Brass lamps are best cleaned with
crocus or rotten-stone and sweet oil. Lackered lamps may be washed with
soap and water, but should not be touched with acid or very strong ley, else
the lacker will soon come off. When lamps are foul inside, wash them with
potash and water, rinse them well, set them before the fire, and be sure they
are dry before oil is again put into them.
Lamps will have a less disagreeable smell, if, before using, the cottons be
dipped in hot vinegar, and dried.
To clean ground-glass shades, wash the insides carefully with weak soap
and water, lukewarm, rub them very lightly and dry with a soft cloth.

103. To make economical Wicks for Lamps.—When using a lamp with a
flat wick, if you take a piece of clean cotton stocking, it will answer the
purpose as well as the cotton wicks which are sold in the shops.

104. Wax Candles.—Should they get dirty and yellow, wet them with a
piece of flannel dipped in spirits of wine.

105. Blowing out a Candle.—There is one small fact in domestic
economy which is not generally known; but which is useful, as saving time,
trouble, and temper. If a candle be blown out holding it above you, the wick
will not smoulder down, and may therefore be easily lighted again; but if
blown upon downwards, the contrary is the case.

106. Plain Hints about Candles.—Candles improve by keeping a few
months. Those made in winter are the best. The most economical, as well as
the most convenient plan, is to purchase them by the box, keeping them
always in a cool, dry place. If wax candles become discolored or soiled,
they may be restored by rubbing them over with a clean flannel slightly
dipped in spirits of wine. Candles are sometimes difficult to light. They will
ignite instantly, if, when preparing them for the evening, you dip the top in
spirits of wine, shortly before they are wanted. Light them always with a
match, and do not hold them to the fire, as that will cause the tops to melt
and drip. Always hold the match to the side of the wick, and not over the
top. If you find the candles too small for the candlesticks, always wrap a
small piece of white paper round the bottom end, not allowing the paper to
appear above the socket. Cut the wicks to a convenient length for lighting
(nearly close); for if the wick is too long at the top, it will be very difficult
to ignite, and will also bend down, and set the candle to running. Glass
receivers, for the droppings of candles, are very convenient, as well as
ornamental. The pieces of candles that are left each evening should be
placed in a tin box kept for that purpose, and used for bed lights.

107. To make an improved Candle.—Make the wicks about half the usual
size, and wet them with spirits of turpentine; dry them, before dipping, in
the sunshine, or in some favorable place, and the candles will be more
durable, emit a steadier and clearer blaze, and be in every way superior to
those made in the ordinary way.

108. Quicksilver.—Tallow will take up quicksilver. Vinegar kills it.

109. To give any Close-grained Wood the appearance of Mahogany.—
The surface of the wood must first be planed smooth, and then rubbed with

weak aquafortis; after which it is to be finished with the following varnish:
—To three pints of spirit of wine is to be added four ounces and a half of
dragon's blood and an ounce of soda, which have been previously ground
together; after standing some time, that the dragon's blood may dissolve, the
varnish is to be strained, and laid on the wood with a soft brush. This
process is to be repeated, and then the wood possesses the perfect
appearance of mahogany. When the polish diminishes in brilliancy, it may
be speedily restored by rubbing the article with linseed oil.

110. To Darken Mahogany.—Drop a nodule of lime in a basin of water,
and wash the mahogany with it.

111. To make Imitation Rosewood.—Brush the wood over with a strong
decoction of logwood, while hot; repeat this process three or four times; put
a quantity of iron-filings amongst vinegar; then with a flat open brush,
made with a piece of cane, bruised at the end, or split with a knife, apply the
solution of iron-filings and vinegar to the wood in such a manner as to
produce the fibres of the wood required. After it is dry, the wood must be
polished with turpentine and bees'-wax.

112. Imitation of Ebony.—Pale-colored woods are stained in imitation of
ebony by washing them with, or steeping them in a strong decoction of
logwood or galls, allowing them to dry, and then washing them over with a
solution of the sulphate or acetate of iron. When dry, they are washed with
clean water, and the process repeated, if required. They are, lastly, polished
or varnished.

113. Cheap Coloring for Rooms.—Boil any quantity of potatoes, bruise
them, and pour on them boiling water until a pretty thick mixture is
obtained, which is to be passed through a sieve; then mix whiting with
boiling water, and add it to the potato mixture. To color it, add either of the
ochres, lampblack, &c.

114. Cheap Paint.—Tar mixed with yellow ochre makes an excellent
green paint, for coarse wood-work, iron fencing, &c.

115. Weather-proof Composition.—Mix a quantity of sand with double
the quantity of wood ashes, well sifted, and three times as much slaked
lime; grind these with linseed oil, and use the composition as paint; the first
coat thin, the second thick; and in a short time it will become so hard as to
resist weather and time.
Or, slake lime in tar, and into it dip sheets of the thickest brown paper, to
be laid on in the manner of slating.

116. Artificial Marble.—Soak in a solution of alum a quantity of plaster
of Paris. Bake it in an oven, and grind it to a powder. When wanted, mix it
with water to about the consistency of plaster. It sets into an exceedingly
hard composition, and takes a high polish. It may be mixed with various
colored minerals or ochres to represent the various marbles, and is a
valuable receipt.

117. To give Wooden Stairs the Appearance of Stone.—Paint the stairs,
step, by step, with white paint, mixed with strong drying oil. Strew it thick
with silver sand.
It ought to be thoroughly dry next morning, when the loose sand is to be
swept off. The painting and sanding is to be repeated, and when dry, the
surface is to be done over with pipe-clay, whiting, and water; which may be
boiled in an old saucepan, and laid on with a bit of flannel, not too thick,
otherwise it will be apt to scale off.
A penny cake of pipe-clay, which must be scraped, is the common
proportion to half a lump of whiting.
The pipe-clay and whiting is generally applied once a week, but that
might be done only as occasion requires.

118. Lime for Cottage Walls, &c.—Take a stone or two of unslaked white
lime, and dissolve it in a pail of cold water. This, of course, is whitewash.
The more lime used, the thicker it will be; but the consistence of cream is
generally advisable. In another vessel dissolve some green vitriol in hot
water. Add it, when dissolved, to the whitewash, and a buff is produced.

The more vitriol used, the darker it will be. Stir it well up, and use it in the
same way as whitewash, having first carefully got off all the old dirt from
the walls. Two or three coats are usually given. For a border at top and base,
use more vitriol, to make it darker than the walls. If you have stencil-plates,
you can use it with them. This is cheap, does not rub off like ochre, and is
pure and wholesome, besides being disinfecting.

119. A White for Inside Painting, which dries in about four hours, and
leaves no smell.—Take one gallon of spirits of turpentine, and two pounds
of frankincense; let them simmer over a clear fire till dissolved, then strain
and bottle it. Add one quart of this mixture to a gallon of bleached linseed
oil, shake them well together, and bottle them likewise. Grind any quantity
of white-lead very fine with spirits of turpentine, then add a sufficient
quantity of the last mixture to it, till you find it fit for laying on. If it grows
thick in working, it must be thinned with spirit of turpentine; it gives a flat,
or dead white.

120. A Green Paint for Garden Stands, Trellisses, &c.—Take mineral
green, and white lead ground in turpentine; mix up the quantity you wish
with a small quantity of turpentine-varnish; this serves for the first coat; for
the second, put as much varnish in your mixture as will produce a good
gloss; if you desire a brighter green, add a small quantity of Prussian blue,
which will much improve the beauty of the color.

121. Cheap and beautiful Green.—The cost of this paint is less than one-
fourth of oil color, and the beauty far superior. Take four pounds of Roman
vitriol, and pour on it a tea-kettleful of boiling water; when dissolved, add
two pounds of pearl-ash, and stir the mixture well with a stick until the
effervescence cease; then add a quarter of a pound of pulverized arsenic,
and stir the whole together. Lay it on with a paint brush, and if the wall has
not been painted before, at least two, or even three coats, will be requisite.
If a pea-green is required, put in less, and if an apple-green, more, of the
yellow arsenic.

122. To Destroy the Smell of Fresh Paint.—Mix chloride of lime with
water, with which damp some hay, and strew it upon the floor.

123. To take the Smell of Paint from Rooms.—Let three or four broad
tubs, each containing about eight gallons of water, and one ounce of
vitriolic acid, be placed in the new painted room near the wainscot; this
water will absorb and retain the effluvia from the paint in three days, but the
water should be renewed each day during that time.

124. To remove Unpleasant Odors.—The unpleasant smell of new paint
is best removed by time and atmospheric ventilation; but tubs of water
placed in the apartment, will act more rapidly; with this inconvenience,
however, that the gloss of the paint will be destroyed. Unpleasant smells
from water-closets, or all articles of furniture connected with them, may be
modified by the application of lime-water, to which may be added the soap-
suds that have been used in washing, which neutralize the pungently
offensive salts; a little quick-lime put into a night-chair will destroy all
disagreeable effluvia. Aromatic pastiles of the following composition may
be burned with great success: take of camphor, flowers of benzoin,
powdered charcoal, powdered cascarilla bark, powdered Turkey myrrh, and
powdered nitre, each equal quantities; beat them with syrup sufficient to
form a mass, and divide into pastiles of a conical shape. They may be mixed
up with spirit of turpentine (the rectified oil) or anything that is
inflammable. Syrup does best, as it is most adhesive.

125. To prevent disagreeable Smells from Privies, Night Chairs, &c.—
Milk of lime (water in which lime has been slaked, and which is whitened
by the fine particles of that substance) must be mixed with a ley of ashes, or
soapy water that has been used in washing, then thrown into the sink of the
privy; it will destroy the offensive smell. By these means, for the value of a
few pence, any collection of filth whatever may be neutralized.
For the night-chair of sick persons, put within the vessel half a pound of
quicklime, half an ounce of powdered sal-ammoniac, and water one pint:
this will prevent any disagreeable odor.

126. Remarks.—Quicklime, or even lime just slaked, answers the
purpose without any addition. It is the only thing used in camps,
particularly in hot countries, to keep the ditches from creating contagion.

127. To clean Books or Prints.—Ink spots may be removed by oxalic
acid dissolved in water, and carefully applied with a hair pencil. To remove
oil or grease, warm the spot, lay over it blotting paper, and upon it the
heated blade of a knife, when the blotting-paper will absorb the grease; then
apply spirits of turpentine, with a hair pencil, and restore the whiteness of
the paper with spirits of wine.

128. To preserve Books.—A few drops of any perfumed oil will secure
libraries from the consuming effects of mouldiness and damp. Russian
leather which is perfumed with the tar of the birch-tree, never moulds; and
merchants suffer large bales of this article to lie in the London Docks in the
most careless manner, knowing that it cannot sustain any injury from damp.

129. To clean Oil Paintings.—Clean the picture well with a sponge,
dipped in warm beer; after it has become perfectly dry, wash it with a
solution of the finest gum-dragon, dissolved in pure water. Never use blue
starch, which tarnishes and eats out the coloring; nor white of eggs, which
casts a thick varnish over pictures, and only mends bad ones by concealing
the faults of the coloring.

130. To Light a Coal Fire.—A considerable saving of time and trouble
might often be effected, if housemaids would attend to the following rules
in lighting a fire:—Clear the grate well from ashes and cinders; then lay at
the bottom of it a few lumps of fresh coal, about the size of ducks' eggs, so
as not wholly to obstruct the air passing between the bars on which they are
placed. This done, put a small quantity of waste paper or shavings next
upon the coal; then a few sticks or pieces of split wood placed carefully
above it, so that they may not project between the bars; then a layer of the
cinders you have before taken from the grate; and next a few lumps of coal
on the top. Take care to complete this process before applying the light,

which may easily be done afterwards by means of a lucifer match, and you
will seldom fail to have a good fire in a few minutes.
Nothing is easier than to light a fire in the way here recommended, but
the coals and cinders must be laid in place by hand, and not thrown in
anyhow with the shovel. If the kindling wood be green or damp, it should
be dried over night, as a more miserable task cannot be attempted than to
light a fire with damp materials.

131. Another Way.—To light a fire from one already kindled, put three or
four pieces of charcoal between the bars of the grate; then lay a few pieces
of fresh coal upon the bottom of the grate in which the second fire is to be
made, and place upon them, crosswise, the lighted pieces of charcoal; cover
them with pieces of fresh coal, and blow them with the hand-bellows, when
the charcoal will set fire to the fresh coal, and a brisk fire will be made in a
few minutes. On the contrary, if we light a fire with wood, some time must
elapse before it can safely be blown.

132. Economy in Fuel.—A saving of nearly one-third of the coal
consumed may be made by the following easy means:—Let the coal ashes,
which are usually thrown into the dust bin, be preserved in a corner of the
coal hole, and make your servants add to them from your coal heap an equal
part of the small coal or slack, which is too small to be retained in the grate,
and pour a small quantity of water upon the mixture. When you make up
your fire, place a few round coals in front, and throw some of this mixture
behind; it saves the trouble of sifting your ashes, gives a warm and pleasant
fire, and a very small part only will remain unburnt.

133. Fire Balls.—Mix one bushel of small coal, or saw-dust, or both,
with two bushels of sand, and one bushel and a half of clay; make the
mixture into balls with water, and pile them in a dry place, to harden them.
A fire cannot be lighted with these balls; but when it burns strong, put them
on above the top bar, and they will keep up a strong heat.

134. To prevent the ill effects of Charcoal.—Set over the burning
charcoal a vessel of boiling water, the steam of which will prevent danger

from the fumes.

135. Method of sweeping Chimneys without employing Children, and the
danger attending the old Method pointed out.—Procure a rope for the
purpose, twice the length of the height of the chimney; to the middle of it
tie a bush (broom furze, or any other), of sufficient size to fill the chimney;
put one end of the rope down the chimney (if there be any windings in it, tie
a bullet or round stone to the end of the rope), and introduce the wood end
of the bush after the rope has descended into the chamber; then let a person
pull it down. The bush, by the elasticity of its twigs, brushes the sides of the
chimney as it descends, and carries the soot with it. If necessary, the person
at the top, who has hold of the other end of the rope, draws the bush up
again; but, in this case, the person below must turn the bush, to send the
wood end foremost, before he calls to the person at top to pull it up.
Many people, who are silent to the calls of humanity, are yet attentive to
the voice of interest: chimneys cleansed in this way never need a tenth part
of the repairs required where they are swept by children, who being obliged
to work themselves up by pressing with their feet and knees on one side,
and their back on the other, often force out the bricks which divide the
chimneys. This is one of the causes why, in many houses, a fire in one
apartment always fills the adjoining ones with smoke, and sometimes even
the neighboring house. Nay, some houses have even been burnt by this
means; for a foul chimney, taking fire, has been frequently known to
communicate, by these apertures, to empty apartments, or to apartments
filled with timber, where, of course, it was not thought necessary to make
any examination, after extinguishing the fire in the chimney where it began.

136. To revive a dull Fire.—Powdered nitre, strewed on the fire, is the
best bellows that can be used.

137. Fires, Stoves, &c.—It is wasteful to wet small coal, though it is
commonly thought to make a fire last longer: in truth, it wastes the heat,
and for a time makes a bad fire.
A close stove intended to warm an apartment should not have a polished
surface, else it will keep in the heat; whereas, if of rough and unpolished

cast iron, the heat will be dispersed through the room.
Long, shallow grates, are uneconomical, as the body of the coal in them
is not soon heated, and requires to be oftener replenished to keep up the
fire.
A good fire should be bright without being too hot: the best and quickest
mode of making up a neglected fire is to stir out the ashes, and with the
tongs fill up the spaces between the bars with cinders or half-burnt coals:
this method will soon produce a glowing fire. If coke can be mixed with
coals, the fire will require extra attention: coke, however, makes too much
dust for fires in the best rooms.

138. Water.—Hard water by boiling may be brought nearly to the state of
soft. A piece of chalk put into spring water will soften it.
Rain, or the softest water, is better adapted than any other for washing
and cleaning; but it must be filtered for drinking in large towns, as it
becomes impure from the roofs and plaster of houses. The best water has
the greatest number of air bubbles when poured into a glass. Hard water
will become thick and foul sooner than soft water.

139. To purify Water for drinking.—Filter river water through a sponge,
more or less compressed, instead of stone or sand, by which the water is not
only rendered more clear, but wholesome; for sand is insensibly dissolved
by the water, so that in four or five years it will have lost a fifth part of its
weight. Powder of charcoal should be added to the sponge when the water
is foul, or fetid. Those who examine the large quantity of terrene matter on
the inside of tea-kettles will be convinced all water should be boiled before
drunk.

140. Or, take a large flower-pot, and put either a piece of sponge or some
cleanly-washed moss over the hole at the bottom. Fill the pot three-quarters
with a mixture of equal parts of clean sharp sand, and charcoal in pieces the
size of peas. On this lay a piece of linen or woollen cloth, large enough to
hang over the sides of the pot. Pour the water to be filtered into the basin

formed by the cloth, and it will come out pure through the sponge or moss
at the bottom.

141. To purify River, or Muddy Water.—Dissolve half an ounce of alum
in a pint of warm water, and stirring it about in a puncheon of water from
the river, all the impurities will soon settle to the bottom, and in a day or
two it will become quite clear.

142. To purify muddy Water of Rivers or Pits.—Make a number of holes
in the bottom of a deep tub; lay some clean gravel thereon, and above this
some clean sand; sink this tub in the river or pit, so that only a few inches of
the tub will be above the surface of the water; the river or pit water will
filter through the sand, and rise clear through it to the level of the water on
the outside, and will be pure and limpid.

143. Method of making putrid Water sweet in a Night's Time.—Four large
spoonfuls of unslaked lime put into a puncheon of ninety gallons of putrid
water, at sea, will, in one night, make it as clear and sweet as the best spring
water just drawn: but unless the water is afterwards ventilated sufficiently
to carbonize the lime, it will be a lime water. Three ounces of pure unslaked
lime should saturate ninety gallons of water.

144. Lead Cisterns.—Lead Cisterns are unsafe to hold water for culinary
purposes: if the water has stood in them several days undisturbed, a small
white coating may be observed at the upper edge of the water: on any
addition of water, this coating is washed off, and if there be the slightest
acidity in the vessel, this coating will be dissolved in the water, and thus a
poison be conveyed into the stomach. To prevent this, the insides of lead
cisterns should be occasionally examined and cleared out.

145. To prevent the freezing of Water in Pipes in the Winter Time.—By
tying up the ball-cock with straw or flannel during the frost, the freezing of
pipes will often be prevented; in fact, it will always be prevented where the
main pipe is higher than the cistern or other reservoir, and the pipe is laid in
a regular inclination from one to the other, for then no water can remain in

the pipe; or if the main is lower than the cistern, and the pipe regularly
inclines, upon the supply's ceasing, the pipe will immediately exhaust itself.
When water is in the pipes, if each cock be left a little dripping, the
circulation of the water will prevent its freezing in the pipes.

146. To preserve Water and Meat from Putrefaction in long Voyages.—
The crews of two Russian ships, which sailed round the world, were
extremely healthy. During the whole three years of their voyage only two
men died of the crew of the Neva, and the Naveshda did not lose a single
man. It is known that their fresh water was preserved in charred casks, but it
is not so generally known that they used the same precaution for preserving
their salted provisions. The beef they carried out with them tasted as
pleasantly upon their return, as it did three years before, when first salted.

147. To make Sea-water fit for washing Linen.—Soda put into sea-water
renders it turbid; the lime and magnesia fall to the bottom. Therefore, to
make sea-water fit for washing linen, put in soda enough as not only to
effect a precipitation of these earths, but to render the water sufficiently
alkaline.

148. Steam.—When the steam from a tea-kettle appears cloudy, it should
be taken from the fire, as the water is then fast boiling away; the steam
when the water first boils being quite transparent, so as scarcely to be seen
near the mouth of the spout. The top of the kettle should be kept bright, as a
polished surface keeps in the heat.

149. To clean a Carriage.—Wash the body and wheels with a mop,
brush, and plenty of water. Then blacken and clean all the straps and
leather, first cleaning the brass or other ornaments as those on harness. Next
brush the inside lining, clean the glasses, and clean and trim the lamps.
Stains may be removed from panels by rubbing them with sweet oil on
baize. The wheels should be occasionally greased or oiled, and the linchpins
examined.

150. For Coach Wheels.—Melt over a slow fire one pound of lard, and
half a pound of black lead in powder, stirring them well; remove the
mixture from the fire, and stir till cold.

151. Harness Makers' Jet.—Take one drachm of indigo, a quarter of an
ounce of isinglass, half an ounce of soft soap, four ounces of glue, one
pennyworth of logwood raspings, and one quart of vinegar; boil the whole
together over a slow fire, till reduced to one pint. A small quantity is then to
be taken up on a piece of clean sponge, and thinly applied to harness, boots,
&c., taking care that they are previously well cleaned.
N.B.—A small quantity of sulphate of iron (green vitriol) would perhaps
greatly improve this.

152. To clean Harness.—Having washed off the wet dirt, sponge the
harness clean, and hang it up to dry. Next, brush it with a dry, hard brush,
and clean the brass ornaments.
For this purpose, mix a quarter of a pint of turpentine, with two ounces of
rotten-stone, two ounces of finely-powdered charcoal, and a quarter of a
pint of droppings of sweet oil; apply this paste with leather, and polish it off
with powdered charcoal.
Or, clean the brass ornaments with the following mixture, which is used
in the Royal Mews: dissolve one ounce of oxalic acid in a pint of water, to
which add a pint of naphtha. To give the brass-work a fine color, powder
some sal-ammoniac, moisten it with water, and rub it upon the ornaments;
then heat them over charcoal, and polish with dried bran and whiting.
Or, wash the brass-work with a strong solution of roche alum, and polish
it with tripoli.
To restore the color of harness, clean it, and brush over it the following
mixture:—boil half a pound of logwood chips in three quarts of soft water,
to which add three ounces of galls bruised and one ounce of alum.

153. Oiling Old Leather.—A practice is common of wetting harness, &c.,
before it is to be oiled, under the idea that it soaks in the oil better for

wetting. No two things are less capable of union than oil and water. The
leather appears soft after the above practice, but a dry day will soon show
how hard the leather becomes when the water it has imbibed has
evaporated, and how rotten the heart of the leather is, although the outside
appears yet oily. If leather be dry and then oiled, the quantity of oil
consumed will tell whether the leather has absorbed the oil or not. If it have,
it will last for years, if it be oiled thoroughly every spring. The most durable
stuff to nail up garden trees, is leather soaked in oil, and then drained before
use. Old shoes and harness will thus be of use when no longer of service to
the body.

154. General Washing.—Counterpanes, blankets, bed-hangings, &c.,
should be washed in summer, as they will then dry quickly, and be of good
color.
By putting linen and cotton stockings to soak the night before they are to
be washed, much soap and labor will be saved.
If clothes remain long dirty, they will not only require more soap and
labor, but be much injured in washing.

155. Washing Preparation.—Half a pound of soap; half a pound of soda;
quarter of a pound of quick-lime. Cut up the soap and dissolve it in half a
gallon of boiling water; pour half a gallon of boiling water over the soda;
and enough boiling water over the quick-lime to cover it. The lime must be
quick and fresh; if quick, it will bubble up when the hot water is poured
over it. Prepare each of these in separate vessels. Put the dissolved lime and
soda together, and boil them for twenty minutes. Then pour them into a jar
to settle.
Another method of making this preparation is—Instead of preparing each
of the articles by themselves, dissolve over night half a pound of soda in
one gallon of boiling water, pour it on the lime, and let it settle; cut up the
soap, and pour the clear water from the lime and soda upon it. In the
morning it will be a dissolved mass, fit for use. In this way the twenty
minutes' boiling of the lime and soda is dispensed with.

In either of these processes white or common yellow soap may be used.
But the lime should be white and quick. If it does not bubble and hiss when
the water is poured on it, it is unfit for use.
This preparation contains nothing injurious to the linen. It has been
proved by trial that if the directions are rightly followed, it is less
destructive than the old method.

156. How to proceed after having made the Preparation.—Set aside the
flannels and colored things, as they must not be washed in this way. They
may be washed in the usual way while the others are boiling.
The night before, the collars and wristbands of shirts, the feet of
stockings, &c., should be rubbed well with soap and set to soak.
In the morning pour ten gallons of water into the copper, and having
strained the mixture of lime and soda well, taking great care not to disturb
the settlings, put it, together with the soap, into the water, and make the
whole boil before putting in the clothes. A plate should be placed at the
bottom of the copper to prevent the clothes from burning.
Boil each lot of clothes from half an hour to an hour. Then rinse them
well in cold blue water. When dry they will be beautifully white.
The same water will do for three lots. Wash the finer things first.
After having been used for the clothes, the mixture may be employed for
cleaning silver, brass, or any other kind of metal; which should afterwards
be dried and polished with leather. The liquid may also be used for scouring
floors, or cleaning paint.

157. To make Starch.—Dissolve as much starch as will be required in a
very small quantity of cold water; then pour boiling water on it till it is of
the right consistency, and let it boil once or twice.
In mixing starch, put a lump of sugar in it to prevent it from sticking to
the iron. Stirring the starch for a minute with a sperm candle improves it
when it is wanted for shirt bosoms or collars.

158. Gum Arabic Starch.—Get two ounces of fine white gum arabic, and
pound it to powder. Next put it into a pitcher, and pour on it a pint or more
of boiling water, (according to the degree of strength you desire,) and then
having covered it, let it set all night. In the morning, pour it carefully from
the dregs into a clean bottle, cork it, and keep it for use. A table-spoonful of
gum water stirred into a pint of starch that has been made in the usual
manner, will give to lawns (either white or printed) a look of newness to
which nothing else can restore them after washing. It is also good (much
diluted) for thin white muslin and bobbinet.

159. To keep Muslins of a good Color.—Never wash muslins or any kind
of white cotton goods, with linen; for the latter deposits or discharges a gum
and coloring matter every time it is washed, which discolors and dyes the
cotton. Wash them by themselves.

160. To wash Flannels.—Flannels should be washed in soft water, soap,
and much blue. The water should be as hot as the hands will bear; wring
them as dry as possible, shake them and hang them out; but do not rinse
them after the lather.

161. To make Flannels not shrink.—The first time of washing put them
into a pail of boiling water, and let them lie till cold.

162. To scour Flannels.—Slice half a pound of yellow soap, and dissolve
it in boiling water, so as to make it of the thickness of oil; cover the flannels
with warm water, add a lump of pearlash, and about one-third of the soap-
solution; beat them till no head rises on the water; then pour it off, and
proceed as before with hotter water, without pearlash.

163. To wash Woollens.—Use soft water; and, in order to make a lather,
put half a pound of soap into a gallon of water, (or as much more in
proportion as is necessary,) and boil it until the soap is dissolved; wash
through two waters, (unless one is found sufficient,) as warm as can be
borne, adding, as you go on, what quantity of the soap-water is needed;
wring them out each time; then throw them into a rinsing-tub, and fill, to

covering, with boiling water. Let them remain until cool enough to admit of
handling, then proceed to rinse well, and wring them.
N. B.—Observe, the rinsing-water must be hard water—this is the secret.
This method will do for any kinds of woollens; but for large and strong,
such as blankets, or carpets, &c., perhaps wringing would be better omitted,
and in all cases, care should be taken to spread out the articles straight and
smooth.

164. Drying Clothes.—If the weather be favorable, the drying may be
best finished in the open air; but if the weather be damp or doubtful, the
article should be, without delay, spread before a fire, or hung in an
apartment where there is a strong current of air. A dry cloth should be
placed on the line hedge, or horse, and the woollen article spread upon it.
The more quickly the drying can be accomplished the better. For this
reason, settled dry weather should be chosen for this kind of work; if windy,
all the better.

165. Family Washing.—[The following method, though not generally
known, is much practiced in many families.] Melt together half a pound
each of washing soda and of soap cuttings, mix well with sixteen gallons of
water, pour it lukewarm over the dirty linen, and leave to soak for twenty-
four hours. Drain this water from the clothes, and put them into a boiler,
with a second supply of the same preparation cold, and let them boil for
rather a longer time than if they had been previously washed. They will then
require to be washed out in clean, warm water, looking carefully over them
that the parts requiring it may be rubbed; afterwards rinse in the usual way.
This direction applies to all white and brown-holland articles. Bobbinet, and
lace, retain their color best, if only scalded, not boiled. This mode of
washing has been adopted for many years in a family of seven persons; the
linen is of an excellent color, with only half the assistance formerly
required, and the quantity of soap used is much lessened.
N. B. The refuse water is a good manure for fruit trees.

166. Substitutes for Soap.—Put any quantity of pearl-ash or soda into a
large jar, cover it lightly, and in a few days it will become liquid; then mix

with it an equal quantity of newly-slaked lime, and double its quantity of
soft water: boil it half an hour, add as much more hot water, and pour off
the liquor.
Two ounces of pearl-ash, used with a pound and a half of soap, will effect
a considerable saving.
For coarse purposes, soft soap is a saving of nearly one-half. The most
economical plan of keeping hard soap, is to cut it into pieces of about a
pound each, and keep it moderately dry.
A little pipe-clay dissolved in the water, or rubbed with the soap on the
clothes, will give the dirtiest linen the appearance of having been bleached;
it will also clean them with about half the labor, and a saving of full one-
fourth of the soap. Pipe-clay will also render hard water nearly as soft as
rain-water.
Carpets, moreen curtains, or other woollen goods, may be cleaned with
the coarse pulp of potatoes, used as a kind of soap.

167. Horse-chestnut Soap.—It is not generally known that the horse-
chestnut contains a soapy juice, not only useful in bleaching, but in washing
linens and stuffs. The nuts must be peeled and ground, and the meal of
twenty of them will be sufficient to mix with ten quarts of hot water, with
which the clothes may be washed without soap; the clothes should then be
rinsed in spring-water. The same meal being steeped in hot water, and
mixed with an equal quantity of bran, will make a nutritious food for
poultry.

168. To wash a Cotton Counterpane.—Slice a pound of mottled soap,
dissolve it in a pailful of boiling water, and add a small lump of pearl-ash;
next, put the counterpane into warm water, with a bowl of the soap-
solution, beat it and turn it, wash it in a second liquor, and rinse it in cold
water; then put three tea-spoonfuls of liquid blue into a thin liquor, stir
together, and put in the counterpane; beat it a few minutes, and dry it in the
air.

169. To wash Silk Stockings, White and Black.—Cut in thin bits some
white soap, and boil it in soft water; pour a little of it among cold, soft
water, and wash the stockings, first upon the inner side; repeat the washing
with fresh suds and water, till they are washed quite clean; turn the outside,
the last time of washing, and if the feet be very dirty, rub a little of the
boiled soap upon them, but not upon the legs. If to be colored, mix the dye
with a little clean suds, and dip in the white stockings; draw them out
smooth, and lay them upon a sheet on a bed, with the window open, and
when almost dry, lay them upon a piece of flannel, and with another bit
rolled up, rub them hard and quick one way till they are dry.

170. To wash Thread Stockings and Gloves.—Fine thread-stockings and
gloves should be well soaped, put into a lather of cold water, and boiled;
they should then be put into a fresh, cold lather, and be boiled again; when,
on taking them out, they will require little more than rinsing.

171. To wash Cotton Stockings.—Lay them in cold water at night; next
day boil them in a copper with some soda and soap; stir them well about,
and they will become quite clean without any rubbing; rinse them well in
cold water, and bleach them; when nearly dry, draw them smooth, folding
them straight over the instep. Place them under a heavy weight, or iron
them.

172. To wash Cotton Bed-furniture, and printed Calicoes in general.—1.
Get rid of as much dirt as possible, by brushing and shaking.
2. Do not let the dirty things lie about in a damp wash-house, or in any
way become damp before they are fairly wetted.
3. On no account use a particle of soda, pearl-ash, or any thing of the
kind.
4. Allow plenty of water, and plenty of room in the tub.
5. Use soft water, no hotter than would be pleasant for washing the
hands.

6. Rub with soap in the ordinary way. Mottled soap is preferable to
yellow. If a general wash is about, the liquor in which flannels have been
washed the second time, does very well for the first washing of colored
things; or that in which muslins have been washed a second time, provided
no soda or anything else of the kind was used.
7. When the first washing is completed, have ready another tub with
water of the same degree of warmth, into which put each piece immediately
on wringing it out of the first liquor.
8. Repeat the process of washing in the second liquor, carefully observing
that every part is clean.
9. On wringing out of the second liquor, immediately plunge each piece
into cold spring water for rinsing.
10. On wringing each piece out of the rinsing water, immediately hang it
out, and let it dry as quickly as possible.
11. In hanging up, put any thick double parts next the line, letting the
thinner part hang down and blow about. When these are dry, the positions
may be changed, and the thick parts hung downwards.
12. If, through unfavorable weather, or any other circumstance, the
drying cannot proceed at once, the things had better remain all night in the
rinsing water, than be laid about damp. If they are half-dry out-of-doors,
when taken in for the night let them be hung or spread in a room, and again
hung out early next day. If there is no chance of favorable drying abroad,
they should be quickly dried before a fire, or round a stove.
13. If starching is required, a sufficient quantity of made starch may be
stirred into the rinsing water.

173. How to wash Printed Dresses.—A very cool lather of white soap, of
the best quality, should be used, as the inferior soaps contain rosin, and
other pernicious ingredients most destructive to colors. Soda, pearl-ash,
vinegar, alum, salt, washing-powder, &c., although they may not injure
some colors, should never be used; for they will most certainly destroy
others. Printed dresses should not be washed with household or body linen,
or put into scalding water. It is desirable to wash colors with a light hand, so
as not to subject them to hard rubbing, and to rinse with plenty of clean cold

water, and to dry in the open air. Claret, chocolate, purple, lilac, red, pink,
and black, are the most permanent; the cloth for these colors being prepared
in a peculiar manner, and which process has the effect of better fixing them
to it. Blue, green, drab, ruby, crimson, buff, dahlia, orange, and cinnamon,
as they do not admit of the cloth being so prepared, of course require more
careful treatment, or some of the surface color may possibly on the first
washing scale off and tinge the white, especially if not well rinsed; but by a
little discretion the most delicate colors may be effectually preserved.

174. To wash Chintz, so as to preserve its Gloss and Beauty.—Take two
pounds of rice and boil it in two gallons of water, till soft; when done, pour
the whole into a tub; let it stand till about the warmth you in general use for
colored linens; put the chintz in, and use the rice instead of soap; wash it in
this, till the dirt appears to be out; then boil the same quantity as above, but
strain the rice from the water, and mix it in warm water. Wash it in this till
quite clean; afterwards rinse it in the water the rice was boiled in; this will
answer the end of starch, and no dew will affect it, as it will be stiff while it
is worn. If a gown, it must be taken to pieces, and when dried, hang it as
smooth as possible; after dry, rub it with a sleek stone, but use no iron.

175. To protect Children from Burning.—Add one ounce of alum to the
last water used in rinsing children's dresses, and they will be rendered
uninflammable, or so slightly combustible that they would take fire slowly,
if at all, and would not flame.

176. Composition for Washing in Sea-water.—Mix a strong solution of
potash with an equal weight of pipe-clay, and work them to a paste, one
pound of which will soften four gallons of sea-water.

177. To bleach a Faded Dress.—Wash the dress in hot suds, boil it and
rinse it, then dry it in the sun. Should it not be rendered perfectly white, lay
the dress in the sun for several days.

178. To preserve the Color of a Print Dress.—Rip the skirt from the
body, and wash them in cold rain water in which a handful of common salt

has been thrown. Do not expose it to the sun to dry, but roll it tightly in a
coarse cloth until dry enough to iron.

179. To wash White Lace.—A quarter of a cake of white wax, six lumps
of sugar, and a dessert-spoonful of made starch, to be mixed with a quart of
soft water. Tack the lace very slightly in a thin cloth dipped in cold water,
then let it lie in a strong lather for one day. Change the water, and leave it in
a second lather all night. Put the above materials into a saucepan, boil the
lace in it for ten minutes, then throw it into cold water, and when nearly dry
iron it.

180. Washing Kid Gloves.—Have ready a little new milk in one saucer,
and a piece of brown soap in another, and a clean cloth or towel, folded
three or four times. On the cloth, spread out the glove smooth and neat.
Take a piece of flannel, dip it in the milk, then rub off a good quantity of
soap to the wetted flannel, and commence to rub the glove downwards
towards the fingers, holding it firmly with the left hand. Continue this
process until the glove, if white, looks of a dingy yellow, though clean: if
colored, till it looks dark and spoiled. Lay it to dry, and the operator will
soon be gratified to see that her old gloves look nearly new. They will be
soft, glossy, smooth, shapely, and elastic. Dark, and especially black
mourning gloves, should be of the very best and high-priced.

181. To iron Shirt Fronts and Dresses.—Shirt-fronts are most
conveniently ironed upon a deal board about 12 inches long and 8 wide,
covered with fine flannel; to be placed between the back and front of the
shirt, after the back is ironed. The skirts of dresses also may be ironed in a
similar manner, using a board as long as the skirt, 26 inches wide at one
end, and 12 inches at the other. The board should be covered with a blanket,
and rest upon a thin block of wood at each end, to keep it from creasing the
skirt beneath it.

182. To clean Hair Brushes and Combs.—Sub-carbonate of soda or
potash sometimes called salt of tartar or salt of wormwood, is to be
dissolved in boiling water—two heaped tea-spoonfuls will be sufficient for

half a pint; into this mixture dip the hairs of the brush, and draw the comb
through many times. The brush and comb, with the help of this solution,
will quickly cleanse each other; dry quickly and they will be as white as
new. Observe two things: the potass must be kept in a stopper bottle, or it
will soon become liquid; when liquid it is not injured for use, but if left in
paper would be wasted; also the mahogany or satin-wood back of the brush
must be kept out of the solution, as it is apt to discolor wood.

183. To clean Sponge.—Put into two pints of hot water about three cents
worth of Salts of lemon, and steep the sponge in it. After it is clean, rinse it
in clean water.
Or, immerse it in cold buttermilk, and let it soak a few hours. Then rinse
it in pure water.

184. To clean Ermine and Minivar.—Take a piece of soft flannel, dip it in
common flour, and rub the fur with it, being careful to rub it against the
grain. Shake it well and rub again with the flannel till all the flour is out of
it.

185. To clean Swansdown.—White swansdown may be washed in soap
and water; after washing, shake it out, and when the down is somewhat
raised, shake it before a clear fire to dry.

186. To clean Leather Cases.—To clean hat cases, writing-desks, &c.,
dissolve in warm water a small quantity of oxalic acid, and wash the articles
with a sponge wet in the solution. When dry they will look almost equal to
new.

187. To take Stains out of Linen.—Stains caused by Acids can be
removed by wetting the part, and laying on it some salt of wormwood; then
rub it without diluting it with more water.
Or, let the cloth imbibe a little water without dipping, and hold the part
over a lighted match, at a due distance. The spots will be removed by the
sulphureous gas.

Or, tie up in the stained part some pearlash; then scrape some soap into
cold soft water to make a lather, and boil the linen till the stain disappears.

188. Stains of Wine, Fruit, &c., after they have been long in the Linen.—
Rub the part on each side with yellow soap; then lay on a mixture of starch
in cold water very thick; rub it well in, and expose the linen to the sun and
air till the stain comes out. If not removed in three or four days, rub that off
and renew the process. When dry it may be sprinkled with a little water.
Recent Stains of Fruit may be removed by holding the linen tightly
stretched over a tub and pouring hot water over the part. This must be done
before any soap has been applied to it.
Obs. As soon as a stain is made on table-linen, &c., rub on it common
table salt before it has time to dry; the salt will keep it damp till the cloth is
washed, when the stain will disappear; or wash the stain lightly when the
cloth is removed.

189. To restore Scorched Linen.—Peel and slice two onions, and extract
the juice by squeezing or pounding. Cut up half an ounce of white soap and
two ounces of fullers' earth; mix with them the onion juice and half a pint of
vinegar. Boil this composition well, and spread it, when cool, over the
scorched part of the linen, leaving it to dry thereon. Then wash out the
linen.

190. To restore Linen that has long been Stained.—Rub the stains on
each side with wet brown soap; mix some starch to a thick paste, with cold
water, and spread it over the soaped places; then expose the linen to the air.
If the stains do not disappear in three or four days, rub off the mixture, and
repeat the process with fresh soap and starch. Then dry it, wet it with cold
water, and wash it.

191. Grease or Wax Spots.—Grease-spots should be rubbed with strong
pearlash and water. Spots of wax or oil paint should be rubbed with
turpentine, and washed with soap and water: or, wax, if moistened
repeatedly with spirits of wine, may be brushed off. Or, dissolve six ounces

of alum in half a pint of water, warm it, wash the stained part with it, and
leave it to dry.
Or, in a quart of warm water, dissolve a little white soap, and one ounce
of pearlash; to which add two spoonsful of ox-gall, and a little essence of
lavender or bergamot: mix the whole, strain it, and keep it in a bottle. In
using it, put a small quantity on the spot, brush, and wash it with warm
water, so as entirely to remove the liquor applied, which might injure the
cloth if allowed to remain.

192. Other Stains.—Many other Stains may be taken out by dipping the
linen in sour buttermilk, and drying it in a hot sun. Then wash it in cold
water, and dry it, two or three times a-day.

193. Ironmoulds.—Ironmoulds should be wetted, then laid on a hot
water-plate, and a little essential salt of lemons put on the part. If the linen
becomes dry, wet it, and renew the process, observing that the plate is kept
boiling hot. Much of the powder sold under the name of salt of lemons is a
spurious preparation; and therefore it is necessary to dip the linen in a good
deal of water, and wash it as soon as the stain is removed, to prevent the
part from being worn into holes by the acid. Ink spots can be removed in the
same way.

194. To take Mildew out of Linen.—Take soap, and rub it well; then
scrape some fine chalk, and rub that also in the linen; lay it on the grass; as
it dries wet it a little, and it will come out at twice doing.

195. Or, mix soft soap with starch powdered, half as much salt and the
juice of a lemon; lay it on the part on both sides with a painter's brush. Let it
lie on the grass day and night till the stain comes out.

196. To discharge all Stains which are not Metallic.—Mix two tea-
spoonfuls of water with one of spirit of salt; let the stain lie in it for one or
two minutes; then rinse the article in cold water. This will be found
particularly useful in removing stains from white doilys.

197. Prepared Ox-gall for taking out Spots.—Boil together one pint of
ox-gall and two ounces of powdered alum; to which add two ounces of
common salt; let the liquor settle, add a few drops of essence of lemon,
pour it off into a bottle, and cork tightly.

198. Salt of Lemons.—Mix one ounce of salt of sorrel in very fine
powder, with an equal quantity of cream of tartar; this is the salt sold in the
shops; but, as it is only recommended for removing ironmoulds or ink
spots, it will be better to use only the salt of sorrel.

199. To bleach Linen.—Mix common bleaching powder, in the
proportion of one pound to a gallon of water; stir it occasionally for three
days, let it settle, and pour it off clear. Then make a ley of one pound of
soda to a gallon of boiling soft water, in which soak the linen for twelve
hours, and boil it half an hour; next, soak it in the bleaching liquor, made as
above; and lastly, wash it in the usual manner.
Discolored linen or muslin may be restored, by putting a portion of
bleaching liquor into the tub wherein the articles are soaking.

200. Use of Potatoes in Bleaching.—This method of bleaching consists
in substituting for soap, an equal quantity of potatoes three-parts boiled.
The linen is first boiled for nearly an hour; it is next put into a tub of boiling
water, from which each piece is taken separately, and rubbed with the
potatoes, as with soap. The linen is then boiled with the potatoes for half an
hour, next taken out, rubbed, and rinsed two or three times in cold soft
water, wrung, and hung up to dry. Kitchen linen, which has mostly the smell
of tallow, loses it after having been bleached by this process.

201. To Remove fresh Ink Stains.—Let one person hold the part that is
spotted between his two hands over a basin and rub it, while another pours
water gradually from a decanter upon it, and let a whole pitcher-full be used
if necessary; or if the ruffle, apron, &c. be at liberty, let it be dipped into a
basin filled with water, and there squeezed and dipped in again, taking care
to change the water every two or three squeezes. If the ink be spilled on a

green table carpet, it may immediately be taken out with a tea-spoon so
entirely, that scarcely any water at all shall be wanted afterwards, provided
it was only that instant spilled, as the down of the cloth prevents the
immediate soaking in of the ink, or of any other liquor (except oil); but if it
have lain some time, be the time ever so long, provided the place be still
wet, by pouring on it fresh clean water, by little and little at a time, and
gathering it up again each time with a spoon, pressing hard to squeeze it out
of the cloth into the spoon, you will at last bring it to its natural color, as if
no such accident had happened.

202. To take out Spots of Ink.—As soon as the accident happens, wet the
place with juice of sorrel or lemon, or with vinegar, and the best hard white
soap.

203. To remove Ink Stains.—Get a pint cup, or narrow-topped jug, full of
boiling water; place the stained part (of the linen, &c.) on the top of the cup;
dip it in, draw it tight over the top of the cup, and, while wet and hot, with
your finger rub in a little salt of sorrel. The acid should remain on the linen
for half-an-hour before it is washed. As salt of sorrel is a powerful poison,
the paper should be marked POISON, and kept carefully locked up, when
not in use.

204. The fumes of brimstone useful in removing Spots or Stains in Linen,
&c.—If a red rose be held in the fumes of a brimstone match, the color will
soon begin to change, and, at length, the flower will become white. By the
same process, fruit-stains or iron-moulds may be removed from linen or
cotton cloths, if the spots be previously moistened with water. With iron-
moulds, weak muriatic acid is preferable, assisted by heat; as by laying the
cloth on a tea-pot or kettle, filled with boiling water.

205. To remove Stains from Black Bombazine, Crape or Cloth.—Boil a
large handful of fig-leaves in two quarts of water until reduced to a pint;
squeeze the leaves quite dry, and put the liquor into a bottle for use. The
article should be rubbed with a sponge dipped in the liquor. The word
POISON should be written on the bottle, to prevent any accident.

206. To clean Black Satin.—Boil three pounds of potatoes to a pulp in a
quart of water; strain through a sieve, and brush the satin with it on a board
or table. The satin must not be wrung, but folded down in cloths for three
hours, and then ironed on the wrong side.

207. To restore Color taken out by Acids.—Sal-volatile or hartshorn will
suffice for this purpose. It may be dropped on silk without doing any injury.

208. To take out Spots on Silk.—Rub the spots with spirit of turpentine;
this spirit exhaling, carries off with it the oil that causes the spot.

209. To extract Grease from Silks.—Scrape French chalk, put it on a
grease-spot, and hold it near the fire, or over a warm iron, or water-plate
filled with boiling water. The grease will melt, and the French chalk absorb
it. Brush or rub it off; repeat if necessary.

210. Another way.—To remove a grease spot from silk, scrape some
French chalk on the wrong side; let it remain some time, and then brush off.
Magnesia is also a good remedy.

211. To extract Grease from Silks or Stuffs (another way).—Take a lump
of magnesia, and rub it wet over the spot; let it dry; then brush the powder
off, and the spot will disappear.
Or, take a visiting or other card; separate it, and rub the spot with the soft
internal part, and it will disappear without taking the gloss off the silk.

212. To take Spots out of Cloths, Stuffs, Silk, Cotton, and Linen.—Take
two quarts of spring water, put in it a little fine white potash, about the
quantity of a walnut, and a lemon cut in slices; mix these well together, and
let it stand for twenty-four hours in the sun; then strain it off, and put the
clear liquid up for use. This water takes out all spots, whether pitch, grease,
or oil, as well in hats, as cloths and stuffs, silk or cotton, and linen. As soon

as the spot is taken out, wash the place with fair water; for cloths of a deep
color, add to a spoonful of the mixture as much fair water as to weaken it.
Grease spots in cloth may be removed by using soap and water with a
tooth or nail brush, and afterwards wiping off the lather with the wet corner
of a towel. Essence of lemon, or pure spirit of turpentine, will remove pitch
from cloth, &c.
In woollen cloth, an easier method is to scrape off the hard tallow with
the edge of a tea-spoon, then rub the part briskly with a clean woollen rag,
shifting the rag as the part becomes dirty; or, place some blotting paper on
the spot, and press it with a hot iron, occasionally moving the paper.

213. To clean Silks or Merinoes, &c.—Grate two or three large potatoes,
add to them a pint of cold water, let them stand a short time, and pour off
the liquid clear, or strain it through a sieve, when it will be fit for use. Lay
the silk on a flat surface, and apply the liquid with a clean sponge, till the
dirt is well separated, dip each piece in a pail of clean water, and hang up to
dry without wringing. Iron whilst damp on the wrong side. Should the silk
be of more than one color, it is desirable to wet a small piece first, lest the
dress should be spoiled, by moisture causing the colors to run; but for self-
colored silks, the direction is an excellent one; and satinettes, even of light
colors, if not greased or stained, make up again nearly equal to new.

214. To clean Silks.—If of any other color than black, wash them in a hot
lather of soft soap and water, and rinse them in plain warm water, to which
a small quantity of dye may be added, according to the color: a few drops of
vitriol added to the water will freshen crimson, scarlet, maroon, or bright
yellow; lemon-juice for pink, rose, or carnation; pearlash for blue and
purple; and for olive-green, a pinch of verdigris; but acid must not be used
for fawn, brown, or orange. Then squeeze the liquid from the silk, roll it in
a coarse sheet, and wring it: spread it out, and rub it on the wrong side with
gum-water, with a little pearlash in it; dry it in a warm room, and finish
with calendering or mangling it.
Black silk should be sponged with hot ox-gall on both sides, then rinsed,
and dried smooth on a board. Or, spread black plain silks upon a board,
soap the dirty place, and brush the silk on both sides with a fine soap lather;

put it into hot water, rinse it through cold water, and, having squeezed and
dried it, smooth it on the right side with an iron, moderately heated.

215. To make Old Silk look as well as New.—Unpick the dress, put it into
a tub and cover it with cold water; let it remain an hour; dip it up and down,
but do not wring it; hang it up to drain. Iron it very damp, and it will look
well.

216. To clean Silks.—A quarter-pound of soft soap, a teaspoonful of
brandy, a pint of gin. Mix all well together. With a sponge or flannel spread
the mixture on each side of the silk without creasing it. Wash it in two or
three pails of cold water, and iron on the wrong side when rather wet.

217. To remove Stains from Silks.—Stains produced by vinegar, lemon-
juice, oil of vitriol, or other sharp corrosives, may often be removed from
silks by mixing a little pearlash with soap-lather and passing the silk
through them. Spirits of hartshorn will also often restore the color.

218. To dip Rusty Black Silk.—Boil logwood and water half an hour, in
which simmer the silk for the same time; then take it out, and put into the
dye a little blue vitriol, or green copperas; cool it, and simmer the silk in it
for half an hour. Or, boil a handful of fig-leaves in two quarts of water until
it be reduced to one pint; squeeze the leaves, and bottle the liquor for use.
When wanted, sponge the silk with it.
The word Poison should be written on the bottle.

219. Black Reviver.—Upon two ounces of powdered logwood, and half
an ounce of green copperas, pour three pints of boiling water: let it stand till
cold, when strain for use, by sponging the faded stuff with it.
To revive black cloth, boil it with logwood in water for half an hour, the
cloth having been previously cleaned, dipped in warm water, and squeezed
dry; next, take out the cloth, add a small piece of green copperas, and boil it
another half hour; then hang it in the air an hour or two, rinse it twice or

thrice in cold water, dry it, and finish it with a soft brush, over which two or
three drops of olive oil have been rubbed.

220. White Satin.—Stone blue and flannel will make white satin look
nearly new, especially if rubbed afterwards with crumbs of bread.

221. Blond Lace.—When blond lace gets tumbled, breathing upon it, and
afterwards shaking it, will be found to answer the purpose of an iron,
without chance of making the lace look yellow, as it probably would be by
the use of an iron. There is no necessity for unpicking the lace.

222. To raise the Surface or Pile of Velvet when pressed down.—Warm a
smoothing-iron moderately, and cover it with a wet cloth, and hold it under
the velvet; the vapor arising from the heated cloth will raise the pile of the
velvet, with the assistance of a rush whisk.

223. To remove Grease or Oil Paint from Cloth.—Moisten them with a
few drops of concentrated solution of subcarbonate of potash; rub the spot
between the fingers, and then wash the spot with a little warm water.

224. Another way.—To remove oil paint, rub the part with a bit of flannel
dipped in spirits of wine or turpentine.

225. Spots from Woollen Cloths.—Fullers' earth, or tobacco pipe-clay,
being put wet on an oil spot, absorbs the oil as the water evaporates, and
leaves the vegetable or animal fibres of cloth clean, on being beaten or
brushed out. When the spot is occasioned by tallow or wax, it is necessary
to heat the part cautiously by an iron or the fire, while the cloth is drying. In
some kinds of goods, blotting paper, bran, or raw starch, may be used with
advantage.

226. To clean a White or Drab Coat.—If the coat be much soiled, brush
well into the cloth, the way of the nap some of the following: mix pounded
pipe-clay and whiting, some fullers' earth, and a little stone blue dissolved

in vinegar enough to form the whole into a paste. When the coat is quite
dry, rub it well, beat it to get out the dust, and brush it well.

227. To clean Cashmere Stuff.—If common soap be employed, these
valuable fabrics will be injured, and rendered less pliant and velvety than
before. The proper method is to use a soapy root common in Russia and the
East, in the Greek islands, and in Italy. Its original name is ishkar, and it
affords an ash-colored powder, which, mixed with water into a paste, will
free the stuff from any greasy stains, and leave them the yellow tint so
much prized.

228. To make Portable Balls for removing Spots from Clothes in general.
—Take fullers'-earth perfectly dried, so that it crumbles into powder,
moisten it with the clear juice of lemons, and add a small quantity of pure
pearl-ashes; then work and knead the whole carefully together, till it
acquires the consistence of a thick elastic paste; form it into convenient
small balls, and expose them to the heat of the sun, in which they ought to
be completely dried. In this state they are fit for use in the manner
following:—First, moisten the spot on your clothes with water, then rub it
with the ball just described, and suffer it again to dry in the sun: after
having washed the spot with pure water, it will entirely disappear.

229. To make Breeches Balls.—Mix half a pound of Bath brick in fine
powder, one pound of pipe-clay, two ounces of pumice-stone in fine
powder, and three ounces of ox-gall; color the mixture with yellow ochre,
umber, or Irish slate, to the desired shade, and shape into balls.

230. Scouring Drops.—Mix with one ounce of pyroligneous ether, three
drachms of essence of lemon. These will remove oil or grease from woollen
cloth, silk, &c., by rubbing the spot with a piece of the same article,
moistened with the drops.

231. To take out Wax or Spermaceti from Cloth.—Hold a red-hot iron
steadily within about an inch of the cloth, and in a few minutes the wax will

evaporate; then rub the cloth with whitish paper, to remove any mark that
may remain.

232. To take Wax out of Velvet of all Colors except Crimson.—Take a
crummy wheaten loaf, cut it in two, toast it before the fire, and, while very
hot, apply it to the part spotted with wax. Then apply another piece of
toasted bread hot as before, and continue the application till the wax is
entirely taken out.

233. For taking Grease out of the Leaves of Books.—Fold up, in two
small bags made of fine open muslin, some ashes of burnt bones, finely
powdered, or of calcined hartshorn, which is always ready prepared at the
shops of the druggists. Lay the bags of muslin containing the powder, one
on each side of the greasy leaf; and, having heated a pair of fire-tongs, or
hair-dresser's pinching-tongs, of a moderate warmth, press with them the
two bags against the greasy spot, and hold them some time in that situation.
Repeat the process, if necessary.
When the irons cannot be conveniently used, the powder may be heated
over the fire, in a clean earthen vessel; and, whilst hot, applied, without any
muslins, on each side of the grease spot, and a weight laid on it to assist its
effect.

234. To remove Spots of Grease from Paper.—Take an equal quantity of
roach alum, burnt, and flour of brimstone, finely powdered together; wet
the paper a little, and put a small quantity of the powder on the place,
rubbing it gently with your finger, and the spot will disappear.

235. To discharge Grease from Leather.—Apply the white of an egg to
the spot, and dry it in the sun; or, mix two table-spoonfuls of spirit of
turpentine, half an ounce of mealy potatoes, and some of the best Durham
mustard. Apply this mixture to the spot, and rub it off when dry. A little
vinegar added, renders it more efficacious.

236. For cleaning light Kid Gloves.—If the gloves are not so much soiled
as to require wetting, they may be cleaned thus:—Scrape fine as much as a
tea-spoonful of French chalk. Put on the gloves as for wear, taking care that
the hands be not only clean, but cool and dry. Put some of the powdered
chalk into the palm of one glove, and rub the hands and fingers together,
just as if the chalk were soap employed in washing the hands. In this way
rub in all the chalk. Then take off the gloves, without shaking them, and lay
them aside for an hour or two, or a night, if it suit. Again put them on, and
clap the hands together till all the chalk is shaken out. Fullers' earth,
powdered and sifted, may be used in the same manner as French chalk, and
will answer nearly as well. Or, gloves slightly soiled, may be cleaned by
rubbing with a very clean and dry bit of India-rubber. White kid gloves, or
very light stone-color, or lilac, (not darker than what is called a French
white,) may be stained of a bright and delicate yellow, just the color of
cowslips, by rubbing them with the petals of the common white rose. The
roses must be fresh gathered for this purpose; and the best method of
applying the leaves, is by putting the glove on its proper hand, and then
rubbing. If not convenient to do the whole at one time, the effect is not
injured by laying them aside, and taking up again. When done, they look
quite equal to new, and keep clean longer than gloves of the same color
stained in the ordinary way.

237. Another way to clean Kid Gloves.—First see that your hands are
clean; then put on the gloves and wash them, as though you were washing
your hands, in a basin of turpentine. Burning fluid will do equally well.
Then hang them up in a warm place, or where there is a good current of air,
which will carry off all smell of turpentine. This method was brought from
Paris, and thousands of dollars have been made by it. The spirits of
hartshorn may be substituted for the turpentine.

238. Washing Gloves.—If the gloves are so much soiled as to require
washing, the best application is a strong lather made of curd soap with new
milk; or water will do. A very small quantity of liquid will suffice. Before
wetting the glove, run a strong thread through the opposite sides, close to
the wrist binding. Leave it about a quarter of a yard long, and make a large
knot at each end. This is to form a loop or handle by which to hang up the

glove to dry, and hold it open. Having prepared the lather, put one glove on
the hand, and apply the lather by means of a shaving brush or a piece of fine
flannel, carrying the strokes downwards—that is, from the wrist or arm to
the tips of the fingers. Continue this process till the dirt disappears, though
the glove appears of a dingy, ill-looking color. Then take a clean soft towel,
and dab it till the soap is removed. Take off the glove, blow into it to open
all the fingers, and, by means of the aforesaid loop, hang it to dry in a shady
but airy place. The loop should be fixed to two pegs, or by two pegs or
strings, fastened to a line in such a manner as to keep the sides of the glove
apart while drying. When dry, they will have regained their original color,
and be smooth, glossy, soft, and shapable. Or, the gloves when cleaned as
above, may be laid to dry on several folds of clean linen above and below.
Limerick gloves should be washed clean with a strong lather of soap and
water, applied with a brush as above. The lather must not be warmer than
new milk. When dry from the lather, apply a solution of saffron, stronger or
weaker, according to the color desired. A very small quantity of saffron will
suffice. Pour boiling water to it, and let it steep at least twelve hours before
using. Those who are frequently cleaning this kind of gloves, may steep a
drachm of saffron in half-a-pint of boiling water, and when cold, put the
whole into a bottle, without straining. Cork it close, and it will keep a long
time for use as required.

239. To clean Straw Bonnets.—Put a chafing-dish, with some lighted
charcoal, into a close room or large box; then strew on the coals an ounce or
two of powdered brimstone, and let the bonnets hang in the room or box for
some hours, when they remain to be blocked.

240. To bleach Straw Hats, &c.—Straw hats and bonnets are bleached by
putting them, previously washed in pure water, into a box with burning
sulphur; the fumes which arise, unite with the water on the bonnets, and the
sulphurous acid thus formed, bleaches them.

241. Method of Bleaching Straw.—Dip the straw in a solution of
oxygenated muriatic acid, saturated with potash. (Oxygenated muriate of
lime is much cheaper.) The straw is thus rendered very white, and its
flexibility is increased.

242. Varnish for Straw or Chip Hats.—Powder half-an-ounce of black
sealing-wax, put it into a bottle with two ounces of spirits of wine, and set it
in a warm place. Lay it on warm with a soft hair-brush, before the fire or
sun.

243. Straw Bonnets.—If a straw bonnet is not worth the expense of
properly cleaning, it may be greatly improved both in comfort and
appearance, by washing it with soap and water, applied by means of a bit of
flannel or sponge. Afterwards rinse with clean water, and dry quickly in the
air. When dry, wash over with the white of an egg, finely beaten. The wire
had better be removed before washing, and put on afresh. There is no great
art in reducing a straw bonnet for a child. Take off all the ribs of straw that
form a sort of border by going round the edge; as many also of the straight
ribs as will leave the front nearly of the depth required. From the remaining
front ribs cut off a little at each end; fasten the ends securely, and again set
on the border ribs. Unpick the sewing of the head-piece, till two, three, or
more of the top rounds are taken off, so as to bring it to the size required.
Then sew again as many as will bring it to a proper depth. It is not intended
to say, that a person who never learned the art of straw bonnet-making, and
has not the proper blocks, &c., will do it as well as one who has; but any
notionable needle-woman may do it, so as to look much better than a large
bonnet on the small head of a child. A bonnet-shape of pasteboard or
buckram may be renewed by laying it between two sheets of damp paper,
and ironing with a hot iron. The wire must be previously removed and
afterwards put on afresh. To clean silk and ribbons, wash in cold rain water
with a very little soap. Avoid squeezing and wringing. If very dirty, two
waters may be requisite; the second may be slightly blued, unless the color
of the silk forbids it (as yellow or red). Spread on a clean towel, and while
damp, iron with a piece of clean paper placed between the silk or ribbon
and the iron.

244. Paste.—Take two table-spoonfuls of flour and stir it into a half pint
of cold water until the lumps are all broken, then pour this into a pint of
boiling water, stirring while doing so; afterwards let it boil up once or
twice, and take off.

245. Superior Paste.—Mix flour and water, with a little brown sugar, and
a very small quantity of corrosive sublimate in powder, and boil it until
sufficiently thick and smooth. The sugar will keep the paste flexible, and
prevent it scaling off from smooth surfaces, and the corrosive sublimate will
check its fermentation: a drop or two of oil of anise-seed, lavender, or
bergamot will prevent the paste turning mouldy.

246. Bookbinders' Paste.—Mix wheaten flour first in cold water, then
boil it till it be of a glutinous consistence; this method makes common
paste. Mix a fourth, fifth, or sixth of the weight of the flour of powdered
alum, and if required stronger, add a little powdered resin.

247. Rice Glue.—Mix rice flour smoothly with cold water, and simmer it
over a slow fire, when it will form a delicate and durable cement, not only
answering all the purposes of common paste, but well adapted for joining
paper and card-board ornamental work.

248. A most excellent Glue.—Beat an ounce of isinglass to shreds:
dissolve it gradually in a pint of brandy, by means of gentle heat, and then
strain the solution through a piece of fine muslin. The glue thus obtained
should be kept in glass closely stopped. When required for use, it should be
dissolved with moderate heat, when it will appear thin, transparent, and
almost limpid. When applied in the manner of common glue, its effect is so
powerful as to join together the parts of wood stronger than the wood itself
is united. This glue dries into a very strong, tough, and transparent
substance, not easily damaged by anything but aqueous moisture, which
renders it unfit for any use where it would be much exposed to wet or damp
air.

249. Parchment Glue.—Take one pound of parchment, and boil it in six
quarts of water till the quantity be reduced to one, then strain off the dregs,
and boil it again till it be of the consistence of glue.
The same may be done with glovers' cuttings of leather, which make a
colorless glue, if not burnt in the evaporation of the water.

250. To make Lip Glue, for joining Paper, Silk, or thin Leather, &c.—
Take of isinglass and parchment glues, of each one ounce; sugar-candy and
gum-tragacanth, each two drachms; add to them an ounce of water, and boil
the whole together till the mixture, when cold, is of the consistence of glue;
then form the same into small rolls, or any other figure that may be most
convenient, and it will be fit for use.
This glue may be wet with the tongue, and rubbed on the edges of the
paper, silk, or leather, that are to be joined; and on being laid together, and
suffered to dry, they will be united as firmly as any other part of the
substance.

251. Liquid Glue.—Pour naphtha upon shellac until of a creamy
consistence, and keep it closely corked. This glue will unite iron, wood,
glass, &c. It is water-proof, and dries quickly.

252. Glue to hold against Fire or Water.—Mix a handful of quick-lime in
four ounces of linseed-oil, boil them to a good thickness, then spread it on
tin plates in the shade, and it will become exceedingly hard; but may be
easily dissolved over the fire, as glue.

253. To mend China.—Mix together equal parts of fine glue, white of
eggs, and white of lead, and with it anoint the edges of the article to be
mended; press them together, and when hard and dry scrape off as much of
the cement as sticks about the joint. The juice of garlic is another good
cement, and leaves no mark where it has been used.

254. Cement and Ground Glass Imitation.—In half-a-pint spirits of wine
steep one ounce of isinglass twenty-four hours, then dissolve it over a slow
fire, keeping the vessel covered that the spirit may not evaporate (for this
purpose a double saucepan should be used, the outer one containing water,
after the manner of a glue-pot; or the solution may be made in a jar with a
lid, tied over also with bladder, and placed in a saucepan of water—the
water should surround the jar to the height of two inches or more, but not so
high as to float it). When the isinglass is completely dissolved, add the juice

of garlic, obtained by pounding in a mortar six cloves of the root, and
straining through linen. Mix well, and cork close for a short time. The
mixture will then cement either glass or crystal.

254a. Cement to resist Fire and Water.—Half-a-pint each of vinegar and
milk, simmer them together till the curd separates. Strain, and with the
whey mix the whites of five eggs well beaten up. The mixture of these two
substances being complete, add sifted quick-lime, and make the whole into
the consistence of putty. Let it be carefully applied—that is, to lay it on
every part of the broken edges, and to make the edges fit exactly; as soon as
it is perfectly dry, it will be found to resist both heat and moisture.
Whatever the article was originally calculated to bear, it is again fitted to
bear as much as if it had never been broken.

255. To imitate Ground Glass.—Rub the glass over with a lump of
glaziers' putty, carefully and uniformly until the surface is equally covered.
This is an excellent imitation of ground glass, and is not injured by rain or
damp. It is useful for kitchen windows, &c.

256. To cement Broken China.—Mix some oyster-shell powder with the
white of a fresh egg, to the thickness of white paint, lay it on thick at the
two edges and join them as exact and quick as possible, then put it before
the fire till the china is quite hot, and it will cement in about two minutes.
Pour boiling water into it directly, wipe it dry, scrape it clean on both sides
with a penknife, and it will appear only as a crack. Mix no more than you
can use for one or two things at a time; for if the cement grows hard, it will
be spoiled. The powder may be bought at the apothecaries'; but it is best
prepared at home, which is done as follows:—Choose a large, deep oyster-
shell; put it in the middle of a clear fire till red-hot, then take it out and
scrape away the black parts; pound the rest in a mortar as fine as possible;
sift and beat it a second time, till quite smooth and fine.

257. Obs.—In cementing china and glass, first heat the portions, and
when the cement is applied, press them closely together, as the thinner the
cement is, the more firmly it holds.

258. To cement Broken China or Glass.—Beat lime to the finest powder,
and sift it through fine muslin; then tie some into a thin muslin; put on the
edges of the broken china some white of egg; dust some lime quickly on the
same, and unite them exactly.

259. Chinese method of mending China.—Take a piece of flint-glass,
beat it to a fine powder, and grind it well with the white of an egg, and it
joins china without riveting, so that no art can break it in the same place.
You are to observe, that the composition is to be ground extremely fine.

260. Improved Corks for preserving Wine or Chemical Liquors.—Melt
together two parts of white wax and one part of beef suet; dip your corks in
this mixture, and immediately dry them in a stove upon an iron plate; repeat
this operation twice, and the corks thus prepared will preserve any liquor
well without imparting any ill-flavor thereto.

261. Bottle Cement.—Common red and black sealing-wax, of each half-
a-pound; bees'-wax, quarter of an ounce. Melt them in an earthen pipkin or
brass kettle. The former is preferable, because the cement may be kept in it,
and again melted whenever it is wanted for use. When the mixture begins to
froth, and seems likely to boil over, stir with a tallow candle, which will
settle the froth. As soon as the whole is melted, it is ready for use.

262. Bottle Cement.—Melt in an iron ladle some rosin, and a quarter as
much bees'-wax; add a little Venetian red, stir with a piece of candle, and,
when smoothly melted, dip in the top of the bottles, so as completely to
cover them. In making this cement, be careful not to leave it a moment
while it is on the fire.

263. Blood Cement.—Blood Cement, for repairing copper boilers, &c., is
made by pounded quick-lime and ox-blood mixed together: it must be
applied fresh made, as it soon becomes so hard as to be unfit for use.

264. Diamond Cement.—Diamond Cement, for glass or china, is made
by dissolving a quarter of an ounce of isinglass in water, by boiling it to the
consistence of cream. Add a table-spoonful of spirits of wine. Use warm.

265. Cement for attaching Metal to Glass or Porcelain.—Take two
ounces of a thick solution of glue, and mix with one ounce of linseed oil
varnish, or three-quarters of an ounce of Venice turpentine. Boil together,
agitating them until thoroughly mixed. The pieces to be cemented should be
left untouched, after having been united, for forty-eight or sixty hours.

266. To mend Tortoise-Shell.—To mend tortoise-shell, bring the edges of
the pieces to fit each other, observing to give the same inclination of grain
to each; then secure them in a piece of paper, and place them between hot
irons or pincers; apply pressure, and let them cool. Take care that the heat is
not too great, or it will burn the shell.

267. To clean Gold Chains, &c.—Make a lather of soap and water; boil
the chain in it for a few minutes, and immediately on taking it out, lay it in
magnesia powder which has been heated by the fire; when dry, rub it with
flannel; if embossed, use a brush.
Or:—Wash it well in soap and water, and put it while wet into a bag with
some fresh, clean bran; shake it well, and in a few minutes it will be found
perfectly clean.

268. To restore Pearls.—Soak them in hot water in which bran has been
boiled, with a little salt of tartar and alum, and rub them gently between the
hands; rinse them in lukewarm water, and lay them out to dry.
To preserve the color of pearls, keep them in dry common magnesia,
instead of the cotton-wool used in jewel-cases, and they will never lose
their brilliance.

269. To clean Gold or Silver Lace.—Rub it gently with cotton wool, or a
soft brush dipped in spirits of wine, taking care not to injure the silk
beneath.

270. To clean Gold and Silver Lace.—Sew the lace in linen cloth, and
boil it in a pint of water, and two ounces of soap; and then wash the lace in
water.

271. To improve Gilding.—Mix one gill of water, two ounces of purified
nitre, one ounce of alum and one ounce of common salt. Lay this over gilt
articles with a brush, and their color will be much improved.

272. Incombustible Varnish for Wood.—Equal parts of alum and
isinglass, dissolved and mixed, applied to wood, prevents it from burning.
Liquids can be boiled in a wooden vessel on a common fire, if this varnish
be applied to it. The wood chars sometimes, but does not flame.

273. Cement for Iron Flues.—Common salt and sifted wood-ashes in
equal parts, made into a paste with water, is a very good cement for iron
flues, and may be applied when the flue is hot or cold. Iron filings and
vinegar will do almost as well, or rather iron filings moistened with diluted
muriatic acid. These are generally used for filling up the space between
cylinders.

274. Preparation of common Cement for joining Alabaster, Marble,
Porphyry, or other Stones.—Take of bees'-wax two pounds, and of rosin
one pound; melt them, and add one pound and a half of the same kind of
matter, (powdered,) as the body to be cemented is composed of, strewing it
into the melted mixture, and stirring them well together, and afterwards
kneading the mass in water, that the powder may be thoroughly
incorporated with wax and rosin. The proportion of the powdered matter
may be varied, where required, in order to bring the cement nearer to the
color of the body on which it is employed.
This cement must be heated when applied; as must also the parts of the
subject to be cemented together; and care must be taken likewise, that they
be thoroughly dry.
When this composition is properly managed, it forms an extremely strong
cement, which will even suspend a projecting body of considerable weight,

after it is thoroughly dry and set, and is therefore of great use to all carvers
in stone, or others who may have occasion to join together the parts of
bodies of this nature.
Melted sulphur, applied to fragments of stones previously heated (by
placing them before a fire) to at least the melting point of sulphur, and then
joined with the sulphur between, makes a pretty firm and durable joining.
Chips out of corners, and similar little deficiencies in the stone, may also
be filled up with melted sulphur, in which some of the powder of the stone
has been mixed: but the stone should be previously heated.

275. Strong Cement.—To prevent the escape of the vapors of water,
spirit, and liquors not corrosive, the simple application of slips of moistened
bladder will answer very well for glass, and paper with good paste for
metal. Bladder, to be very adhesive, should be soaked some time in water
moderately warm, till it feels clammy, it then sticks very well; if smeared
with white of eggs instead of water, it adheres still closer.

276. To scour a Hat.—Rub yellow soap on a hard brush, dip it into
boiling water, and brush the hat round with the nap; if the nap be clotted,
continue to brush it till it is smooth, and free from soap; then, if requisite,
scrape out the dirt, by passing round the hat an edged piece of wood, or the
back of a knife; next, beat the nap with a cane, hang the hat to dry, and pass
a heated flat iron two or three times gently over it; brush it afterwards.

277. Management of Razor Strops.—Most razor strops are spoiled by
being left too dry; a drop or two of sweet oil, frequently added to the strop,
would remedy this; and, after using the strop, passing the razor on the inside
of a warm hand, gives the smoothest and finest edge; putting the razor in
warm water makes it cut very keen, and perhaps nothing makes a better
razor strop than crocus martis, with a little sweet oil, rubbed well on leather
with a glass bottle.

278. To prevent Gentlemen's Hats from being injured by Rain.—Shake
off the water as much as possible; then with a clean linen cloth or silk

handkerchief wipe the hat carefully, keeping the beaver flat and smooth, in
the same direction as it was first placed; then with hands fix it in the
original shape, and hang it at a distance from the fire to dry. A few hours
after, or the next morning, lay the hat on the table, and brush it round and
round several times with a soft brush in the proper direction, and you will
find your hat not in the least injured by the rain.
If the gloss is not quite so high as you wish, take a flat iron, moderately
heated, and pass the same two or three times gently over the hat; brush it
afterwards; and it will be nearly as handsome as when first sent home from
the shop.

279. Dyeing.—Occasionally, when colored articles of silk, wool, or
cotton have been cleaned, their color requires to be made deeper; at other
times, it maybe desirable to change the color altogether, when that already
in the stuff must be discharged, and the article dyed anew.
Articles of any color may be dyed black, and black may easily be re-
dyed. Blues can be made green or black; green may be made brown, and
brown, green; and any color on re-dyeing, will take a darker tint than at
first. A black may be dyed maroon, claret, or dark-brown; but green is the
best color into which black can be changed.
Most colors can be discharged by boiling the articles in water, with a
small quantity of spirits of salts in it. Yellows, browns, and blues, are not
easily discharged; maroons, reds of some kinds, and olives, may be easily
discharged, by boiling them in water, with a small quantity of the following
articles: roche-alum, for maroons; oil of vitriol—a very small quantity—for
olives and grays; alum, pearlash, or soap, will discharge green to a yellow,
which may be boiled off with soap.

280. To Alum Silks.—Silk should be alumed cold, for when it is alumed
hot, it is deprived of a great part of its lustre. The alum liquor should always
be strong for silks, as they take the dye more readily afterwards.

281. Various Dyes.—The following are the articles employed for the
colors most in use, the proportions depending upon the depth or the shade

required.
Lilac and Purple.—Boil archil in water; or, boil logwood in water; and,
when cold, dip the article to be dyed into it, having previously passed it
through a weak solution of alum in water. From logwood also may be
obtained different shades of Violet.
Effective Lilac dyes may be produced from the berries of the Portugal
laurel; and from the black currant, after the juice has been expressed.
Red is obtained from madder, and Brazil wood; the article being first
dipped in weak alum and water, then in the dye, and lastly in a decoction of
archil and water, to give it a bloom.
Rose, Flesh-color, Poppy, and Cherry-red, are obtained from a decoction
of carthamus in water, with a little soda and lemon juice. For a poppy-color,
the article should first be dipped in a weak solution of arnatto in water; and
for a pale carnation, a little soap should be added to the carthamus.
Pink Bloom.—Archil is employed to give a bloom to pinks, whites, &c.,
as for silk stockings; for which purpose, also, pink saucers are used.
Scarlet is obtained from cochineal; but, for cotton and wool, the color
derived from it is little superior to that given by madder.
Nankeen is obtained from Spanish arnatto dissolved in hot water, with a
small portion of pearlash in it.
Blue is prepared from indigo; but, as this dye is not easily made, it will be
better to purchase a bottle of "Blue Dye."
Yellow may be obtained from the juice of the tops of potato-flowers,
fustic chips, weld or dyers' weed, turmeric, and Dutch pink.
Green consists of blue and yellow dyes, mixed.
Orange is extracted from carthamus. Cinnamon from logwood, Brazil
wood, and fustic, mixed; or from a strong decoction made from the green
tops and flowers of the common heath.
Black is formed by logwood and green copperas boiled in water; the
color being improved by first boiling the article with galls, or alder-bark, in
water; or by first dyeing it with walnut-peels.

Gray is produced by diluting black dye.
Brown is obtained from walnut-peels, or the bark of birch.
Olives are made from blue, red, and brown.
The pericarp of the Scotch rose contains a fine purple juice which,
diluted with water, dyes silk and muslin Peach-color; the addition of alum
will make it a deep Violet dye.
In all cases, except otherwise specified, the article to be dyed should be
first steeped in a weak solution of alum in water.

282. To dye the Linings of Curtains, Furniture Covers, &c.—Wash the
articles clean, and, having prepared the dye according to either of the
previous recipes, dip them, rinse them in pump water, then in water-starch;
dry them quickly, and mangle or calender them.

283. To dye Silk Stockings.—Wash and boil the stockings, if requisite, in
soap and water, and rinse them in clear hot water. Put three table-spoonfuls
of archil into a wash-hand basin of hot water, in which soak the stockings
until they become of a lilac shade, when rinse them lightly in cold water.
Dry them in fumes of brimstone, and when they are bleached to the
required flesh-color, rub the right side with clean flannel or glass, and iron
them. If the pink saucer-color be used instead of archil, the stockings will
not require bleaching with brimstone.
For Black Stockings.—Having dyed them, finish them on wooden legs,
by rubbing them with flannel moistened with olive oil. Rub each pair half
an hour.

284. To dye Gloves to look like York Tan.—Put some saffron into one pint
of soft water boiling hot, and let it infuse all night; next morning wet the
leather with a brush. The tops should be sewn close to prevent the color
from getting in.
To dye White Gloves a beautiful Purple.—Boil 4 ozs. of logwood and 2
ozs. of roche-alum in 3 pints of soft water till half-wasted. Let it stand to be
cold after straining. Let the gloves be nicely mended; then do them over

with a brush, and when dry repeat it. Twice is sufficient, unless the color is
to be very dark. When dry, rub off the loose dye with a coarse cloth. Beat up
the white of an egg, and with a sponge rub it over the leather. The dye will
stain the hands, but wetting them with vinegar before they are washed will
take it off.

285. To dye Straw and Chip Bonnets Black.—Boil them in strong
logwood liquor three or four hours, occasionally adding green copperas,
and taking the bonnets out to cool in the air, and this must be continued for
some hours. Let the bonnets remain in the liquor all night, and the next
morning take them out, dry them in the air, and brush them with a soft
brush. Lastly, rub them inside and out with a sponge moistened with oil,
and then send them to be blocked.

286. To make Nankeen Dye.—Boil equal parts of arnatto and common
potash in water, till the whole are dissolved. This will produce the pale
reddish buff so much in use, and sold under the name of Nankeen Dye.

287. To dye Cotton a fine Buff Color.—Let the twist or yarn be boiled in
pure water, to cleanse it; then wring it, run it through a dilute solution of
iron in the vegetable acid, which printers call iron liquor; wring, and run it
through lime-water, to raise it; wring it again, and run it through a solution
of starch and water; then wring it once more, and dry, wind, warp, and
weave it for use.

288. To dye Worsted or Woollen Black.—Put in half a gallon of water a
piece of bi-chromate of potash, the size of a horse-bean. Boil the articles in
this seven or eight minutes. Take them out and wash them. Then in another
half-gallon of water put in one table-spoonful and a half of ground
logwood; boil the articles in this the same length of time as before. Then
wash them in cold water.

289. To dye Hair and Feathers Green.—Take of verdigris or verditer 1
oz., gum water, 1 pint; mix them well, and dip the hair or feathers into the
mixture, shaking them well about.

290. Waterproof Clothing.—First make the cloak, coat, or trowsers of
linen; then soak them well for a day or two in boiled oil; then hang them up
in a dry place till perfectly dry, without wringing the oil out; then paint
them, without turpentine or dryers being in the paint, black, or any other
color you like, and lay the paint on thinly, and let it dry. (This is the method
practised by seamen.)
Waterproof Clothing.—Make the garment of strong unbleached calico;
hang it up in a dry place, and, with a brush, give it two coats of boiled
linseed oil. Buy the oil ready-boiled; a pint will be sufficient for a cape or
pair of overalls. Canvas may be prepared in the same way for rick-cloths, or
other roofing purposes.
Another way.—Get some weak size, such as is used by paper-makers;
make it hot, and stir a small lump of alum, and a small quantity of soap
lather into it. Then with a brush apply it to the garment equally all over, as
recommended above with the oil. If the garment be of good cloth, the size
may be laid on inside.

291. Chinese Method of rendering Cloth Waterproof.—To one ounce of
white wax, melted, add one quart of spirits of turpentine, which, when
thoroughly mixed and cold, dip the cloth in and hang it up to dry. By this
cheap and easy method, muslin, as well as the strongest cloths, will be
rendered impenetrable to the hardest rains, without the pores being filled
up, or any injury done, when the cloth is colored.

292. To preserve Furs and Woollens from Moths.—Let the former be
occasionally combed while in use, and the latter be brushed and shaken.
When not wanted, dry them first, let them be cool; then mix among them
bitter apples from the apothecary's in small muslin bags, sew the articles in
several folds of linen, carefully turned in at the edges, and keep them from
damp.
Or, lay amongst them the cuttings of Russia leather.

293. Or—Leaves from the tobacco plant are very effectual in keeping off
moths. Lay them between the folds of the blankets, carpets, &c. Air furs,

occasionally.

294. To prevent Moths.—In the month of April beat your fur garments
well with a small cane or elastic stick, then lap them up in linen without
pressing the fur too hard, and put between the folds some camphor in small
lumps; then put your furs in this state in boxes well closed.
When the furs are wanted for use, beat them well as before, and expose
them for twenty-four hours to the air, which will take away the smell of the
camphor.

295. Easy Method of preventing Moths in Furs or Woollens.—Sprinkle
the furs or woollen stuffs, as well as the drawers or boxes in which they are
kept, with spirits of turpentine; the unpleasant scent of which will speedily
evaporate, on exposure of the stuffs to the air. Some persons place sheets of
paper, moistened with spirits of turpentine, over, under, or between pieces
of cloth, &c., and find it a very effectual method.

296. To preserve Furs, Woollens, &c.—many woollen-drapers put bits of
camphor, the size of a nutmeg, in papers, on different parts of the shelves in
their shops; and as they brush their cloths every two, three, or four months,
this keeps them free from moths; and this should be done in boxes where
furs, &c., are put. A tallow candle is frequently put within each muff when
laid by.

297. To keep Moths, Beetles, etc., from Clothes.—Put a piece of camphor
in a linen bag, or some aromatic herbs, in the drawers, among linen or
woollen clothes, and neither moth nor worm will come near them.

298. A celebrated Blacking Cake for Boots and Shoes.—Take one part of
gum tragacanth, four parts of river water, two parts of neat's-foot, or some
other softening, lubricating oil, two parts of superfine ivory-black, one part
of Prussian blue in fine powder, or indigo, four parts of brown sugar-candy;
boil the mixture; and when the composition is of a proper consistence, let it

be formed into cakes of such a size that each cake may make a pint of liquid
blacking.

299. Good Blacking for Boots and Shoes.—Take of ivory black, one
pound; lamp-black, half an ounce; treacle, one pound; sweet oil, one ounce
and a half; coarse gum Arabic, half an ounce; green copperas, three-quarters
of an ounce; and stale vinegar, three pints and a half. Mix all well together,
having first dissolved the gum in a little water; then add gradually, briskly
stirring the mixture, half an ounce of oil of vitriol; let it stand two days,
occasionally stirring it, and it will be fit for use.
Or, two ounces of ivory-black, one tea-spoonful of oil of vitriol, a table-
spoonful of sweet-oil, and two ounces of sugar-candy, to be mixed with half
a pint of vinegar.

300. Liquid Blacking.—Ivory-black, quarter of a pound; treacle, half a
pound, well mixed; to which add sweet oil, one pennyworth, and small beer
three pints; add after, oil of vitriol, one pennyworth, which will cause it to
boil. Fit for use in three days.

301. French Polish for Boots and Shoes.—Logwood chips, half a pound;
glue, quarter of a pound; indigo, pounded very fine, quarter of an ounce;
soft soap, quarter of an ounce; isinglass, quarter of an ounce; boil these
ingredients in two pints of vinegar and one of water, during ten minutes
after ebullition, then strain the liquid. When cold it is fit for use. To apply
the French polish, the dirt must be washed from the boots and shoes; when
these are quite dry, the liquid polish is put on with a bit of sponge.

302. To clean White Satin Shoes.—Rub them lengthways of the satin,
with a piece of new white flannel dipped in spirits of wine. If slightly
soiled, you may clean them by rubbing with stale bread.
White satin shoes should be kept in blue paper closely wrapped, with
coarse brown paper outside.
To keep your thin, light slippers in shape, when you put them away, fold
them ever lengthways or sideways, and tie the strings round them. You
should have a covered box purposely for your shoes.

303. To clean Boot-tops Brown.—Mix, in the same quantity of water, one
ounce of oxalic acid, half an ounce of muriatic acid, a small vial of spirits of
lavender, and two tea-spoonfuls of salt of lemon. Each bottle should be
carefully labeled and marked "Poison."

304. Directions for using the Liquid.—For the white tops: to be scrubbed
well with a clean hard brush, then sponged well with cold water, all one
way; and allowed to dry gradually in the sun, or by the fire.
Brown tops are not to be scrubbed with a brush, but sponged all over
with the mixture, till all stains be removed; then sponged well with cold

water, and rubbed with flannel till they be highly polished.

305. Shoes.—When about being measured for shoes, place the foot
firmly on the ground, as the foot is larger in a standing than in a sitting
posture.

306. Shoes.—One hint about shoes—a most essential and expensive
article of family wear. However worn and full of holes the soles may be, if
the upper leathers are whole, or soundly mended, and the stitching firm, the
soles may be covered with the newly adopted article gutta percha, and at a
very small expense the shoes will be rendered as good as new. We have
seen shoes which even the eldest daughter of the Smith family despised as
not worth carrying home, made quite sound and respectable in appearance,
and to serve many months in constant wear, by being thus soled at the cost
of only a few pence. Thin shoes that have been worn only in-doors, and
which are laid aside on account of the tops becoming shabby, perhaps worn
out, while the sewing is sound, may be made very tidy by covering with
woollen cloth, or with a bit of thick knitting, or platted list, stitched on as
close as possible to the regular seam.

307. To prevent Snow-water from penetrating Boots and Shoes.—Take
equal quantities of bees'-wax and mutton-suet, and melt them in an earthen
pipkin over a slow fire. Lay the mixture, while hot, over the boots and
shoes, which ought also to be made warm. Let them stand before the fire a
short time, and set them aside till they are cold; then rub them with dry
woollen stuff, so that you may not grease the blacking-brushes. If you black
the shoes before the mixture be put on, they will afterwards take the
blacking much better.
Or, boil together for half an hour, a quart of linseed oil, two ounces of
resin, and half an ounce of white vitriol, and incorporate with them a
quarter of a pint of spirit of turpentine, and two ounces of well-dried oak
sawdust. Lay the mixture on the soles of the boots.

308. Water-proof Boots.—A pint of boiled linseed oil, half a pound of
mutton suet, six ounces of clean bees'-wax, and four ounces of resin, are to

be melted and well mixed over a fire. Of this, while warm, but not hot
enough to shrink the leather, with a brush lay on plentifully over new boots
or shoes, when quite dry and clean. The leather remains pliant. The New
England fishermen preserve their boots water-tight by this method, which, it
is said, has been in use among them above one hundred years. They can
thus stand in water hour after hour without inconvenience.

309. Water-proof Boots.—I have had three pairs of boots for the last six
years (no shoes), and I think I shall not require any more for the next six
years to come. The reason is, that I treat them in the following manner: I put
a pound of tallow and half a pound of rosin in a pot on the fire; when
melted and mixed, I warm the boots and apply the hot stuff with a painter's
brush, until neither the sole or the upper-leather will suck in any more. If it
is desired that the boots should immediately take a polish, melt an ounce of
wax with a tea-spoonful of lamp-black. A day after the boots have been
treated with tallow and rosin, rub over them this wax in turpentine, but not
before the fire. The exterior will then have a coat of wax alone, and will
shine like a mirror. Tallow, or any other grease, becomes rancid, and rots the
stitching as well as the leather; but the rosin gives it an antiseptic quality,
which preserves the whole. Boots and shoes should be so large as to admit
of wearing cork soles.—Correspondent of Mechanics' Magazine.

310. To make Cloth or Outer Clothing of any description Water-proof.—
Take a quarter of an ounce of yellow or Castile soap, and one gallon of rain
water; boil for twenty minutes; skim, and when cold, put in the cloth or
garment; let it remain soaking twenty-four hours; take it out, and hang to
drain; when half-dry, put it into the following solution:—Alum, half a
pound; sugar of lead, quarter of a pound; dissolved in four gallons of rain
water. Let the cloth be thoroughly soaked, and then hang to dry. This
process entirely destroys the capillary attraction in the fibres and threads of
the cloth, and the rain or wet pours off the surface without lodging or
penetrating through the cloth. The solution has no effect in altering the
texture or appearance of the cloth or article immersed. Great care must be
taken as regards the sugar of lead, not to leave it where children or any
persons ignorant of its qualities can get access to it, as it is a powerful
poison.

311. To make an Oil-skin Coat or Wrapper.—If a stout coat or wrapper is
wanted, let the material be strong unbleached or brown calico. If a light one
is preferred, make use of brown holland. Soak it (when made) in hot water,
and hang to dry; then boil ten ounces of India-rubber in one quart of raw
linseed oil, until dissolved; (this will require about three hours' boiling,)
when cold, mix with the oil so prepared about half a pint of paint of any
color which may be preferred, and of the same consistency as that used for
painting wood. With a paint-brush lay a thin coat over the outside of the
wrapper, brushing it well into the seams. Hang it to dry in a current of air,
but sheltered from a powerful sun. When thoroughly dry, give it another
coat; dry as before, and then give a third and last coat. The wrapper, when
well dried, will be ready for use.

312. To make Gutta Percha Soles.—The gutta percha possesses
properties which render it invaluable for winter shoes. It is, compared with
leather, a slow conductor of heat; the effect of this is, that the warmth of the
feet is retained, however cold the surface may be on which the person
stands, and that clammy dampness, so objectionable in the wear of India
rubber shoes, is entirely prevented. On first using gutta percha shoes, the
wearer is forcibly struck with the superior warmth and comfort which is
produced by this non-conducting property; and I confidently predict, that all
those who try gutta percha, will be steady consumers.
We shall now give the method of fixing the gutta percha soles. Make the
sole of the boot perfectly clean and dry, scratch it with an awl or a fork until
it becomes rough, warm it before the fire, and spread over it with a hot iron
or poker some of the "solution" sold for this purpose, or in the absence of
this, place some of the thin parings of the gutta percha on the sole, holding
it to the fire, and spreading it as before. When this has been repeated two or
three times, and all is well covered, warm the gutta percha sole, and the sole
of the boot at the same time, until both become soft and sticky, place the
sole on the boot, and press it down carefully, beginning at the toe, so as to
press out the air and make it adhere closely; nothing more remains to be
done, than as soon as it becomes hard to pare the edges with a sharp knife,
and trim off as may be necessary. All the parings and old pieces should be
saved, as gutta percha is not injured by use, and may be sold to the
manufacturer in order to be restored and made up again.

313. Fly Water.—Most of the fly-waters, and other preparations
commonly sold for the destruction of flies, are variously disguised poisons,
dangerous and even fatal to the human species: such as solutions of
mercury, arsenic, &c., mixed with honey or syrup. The following
preparation, however, without endangering the lives of children, or other
incautious persons, is not less fatal to flies than even a solution of arsenic.
Dissolve two drachms of the extract of quassia in half a pint of boiling
water; and adding a little sugar or syrup, pour the mixture on plates. To this
enticing food the flies are extremely partial, and it never fails to destroy
them.
A strong infusion of green tea, sweetened, is as effectual in poisoning
flies, as the solution of arsenic generally sold for that purpose.

314. To destroy Flies.—Ground black pepper and moist sugar, intimately
mixed in equal quantities, and diluted with milk, placed in saucers, adding
fresh milk, and stirring the mixture as often as necessary, succeeds
admirably in occasioning their death.

315. Another way to destroy Flies.—Pour a little simple oxymel (an
article sold by druggists) into a common tumbler glass, and place in the
glass a piece of cap paper, made into the shape of the upper part of a funnel,
with a hole at the bottom to admit the flies. Attracted by the smell, they
readily enter the trap in swarms, and by the thousands soon collected prove
that they have not the wit or the disposition to return.

316. To remove Flies.—Flies and other insects may be kept from
attacking meat, by dusting it over with pepper, powdered ginger, or any
other spice, or by skewering a piece of paper to it on which a drop of
creosote has been poured. The spices may be readily washed off with water
before dressing the meat.

317. To keep off Flies.—Place camphor on or near what you wish to
protect from them.

318. Wasps and Flies.—These insects may be killed immediately by
dipping a feather in a little sweet oil, and touching their backs with it. When
intent on fruit this can easily be done. Insects of different kinds are readily
killed by oil; it closes up the lateral pores by which they breathe.

319. To destroy Ants and Wasps.—Ants are destroyed by opening the nest
and putting in quick-lime, and throwing water on it.
Wasps may be destroyed in the same way; only it will be requisite that
the person who does it should be covered with muslin, or something over
the face, hands, &c., so that the wasps shall not be able to sting them.

320. To destroy Ants.—Ants that frequent houses or gardens may be
destroyed by taking flour of brimstone, half a pound, and potash, four
ounces: set them in an iron or earthen pan over the fire till dissolved and
united; afterwards beat them to a powder, and infuse a little of this powder
in water; and wherever you sprinkle it the ants will die, or fly the place.

321. Another Method.—Corrosive sublimate, mixed well with sugar, has
proved a mortal poison to them, and is the most effectual way of destroying
these insects.

322. To destroy Cockroaches, &c.—Stir a small quantity of arsenic with
some bread-crumbs, which lay near the insects' haunts; meantime, be
careful to keep dogs and cats out of the way. Poisoned wafers are also made
for killing cockroaches: a trap is made with a glass well, for the same
purpose; but a more simple contrivance is to half-fill a glazed basin, or pie-
dish, with sweetened beer or linseed oil, and set in places frequented by
cockroaches. They will attack the red wax of sealed bottles, but will not
touch black wax.

323. To destroy Crickets.—To destroy crickets at night, set dishes or
saucers filled with the grounds of beer or tea, on the kitchen-floor, and, in
the morning, the crickets will be found dead from excess of drinking.

324. To drive away Fleas.—Sprinkle about the bed a few drops of oil of
lavender, and the fleas will soon disappear.
Fumigation with brimstone, or fresh leaves of penny-royal sewed in a
bag, and laid in the bed, will have the desired effect.

325. Liquor for destroying Caterpillars, Ants, and other Insects.—Take a
pound and three-quarters of soap, the same quantity of flower of sulphur,
two pounds of champignons, or puff-balls, and fifteen gallons of water.
When the whole has been well mixed, by the aid of a gentle heat, sprinkle
the insects with the liquor, and it will instantly kill them.

326. To destroy Rats.—Cut a number of corks or a piece of sponge as thin
as sixpences; stew them in grease, and place them in the way of the rats.
They will greedily devour this delicacy, and will die of indigestion.

327. To kill Rats, another way.—There are two objections to the common
mode of killing rats, by laying poison for them; first, the danger to which it
exposes other animals and even human beings; second, the possibility that
the rats may cause an intolerable stench, by dying in their holes. The
following method is free from these objections, and has proved effectual in
clearing houses infested with these vermin.
Oil of amber and ox-gall in equal parts, add to them oatmeal or flour
sufficient to form a paste, which divide into little balls and lay them in the
middle of a room which rats are supposed or known to visit. Surround the
balls with a number of vessels filled with water. The smell of the oil will be
sure to attract the rats, they will greedily devour the balls, and becoming
intolerably thirsty, will drink till they die on the spot.

328. To expel Rats.—Catch one in a trap; muzzle it, with the assistance of
a fellow-servant, and slightly singe some of the hair; then smear the part
with turpentine, and set the animal loose; if again caught, leave it still at
liberty, as the other rats will shun the place which it inhabits. It is said to be
a fact that a toad placed in a cellar will free it from rats.

Rats may be expelled from cellars and granaries simply by scattering a
few stalks and leaves of mullen in their paths. There is something very
annoying in this plant to the rat. It affords, therefore, a very easy method of
getting rid of a most perplexing evil, and much more economical and less
troublesome than gunpowder, "rat exterminator," cats, or traps.

329. To destroy Fleas and other Vermin on Animals.—To destroy them on
dogs, rub the animal, when out of the house, with the common Scotch snuff,
except the nose and eyes. Rub the powder well into the roots of the hair.
Clear lime-water destroys the flea-worm without injuring the skin or hair.
Oil of turpentine, when applied to animals, which were covered with
insects, destroyed the insects, without hurting the animal.

330. To destroy Bugs.—Mix half a pint of spirits of turpentine and half a
pint of best rectified spirits of wine, in a strong bottle, and add in small
pieces about half an ounce of camphor, which will dissolve in a few
minutes. Shake the mixture well together; and, with a sponge or brush
dipped in it, well wet the bed and furniture where the vermin breed. This
will infallibly destroy both them and their nits, though they swarm. The
dust, however, should be well brushed from the bedstead and furniture, to
prevent, from such carelessness, any stain. If that precaution is attended to,
there will be no danger of soiling the richest silk or damask. On touching a
live bug with only the tip of a pin put into the mixture, the insect will be
instantly deprived of existence, and should any bugs happen to appear after
using the mixture, it will only be from not wetting the linen, &c., of the bed,
the foldings and linings of the curtains near the rings or the joints, or holes
in and about the bed or head-board, in which places the vermin nestle and
breed; so that those parts being well wetted with more of the mixture, which
dries as fast as it is used, and pouring it into the joints and holes, where the
sponge and brush cannot reach, it will never fail totally to destroy them.
The smell of this mixture, though powerful, is extremely wholesome, and to
many persons very agreeable. It exhales, however, in two or three days.
Only one caution is necessary; but that is important. The mixture must be
well shaken when used; but never applied by candle light, lest the spirits,
being attracted by the flare of the candle, might cause a conflagration.

331. Kitchen Cloths.—The four kinds of cloths requisite for the kitchen,
are knife-cloths, dusters, tea and glass-cloths. Knife-cloths should be made
of coarse sheeting. Dusters are generally made of mixed cotton and linen.
The best material for tea and glass-cloths, is a sheet which has begun to
wear thin.
Besides the above cloths, are knife-tray-cloths, house-cloths for cleaning,
pudding and cheese-cloths, and towels.

332. Clothes' Posts soon decay at the bottom, if left standing in the
ground; but, if fitted into sockets so as to be removable, they will last for
years. The sockets should be made of one-inch elm, eighteen inches in
length, tapering downwards. When finished, they ought to be about three
inches square inside, at the upper end. They are to be driven firmly into the
earth till just level with the surface. The posts are then made to drop in and
stand firm, and can be taken out, and put under shelter when not in use. A
cover should be fitted to each socket, to keep litter from falling in when the
post is removed. A drying-ground should not be too much exposed to the
wind, as the violent flapping tears the corners of table-cloths, sheets, &c.,
and overblown linen feels flabby after mangling.

333. Out-houses and Cellars.—If these have not been recently cleansed,
have them thoroughly cleaned out and white-washed. A dirty cellar is an
abomination, and the fruitful source of many diseases. Let all your out-
buildings have a thorough overhauling and repairing.

334. To purify Houses.—An able chemist recommends a mixture of one
pound of chloride of lime in ten gallons of water. Throw a quart of this daily
down the sink or water-closet. It will not cost five cents a week.
One of the best and most pleasant disinfectants is coffee. Pound well-
dried raw coffee-beans in a mortar, and strew the powder over a moderately
heated iron plate. The simple traversing of the house with a roaster
containing freshly roasted coffee will clear it of offensive smells.

PART II.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY.
Rules for the preservation of Health, and simple Recipes found often efficacious in common diseases
and slight injuries—Directions for preparing Remedies and ministering to the Sick and Suffering
—The Toilet, or hints and suggestions for the preservation of Beauty, with some useful Recipes for
those who need them.

335. Means of preserving Health.—Light and sunshine are needful for
your health. Get all you can; keep your windows clean. Do not block them
up with curtains, plants, or bunches of flowers: these last poison the air in
small rooms.
Fresh air is needful for your health. As often as you can, open all your
windows, if only for a short time, in bad weather; in fine weather, keep
them open, but never sit in draughts. When you get up, open the windows
wide, and throw down the bed-clothes, that they may be exposed to fresh air
some hours daily before they are made up. Keep your bed-clothes clean;
hang them to the fire when you can. Avoid wearing at night what you wear
in the day. Hang up your day clothes at night. Except in the severest
weather, in small crowded sleeping-rooms, a little opening at the top of the
window-sash is very important; or, you will find one window-pane of
perforated zinc very useful. You will not catch cold half so easily by
breathing pure air at night. Let not the beds be directly under the windows.
Sleeping in exhausted air creates a desire for stimulants.
Pure water is needful for your health. Wash your bodies as well as your
faces, rubbing them all over with a coarse cloth. If you cannot wash thus
every morning, pray do so once a week. Crying and cross children are often
pacified by a gentle washing of their little hands and faces—it soothes
them. Babies' heads should be washed carefully, every morning, with
yellow soap. No scurf should be suffered to remain upon them. Get rid of
all slops and dirty water at once, but do not throw them out before your
doors; and never suffer dead cabbage-leaves or dirt of any kind to remain
there; all these poison the air, and bring fevers. All bad smells are poison;
never rest with them. Keep your back yards clean. Pig-sties are very

injurious; slaughter-houses are equally hurtful: the smells from both excite
typhus fever, and cause ill health. Frederick the Great said, that one fever
was more fatal to him than seven battles. Disease, and even death, is often
the consequence of our own negligence. Wash your rooms and passages at
least once a week; use plenty of clean water; but do not let your children
stay in them while they are wet—it may bring on croup or inflammation of
the chest. If you read your Bibles—which it is earnestly hoped you do—you
will find how cleanliness, both as to the person and habitation, was taught
to the Jews by God himself; and we read in the 4th chapter of Nehemiah,
that when they were building their second temple, and defending their lives
against their foes, having no time for rest, they contrived to put off their
clothes for washing. It is a good old saying, that Cleanliness is next to
Godliness. See Heb. x. 22.
Wholesome food is needful for your health. Buy the most strengthening.
Pieces of fresh beef and mutton go the farthest. Eat plenty of fresh salt with
food; it prevents disease. Pray do not let your children waste their pocket-
money in tarts, cakes, sugar-plums, sour fruit, &c.; they are very
unwholesome, and hurt the digestion. People would often, at twenty years
of age, have a nice little sum of money to help them on in the world, if they
had put in the savings-bank the money so wasted. Cocoa is cheaper and
much more nourishing than tea. None of these liquids should be taken hot,
but lukewarm; when hot, they inflame the stomach, and produce
indigestion. All kinds of intoxicating drinks are to be avoided, or taken in
the utmost moderation. If possible, abstain from them altogether. Money
saved from drink, will help to educate your children, and make your homes
happier.
We are all made to breathe the pure air of heaven, and therefore much
illness is caused by being constantly in-doors. This is especially the case
with mothers of families, young milliners, ironers, shoe-makers, tailors, &c.
Let such persons make a point, whenever it is possible, of taking exercise in
the open air for at least an hour and a half, daily. Time would be saved in
the long-run, by the increased energy and strength gained, and by the
warding off of disease.
Be sure to get your children vaccinated, between the third and sixth
month after birth, before teething begins, and when they are in a good state
of health for it. This would save a great many lives. On no account give

your children laudanum, or any kind of sleeping medicine; numbers are
killed by it.

336. Directions in severe Sickness.—Whenever any one of your family is
taken violently ill, send as soon as possible for the most skilful physician—
and follow, carefully, his orders. But, many times, the mother is the best
physician, and the only one needed for her children, if she has been trained
to take proper care of her own health, as every woman should be. The
following recipes and directions may be of great service to young mothers,
and those who have not been accustomed to minister to the sick.

337. To purify the Chambers of the Sick.—Close the windows and doors
of the room to be purified, except one door; close also the chimney
aperture, except two or three inches at the bottom, and remove all the iron
and brass furniture; then put three table-spoonsful of common salt into a
dish or pan, place it upon the floor of the apartment, and pour at once upon
the salt a quarter of a pint of oil of vitriol; retire, and close the room for
forty-eight hours, during which time vapor will continue to rise and diffuse
itself completely through the room, so as to destroy the matter on which
infection depends. The room may then be entered, the doors and windows
thrown open, and a fire made in the grate, so that the apartment may be
perfectly ventilated.

338. To prevent Infection.—As a preservative, carry with you and smell
occasionally, a handkerchief sprinkled with this mixture; half an ounce of
spirits of camphor, half a pint of water, and five ounces of pyroligneous
acid.
Cascarilla bark is good to smoke, to prevent the effects of malaria, and in
sick rooms to correct bad effluvia. It yields a fine aromatic odor, and is very
wholesome for sedentary and studious people to smoke, if mixed with good
tobacco. The proportions for either of these purposes are as follow: one
pound of Turkey tobacco, four ounces of Dutch canister tobacco, and one
ounce of Cascarilla bark, broken small; mix the above, and smoke a pipe of
it every evening, when the house is shut up; it is also a good digester after
meals.

339. Fumigating Pastilles.—Pound and mix gum benjamin and
frankincense in powder, of each two drachms; gum myrrh, storax, cascarilla
bark, and nitre, of each, powdered, one ounce and a half; and charcoal
powder, one ounce: moisten, and shape into pastilles with gum-water, and a
very little turpentine.
The stalks of dried lavender, if burnt, have an agreeable scent, and form a
substitute for pastilles; they may be cut small, and burnt in little vessels.

340. To use Chloride of Lime.—This preventive of contagion may be
used as follows: stir one pound of the chloride of lime into four gallons of
water; allow it to settle for a short time, pour off the clear solution, and keep
it in well-corked bottles.
In houses infected, sprinkle the rooms morning and evening with the
above liquid; and pour some of it into shallow dishes or basins. Sprinkle it
about the room and bed-linen occasionally, and admit fresh air. Infected
linen should be dipped in the mixture about five minutes, and then in
common water, before it is sent to the wash.
A wine-glassful added to the water of a night-chair or bed-pan, will
prevent any smell. To destroy the effluvia from drains, sewers, cesspools,
&c., pour into them a quart of the mixture, with a pail of water.
Meat sprinkled with, or dipped in the mixture, and hung in the air, will
not be attacked by flies, nor be tainted, for some time.
Water in cisterns may be purified, and its animalcula killed, by putting
about a pint of the mixture to one hundred gallons of water.
This mixture will also destroy bugs, if the joints and crevices of
bedsteads be washed with it. It will likewise remove the smell of paint in a
day, if the newly painted room be sprinkled with it, and if some be placed
there in dishes or saucers.

341. Disinfecting Liquid.—In a wine-bottle full of cold water dissolve
two ounces of sugar of lead, and add two ounces of aqua-fortis. Shake the
mixture well. A very small quantity of the liquid in its strongest form should
be used for cleansing all chamber utensils. To remove offensive odors,

dilute the liquid with eight or ten parts of water, moisten clean cloths
thoroughly with it, and hang them in various parts of the room. The
offensive gases are neutralized by chemical action. Fumigation is merely
substituting one odor for another. In all practicable cases, fresh air, and
plenty of it, is far the best disinfectant.

342. To prevent Abrasions of the Skin in persons confined to their beds; a
very valuable recipe.—Apply occasionally to the tender parts of the body,
with a feather, this mixture. Beat to a strong froth the white of an egg, then
drop in gradually, while beating it, two tea-spoonfuls of spirits of wine.
Bottle it for use.

343. To prevent Discolorations of the Skin after a blow or fall.—Moisten
a little dry starch or arrow-root with cold water, and lay it on the injured
part. It should be done immediately, so as to prevent the action of the air
upon the skin; however, it may be applied with good effect some hours
afterwards. It is a French receipt, and is quite valuable.

344. A recipe for Neuralgia in the Face.—Make a lotion with half a pint
of rose-water and two tea-spoonfuls of white vinegar. Apply it to the part
affected, three or four times a-day, using a fresh linen cloth each time. In
two or three days the pain will pass away. This has been an effectual cure
with many, but as the disease arises from various causes, there is no specific
for it.

345. Eye Water for weak eyes.—Infuse in boiling water, till cold, half an
ounce of poppy heads, and the same quantity of chamomile flowers. Strain
this mixture, and add two table-spoonfuls of vinegar, and one of brandy.
Apply it warm, night and morning.

346. Another.—Put into a two-ounce phial fifteen drops of laudanum, fill
it with two-thirds of rose-water, and one-third of rectified spirits of
Mindererus. Use it with a sponge.

347. To cure a Bruise in the Eye.—Take conserve of red roses, or a
bruised apple, put them in a fold of thin cambric, apply it to the eye, and it
will draw the bruise out.

348. Cold or Inflammation of the Eyes.—Mix a few bread crumbs with
the white of an egg, put it in a bag of soft muslin, and apply it to the eye. It
will afford relief in a few minutes, and generally a cure in a day. It is best
applied at night, or when lying down. When removed, bathe the eye well
with warm water, using a bit of muslin, not a sponge.

349. Carvacrol, the new remedy for the Tooth-ache.—Dr. Bushman gives
(in the Medical Times) the following account of this new compound, which,
though well known in Germany as a quick and effectual cure for one of the
most worrying ills "that flesh is heir to," is now for the first time published
in England. Carvacrol is an oily liquid, with a strong taste and unpleasant
odor. It may be made by the action of iodine on oil of caraway or on
camphor. A few drops applied on cotton wool (to a decayed and painful
tooth) give immediate relief. Carvacrol much resembles creosote in
appearance, and is used in similar cases of tooth-ache, but its effect is much
more speedy and certain.

350. To cure Tooth-ache.—A remedy, often effectual, is to fill the mouth
with warm water, and immediately after with cold.

351. Another cure for Tooth-ache.—Powdered alum will not only relieve
the tooth-ache, but prevent the decay of the tooth.

352. Gum-boils.—A gum-boil is sometimes a primary disease, depending
on an inflammation of the gums from accidental and common causes, in
which case the lancet, or leaving it to nature, soon restores the gum to a
healthy state; but it more generally arises from a carious tooth, in which
case extraction is necessary. If there be any constitutional disturbance about
the face, leeches and purgatives, and the usual means for subduing
inflammation may be resorted to.

353. Diseases of the Ear.—Sometimes ear-ache is connected with chronic
ulceration in the internal and external part of the ear—when injections of
warm water and soap are advisable. In this case, there is sometimes a
constant fœtid discharge—for which the following mixture has been
recommended:—Mix three drachms of ox-gall and one drachm of balsam
of Peru. Put a drop on a little cotton in the ear.

354. Temporary Deafness.—If the ear be inflamed, inject water into it
with a syringe, as warm as the patient can bear it, and foment the part with
the decoction of poppy-heads and chamomile flowers. Should this not
relieve the pain, a drop of oil of cloves with a little oil of almonds should be
dropped into the ear, and cotton wool put into it. If the ear discharge much,
inject warm water with Castile soap into it.

355. For a Pain in the Ear.—Oil of sweet almonds, two drachms, and oil
of amber, four drops. Apply four drops of this mixture, when in pain, to the
part affected.

356. Another cure for the Ear-ache.—Dip a little cotton into a mixture of
oil of sweet almonds and laudanum, and put it into the ear; or, apply a small
poultice, in which is put a raw chopped clove of garlic; or, roast a small
onion, and put as much of the inside into the ear as you conveniently can.

357. To kill Earwigs, or other Insects, which may accidentally have crept
into the Ear.—Let the person under this distressing circumstance lay his
head upon a table, the side upwards that is afflicted; at the same time, let
some friend carefully drop into the ear a little sweet oil or oil of almonds. A
drop or two will be sufficient, which will instantly destroy the insect and
remove the pain, however violent.

358. Bleeding at the Nose.—In obstinate cases, blow a little gum Arabic
powder up the nostrils through a quill, which will immediately stop the
discharge.

359. Another cure for Bleeding at the Nose.—Elevating the patient's arm
will often have the desired effect. The explanation is based upon
physiological grounds: the greater force required to propel the blood
through the vessels of the arm, when elevated, causes the pressure upon the
vessels of the head to be diminished, by the increased action which takes
place in the course of the brachial arteries. If the theory be sound, both arms
should be elevated.

360. To destroy Corns and Warts.—Put into an earthen pipkin a quarter
of a pint of linseed oil, to which add one ounce of resin and a little litharge.
Warm them together; spread them upon leather, and apply them to corns or
warts.

361. To destroy Warts.—Dissolve as much common washing soda as the
water will take up; wash the warts with this for a minute or two, and let
them dry without wiping. Keep the water in a bottle, and repeat the washing
often. It will remove the largest warts.
Caustic is an effectual though troublesome application. The juice of the
common annual spurge plant is as efficacious a remedy; as is the bark of the
willow tree, burnt to ashes, mixed with vinegar, and applied to the warts.
The juice of the marigold is another remedy.

362. A certain cure for Warts.—Steep in vinegar the inner rind of a
lemon for twenty-four hours, and apply it to the wart. The lemon must not
remain on more than three hours, and should be applied fresh every day. To
apply acetic acid with a camel's hair-brush, is still better.

363. Corns on the Feet.—These are usually made by wearing shoes over-
tight; but, walking on pavement in very thin shoes will cause corns and
bunions, because of bruising the feet on the hard stones.

364. To prevent Corns from growing on the Feet.—Easy shoes;
frequently bathing the feet in lukewarm water, with a little salt or potashes
dissolved in it.

365. Sir H. Davy's Corn Solvent.—Potash, two parts; salts of sorrel, one
part; each in fine powder. Mix, and lay a small quantity on the corn for four
or five successive nights, binding it on with a rag.

366. To cure Corns.—An effectual remedy.—The cause of corns, and
likewise the torture they occasion, is simply friction; and to lessen the
friction, you have only to use your toe as you do in like circumstances a
coach wheel—lubricate it with some oily substance. The best and cleanest
thing to use, is a little sweet oil rubbed on the affected part (after the corn is
carefully pared) with the tip of the finger, which should be done on getting
up in the morning, and just before stepping into bed at night. In a few days
the pain will diminish, and in a few days more it will cease, when the
nightly application may be discontinued.

367. Another cure for Corns.—Place the feet for half an hour for two or
three nights successively, in a pretty strong solution of common soda. The
alkali dissolves the indurated cuticle, and the corn falls out spontaneously,
leaving a small excavation, which soon fills up. This is an almost certain
remedy.

368. To cure soft Corns.—Dip a soft linen rag in turpentine, and place it
over the corn night and morning. In a few days the corn will disappear. A
little sweet oil rubbed on them is often of great service. Or, a small piece of
cotton placed between the toes is sometimes efficacious; or, the juice or
pulp of a lemon.

369. To cure Bunions in their commencement.—Bind the joint tightly,
either with broad tape or adhesive plaster. The strip should be kept on as
long as the least uneasiness is felt. It should wrap quite round the foot.

370. Lotion for Chilblains.—Mix distilled vinegar and spirit of
mindererus, of each four ounces, with half an ounce of borax.
In common cases of chilblains, apply pieces of soft linen, moistened with
spirits of camphor, soap liniment, camphor liniment, &c. When the

swellings break, apply emollient ointments for a few days. Equal quantities
of sweet oil, lime water, and spirits of wine, are also an excellent remedy
for chilblains.

371. Simple remedy for Chilblains.—Soak them in warm bran and water,
then rub them well with mustard-seed flour; but it will be better if they are
done before they break.

372. Another remedy.—Cut an onion in thick slices, and with these rub
the chilblains thoroughly, on two or three nights, before a good fire, and
they will soon disappear.

373. Sir A. Cooper's Chilblain Liniment.—One ounce of camphorated
spirit of wine, half an ounce of liquid subacetate of lead; mix, and apply in
the usual way three or four times a day. Some persons use vinegar as a
preventive; its efficacy might be increased, by the addition to the vinegar of
one-fourth of its quantity of camphorated spirit.

374. Note.—Those who are most liable to chilblains, should, on the
approach of winter, cover the parts most subject to be affected, with
woollen gloves or stockings, and not expose the hands or feet too much to
wet and cold.

375. To stop violent Bleeding from a Cut.—Make a paste, by mixing fine
flour with vinegar, and lay it on the cut.

376. An excellent Styptic.—The outside woof of silk-worms has been
tried with great success by several people, more especially by a lady, who,
in mending a pen, cut her thumb to the bone, and through part of the nail; it
bled profusely; but, by trying this styptic, and binding up the wound, the
hemorrhage stopped, and the wound healed in three days.

377. A new and useful Styptic.—Take brandy, or common spirit, two
ounces; Castile soap, two drachms; potash, one drachm; scrape the soap

fine, and dissolve it in the brandy; then add the potash, and mix it well
together, and keep it close stopped from the air in a phial. When you apply
it, warm it in a vessel, or dip pledges of lint into it, and the blood will
immediately congeal. It operates by coagulating the blood, both a
considerable way within the vessels, as well as the extravasated blood
without, and restraining, at the same time, the mouths of the vessels.
It forms a valuable embrocation, in cases of tumors or swellings from
bruises, by being frequently rubbed on the part. It is also used in a similar
manner for rheumatic pains.

378. To prevent Wounds from mortifying.—Sprinkle sugar on them. The
Turks wash fresh wounds with wine, and sprinkle sugar on them. Obstinate
ulcers may be cured with sugar dissolved in a strong decoction of walnut
leaves.

379. To cure Ring-worms.—Dissolve borax in water, and apply it at first,
it will produce a burning sensation and redness; it should then be
discontinued for a few days, and being resumed, the ring-worm will soon
disappear.
To sponge the head daily with vinegar and water, in the proportion of half
a pint of vinegar to a pint and a half of water, will prevent or cure ring-
worms.

380. Another cure for Ring-worms.—To one part of sulphuric acid, add
about twenty parts of water. Use a brush or feather, and apply it to the part,
night and morning. A very few dressings will generally cure. If the solution
is too strong, dilute it with more water; and if the irritation is excessive, rub
a little oil or other softening applicant; but avoid soap.
While the patches are in an inflamed and irritable condition, it is
necessary to limit the local applications to regular washing or sponging with
warm water, or some softening fomentation.

381. Cure for Erysipelas.—A simple poultice made of cranberries,
pounded fine, and applied in a raw state, has proved a certain remedy.

382. Remedy for fainting.—First place the patient in the horizontal
posture, throw cold water over the face, and bathe the hands with vinegar
and water; loosen the dress, and admit a free current of fresh, cool air.
Pungent salts, ether, or eau de Cologne, should be held occasionally to the
nose, and the temples should be rubbed with either of the two latter. When
the patient has partly recovered, a small quantity of wine, cold water, or ten
or twenty drops of sal-volatile or ether, in water, should be given.

383. Remedy for Fits.—If a person fall in a fit, let him remain on the
ground, provided his face be pale; for should it be fainting or temporary
suspension of the heart's action, you may cause death by raising him
upright, or by bleeding; but if the face be red or dark-colored, raise him on
his seat, throw cold water on his head immediately; cold water is the best
restorative.

384. German method of preventing Hysterics.—Caraway seeds, finely
pounded, with a small proportion of ginger and salt, spread upon bread and
butter, and eaten every day, especially early in the morning, and at night,
before going to bed, are successfully used in Germany, as a domestic
remedy against hysterics.

385. Stomachic Mixture.—Camphor julep, one ounce; sweet spirit of
nitre, half an ounce; compound tincture of cardamoms, spirit of anise-seed,
of each five drachms; oil of caraway, twelve drops; syrup of ginger, two
drachms; peppermint-water, two drachms. Mix. A table-spoonful
occasionally in flatulency and dyspepsia.

386. Red lavender drops for Nervous Attacks.—Fill a quart bottle with
the blossoms of lavender, and pour on it as much brandy as it will contain;
let it stand ten days, then strain it, and add of nutmeg bruised, cloves, mace,
and cochineal, a quarter of an ounce each, and bottle it for use. In nervous
cases, a little may be taken dropped on a bit of sugar; and in the beginning
of a bowel complaint, a tea-spoonful, taken in half a glass of peppermint
water, will often prove efficacious.

387. Eggs in Jaundice.—The yolk of an egg, either eaten raw, or slightly
boiled, is perhaps the most salutary of all the animal substances. It is a
natural soap, and, in all jaundice cases no food is equal to it. When the gall
is either too weak, or, by accidental means, is not permitted to flow in
sufficient quantity into the duodenum, our food, which consists of watery
and oily parts, cannot unite so as to become chyle. Such is the nature of the
yolk of an egg, that it is capable of uniting water and oil into an uniform
substance, thereby making up for the deficiency of natural bile.—Dr. A.
Hunter.

388. Aperient for Children.—Gingerbread made with oatmeal instead of
flour, is a very useful aperient for children.

389. Cramp.—Cramp in the calves of the legs is a very disagreeable
complaint, to which those who have their legs confined in tight boots are
subject in travelling. An effectual preventative of this pain, is to stretch out
the heel of the leg as far as possible, at the same time drawing up the toes
towards the body.
A garter applied tightly round the limb affected will, in most cases,
speedily remove this complaint. When it is more obstinate, a brick should
be heated, wrapped in a flannel bag, and placed at the foot of the bed,
against which the person troubled may place his feet. No remedy, however,
is equal to that of diligent and long-continued friction.
Cramp is apt to attack the calves of the legs and toes soon after retiring to
rest. Get out of bed, and exercise the muscles vigorously.

390. For Spasms.—Mix four table-spoonsful of camphor julep and
twenty drops of sal-volatile, for a dose, to be repeated twice or thrice a day.

391. To apply Leeches.—Make the part clean and dry, and dry the leeches
in a clean cloth; if this fail, scratch the surface of the skin with a point of a
lancet, and apply the leech on the spot, moistened with the blood. To apply
a number of leeches, put them into a very small wine-glass, which hold over
them till they are fixed. If the skin be much inflamed and heated, pour a

little tepid water into the water containing the leeches, before they are taken
out to be applied. If sulphur be taken internally, or applied externally,
leeches will not bite; neither will they bite if the skin be covered with
perspiration; or if there be tobacco smoke or vinegar-vapor in the room.
All that is requisite to stop the bleeding, after the leech is taken away, is
constant pressure on the spot; a piece of sponge or cotton, the size of a pin's
head, is to be put upon the aperture, and kept there by cross slips of
adhesive plaster spread upon linen, or the surgeon's strapping: if greater
pressure be necessary, some linen may be placed between the stopper and
the plaster.

392. A useful embrocation for Rheumatism, Lumbago, or Strains.—Half
an ounce of strongest camphorated spirit, one ounce spirits of turpentine,
one raw egg, half pint best vinegar. Well mix the whole, and keep it closely
corked. To be rubbed in three or four times a day. For rheumatism in the
head, or face-ache, rub all over the back of the head and neck, as well as the
part which is the immediate seat of pain.

393. For Gout and Rheumatism.—Mix in one pound of honey one ounce
of flour of sulphur, half an ounce of cream of tartar, two drachms of ginger,
in powder, and half a nutmeg, grated: for rheumatism, add half a drachm of
gum-guaiacum, powdered. The full dose is two tea-spoonsful at bed-time
and early in the morning, in a tumbler of hot water. This is "the Chelsea
Pensioners' recipe."

394. Influenza.—Influenza is an Italian word, and means what we
express in English by almost the same word, influence. The word as applied
to this disease, originated from the belief held by our ancestors, of the
influence of the stars upon human affairs. When a complaint suddenly
appeared, and affected great numbers without an obvious cause, the
visitation was ascribed to the stars. Whatever might have been the origin of
the name, it is an appropriate one, for the Influenza certainly springs from
some pervading influence. It may, for anything we can prove to the
contrary, be occasioned by some subtle poison diffused throughout the
atmosphere, which medical men call a miasm. Bad air, rising from marshy

ground, occasions ague; and bad air arising from drains in towns, from
cess-pools, and other collections of filth, gives rise to the worst kinds of
fever. And it is not a matter of chance: the ague will continue in marshy
countries till these are drained; and in the dirty quarters of a large town,
there is sure to be typhus fever. If we cannot, in these cases, see, taste, or
touch the bad air, or even smell it, we know that fens poison the air with a
matter that causes ague, and animal refuse with what causes fever and many
other diseases. But, the existence of a peculiar poison in the air in influenza,
is very doubtful. It is likely, however, and generally believed by medical
men, that influenza arises from certain states or changes in the air connected
with heat and moisture. Now, though it appears in hot weather and cold, in
dry and wet, it may still depend on certain conditions of the weather, just as
a person will sometimes take a cough in a warm moist day, and again in a
dry east wind; and just, in fact, as we see a fog, which depends on
atmospheric changes, produced under different circumstances. The brisk air
of the country often gives town-people a head-cold, and country people
sometimes suffer in the same way when they visit town. During every
season, certain people have "head-colds," coughs, and "feverish colds."
These are produced by certain states of climate acting on certain states of
constitution. At particular seasons such complaints abound—at others they
abound still more; and again, from some singularity, they prevail so much,
that people say, there is an Influenza.
In simple cases, confinement to a pure and temperate air, warm drinks,
and a warm bath, or at least a warm foot-bath, with an extra blanket, and a
little more rest than usual, keeping to mild food and toast and water, and
taking, if necessary, a dose of aperient medicines—is all that is required. In
serious cases, the domestic treatment must become professional. Mustard
plasters to the back, relieve the head-ache. Squills, and other medicines,
"loosen" the outstanding cough. Bark and wine, and even cold baths, are
sometimes requisite for the weakness left behind. But these things can only
be used with discrimination by a regular professional man.

395. For the Breath.—Persons who suffer from difficulty of breathing
and oppression on the chest, will find great relief from the following simple
contrivance. A tea-kettle is to be kept boiling, either over a fire or over a
common night-lamp or nursing-candlestick. A tin tube is to be fitted on to

the spout of the tea-kettle, of such length and form as to throw the steam in
front of the sick person, who will then breathe in it. This prevents the
distressing sensation occasioned by inhaling the cold night air, which will
be felt by persons suffering from asthma or water on the chest, and which is
not obviated either by clothing or fire.

396. To relieve Asthma.—Soak some blotting-paper in a strong solution
of saltpetre; dry it, take a piece about the size of your hand, and on going to
bed, light it, and lay it upon a plate in your bed-room. By doing so, persons,
however badly afflicted with asthma, will find that they can sleep almost as
well as when in health. (Many persons have experienced relief from the use
of this specific.)

397. Relief for Asthma—another way.—Mix two ounces of the best
honey with one ounce of castor oil, and take a tea-spoonful, night and
morning.

398. Gargle for Sore Throat.—On twenty-five or thirty leaves of the
common sage, pour a pint of boiling water; let the infusion stand half an
hour. Add vinegar enough to make it moderately acid, and honey to the
taste. Use it as a gargle, several times a day. This combination of the
astringent and emollient principle seldom fails to produce the desired effect.

399. To prevent Lamps from being pernicious to Asthmatic persons, or
others liable to Complaints of the Chest.—Let a sponge, three or four
inches in diameter, be moistened with pure water, and in that state be
suspended by a string or wire, exactly over the flame of the lamp, at the
distance of a few inches; this substance will absorb all the smoke emitted
during the evening or night; after which, it should be rinsed in warm water,
by which means it will be again rendered fit for use.

400. The use of Tar-water in expanding the Lungs of Public Speakers,
&c.—It has been found by the experience of many, that drinking tar-water
very much deterges and opens the lungs, and thereby gives a very sensibly
greater ease in speaking. A quart of tar is to be stirred six minutes in a

gallon of water; but if there be somewhat less tar, it may do as well,
especially at first, to try how it sits on the stomach. Take about one-fourth
of a pint, at four several times, at a due distance from meals. Begin taking it
in the spring for about fourteen days, and continue it for a greater length of
time, as occasion may require.

401. To prevent Danger from Wet Clothes.—Keep if possible in motion,
and take care not to go near a fire or into any very warm place, so as to
occasion a sudden heat, till some time after you have been able to procure
dry clothes.

402. Cold and Damp Feet.—Nothing can be more erroneous than the
notion that by pouring spirits into boots and shoes, when the feet are wet,
will prevent the effects of cold; on the contrary, the practice often produces
cold, inflammation, and obstruction in the bowels. When the spirit reaches
the feet, it immediately evaporates: the stronger it is, the more quickly it
evaporates, and the greater is the cold produced.

403. For Whooping Cough.—Mix two tea-spoonfuls of paregoric elixir,
one table-spoonful of oxymel of squills, and the same quantity of water and
mucilage of gum-arabic. A tea-spoonful may be taken three or four times a-
day, or when the cough is troublesome.
Treat the whooping cough with the same care as you would any other
cough. Keep the children warmly clothed, and dryly lodged, and in the
house, at all times, except in warm sunny days, when air and exercise in
moderation, observing that they do not overheat themselves, may do good.
Put their feet in a pan of warm water just before they go to bed, and be
careful to wipe them dry and wrap them in flannel. During the day they
must wear woollen stockings and thick-soled shoes. Let their drink be toast-
water, tea and raspberry vinegar mixed with water, two table-spoonfuls to a
half-pint, or less if it be very sharp. Red or black currant-jelly dissolved in
water makes a pleasant, cool drink. Be sure you give no kind of quack
medicines—but an occasional dose of simple opening medicine, if the
bowels are confined; and a quarter of a grain, or half a grain of plain
ipecacuanha powder in a tea-spoonful of gruel or jelly at bed-time. Rub the

chest and between the shoulders, with equal parts of rum and turpentine,
adding a little oil, if it is too harsh for the skin. The child might suck an
ipecacuanha lozenge two or three times a-day. Effervescent, saline draughts
are very grateful and beneficial, where there is not only continual nausea,
but frequent sickness from the spasmodic nature of the cough. If it be
attended with pain in the chest or side, seek advice from a medical man
without delay.

404. For common Coughs.—Mix one ounce of oil of almonds, one
drachm of powdered gum arabic, one ounce of syrup, and one ounce and a
half of water; take a tea-spoonful or two occasionally.

405. Winter Cough.—Mix two ounces of oxymel of stramonium with six
ounces of the decoction of Iceland moss; take a dessert-spoonful when the
cough is troublesome.

406. For Cough and Hoarseness.—Beat well a newly laid egg, and stir it
into a quarter of a pint of new milk, warmed, to which add a table-spoonful
of capillaire.
A piece of anchovy will almost instantly restore the just tone of voice to
any one who has become hoarse by public speaking.

407. White Mixture for Coughs.—Beat well the yolk of an egg, mix with
it in a mortar half a drachm of powdered spermaceti, a little loaf sugar and
twenty drops of laudanum (tincture of opium); add a gill of water, and mix
well: a table-spoonful of this mixture will relieve an obstinate cough.
Or, mix half a pint of almond emulsion, two drachms of syrup of poppies,
the same of oxymel of squills, and one drachm of powder of gum
tragacanth; two table-spoonfuls to be taken often.

408. Colds.—A daily exposure to the outward air is absolutely necessary
to secure us against the injurious influence of our variable climate. For cure
of catarrh, reduce the amount of food, take exercise, keep the bowels open,
and bathe the feet in warm water at bed-time.—Henderson.

409. For a Cold in the Head.—What is called a head-bath is useful. Fill a
wash-hand basin with boiling water, and add an ounce of flour of mustard;
then hold the head, covered with a cloth to prevent the escape of the steam,
over the basin as long as any steam arises.

410. For a troublesome Cough.—Take of treacle and the best white wine
vinegar six table-spoonfuls each; add forty drops of laudanum; mix it well,
and put it into a bottle. A tea-spoonful to be taken occasionally when the
cough is troublesome.

411. For a sudden Hoarseness.—Mix one tea-spoonful of sweet spirits of
nitre in a wine-glassful of water. This may be taken two or three times a
day.

412. Hoarseness.—A piece of flannel, dipped in brandy, and applied to
the chest, and covered with a dry flannel, is to be worn all night. Four or six
small onions, boiled, and put on buttered toast, and eaten for supper, are
likewise good for colds on the chest.

413.—Children's Coughs.—A few tea-spoonfuls of warm treacle taken
occasionally, and particularly at bed-time, or when the cough is
troublesome, will be found beneficial, especially for infants and children.

414. For a "hacking" Cough.—Dissolve an ounce of mutton suet in a
pint of milk, and drink it warm.

415. For a Cough.—Mix vinegar and treacle in equal quantities, and let a
tea-spoonful be taken occasionally, when the cough is troublesome. This is
the recipe of Dr. James, of Carlisle.

416. Quinsy, or Ulcerated Sore Throat.—Bake or roast three or four large
onions or six smaller ones, till soft. Peel them quickly, and beat them flat
with a rolling-pin or glass bottle. Then put them immediately in a thin

muslin bag that will reach from ear to ear, and about three inches deep.
Apply it speedily, and as warm as possible, to the throat. Keep it on day and
night, changing it when the strength of the onions appears to be exhausted,
and substituting fresh ones. Flannel must be worn round the neck after the
poultice is removed.

417. Saline Draught.—Dissolve one scruple of carbonate of potassa, (salt
of tartar), in a table-spoonful of lemon-juice, and three table-spoonfuls of
water; sweeten with lump sugar, and drink while it effervesces. This is an
excellent remedy for sore throats, nausea, &c.

418. Another.—Dissolve one drachm each of nitric acid and carbonate of
potassa in three-quarters of a pint of water; add one ounce each of syrup of
orange-peel and spirit of nutmeg, and mix. Two table-spoonfuls to be taken
in fevers and inflammatory sore throats.

419. To make Gargles.—For relaxed sore throat, mix five ounces of
Cayenne pepper gargle, two ounces of infusion of roses, and one ounce of
syrup of roses.
Or, mix with the Cayenne pepper gargle, three ounces of vinegar, three
drachms of tincture of myrrh, and four drachms of honey of roses.
For inflammatory sore throats, mix six ounces of infusion of roses, one
ounce of tincture of myrrh, and one ounce of honey of roses.
Or, mix one drachm and a half of saltpetre, two ounces of honey, and six
ounces of rose-water.
For scorbutic gums, mix six ounces of infusion of roses, one ounce of
borax, and one ounce of honey of roses.
To make the Cayenne pepper gargle, pour six ounces of boiling water
upon one scruple of Cayenne pepper; cover it, and let it stand for three
hours.

420. To cure Hiccough.—This is caused by flatulency, indigestion, and
acidity. It may be relieved generally by a sudden fright or surprise, or any

sudden application of cold; also by drinking cold water slowly; eating a
small piece of ice, taking a pinch of snuff, or anything that excites
coughing. Or, take one tea-spoonful of common vinegar.

421. A simple cure for Dysentery—which has never failed.—Take some
butter off the churn, immediately after being churned, just as it is, without
being salted or washed; clarify it over the fire like honey. Skim off all the
milky particles when melted over a clear fire. Let the patient (if an adult)
take two table-spoonfuls of the clarified remainder, twice or thrice within
the day. This has never failed to effect a cure, and in many cases it has been
almost instantaneous.

422. For Diarrhœa.—Fill a tea-cup with dry flour, press it down, and
cover it with a buttered cloth, tying it very closely; boil it three hours, when
turn it out to cool into a hard mass. Grate a tea or a dessert-spoonful of it
into peppermint water for children, or into a glass of port wine for adults.

423. Chalk Mixture.—Mix half an ounce of prepared chalk, the same of
lump sugar, and one ounce of powdered gum Arabic, with a pint of water.
This is an excellent remedy for diarrhœa.

424. Fig Paste for Constipation.—Cut up small one pound of figs, and
mix it with two ounces of senna carefully picked over, and one tea-cupful of
molasses; stew it till it becomes thoroughly mixed and firm; then cool it. A
piece about half as large as a fig will generally be sufficient.

425. Laxatives.—Infusions of Epsom salts and senna are often taken as
laxatives, or opening medicines. It is a well-known fact, that a tea-spoonful
of salts in a tumbler of cold water, if drunk before breakfast, is as effectual a
dose as the usual ounce. Senna, too, if steeped in cold water, is equally
efficacious, and free from the nauseous bitter taste which it has when
infused in boiling water.

426. To cure Boils.—Boil in half a pint of milk one table-spoonful of
shot; pour it off, and drink it in small doses.

427. To cure a Felon.—A felon generally appears on the end of the
fingers or thumbs; it is extremely painful for weeks, and sometimes for
months, and, in most cases, cripples or disfigures the finger or thumb that
falls a victim to it. But it can easily be cured, if attended to in time. As soon
as the pain is felt, take the thin white skin of an egg, which is found inside
next to the shell; put it round the end of the finger or thumb affected, and
keep it there until the pain subsides. As soon as the skin becomes dry, it will
be very painful, and likely continue so for half an hour or more; but be not
alarmed. If it grows painful, bear it; it will be of short duration in
comparison to what the disease would be. A cure will be certain.

BURNS AND SCALDS.
428. We mention several remedies which have obtained popular
reputation in these accidents, and which are valuable not only as giving
more or less relief, but as being generally at hand, or to be readily procured
in every dwelling. They are, wheat flour, which may be thickly sprinkled
over the injured parts with a common kitchen dredger, till a perfect crust is
formed—an excellent application. Finely-scraped chalk or magnesia,
applied in the same way. These act both by excluding the atmospheric air,
and absorbing the fluid secreted by the vessels of the inflamed surface.
Another application reported to be very efficacious in allaying the pain, is a
piece of lint wetted with a saturated solution of carbonate of soda. A
poultice of grated raw turnip or potato, applied cold, is quickly productive
of ease in slight burns, but requires renewing often enough to keep up the
sensation of coldness.

429. Burns.—Apply to, or wrap round the burnt part, some folds of
cotton bought in sheets; however severe the pain may be, it will abate in a
few hours. Should blisters arise, they may next day be carefully pricked
with a needle, so as to break the skin as little as possible; and the cotton
kept on till the cure is effected.

430. A remedy for a Burn or Scald.—Apply immediately a thick covering
of wool to the burnt part, and bind it on tight; in the course of half an hour
very little pain will be felt, and scarcely any blister will remain. As this
remedy is so simple, no housekeeper should be without loose wool at hand,
in case of an accident. This remedy was discovered by the child of a
woolcomber having been dreadfully scalded: its mother laid it in a basket of
newly carded wool, whilst she ran for a doctor; when she returned, she
found the child fast asleep amongst the wool, and when it awoke the
excessive pain had subsided. We have frequently tried it, and invariably
with success.

431. For Burns and Scalds.—Plunge the injured part into cold spring or
ice water; or, lay on it pounded ice wrapped in linen.
Or, dissolve four ounces of alum in a quart of hot water; dip a cloth into
it, and lay it on the part. As soon as it becomes hot and dry, repeat the
application.
Apply to a burn, bruise, or cut, the moist surface of the inside coating of
the shell of a raw egg; it will adhere of itself, and heal without pain.

432. Efficacy of Vinegar in curing Burns and Scalds.—Vinegar is a great
antiseptic and corrector of putrescence and mortification. The progressive
tendency of burns of the unfavorable kind, or those that are ill-treated, is to
putrescence and mortification. When the outward skin is not broken, it may
be freely used every hour or two; where the skin is broken, and if it gives
pain, it must be gently used. But, equal parts of tepid vinegar and water
applied every three or four hours, is the best rule to be directed by.

433. Vitriol Accidents.—For a burn by vitriol, or any similar cause, lay
on, with a feather, the white of eggs mixed with powdered chalk, and
immediate relief will follow.
Or, immediately after the accident, plunge the scalded limb in spirit of
turpentine, and keep it there a few minutes.
Or, dissolve in water or fresh soap-boilers' lees, a little soda or potash,
and apply it instantly, and it will prevent all injury to the person or clothing.

FEVERS.

434. Feverish symptoms in young children may be reduced, and often
entirely cured by sponging in tepid or cold water, according to the age and
condition of the patient. Rest, in a clean bed, after sponging, is necessary.
Should the fever continue, a gentle emetic may be given. Cold water is the
best beverage in fevers, but if very thirsty, give the child a little warm tea.

435. Dr. Dickson's cure for a Fever.—When a man is hot, and his skin
dry all over, no matter what the cause be, you may bring his condition to the
state of health by throwing cold water over him. You may do the same by an
emetic. Oh! an emetic has a wonderful power in fever; and the old
physicians treated all fevers in the first instance by emetics. They did not
trouble themselves much about the cause. The state of the patient was what
they cared most about. When he was cold, they warmed him, sometimes
with one thing, sometimes with another. When hot, they cooled him; not in
the Sangrado fashion of these days, by draining him of his life's blood; but
by the employment of an emetic, or by sponging him over with cold water!

436. Easy and almost instantaneous cure for the Fever and Ague.—An
hour or two before the fit comes on, take a new-laid egg, in a glass of
vinegar or brandy, and go to bed immediately.
This very simple recipe has cured a great many, after more celebrated
preparations have proved unsuccessful.

437. Cure for Yellow Fever.—The New Orleans Tropic gives the
following recipe, which is said to be used with great success in Mexico, in
cases of yellow fever: "A tumbler two-thirds full of olive oil, well mixed
with the juice of two limes, and a tea-spoonful of fine table salt, is the
common remedy in that country; that he has seen it used in hundreds of
cases, many of them the most desperate he ever saw, and that he never knew
it fail to produce a cure in a solitary instance! It sometimes causes the
patient to vomit; in such cases it should be repeated until the stomach will
retain it."

438. Treatment of Scarlet Fever—important prescription.—Dr. Lindsly,
of Washington, strongly recommends the mode of treatment of scarlet fever,
resorted to by Dr. Schneemann, physician to the King of Hanover. It is as
follows, and exceedingly simple:
Treatment of Scarlet Fever by inunction.—From the first day of the
illness, and as soon as we are certain of its nature, the patient must be
rubbed morning and evening over the whole body with a piece of bacon, in
such a manner that, with the exception of the head, a covering of fat is
everywhere applied. In order to make this rubbing-in somewhat easier, it is
best to take a piece of bacon the size of the hand, choosing a part still armed
with the rind, that we may have a firm grasp. On the soft side of this piece
slits are to be made, in order to allow the oozing out of the fat. The rubbing
must be thoroughly performed, and not too quickly, in order that the skin
may be regularly saturated with the fat. The beneficial results of the
application are soon obvious; with a rapidity bordering on magic, all, even
the most painful symptoms of the disease are allayed; quiet, sleep, good
humor, appetite, return; and there remains only the impatience to quit the
sick room.

439. Inflammatory Fevers.—In diseases termed "inflammatory," what
measure so ready or so efficacious as to dash a pitcher or two of cold water
over the patient—Cold Affusion, as it is called? Whilst serving in the army, I
cured hundreds of inflammatory fevers in this manner—fevers, that, in the
higher ranks of society, under the bleeding and starving systems—would
have kept an apothecary and physician—to say nothing of nurses and
cuppers—visiting the patient twice or thrice a day for a month, if he
happened to live so long.
Gentlemen, with the cold dash you may easily,

"While others meanly take whole months to slay,
Produce a cure in half a summer's day."—Dr. Dickson.

440. Beverage for Fevers.—Boil two drachms of powdered alum in a
pint of milk, and strain. The draught is a wine-glassful.

441. Mustard Poultices.—Make a bag of the size required of fine, close
muslin; mix equal quantities of mustard and flour, (or a larger proportion of
mustard, should the case require it), with boiling water, until of a proper
consistency. Fill the bag with it; sew it up, and, covering it with a
handkerchief or piece of clean, soft linen, apply it to the part affected. When
it has been on long enough, take it off, and lay on another piece of soft
linen.

442. Bread Poultice.—Mr. Abernethy directs a bread and water poultice
to be made as follows:—Put half a pint of hot water into a pint basin; add to
this as much of the crumb of bread as the water will cover, then place a
plate over the basin, and let it remain about ten minutes; stir the bread about
in the water, or, if necessary, chop it a little with the edge of a knife, and
drain off the water, by holding the knife on the top of the basin, but do not
press the bread as is usually done; then take it out lightly, spread it about
one-third of an inch thick on some soft linen, and lay it upon the part. If it
be a wound, you may place a bit of lint dipped in oil beneath the poultice.
There is nothing better than the bread poultice for broken surfaces.

443. Linseed Poultice.—Is made by simply mixing linseed meal into a
paste with hot water.

444. Management of Blisters.—Spread the plaster thinly on paper or
linen, and rub over it a few drops of olive oil. In this way the blister acts
speedily, and with less irritation than usual.

445. Simple Ointment.—This is made by melting in a pipkin, by the side
of the fire, without boiling, one part of yellow or white wax, and two parts
of hog's lard or olive oil.

446. Spermaceti Ointment.—This consists of a quarter of an ounce of
white wax, three-quarters of an ounce of spermaceti, and three ounces of
olive oil, melted as before. This is the common dressing for a blister.

447. Elder-flower Ointment.—This is the mildest, blandest, and most
cooling ointment which can be used; and it is very suitable for anointing the
face or neck when sun-burnt. It is made of fresh elder-flowers, stripped
from the stalks, two pounds of which are simmered in an equal quantity of
hog's-lard till they become crisp; after which, the ointment, whilst fluid, is
strained through a coarse sieve.

448. Calamine Ointment, or Turner's Cerate.—This consists of half a
pound of yellow wax and a pint of olive oil, which are to be melted
together; this being done, half a pound of calamine powder is to be sifted in,
and stirred till the whole be completely mixed.

449. Sulphur Ointment.—This is made by rubbing well together three
ounces of flowers of sulphur and half a pound of hog's lard. This ointment,
if properly applied, is a certain cure for that nastiest of all nasty, and most
easily-caught disease, the itch, which, although generally found among poor
people, occasionally steals into the houses of the wealthy. The proper mode
of managing it is, for the infected to rub himself well all over with the
ointment, night and morning, for three days, during which time he must
wear, without change, some old body-linen, stockings, and gloves, and lie
in a pair of old sheets or blankets. Washing in the least degree is to be
carefully avoided as the plague, for it will protract the cure. On the fourth
day let him go into a warm bath, wash himself clean, and he will then be
found quite well. Everything which had been worn during the cure should
be burnt, sheets and all; but the blankets may be scoured.

PLASTERS, BLISTERS, OINTMENTS, &c.
450. The beneficial influence obtained from all such local applications
depends upon the change of temperature they are capable of producing.
Their results will vary with constitutions. Most patients, who suffer from
chronic disease, point to a particular spot as the locality where they are
most incommoded with "cold chills." This is the point for the application of
the galbanum or other "warm plaster." A plaster of this kind to the loins has
enabled me to cure a host of diseases that had previously resisted every
other mode of treatment. The same application to the chest, when the

patient complained of chilliness in that particular part, has materially aided
me in the treatment of many cases of phthisis. In both instances, where heat
was the more general complaint, cold sponging has been allowed by an
equally beneficial effect.
The ingredients of plasters, blisters, ointments, lotions, &c., what are
they but combinations of the agents with which we combat fever? Their
beneficial influence depends upon the change of motion and temperature
which they produce by their electrical or chemical action on the nerves of
the part to which they are directed. Cantharides will not blister the dead—
they have very little effect even on a dying man!—Dr. Dickson's Lectures.

451. Liquid Opodeldoc.—Dissolve one ounce of camphor in a little
spirits of wine, and two ounces of soft soap in a little water; put these into a
bottle, add half a drachm of oil of rosemary and the same of oil of thyme;
shake them well together; add three-quarters of a pint of spirits of wine, and
a quarter of a pint of water; set it in a warm place, and shake it occasionally,
for a few days. This is an excellent remedy for bruises, sprains, chilblains,
&c.

452. Extract of Arnica, for Bruises, Sprains, Burns, &c.—Take one ounce
of arnica flowers, dried; that prepared by the Shakers is considered the best;
and put them in a wide-mouthed bottle; pour just enough scalding water
over them to moisten them, and afterwards about a pint or a pint and a half
of spirits of wine. In case of a burn or bruise, &c., wet a cloth in the arnica
and lay it on the part affected. Renew the application occasionally, and the
pain will soon be removed.

453. For a Sprain.—Mix equal parts of spirit of camphor, distilled
vinegar, and turpentine, and rub the part affected.
Cold water applications are excellent for sprains; as, to bathe the part in
cold water, to pour cold water upon it, or to put bandages wet in cold water
around it.
Extract of arnica, applied to a sprain, will remove the pain in a short time.

454. Contusions or Bruises.—In slight bruises, and those not likely to be
followed by much inflammation, nothing more is usually necessary than to
bathe the part in cold water, or with spirit, as eau de Cologne, brandy, &c.,
mixed with an equal proportion of vinegar and water. In more severe cases,
however, and where the accident is near an important part, as the eye, or
any of the joints, it becomes a desirable object to prevent the approach of
inflammation. This is to be attempted by the application of leeches,
repeating them according to circumstances; purgatives and a low diet may
become necessary. In the last stage of a bruise, where there is merely a want
of tone in the parts, and swellings from the effused blood, &c., friction
should be employed, either simply, or with any common liniment, as
opodeldoc. Wearing a bandage, pumping cold water on the part, succeeded
by warm friction, also a saturated solution of common salt in water, have
each been found beneficial. The roots of bryony and Solomon's seal,
bruised and applied as a poultice, are efficacious in hastening the
disappearance of the lividity of bruises.

455. Lime Water.—Pour three quarts of water upon eight pounds of
unslaked lime; let stand half an hour, when add three gallons of water, and
pour it off.
It is useful in cases of derangement of the digestive organs.

456. Walnut Water.—This is recommended as a remedy in subduing
nausea and vomiting, if administered in doses of a wine-glassful every half-
hour. It is distilled from green walnuts, angelica-seeds, and brandy.

457. Uses of Borax.—Powdered borax, mixed with honey, or conserve of
roses, is an excellent remedy for inside sores of the mouths of children.
If a little of the mixture be dissolved in warm water, it will form, when
cold, an efficacious gargle for an ulcerated sore throat.
If a weak solution of borax in rose-water be constantly applied, by means
of a fine linen cloth, over the redness which often affects the noses of
delicate persons, it will relieve the sense of heat, and remove the redness.
Many other spots on the face may be similarly removed.

It is likewise a very useful application to chilblains.

458. The virtues of Sage.—This valuable herb was held in such high
esteem among the ancients, that they have left us a Latin verse, which
signifies—
"Why should a man die whilst he has sage in his garden?"
It is reckoned admirable as a cordial, and to sweeten and cleanse the
blood. It is good in nervous cases, and is given in fevers, with a view to
promote perspiration. With the addition of a little lemon-juice, it is very
grateful and cooling.

459. Sage Tea.—Wood sage, which grows naturally, is the finest kind;
with a little alum it makes an excellent gargle for a sore throat. It may be
made as tea, but is better if boiled.

460. Senna Tea.—Macerate for an hour, in a covered vessel, one ounce
and a half of senna, a drachm of ginger, sliced, and a pint of boiling water;
the dose is from one-half to a wine-glassful. Or, mix two drachms of senna,
with a little Bohea tea, in a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and add, when
poured off clear, a little sugar and milk.

461. Chamomile Tea.—Take of chamomile flowers one ounce, boiling
water, one quart; simmer for ten minutes, and strain.
Chamomile tea is well known as an emetic, when taken in a tepid state.
In some parts of England, a strong infusion of chamomile is frequently
taken at bed-time, as hot as it can be swallowed, when it produces
perspiration, and next morning acts as a purgative. It is also there
considered as one of the best remedies for indigestion, colic, pains and
obstructions of the bowels, especially when arising from cold. A cup of
coffee taken hot on an empty stomach, will frequently be as efficacious as
the chamomile, in either of the above cases.
A small cupful of the tea, cold, taken in the morning, fasting, is often
serviceable for indigestion. Chamomiles are also employed in fomentations,

their greatest use being to retain the heat of the application.

462. Linseed Tea.—Pour two quarts of boiling water upon one ounce of
linseed, and two drachms of liquorice-root, sliced; let it stand six hours.

463. Mint Tea.—Mint, to be used as tea, should be cut when just
beginning to flower, and should be dried in the shade. The young leaves are
eaten in salads, and some eat them as the leaves of sage, with bread and
butter.

464. Nitre is a cheap and valuable medicine, both cooling and purifying
to the blood. In the feverishness that attends a cold, from seven to ten grains
of purified nitre, in a glass of water, may be taken two or three times a day,
with safety and advantage. For old wounds, such as are commonly called "a
bad leg," great benefit will be derived from taking a solution of nitre,
prepared thus:—In one pint of boiling water, dissolve two ounces of
saltpetre; of which take a table-spoonful twice a day. If it should occasion
pain, a little hot ginger-tea will soon give relief.

465. To make Verjuice.—The acid of the juice of the crab or wilding is
called by the country people, verjuice, and is much used in recent sprains,
and in other cases, as an astringent or repellant.

466. Medicines in Travelling.—In case of change of food disagreeing
with the stomach, dissolve a tea-spoonful of Epsom salts in half a pint of
water, as warm as it can be drunk, and repeat the dose every half-hour, until
it operates.
For diarrhœa, or acidity of stomach, mix one drachm of compound
powder of kino, with half an ounce of compound powder of chalk; divide
into six powders, and take one or two a day, in three table-spoonfuls of
water, and a tea-spoonful of brandy.

467. To prevent Sea-sickness.—Pass a broad belt round the body, and
place within it, on the region of the stomach, a pad stuffed with wool or

horse-hair; this, when tightly braced, restrains the involuntary motion of the
stomach, occasioned by the lurching of the vessel. During sickness, very
weak cold brandy and water will be found the best means of allaying the
heat and irritation.
The frequent use of any sea-sickness preventive is, however, attended
with danger.

468. Valuable properties of Cherry-tree Gum.—The gum that exudes
from the trunk and branches of the cherry-tree is equal to gum-Arabic.
Hasselquist relates that, during a siege, more than an hundred men were
kept alive for two months nearly, without any other sustenance than a little
of this gum taken into the mouth sometimes, and suffered gradually to
dissolve.

469. How to get Sleep.—How to get sleep is to many persons a matter of
high importance. Nervous persons who are troubled with wakefulness and
excitability, usually have a strong tendency of blood on the brain, with cold
extremities. The pressure of the blood on the brain keeps it in a stimulated
or wakeful state, and the pulsations in the head are often painful. Let such
rise and chafe the body and extremities with a brush or towel, or rub
smartly with the hands to promote circulation and withdraw the excessive
amount of blood from the brain, and you will sleep in a few moments. A
cold bath, or a sponge bath and rubbing, or a good run, or a rapid walk in
the open air, or going up or down stairs a few times, just before retiring,
will aid in equalizing circulation, and promoting sleep. These rules are
simple and easy of application in castle or cabin, and minister to the
comfort of thousands who would freely expend money for an anodyne to
promote "Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep."

470. Remedy for Bad Breath.—Take from five to ten drops of muriatic
acid, in an ale-glassful of barley-water, and add a little lemon-juice and
lemon-peel to flavor; mix for a draught to be taken three times a day, for a
month or six weeks at least, and, if effectual, it may be continued
occasionally. Another medicine of this kind, which has often proved
beneficial when the stomach has been wrong, and the bowels costive, is the

following: Take one drachm of sulphate of magnesia, two drachms of
tincture of calumba, one ounce and a half of infusion of roses; make a
draught, to be taken every morning, or every other morning, an hour before
breakfast, for at least a month.

471. Corpulence.—Those who are afflicted with corpulence should not
allow themselves above six hours' sleep in the twenty-four. They should
take as much exercise as possible, and avoid cream, malt liquors and soups
—at least until they have succeeded in reducing their bulk. Salt provisions
are good, having a tendency to promote perspiration, and carry off fat. Soda
water is also beneficial. Recipe: Take Castile soap, in the form of pills, or
electuary, of from one to four drachms dissolved in a quarter of a pint of
soft water, when going to bed. But let not our lovely girls abuse their
constitutions by drinking vinegar for this purpose, for consumption has
often been produced by that habit.

472. Leanness.—This is not a disease; on the contrary, lean people are
generally healthy, muscular, strong, and active, and remarkable for a keen
appetite. But when there appears a diminution of strength—when the spirits
sink, and the food does not freely digest—then leanness is the sign of
lurking disease. Such patients should take a cup of milk warm from the cow
every morning, or cold milk, with two raw fresh eggs beaten up with it. A
pint of the best porter or stout at dinner, and the same at supper. Tea is better
than coffee, and salad with strong supplies of oil, not much vinegar, are
recommended.

473. Cure for Stammering.—Impediments in the speech may be cured,
where there is no malformation of the organs of articulation, by
perseverance for three or four months in the simple remedy of reading
aloud, with the teeth closed, for at least two hours in the course of each day.

POISONS AND ANTIDOTES.
474. Acids.—These cause great heat, and sensation of burning pain, from
the mouth down to the stomach. Remedies, magnesia, soda, pearlash, or
soap, dissolved in water; then use stomach-pump or emetics.

475. Alcohol.—First cleanse out the stomach by an emetic, then dash
cold water on the head, and give ammonia (spirits of hartshorn.)

476. Alkalies.—Best remedy is vinegar.

477. Ammonia.—Remedy, lemon-juice or vinegar, afterwards milk and
water or flaxseed tea.

478. Arsenic.—Remedies, in the first place evacuate the stomach, then
give the white of eggs, lime-water, or chalk and water, charcoal and the
preparations of iron, particularly hydrate.

479. Belladonna, or Night Henbane.—Give emetics, and then plenty of
vinegar and water or lemonade.

480. Charcoal.—In poisons by carbonic gas, remove the patient to open
air, dash cold water on the head and body, and stimulate nostrils and lungs
by hartshorn, at the same time rubbing the chest briskly.

481. Corrosive Sublimate.—Give white of eggs freshly mixed with water,
or give wheat flour and water, or soap and water freely.

482. Creosote.—White of eggs and the emetics.

483. Laudanum.—Same as opium.

484. Lead. White Lead and Sugar of Lead.—Remedies, alum, cathartic,
such as castor oil and Epsom salts, especially.

485. Mushrooms, when poisonous.—Give emetics, and then plenty of
vinegar and water, with dose of ether, if handy.

486. Nitrate of Silver, (lunar caustic).—Give a strong solution of
common salt, and then emetics.

487. Nitrate of Potash, or Saltpetre.—Give emetics, then copious
draughts of flaxseed tea, milk and water, and other soothing drinks.

488. Opium.—First give a strong emetic of mustard and water, then
strong coffee and acid drinks, dash cold water on the head.

489. Oxalic Acid.—Frequently mistaken for Epsom Salts. Remedies,
chalk, magnesia, or soap and water freely, then emetics.

490. Prussic Acid.—When there is time, administer chlorine, in the shape
of soda or lime. Hot brandy and water. Hartshorn and turpentine also useful.

491. Snake Bites, &c.—Apply immediately strong hartshorn, and take it
internally; also, give sweet oil, and stimulants freely. Apply a ligature tight
above the part bitten, and then apply a cupping-glass.

492. Tartar Emetic.—Give large doses of tea made of galls, Peruvian
bark, or white oak bark.

493. Tobacco.—First an emetic, then astringent tea, then stimulants.

494. Verdigris.—Plenty of white of egg and water.

495. White Vitriol.—Give the patient plenty of milk and water.
In almost all cases of poisoning, emetics are highly useful, and of those,
one of the very best, because most prompt and ready, is the common
mustard flour or powder, a spoonful of which, stirred up in warm water,
may be given every five or ten minutes, until free vomiting can be obtained.

Emetics and warm demulcent drinks, such as milk and water, flaxseed or
slippery elm tea, chalk water, &c., should be administered without delay.
The subsequent management of the case will of course be left to a
physician.

496. To prevent Death from the Bite of Venomous Animals.—From
observations made by Dr. Bancroft, it is found, that in South America,
where the most venomous serpents abound, a very tight ligature, instantly
made after the bite, between the part bitten and the trunk of the body, will
prevent immediate danger, and allow time for proper means of remedy,
either by excision of the whole joint, just above the ligature, or by topical
applications upon the part bitten.
For instance, if the bite should be upon the end of the finger, a tight
ligature of small cord should immediately be made beyond the next joint of
the finger.
If the bite is on any part of the hand, the ligature should be made above
the wrist, by means of a garter or cord, lapped several times round the arm,
and rendered as tight as possible, by a small stick thrust betwixt the folds of
the cord or garter, and twisted round very hard, to prevent the circulation of
the blood betwixt the part bitten and the other part of the body. Ligatures of
the same kind, applied by any one present, or the man himself, will
frequently save a person's life, where, by accident, an artery in any of the
limbs is wounded, and no surgeon is at hand.

497. Prevention of Hydrophobia.—As there has been hitherto no remedy
discovered which can be said to possess a specific control over this dreadful
malady, and therefore little hope can be entertained of a cure for it, our best
endeavors should be directed to the preventive treatment. This is to be
commenced, then, by completely cutting out the whole wound as soon as
possible after the bite of a suspected animal. After this, bleeding should be
encouraged by immersion in warm water, or the application of a cupping-
glass. Caustic should next be applied to every part of the wound, which is
then to be covered with a poultice, and suffered to heal by granulation, or be
kept open, and made to suppurate, by irritating ointments. The excision
should never be omitted, even though the bitten part have healed, and let the

interval since its occurrence be what it may. As for any of innumerable so-
called specifics, there is not one that is worth a moment's trial.

498. To alleviate the Pain occasioned by the Sting of Gnats.—The
disagreeable itching occasioned by the sting of these insects, may be
removed by volatile alkali, or immediately rubbing and washing the part
affected with cold water.
At night, to rub with fuller's earth and water, lessens the inflammation.

499. Simple and effectual cure for those who may accidentally have
swallowed a Wasp.—Instantly, on the alarming accident taking place, put a
tea-spoonful of common salt in your mouth, which will instantaneously not
only kill the wasp, but at the same time heal the sting.

500. For the Sting of a Wasp or Bee.—Spread over the part a plaster of
salad oil and common salt; if oil be not at hand, the salt may be used,
moistened with water or vinegar. Or, keep the part constantly moist with a
rag dipped in sal-volatile and cold water, as strong as can be borne without
raising the skin. Or, immediately after taking out the sting, get an onion and
bruise it, and apply it to the stung place, and it will afford immediate relief.
Or, a washerwoman's blue-bag, applied in the same manner, will have a like
effect.

501. Sting of a Nettle.—Rub the part affected with balm, rosemary, mint,
or any other aromatic herb, and the smart will soon cease.

BATHS AND BATHING.
502. The best materials for constructing baths, are slabs of polished
marble, bedded with water-tight cement, in a wooden case, and carefully
united at the edges. But, as white or veined marble baths are apt to get
yellow or discolored by frequent use, and cannot easily be cleaned, large
Dutch tiles, or square pieces of white earthenware, are sometimes
substituted; these, however, are with difficulty kept water-tight, so that
marble is altogether preferable. Copper, or tinned iron plates, are also used;

the former is more expensive at the outset, but far more durable than the
latter, which is also liable to leakage at the joints, unless excellently made.
Both copper and iron should be well covered, in and outside, with several
coats of paint. Wooden tubs—square, oblong, or oval—are sometimes used
for warm baths, and are cheap and convenient; but the wood contracts a
mouldy smell, and there is great difficulty in preventing shrinkage in them,
and keeping them water-tight.
The fittest place for baths, is the bed-room floor; they are sometimes
placed in the basement story, which is cold and damp, and in all weather
disagreeable.
Due attention should be paid to the warming and ventilation of the bath-
room. A temperature of 70 degrees, by the thermometer, should be kept up
in it; and ventilation is requisite, to prevent the moisture settling upon the
walls and furniture.
An improvement in the construction of baths, is a slightly hollowed space
at one end, to receive the head of the bather, so as to prevent that sensation
of cramp which is often experienced from the ordinary, abrupt shape of a
bath.
The hand is a very uncertain test for the heat of water, and should,
therefore, not be relied on in preparing a bath; but a thermometer should be
employed, which will denote the actual temperature, thus:—
Cold bath, from 32° to 75° of Fahrenheit.
Tepid " " 75 to 92 " "
Warm " " 92 to 98 " "
Hot " " 98 to 114 " "
Vapor " " 100 to 140 " "

503. Hand Shower-Bath.—An excellent hand shower-bath for children,
has been invented. It consists of a metal vessel, containing about a gallon,
the bottom of which is pierced with holes, while the upper part is open, and
provided with a handle. When intended to be used, the vessel is immersed
in a pail of water, and it quickly fills from the lower part. The thumb is
placed over the aperture at the apex, which prevents all escape of water. It
may be held at a convenient distance over the child, and the moment the

thumb is removed, there falls a refreshing shower, which may be stopped
instantaneously, by placing the thumb over the upper opening.

504. Simple Vapor Bath.—Wrap the patient in blankets, which fasten
closely about the neck, leaving the head exposed: then place him in a chair,
under which set a basin or deep dish, with half a pint of spirits of wine, or
whisky, which should be ignited: close the blankets to the floor, and in a
few minutes the patient will be in a profuse perspiration, and should be put
to bed between warm blankets.

505. Advantages of Bathing.—It is a fact officially recorded, that during
the terrible visitations of cholera in France, out of nearly 16,228 subscribers
to the public baths of Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseilles, only two deaths
among them were ascribed to cholera. We doubt whether there exists a more
effectual preventive of disease of every kind, and a greater promoter of
good health at all times, than the practice of daily bathing.

506. Uses of Hot Water.—The efficacy of hot water, on many occasions
in life, cannot be too generally known. It is an excellent gargle for a bad
sore throat, or quinsy. In bruises, hot water, by immersion and fomentation,
will remove pain, and prevent discoloration and stiffness. It has the same
effect after a blow. It should be applied as quickly as possible, and as hot as
it can be borne. Insertion in hot water will also cure that troublesome and
very painful ailment, the whitlow.

507. Good effects of Bathing.—"I am often asked, what baths are safest
—as if everything, by its fitness or unfitness, is not safe, or the reverse. The
value of all baths depends upon their fitness; and that, in many instances,
can only be known by trial. It depends upon constitution, more than upon
the name of a disease, whether particular patients shall be benefited by one
bath or another. Generally speaking, when the skin is hot and dry, a cold
bath will do good; and when chilly, a hot bath. But the reverse sometimes
happens. The cold stage of ague, may at once be cut short by a cold bath. I
have seen a shivering hypochondriac dash into the cold plunge bath, and
come out, in a minute or two, perfectly cured of all his aches and whimseys.

But, in cases of this nature, everything depends upon the glow or reaction
which the bath produces; and that has as much to do with surprise or shock
as with the temperature of the bath. I have seen a person with a hot, dry
skin, go into a warm bath, and come out just as refreshed as if he had taken
a cold one. In that case, the perspiration which it excited, must have been
the principal means of relief.
"So far as my own experience goes, I prefer the cold and tepid shower-
baths, and the cold plunge-bath, to any other; but there are cases in which
these disagree, and I, therefore, occasionally order the warm or vapor-bath
instead."—Dr. Dickson.

508. Diet for Patients.—"I am every day asked by my patients, what diet
they should take. I generally answer by the question, 'How old are you?'
Suppose they say, Forty—'Forty!' I rejoin: 'you who have had forty years'
experience of what agrees and disagrees with you—how can you ask me
who have no experience of the kind in your case whatever?' Surely,
gentlemen, a patient's experience of what agrees and disagrees with his own
particular constitution, is far better than any theory of yours or mine. Why,
bless my life! in many chronic diseases, the diet which a man can take to-
day, would be rejected with disgust to-morrow; under such circumstances,
would you still, according to common medical practice, tell a sick person to
go on taking what he himself found worried him to death? Gentlemen, I
hope better things of you.
"The only general caution you need give your patients on the subject of
diet, is moderation; moderation in using the things which they find agree
with themselves best. You may direct them to take their food in small
quantities at a time, at short periodic intervals—intervals of two or three
hours, for example; and tell them to take the trouble to masticate it properly
before they swallow it, so as not to give a weak stomach the double work of
mastication and digestion—these processes being, even in health,
essentially distinct. Unless properly comminuted and mixed with the saliva,
how can you expect the food to be anything but a source of inconvenience
to persons whom the smallest trifle will frequently discompose?"—Dr.
Dickson's Lectures.

509. Abstinence, or Starvation.—Beware of carrying this too far!—for
"abstinence engenders maladies." So Shakspeare said, and so nature will tell
you, in the teeth of all the doctors in Europe! Abstinence may produce
almost every form of disease which has entered into the consideration of the
physician.—Ibid.

510. The Blood is the Life—never be Bled!—"He who loses a pint of
blood, loses a pint of his life. Of what is the body composed? Is it not of
blood, and blood only? What fills up the excavation of an ulcer or an
abscess? What re-produces the bone of the leg or thigh, after it has been
thrown off dead, in nearly all its length? what but the living BLOOD, under
the vito-electrical influence of the brain and nerves! How does the
slaughtered animal die? Of loss of blood solely. Is not the blood, then, in the
impressive language of Scripture, 'the life of the flesh?' How remarkable,
that while the value of the blood to the animal economy should be thus so
distinctly and emphatically acknowledged, blood-letting is not even once
alluded to, among the various modes of cure mentioned in the sacred
volume. We have 'balms,' 'balsams,' 'baths,' 'charms,' 'physics,'—'poultices,'
even—but loss of blood, never! Had it been practised by the Jews, why this
omission? Will the men who now so lavishly pour out the blood, dispute its
importance in the animal economy? Will they deny that it forms the basis of
the solids? that when the body has been wasted by long disease, it is by the
blood only it can recover its healthy volume and appearance?"—Dr.
Dickson's Lectures.

THE TOILET.
511. Personal beauty is the gift of nature, but its preservation depends
much on the care of its possessor. Beauty may also be cultivated and
enhanced; even plainness may be improved, and the defects that sickness,
accidents, and age impress on the human features and form, may be greatly
remedied by simple means, and attention to a few important rules.
The first requisite for the preservation and improvement of personal
beauty is good temper. The teachings of the New Testament, if you follow
its precepts, will insure you this grace. The second requirement is good
health. The most important rules for its preservation and recovery are given

in this chapter. The third requisite comprises attention to neatness, and that
general care of the person which the rules and receipts we here subjoin, will
aid in making complete.

512. Of the Hair.—It is a great mistake to plait the hair of children under
eleven or twelve years of age. The process of plaiting more or less strains
the hairs in their roots by pulling them tight; tends to deprive them of their
requisite supply of nutriment; and checks their growth. The hair of girls
should be cut rather short, and allowed to curl freely. When they are about
eleven or twelve, the hair should be twisted into a coil, not too tight, nor
tied at the end with thin thread, but with a piece of riband.

513. Do not Shave the Head.—Shaving the head is always injurious to
the hair, the bulbs being frequently destroyed by the process; and washing
frequently with an alkaline preparation, such as soap and water, is decidedly
objectionable, for that, as well as sea-water, is very apt to change the color
of the hair.

514. To purify and beautify the Hair.—An excellent means of keeping the
hair sweet, clean, glossy, and curly, is to brush it with a rather hard brush
dipped by the surface only in eau de Portugal ("Portugal water"). In order to
have it fresh and of fine quality, take a pint of orange flower water, a pint of
rose water, and half a pint of myrtle water. To these put a quarter of an
ounce of distilled spirit of musk, and an ounce of spirit of ambergris. Shake
the whole well together, and the water will be ready for use. Only a small
quantity should be made at a time, as it does not keep long, except in
moderate weather, being apt to spoil either with cold or heat.

515. To promote the Growth of Hair.—Mix equal parts of olive oil and
spirits of rosemary, and add a few drops of oil of nutmeg. If the hair be
rubbed every night with a little of this liniment, and the proportion be very
gradually augmented, it will answer every purpose of increasing the growth
of hair, much more effectually than can be attained by any of the boasting
empirical preparations which are imposed on the credulous purchaser.

516. Curling Liquid for the Hair.—When the hair will not curl naturally,
the curling irons should not be used; they only extract the moisture, and
render the hair crisp and harsh. An excellent curling liquid is the following:
—Put two pounds of common soap, cut small, into three pints of spirits of
wine, with eight ounces of potash, and melt the whole, stirring it with a
clean piece of wood. Add some essence of amber, vanilla, and nevoli, about
a quarter of an ounce of each, to render the fluid agreeable. The liquids
which are sold for the professed purpose of assisting in curling the hair, are
chiefly composed of either oily or extractive substances.

517. To prevent Hair from falling out.—Make a strong decoction of
white-oak bark in water, and use it freely. It is best to make but little at a
time, and have it fresh at least once a fortnight.

518. To avoid Grey Hairs.—Those who would avoid that prominent mark
of approaching old age, called grey hair, must be careful in the treatment of
the hair in their youth. They must avoid constricting the skin, and strangling
the hair at its roots, and everything that may throw into the blood an undue
portion of lime. We say an undue portion, because a certain quantity of lime
is indispensable in our system for repairing the wear and tear of the bones,
teeth, &c. The lime necessary for the repair of bone is manufactured by the
stomach and liver, along with the blood, from various articles of our diet
which contain it. The greatest supply is usually from the water which we
drink, or which is employed in the various processes of cooking and
preparing liquors. All animal food also contains some portion of lime, as
well as some of the sorts of vegetable food. Ascertain, then, by chemical
trial, whether the water used for your tea, coffee, soups, &c., contains a
large proportion of lime; and, if it do, you must either have it chemically
purified, or remove to some other place where the water is more free from
lime. If water be hard, you may be certain that it contains too much lime to
be safely used. Rain-water is the safest for tea and other liquids. Bread will
always contain a portion of lime; you must, therefore, be careful in dealing
with respectable bakers, who will not increase that unavoidable quantity by
means of adulterating matter (such as whiting) which contains lime.

519. To soften and cleanse the Hair.—Beat up an egg, rub it well into the
hair, and then wash the head well. If the hair is very oily, add the juice of
half a lemon. This receipt also answers much better for washing pet dogs
than soap.

520. To make a Curling Fluid for the Hair.—Melt a piece of white bees'-
wax, about the size of a filbert kernel or large pea, in one ounce of olive oil;
to this add one or two drops of attar of roses or any other perfume.

521. Gen. Twiggs' Hair Dye.—Dissolve in a pint of rose-water, one
ounce of lac sulphur, and half an ounce of sugar of lead. Wet the hair with
this mixture thoroughly every night, shaking the bottle occasionally. Some
persons prefer whisky to rose-water, in mixing the articles.

522. To change Hair to a deep Brown.—A solution of silver caustic in
water is the foundation of all the nostrums for this purpose. It must be well
diluted before used.

523. To dye the Hair Black.—Procure from the dyer's a quantity of
walnut-water; and with this wash the hair, as the first part of the process.
Then make an aromatic tincture of galls, by scenting the common tincture
with any agreeable perfume; and with this wet the hair, which must next be
moistened with a strong solution of sulphate of iron.

524. A simple Hair-dye.—Boil in a pint of water a handful of rosemary;
when cold, strain and bottle, but do not cork it. Renew it every few weeks.
Wet the hair with it every night.

525. To darken the Eye-brows.—Take an ounce of walnuts, an ounce of
frankincense, an ounce of resin, and an ounce of mastick. Burn them all on
clear, red-hot charcoal, and receive the fumes into a funnel, in which a very
fine black powder, slightly perfumed and unctuous, will adhere. Mix this
with a little oil of myrtle, in a leaden mortar, and apply it to the eye-brows.
This paste has the property of resisting both heat and perspiration; but it

must be occasionally renewed. The following method may also be used:
Burn a clove in the flame of a wax-candle, dip it into the juice of elder-
berries, and apply it to the eye-brows. The powder, also, which is used in
the East for painting the eye-lashes, and which is composed of antimony
and bismuth, may be safely and advantageously used. Or, a paste prepared
from powdered black lead, with eau de Cologne, or oil of myrtle, or essence
of bergamot, will suffice for the purpose. When the eye-brows become long
and shaggy, they give a ferocious and repulsive expression to the
countenance. The scissors should in that case be often used. Some of the
longest hairs might also be removed with the tweezers.

526. To know whether Hair Powder is adulterated with Lime.—Put a
little crude sal-ammoniac, in powder, to the suspected hair powder, and add
a little warm water to the mixture, and stir it about; if the powder has been
adulterated with lime, a strong smell of volatile alkali will arise from this
mixture.

527. To perfume Hair Powder.—Take one drachm of musk, four ounces
of lavender blossoms, one and a half drachm of civet, and half a drachm of
ambergris; pound the whole together, and pass it through a sieve. Preserve
this mixture in well-stopped bottles, and add more or less thereof, as
agreeable, in your hair powder.

528. To improve the Hair.—Powdered hartshorn, mixed with oil, being
rubbed upon the head of persons who have lost their hair, will cause it to
grow again. A very good oil for the hair is made by mixing one part of the
liquid hartshorn with nine parts of pure castor-oil.

529. An economical Hair Wash.—Dissolve in one quart of boiling water
one ounce of borax and half an ounce of camphor; these ingredients fine.
When cool, the solution will be ready for use. Damp the hair with it
frequently. This wash not only cleanses and beautifies, but strengthens the
hair, preserves the color, and prevents baldness.

530. To remove Superfluous Hair.—This is very difficult, for if you pull
the hair out by the roots from those places which it disfigures, there are
thousands of roots ready to start through the skin the moment you make
room for them. Old authors recommend depilatories in great variety. The
principal of these methods consist in rubbing upon the part from which the
hair is to be removed, leaven, parsley water, juice of acacia, the gum of ivy
or of the cherry-tree, dissolved in spirits of wine, &c. Madame Elisi Voiart,
in her "Encyclopédie des Dames," recommends a few drops of dulcified
spirit of salt, (that is, muriatic acid distilled with rectified spirits of wine,) to
be applied with a camel hair pencil.

OF THE COMPLEXION.
531. Never Paint.—The use of white paint as a cosmetic affects the eyes,
which it renders painful and watery. It changes the texture of the skin, on
which it produces pimples; attacks the teeth, destroys the enamel, and
loosens them. It heats the mouth and throat, infecting and corrupting the
saliva. Lastly, it penetrates the pores of the skin, acting by degrees on the
spongy substance of the lungs, and inducing disease. Powdered magnesia,
or violet powder, is no further injurious than by stopping the pores of the
skin; but this is quite injury enough to preclude its use. The best cosmetics
are early hours, exercise, and temperance.

532. To soften the Skin and improve the Complexion.—Mix in a cup of
milk a little flowers of sulphur; let it stand for an hour or two; then, without
disturbing the sulphur, rub the milk into the skin. It will keep it soft and
clear. It should be used before washing.

533. How to treat Freckles.—Most of us have observed the effect
produced on white paper by holding it closely to the fire: it changes rapidly
from white to brown, and becomes scorched. Chemists tell us that most
combustible things, both in the animal and vegetable world, have carbon for
their basis—so has the skin; and, if it be exposed to the heat, it becomes,
like them, spotted or charred. The iron and oxygen in the blood also assist
to produce this effect. Thus we have the cause of freckles. Those who, like
Richard Cœur de Lion, and Mary Queen of Scots, have red hair (which is

caused by a red-colored oil, more strongly impregnated with iron than
others), are most liable to freckles.
The most effectual means of removing freckles, is the use of those
chemicals which will dissolve the existing combination. The freckles are
situated in the second or middle membrane of the skin; and, before any
other application, it will be advisable to soften the surface by the use of
some mild balsam or paste.

534. For Freckles.—One ounce of bitter almonds, one ditto of barley
flour, mix with a sufficient quantity of honey to make the whole into a
smooth paste; with which the face, more particularly where the freckles are
visible, is to be anointed at night, and the paste washed off in the morning.
After a few days the skin will be prepared for a chemical remedy.

535. Another.—To decompose the freckles, by laying hold of the iron, the
following mixture may be applied: Take one drachm of muriatic acid, half a
pint of rain-water, half a tea-spoonful of spirit of lavender; mix well
together, and apply two or three times a day to the freckles, with a camel's
hair brush. The acid seizes upon the iron, and the oxygen is disengaged.

536. Purifying water for Freckled Skin.—Take one tea-spoonful of liquor
of potassa, two ounces and a half of pure water, and ten drops of eau de
Cologne. Mix, and apply three times a day with a camel's hair brush.

537. Cosmetic Lotion for Freckles.—Take a tea-cupful of cold sour milk,
scrape into it a quantity of horse-radish. Let this stand from six to twelve
hours; and then, being well strained, let it be applied, as before directed,
two or three times a day.

538. Preventive Wash for Sunburn.—Take two drachms of borax, one
drachm of Roman alum, one drachm of camphor, half an ounce of sugar-
candy, and one pound of ox-gall; mix and stir well together, and repeat the
stirring three or four times a day, until the mixture becomes transparent;
then strain it through filtering paper, and it is fit for use.

539. Grape Lotion for Sunburn.—Dip a bunch of green grapes in a basin
of water; sprinkle it with powdered alum and salt, mixed together; wrap it
in paper, and bake it under hot ashes; then express the remaining juice, and
wash the face with the liquid.

540. Lemon Cream for Sunburn and Freckles.—Put two spoonfuls of
fresh cream into half a pint of new milk; squeeze into it the juice of a
lemon, and half a glass of brandy, a little alum, and loaf sugar; boil the
whole, skim it well, and, when cool, it will be fit for use.

541. A French Receipt.—Take equal parts of the seeds of the melon,
pompion, gourd, and cucumber, pounded and reduced to powder or meal;
add to it fresh cream sufficient to dilute the flour; beat all up together,
adding a sufficient quantity of milk, as it may be required, to make an
ointment, and then apply it to the face. Leave it there for half an hour, and
then wash it off with warm soft water. Pimpernel water is often used on the
continent for the purpose of whitening the complexion. It is there in so high
reputation, that it is said generally that it ought to be continually on the
toilet of every lady who cares for the brightness of her skin.

542. Moles.—The author of "The Art of Beauty," whose work appeared
in 1824, has very judiciously observed: "The common brown mole appears
to be much of the same nature as freckles, and to be situated in the middle
layer of the skin, or membrane of color. Moles are sometimes so placed as
to improve rather than injure a fine face. They contrast with the delicacy of
a fair skin, and give a pleasing archness of expression to the countenance.
They are, however, most frequently found on women of a dark complexion.
The coloring matter, as in the case of freckles and sunburn, is probably
some chemical combination of iron. Moles have evidently a superabundant
vitality, and a tendency to increased action, in consequence, perhaps, of the
stimulus of the iron; and hence they are often slightly elevated above the
surface, and the natural down of the skin is changed into a tuft of hair. The
same cosmetic applications may be tried as for freckles, with gentle friction,
but they are seldom successful. But it will be found very dangerous to apply

depilatories to eradicate the tufts of hair on moles, as cancer in the face is
not unfrequently the consequence of such applications."

543. Birth Marks.—Let them alone, or apply to some eminent surgeon to
attempt their removal.

544. Worm Pimple, with black points.—They are very common, and very
unsightly, giving the skin an oily, greasy, and dirty appearance. Their origin
is to be traced to the obstruction of the fountains or glands placed
immediately under the skin, from which a minute pipe carries off the
perspiration. This moisture, not getting free egress, thickens and closes the
pores: it then catches the dust and other impurities, floating in the
atmosphere, and soon becomes black. If squeezed violently between the
nails, this thickened matter will be driven out, in the form of a yellowish
white worm, with a black head, which is nothing more than the extraneous
matter just mentioned. That there is any vitality in it, is an absurd, but
popular and prevalent error. These pimples generally cluster on the sides of
the nose and on the forehead, whilst the skin around them is greasy. They
should be thoroughly pressed out of every pore, or there they will remain,
and no cosmetic will dislodge them. When this is effectually done, the
following safe and simple application may be tried: take one ounce of bitter
almonds and one ounce of barley-flour; mix them with honey, until they
form a smooth paste, and anoint the skin at night. Gentle friction, either
with the hand or with a soft glove, is also good. When this state of the skin
is induced by bilious disorders, indigestion, &c., sulphur, purgatives, and
other remedies must be taken to remove it; but not without medical advice,
as they often are the reverse of effectual.

545. Another simple Remedy.—Bathe the pimples several times a day
with lukewarm water and a sponge, rubbing the sponge over a piece of
yellow soap. There is a truly healing power in soap, which is surprising
when we learn to appreciate it, and which is quite distinct from mere
cleanliness.

546. Wash for Pimples.—Dissolve half a drachm of salt of tartar in three
ounces of spirit of wine; apply with linen or a camel-hair pencil.

547. A Paste for the Skin.—Boil the whites of four eggs in rose-water;
add to it a small quantity of alum; beat the whole to the consistence of a
paste. This will give great firmness to the skin.

548. Cold Cream.—Take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds, and one
drachm each of white wax and spermaceti, or half an ounce of white wax
alone, which scrape very fine, and put them with the oil into an earthen
dish, to melt slowly on the embers, and stir it till it becomes quite smooth.
When it is cooling, add one ounce of rose-water, and put it into a gallipot,
closely covered. It should be a very thick cream.

549. Fard.—This paste is useful in removing sun-burnings, effects of
wind on the face, and accidental cutaneous eruptions. It must be applied on
going to bed. First, wash the face, and, when dry, rub the fard over it, and
let it remain all night. Take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds, and the
same quantity of spermaceti; melt them over a slow fire. When they are
dissolved and mixed, take it from the fire, and stir into it one table-spoonful
of fine honey. Continue stirring it till it is cold, and it is then fit for use.

550. Court-plaster, or black Sticking-plaster.—Take half an ounce of
benzoin, and six ounces of rectified spirit; dissolve and strain; then take one
ounce of isinglass, and half a pint of hot water; dissolve and strain
separately from the former. Mix the two, and set them aside to cool, when a
jelly will be formed; and this is warmed and brushed ten or twelve times
over a piece of black silk, stretched smooth. When this is done enough, and
dry, finish it with a solution of four ounces of chian turpentine in six ounces
of tincture of benzoin.

551. An excellent Tooth-powder.—One of the best tooth-powders is made
by mixing together one ounce and a half of prepared chalk, half an ounce of
powder of bark, and a quarter of an ounce of camphor.

552. Charcoal Tooth-powder.—Pound charcoal as fine as possible, in a
mortar, or grind it in a mill; then well sift it, and apply a little of it to the
teeth about twice a week, and it will not only render them beautifully white,
but will also make the breath sweet, and the gums firm and comfortable.
If the charcoal is ground in a mortar, it is convenient to grind it in water,
to prevent the dust from flying about. Indeed, the powder is more
convenient for use, when kept in water.

553. A safe Tooth-powder.—Cut a slice of thick bread into squares, and
burn it till it becomes charcoal. Pound it, and sift it through a fine muslin. It
is then ready for use.

554. Another Tooth-powder.—Mix hartshorn shavings, calcined and
pulverized, three-fifths; myrrh, pulverized, two-fifths.

555. A good Dentifrice.—Dissolve two ounces of borax in three pints of
boiling water; before it is quite cold, add one tea-spoonful of tincture of
myrrh, and one table-spoonful of spirits of camphor. Bottle the mixture for
use. Add one wine-glassful of the solution to half a pint of tepid water, and
use it daily. It preserves and beautifies the teeth, arrests decay, and induces a
healthy action in the gums.

556. Camphor Tooth-powder.—This excellent dentifrice is made by
mixing prepared chalk, finely pulverized, and sifted through a fine muslin,
with an equal quantity of pulverized camphor, prepared in the same way. It
is a good preservative of the teeth.

557. Orris-root Tooth-powder.—Mix equal quantities of finely pulverized
and sifted orris-root and prepared chalk. Charcoal may be used instead of
chalk, in both these receipts, but it must be prepared with great care, else its
grittiness will injure the enamel of the teeth.

558. To whiten the Teeth.—Mix honey with finely powdered charcoal,
and use the paste as a dentifrice.

559. Wash for the Teeth.—One ounce of myrrh, powdered, and dissolved
in one pint of spirits of wine. A little of this dropped on the tooth-brush, is
excellent for the teeth and gums.

560. To remove Tartar from the Teeth.—1st. The use of the tooth-brush
night and morning, and at least rinsing the mouth after every meal at which
animal food is taken. 2d. Once daily run the brush lightly two or three times
over soap, then dip it in salt, and with it clean the teeth, working the brush
up and down rather than—or as well as—backwards and forwards. This is a
cheap, safe, and effectual dentifrice. 3d. Eat freely of common cress—the
sort used with mustard, under the name of small salad; it must be eaten with
salt only. If thus used two or three days in succession, it will effectually
loosen tartar, even of long standing. The same effect is produced, though
perhaps not in an equal degree, by eating strawberries and raspberries,
especially the former. A leaf of common green sage rubbed on the teeth, is
useful both in cleansing and polishing, and probably many other common
vegetable productions also.

561. Obs. Soap is not at all a desirable medium for cleaning the teeth, as,
though it may whiten for the time, the alkaline process destroys the enamel.

562. To fill a decayed Tooth.—When a tooth is too much decayed to be
filled by a dentist, or the person is at a distance from one, gutta percha will
be found an useful expedient. Drop a small piece of this substance in
boiling water, then taking off as much as will probably fill the tooth nearly
level, press it, while soft, into the cavity. Then hold cold water in the mouth
on that side, to harden it. It has been known to preserve a tooth two years at
least, and keeps it free from cold.

FOR THE DRESSING-TABLE.
563. To make soft Pomatum.—Beat half a pound of unsalted fresh lard in
common water; then soak and beat it in two rose-waters; drain it, and beat it
with two spoonfuls of brandy; let it drain from this; add to it some essence
of lemon, and keep it in small pots.

564. Or: Soak half a pound of clear beef marrow, and one pound of
unsalted fresh lard, in water, two or three days, changing and beating it
every day. Put it into a sieve, and, when dry, into a jar, and the jar into a
saucepan of water. When melted, pour it into a basin, and beat it with two
spoonfuls of brandy; drain off the brandy, and then add essence of lemon,
bergamot, or any other scent that is liked.

565. Hard Pomatum.—Prepare equal quantities of beef marrow and
mutton suet, as before, using the brandy to preserve it, and adding the scent;
then pour it into moulds, or, if you have none, into phials of the size you
choose the rolls to be. When cold, break the bottles, clear away the glass
carefully, and put paper round the rolls.

566. Or: Take equal quantities of marrow, melted and strained, lard, and
castor oil; warm all together; add any scent you please; stir until cold, and
put into pots.

567. Pomade Divine.—Clear one and a half pound of beef marrow from
the strings and bone; put it into an earthen pan or vessel of water fresh from
the spring, and change the water night and morning for ten days; then steep
it in rose-water twenty-four hours, and drain it in a cloth till quite dry. Take
one ounce of each of the following articles, namely: storax, gum-benjamin,
and odoriferous cypress powder; half an ounce of cinnamon, two drachms
of cloves, and two drachms of nutmeg, all finely powdered: mix them with
the marrow above prepared; then put all the ingredients into a pewter pot
that holds three pints; make a paste of white of egg and flour, and lay it
upon a piece of rag. Over that must be another piece of linen, to cover the
top of the pot very close, that none of the steam may evaporate. Put the pot
into a large copper pot with water, observing to keep it steady, that it may
not reach to the covering of the pot that holds the marrow. As the water
shrinks, add more, boiling hot—for it must boil four hours without ceasing
a moment. Strain the ointment through a linen cloth into small pots, and,
when cold, cover them. Do not touch it with anything but silver. It will keep
many years.

568. To make Jessamine Butter.—Hog's lard melted, and well washed in
fair water, laid an inch thick in a dish, and strewed over with jessamine
flowers, will imbibe the scent, and make a very fragrant pomatum.

569. Rowland's Macassar Oil.—This is made by boiling castor oil,
scenting it with oil of roses, and coloring it, while warm, with alkanet root.

570. Macassar Oil.—Common oil, three quarts; spirits of wine, half a
pint; cinnamon powder, three ounces; bergamot, two ounces: heat them
together in a large pipkin, then remove it from the fire, and add four small
pieces of alkanet root, keeping it closely covered for several hours. Let it
then be filtered through a funnel lined with filtering paper.

571. Wash for the Skin.—Four ounces of potash, four ounces of rose-
water, two ounces of pure brandy, and two ounces of lemon-juice; put all
these into two quarts of water, and when you wash, put a table-spoonful or
two of the mixture into the basin of water you intend washing in.

572. To make Milk of Roses.—To one pint of rose-water, add one ounce
of oil of almonds and ten drops of the oil of tartar.
N. B.—Let the oil of tartar be poured in last.

573. Almond Paste.—Blanch half a pound of sweet almonds and a
quarter of a pound of bitter almonds, and beat them to powder in a mortar
with half a pound of loaf sugar; then beat them into a paste with orange-
flower water.

574. Almond Powder.—Blanch six pounds of bitter almonds, dry and beat
them, and press from them one pint of oil; then beat them in an iron mortar,
and pass the powder through a sieve. Keep it from air and moisture in a
glass jar. Used instead of soap for washing the hands, it imparts a singular
delicacy to their appearance.

575. Violet Powder.—This preparation is universally applied for drying
the skin after washing, especially at the joints, which, if left even damp,
produces chaps and chafing, often followed, if neglected, by inflammation.
Violet powder is best prepared by mixing three parts of the best wheat
starch with one of finely-ground orris-root; the latter adds to the drying
power of the starch, and imparts, at the same time, an agreeable odor like
that of violet—hence the name of the mixture. It is also prepared by
perfuming starch with essential oils, without the addition of orris-root: but,
though the scent of the powder is stronger, and to some more tempting to
use, it is far less beneficial in its application. The scent, acting as a
stimulant to the skin, increases rather than abates any tendency to redness.
Unperfumed powder is, therefore, the best to use, dusted over the part with
a little brush made of swan's-down, called a puff.

576. Another Powder for Chaps, &c.—Take dry hemlock bark, powder
it, by rubbing on a fine grater; then sift this powder through gauze or
muslin, and sprinkle it lightly on the part chapped. It is a safe and certain
curative.

577. Pearl White.—Bismuth dissolved in aqua-fortis, is pearl white. This,
though at first it whitens, afterwards blackens the skin, as all preparations
from lead do; and therefore none of them are safely to be used.—Dr. Moyes'
Lectures.

578. Pot-pourri.—Put into a large china jar the following ingredients in
layers, with bay-salt strewed between the layers: two pecks of damask
roses, part in buds and part blown; violets, orange-flowers, and jessamine, a
handful of each; orris-root sliced, benjamin and storax, two ounces of each;
quarter of an ounce of musk; quarter of a pound of angelica root, sliced; a
quart of the red parts of clove-gillyflowers; two handfuls of lavender
flowers; half a handful of rosemary flowers; bay and laurel leaves, half a
handful of each; three Seville oranges, stuck as full of cloves as possible,
dried in a cool oven, and pounded; half a handful of knotted marjoram; and
two handfuls of balm of Gilead, dried. Cover all quite close. When the pot
is uncovered the perfume is very fine.

579. A quicker sort of sweet Pot-pourri.—Take three handfuls of orange-
flowers, three of clove-gillyflowers, three of damask roses, one of knotted
marjoram, one of lemon-thyme, six bay-leaves, a handful of rosemary, one
of myrtle, half of mint, one of lavender, the rind of a lemon, and a quarter of
an ounce of cloves. Chop all, and put them in layers, with pounded bay-salt
between, up to the tip of the jar.
If all the ingredients cannot be obtained at once, put them in as you get
them; always throwing in salt with every new article.

580. Hungary Water.—Mix one quart of spirits of wine; half a pint of
water; and three-quarters of an ounce of oil of rosemary.

581. Lavender Water.—Mix in a quart bottle three drachms of oil of
lavender; one pint rectified spirit of wine; shake them well together, and add
an ounce of orange-flower water, an ounce of rose-water, four ounces of
distilled water, and, if you like, two or three drachms of essence of musk.

582. Rose-water.—When the roses are in full bloom pick the leaves
carefully off, and to every quart of water put a peck of them; put them in a
cold still over a slow fire, and distil gradually; then bottle the water; let it
stand in the bottle three days, and then cork it close.

583. Another.—Take two pounds of rose leaves, place them on a napkin
tied round the edges of a basin filled with hot water, and put a dish of cold
water upon the leaves; keep the bottom water hot, and change the water at
top as soon as it begins to grow warm. By this kind of distillation you will
extract a great quantity of the essential oil of the roses by a process which
cannot be expensive, and will prove very beneficial.

584. Tincture of Roses.—Put into a bottle the petals of the common rose,
and pour upon them spirits of wine; cork the bottle, and let it stand for two
or three months. It will then yield a perfume little inferior to attar of roses.
Common vinegar is much improved by a very small quantity of this mixture
being added to it.

585. Honey Water.—One ounce of essence of bergamot, three drachms of
English oil of lavender, half a drachm of oil of cloves, half a drachm of
aromatic vinegar, six grains of musk, one and a half pint of spirits of wine.
Mix and distil.

586. Honey Water.—Take one pint of spirit as above, and three drachms
of essence of ambergris; shake them well daily.

587. Sweet-scented Water.—Put one quart of rose-water, and the same
quantity of orange-water, into a large and wide-mouthed glass: strew upon
it two handfuls of jessamine flowers; put the glass in the balneum mariæ, or
on a slow fire, and when it is distilled, add to it a scruple of musk and the
same quantity of ambergris.

588. A very fine Scent.—Take six drachms of oil of lavender, three of the
essence of bergamot, sixty drops of ambergris, and two grains of musk. Mix
these into a pint of the best rectified spirits of wine.

589. To whiten the Hands.—Take a wine-glassful of eau de Cologne, and
another of lemon-juice; then scrape two cakes of brown Windsor soap, or
the same quantity of pure white soap, to a powder, and mix well in a mould.
When hard, it will be excellent for whitening the hands.

590. Camphor Cerate for Chapped Hands.—The following receipt was
given to the contributor by a maid of honor to Queen Victoria. It is an
excellent one. Scrape into an earthen vessel one ounce and a half of
spermaceti and half an ounce of white wax; add six drachms of pounded
camphor, and four table-spoonfuls of the best olive oil. Let it stand near the
fire till it dissolves, stirring it well when liquid. Before the hands are
washed, rub them thoroughly with a little of the cerate, then wash them as
usual. Putting the cerate on before retiring, answers very well. This quantity
costs about twenty-five cents, and will last three winters. The vessel it is
kept in should be covered, to prevent evaporation.

591. Paste for Chapped Hands.—Mix a quarter of a pound of unsalted
lard, which has been washed in soft water, and then in rose-water, with the
yolks of two new-laid eggs, and a large spoonful of honey. Add as much
fine oatmeal or almond-paste as will work into a paste.
Or:—Blanch one pound of bitter almonds, and pound them smooth in a
marble mortar; add half an ounce of camphor, one ounce of honey, quarter
of a pound of spermaceti, pounded and mixed with the almonds, till it
becomes a smooth paste. Put it into jars, and tie it down till wanted.

592. To prevent inconvenience from Perspiration of the Hands.—Ladies
who work lace or embroidery sometimes suffer inconvenience from the
perspiration on their hands; which may be remedied, by rubbing the hands
frequently with a little dry wheaten bran.

593. Another.—Any of the milder kinds of soaps will be found to answer
the purpose of keeping the hands clean, soft, and as white as nature will
permit.

594. For preserving the Nails.—One ounce of oil of bitter almonds; one
drachm of oil of tartar per deliquium; one ounce of prepared crabs'-eyes.
Mix up with essence of lemon, to scent it.
La Forest recommends rubbing the nails with lemon as a detergent.

595. To whiten the Nails.—Mix two drachms of diluted sulphuric acid,
one drachm of tincture of myrrh, and four ounces of spring-water. Cleanse
the nails with soap, and then dip the fingers in the mixture.

596. To remove Stains from the Hands.—Dip your hands in warm water,
and rub on the stain a small portion of oxalic acid powder and cream of
tartar, mixed together in equal quantities. Keep it in a box. When the stain
disappears, wash the hands with fine soap or almond cream. A box of this
stain powder should always be kept on hand.

597. To make Wash-balls.—Shave thin two pounds of new white soap
into about a tea-cupful of rose-water, then pour on as much boiling water as
will soften it. Put into a brass pan a pint of sweet oil, half an ounce of oil of
almonds, half a pound of spermaceti, and set all over the fire till dissolved;
then add the soap and half an ounce of camphor, that has first been reduced
to powder by rubbing it in a mortar, with a few drops of spirits of wine, or
lavender-water, or any other scent. Boil ten minutes, then pour it into a
basin, and stir it till it is quite thick enough to roll into hard balls, which
must then be done immediately. If essence is used, stir it in quickly after it
is taken off the fire.

598. Essence of Soap, for shaving or washing hands.—Take a pound and
a half of fine white soap, in thin slices, and add thereto two ounces of salt of
tartar; mix them well together, and put this mixture into one quart of spirits
of wine, in a bottle which will hold double the quantity of the ingredients:
tie a bladder over the mouth of the bottle, and prick a pin through the
bladder; set it to digest in a gentle heat, and shake the contents from time to
time, taking care to take out the pin at such times, to allow passage for the
air from within. When the soap is dissolved, filter the liquor through paper,
to free it from impurities; then scent it with a little bergamot or essence of
lemon. It will have the appearance of fine oil, and a small quantity will
lather with water like soap, and is much superior in use for washing or
shaving.

599. Naples Soap.—Put into a pipkin or saucepan half a pint of ley,
(strong enough to bear an egg,) with two ounces of lamb suet and one ounce
of olive oil; simmer them over a fire until they be thick, when pour the
mixture into a flat pan, cover it with glass, and expose it to the heat of the
sun for seven weeks, stirring it once a day: the soap will then be made, and
may be perfumed with a few drops of oil of ambergris, which should be
well mixed. Put the soap into small jars, and it will be improved by keeping.

600. Transparent Soap.—Put into a bottle Windsor soap, in thin
shavings; half fill with spirits of wine, and set it near the fire till the soap be
dissolved, when pour it into a mould to cool.

601. Genuine Windsor Soap.—To make this famous soap for washing the
hands, shaving, &c., nothing more is necessary than to slice the best white
soap as thin as possible, melt it in a stew-pan over a slow fire, scent it well
with oil of caraway, and then pour it into a frame or mould made for that
purpose, or a small drawer, adapted in size and form to the quantity. When
it has stood three or four days in a dry situation, cut into square pieces, and
it is ready for use. By this simple mode, substituting any more favorite scent
for that of caraway, all persons may suit themselves with a good perfumed
soap, at the most trifling expense.

602. To make Lady Derby's Soap.—Two ounces of bitter almonds,
blanched, one ounce and a quarter of tincture of benjamin, one pound of
good plain white soap, and one piece of camphor the size of a walnut. The
almonds and camphor are to be beaten in a mortar until they are completely
mixed, then work up with them the tincture of benjamin. The mixture being
perfectly made, work the soap into it in the same manner. If the smell is too
powerful of the camphor and tincture of benjamin, melt the soap by the fire,
and the perfume will go off. This soap has been tried by many persons of
distinction, is excellent in its qualities for cleansing the skin, and will be
found greatly to assist the complexion, the ingredients being perfectly safe.

603. To make superior Honey Soap.—Cut into thin shavings two pounds
of common yellow or white soap; put it on the fire with just water enough
to keep it from burning: when quite melted, add a quarter of a pound of
honey, stirring it till it boils; then take it off, and add a few drops of any
agreeable perfume: pour it into a deep dish to cool, and then cut it into
squares. It improves by keeping. It will soften and whiten the skin.

604. Paste for Chapped Lips.—Put four ounces of olive oil into a bottle
with one ounce of alkanet root; stop it up, and set it for some days in the

sun, shaking it often until it becomes perfectly bright; then strain the oil
from the alkanet, add to it one ounce of white wax, and one ounce and a
half of clarified mutton suet: let the mixture simmer a little while over a
slow fire. When it begins to cool, mix with it a few drops of any essential
oil.

605. Chapped or Sore Lips.—May be healed by the frequent application
of honey-water, and protecting them from the influence of cold air.

606. Lip Salve.—Melt together an ounce of white wax, the same of beef
marrow, and three ounces of white pomatum, with a small piece of alkanet
root, tied in muslin; perfume, when cool, with attar of rose or any other
essence. It should be strained while hot.

607. Bad Breath from Onions.—A few leaves of parsley eaten with
vinegar, will prevent any disagreeable consequences from eating onions.

608. Wash for the Mouth.—An excellent wash for the mouth is made of
half an ounce of tincture of myrrh and two ounces of Peruvian bark. Keep
in a phial for use. A few drops in a glass of water are sufficient.

609. Eau de Cologne.—Mix essence of bergamot, lemon, lavender, and
orange-flower, of each one drachm; essence of cinnamon, half a drachm;
spirit of rosemary, and honey-water, each two ounces; spirits of wine, one
pint: let the mixture stand two weeks, then put it in a glass retort, the body
of which immerse in boiling water contained in a vessel placed over a lamp,
while the beak of the retort is introduced into a large reservoir (a decanter,
for example): keep the water boiling, while the mixture will distil into the
receiver, which should be covered with cold wet cloths. In this manner
Cologne-water may be obtained as good as the best Farina, at one-fourth the
price. A coffee-lamp or nursery-furnace will best answer to boil the water.
The above is the most simple method of distilling, without the regular
still.

610. To make Eau de Cologne.—Rectified spirits of wine, four pints; oil
of bergamot, one ounce; oil of lemon, half an ounce; oil of rosemary, half a
drachm; oil of Neroli, three-quarters of a drachm; oil of English lavender,
one drachm; oil of oranges, one drachm. Mix well, and then filter. If these
proportions are too large, smaller ones may be used.

611. A very pleasant Perfume, and also preventive against Moths.—Take
of cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and Tonquin beans, of
each one ounce; then add as much Florentine orris-root as will equal the
other ingredients put together. Grind the whole well to powder, and then put
it in little bags, among your clothes, &c.

612. Method of extracting Essences from Flowers.—Procure a quantity
of the petals of any flowers which have an agreeable fragrance; card thin
layers of cotton, which dip into the finest Florence or Lucca oil; sprinkle a
small quantity of fine salt on the flowers, and lay them, a layer of cotton
and a layer of flowers, until an earthen vessel or a wide-mouthed glass
bottle is full. Tie the top close with a bladder, then lay the vessel in a south
aspect to the heat of the sun, and in fifteen days, when uncovered, a fragrant
oil may be squeezed away from the whole mass, little inferior (if roses are
used) to the highly-valued otto of roses.

613. Curious small Cakes of Incense for perfuming Apartments.—Take
equal quantities of lignum rhodium and anise, in powder, with a little
powder of dried Seville orange-peel, and the same of gum benzoin, or
benjamin, and beat all together in a marble mortar: then, adding some gum-
dragon, or tragacanth, dissolved in rose-water, put in a little civet; beat the
whole again together; make up this mixture into small cakes, and place
them on paper to dry. One of these cakes being burnt in the largest
apartment, will diffuse a most agreeable odor through the whole room.

614. To perfume Linen.—Rose-leaves dried in the shade, cloves beat to a
powder, and mace, scraped; mix them together, and put the composition
into little bags.

615. To make an excellent Smelling-bottle.—Take an equal quantity of
sal-ammoniac and unslaked lime, pound them separately, then mix, and put
them in a bottle to smell to. Before you put in the above, drop two or three
drops of the essence of bergamot in the bottle, then cork it close. A drop or
two of ether, added to the same, will greatly improve it.

616. Aromatic Vinegar.—Throw into two pounds of acetic acid one ounce
each of the dried tops of rosemary and the dried leaves of sage, half an
ounce each of the dried flowers of lavender and of bruised cloves. Let them
remain untouched for seven days; then express the liquid and filter it
through paper. This is useful in sick rooms.

617. Lavender Vinegar.—Prepare a stone jar or bottle, and to each pint of
vinegar put into it, add half an ounce of fresh lavender flowers; cover
closely, and set it aside for a day or two; then set the jar upon hot cinders
for eight or ten hours; and when cold, strain and bottle it. It is a refreshing
perfume.

618. Spirit and Oil of Roses.—A few drops of attar of roses, dissolved in
spirits of wine, form the esprit de rose of the perfumers; and the same
quantity dissolved in fine sweet oil, their huile antique à la rose.

619. Essence of Musk.—Mix one drachm of musk with the same quantity
of pounded loaf sugar; add six ounces of spirit of wine: shake together, and
pour off for use.
Musk is seldom obtained pure: when it smells of ammonia, it is
adulterated. To preserve it, it should be made quite dry; when to be used as
a perfume, it should be moistened.

620. Odeur Delectable.—Mix four ounces of distilled rose-water, four
ounces of orange-flower water, one drachm of oil of cloves, two drachms of
oil of bergamot, two grains of musk, one pint of spirits of wine. Macerate
thoroughly, and add one drachm of essence of musk. This delicious scent is
a universal favorite with the ladies of the beau monde in Paris.

621. Eau D'Ange.—Pound in a mortar fifteen cloves and one pound of
cinnamon; put the whole into a quart of water, with four grains anise-seed;
let it stand over a charcoal fire twenty-four hours; then strain off the liquor
and bottle it. The perfume is excellent, and will be useful for the hands,
face, and hair.

622. Shaving.—The hone and razor-strop should be kept in good
condition. The German hone is best: it should be frequently moistened with
oil, and laid up in a place where it will not readily become dry: if it be
rubbed with soap, instead of oil, previously to using, it will give additional
keenness and fineness to the edge of the razor.
The strop should also be kept moist with a drop or two of sweet oil: a
little crocus and oil rubbed in the strop with a glass bottle will give the razor
a fine edge; as will also a paste made of tutty powder and solution of oxalic
acid.
Mr. Knight, president of the Horticultural Society, has invented the
following apparatus and method of sharpening a razor: Procure a round bar
of cast steel, three inches long, and about one-third of an inch in diameter;
rub it smooth from end to end with glass paper; next, smear over its surface
a paste of oil and the charcoal of wheat straw, and fix the steel into a handle.
To set a razor, dip it in hot water, raise its back, and move it without
pressure, in circles, from heel to point, and back again; clean the blade on
the palm of the hand, and again dip it into hot water. This newly invented
apparatus may be purchased at any cutler's.
A very small piece of nitre, dissolved in water and applied to the face
after shaving, will remove any unpleasant sensation, though the first
application may be somewhat painful.

623. Shaving Liquids.—1. Rub in a marble mortar an ounce of any fine
soap, with two drachms of carbonate of potassa. When these two substances
are incorporated, continue rubbing, and add gradually a pint of lavender-
water, or any other odorous water made by dissolving essential oils in
alcohol sixty degrees above proof. When the whole is well combined, filter
the liquid, and bottle it for use. To make a lather, put a few drops into a

wine-glass of tepid water; dip your brush in the mixture, and, when rubbed
on the face, a fine lather will appear. 2. Dissolve any quantity of fine soap
in alcohol, either with or without perfume. Use it according to the preceding
directions.

624. An Easy Shave.—The operation of shaving may be robbed of its
unpleasant sensations by rubbing the chin over with grease, or a sweet oil,
before the application of the razor. The best razor-strop in the world is one's
own hand, moistened with its own natural oil or perspiration. Sharpen the
razor thus before you wash your hands, and you will find this natural strop
most efficacious. After shaving, to allay irritation, wash the chin with
Portugal water.

625. Composition for Shaving, without the use of razor, soap, or water.—
Mix one pint and a half of clear lime-water, two ounces of gum-Arabic, half
an ounce of isinglass, an eighth of an ounce of cochineal, a quarter of an
ounce of turmeric-root (made into powder), an eighth of an ounce of salt of
tartar, and an eighth of an ounce of cream of tartar, together: boil them for
one hour at least (stirring up the mixture during the whole time of boiling,
and be careful not to let it boil over), clear it through a sieve; then add two
and a half pounds of pumice stone, finely pulverized; mix the whole
together with the hands, by the assistance of the white of two eggs, well
stirred up. Then divide the cake into twelve small ones. Dry them in the
open air for three days; put them into an oven moderately heated for
twenty-four hours, when they will be ready for use. Apply them, with a
gentle friction, to the beard, and they will produce the effect of shaving by
rubbing off the hair.

PART III.
HOME PURSUITS AND DOMESTIC ARTS.
Needle-work, Fancy-work—Preparations for Writing—Flowers—House Plants—Birds—Gold Fish,
&c.

The first and best use of the needle is common or plain sewing. Every
woman and girl should understand this art, the beginning of all arts, and the
most indispensable to civilization.
It is unnecessary to dilate on the importance of common needlework, and
to this female accomplishment, so universally necessary, we shall
principally confine our directions.

626. Requisites for Sewing.—A neat work-box well supplied with all the
implements required, including knife, scissors (of at least three sizes),
needles and pins in sufficient variety, bodkins, thimbles, thread and cotton,
bobbins, marking silks, black lead pencils, &c., should be provided, and be
furnished with a lock and key, to prevent the contents being thrown into
confusion by children or unauthorized intruders.
The lady, being thus provided, and having her materials, implements,
&c., placed in order upon her work-table, to the edge of which it is an
advantage to have a pincushion affixed by means of a screw—may
commence her work, and proceed with it with pleasure to herself, and
without annoyance to any visitor who may favor her with a call. We would
recommend, wherever practicable, that the work-table should be made of
cedar, and that the windows of the working parlor should open into a garden
well supplied with odoriferous flowers and plants, the perfume of which
will materially cheer the spirits of those especially, whose circumstances
compel them to devote the greatest portion of their time to sedentary
occupations. If these advantages cannot be obtained, at least the room
should be well-ventilated, and furnished with a few cheerful plants, and a
well-filled scent-jar. The beneficent Creator intended all his children, in
whatever station of life they might be placed, to share in the common

bounties of his providence; and when she, who works not for pleasure, but
to obtain the means of subsistence, is compelled to seclude herself, for days
or weeks together, from the cheering influence of exercise in the open air, it
becomes both her duty, and that of those for whom she labors, to secure as
much of these advantages, or of the best substitutes for them, as the
circumstances of the case will admit.

EXPLANATION OF STITCHES.
627. Hemming.—Turn down the raw edge as evenly as possible. Flatten,
and be careful, especially in turning down the corners. Hem from right to
left; bring the point of the needle from the chest toward the right hand.
Fasten the thread without a knot, and when you finish, sew several stitches
close together, and cut off the thread.

628. Mantua-maker's Hem.—You lay the raw edge of one of your pieces
a little below that of the other; the upper edge is then turned over the other
twice, and felled down as strong as possible.

629. Sewing and Felling.—If you have selvages, join them together, and
sew them firmly. If you have raw edges, turn down one of the edges once,
and the other double the breadth, and then turn half of it back again. This is
for the fell. The two pieces are pinned together, face to face, and seamed
together—the stitches being in a slanting direction, and just deep enough to
hold the separate pieces firmly together. Then flatten the seam with the
thumb, turn the work over, and fell it the same as hemming. The thread is
fastened by being worked between the pieces, and sewn over.

630. Running.—Take three threads, leave three, and, in order that the
work may be kept as firm as possible, back-stitch occasionally. If you sew
selvages, they must be joined evenly together; but if raw edges, one must be
turned down once, and the other laid upon it, but a few threads from the top:
in this case, it must be felled afterwards.

631. Stitching.—The work must be as even as possible. Turn down a
piece to stitch to; draw a thread to stitch upon, twelve or fourteen threads
from the edge. Being thus prepared, you take two threads back, and so bring
the needle out from under two before. Proceed in this manner to the end of
the row; and, in joining a fresh piece of thread, take care to pass the needle
between the edges, and so bring it out where the last stitch is finished.

632. Gathering.—You begin by taking the article to be gathered, and
dividing it into halves, and then into quarters, putting on pins to make the
divisions. The piece to which you are intending to gather it, must be
gathered about twelve threads from the top, taking three threads on the
needle, and leaving four; and so proceeding alternately until one quarter is
gathered. Fasten the thread by twisting it round a pin; stroke the gathers, so
that they lie evenly and neatly, with a strong needle or pin. You then
proceed as before, until all the gathers are gathered. Then take out the pins,
and regulate the gathers of each quarter so as to correspond with those of
the piece to which it is to be sewed. The gathers are then to be fastened on,
one at a time; and the stitches must be in a slanting direction. The part to be
gathered must be cut quite even before commencing, or else it will be
impossible to make the gathering look well.

633. Double Gathering, or Puffing.—This is sometimes employed in
setting on frills, and, when executed properly, has a pretty effect. You first
gather the top in the usual way; then, having stroked down the gathers, you
gather again under the first gathering, and of such a depth as you wish the
puffing to be. You then sew on the first gathering to the gown, frock, &c.,
you design to trim, at a distance corresponding with the width of the
puffing, and the second gathering sewed to the edge, so as to form a full
hem. You may make a double hem, if you please, by gathering three times
instead of only twice; and one of the hems may be straight, while the other
is drawn to one side a little. This requires much exactness in the execution,
but, if properly done, it gives a pleasing variety to the work.

634. German Hemming.—Turn down both the raw edges once, taking
care so to do it as that both turns may be toward your person; you then lay
one below the other, so as that the smooth edge of the nearest does not

touch the other, but lies just beneath it. The lower one is then to be hemmed
or felled to the piece against which you have laid it, still holding it before
you. You are next to open your sleeve, or whatever else you have been
employed upon, and, laying the upper fold over the lower, fell it down, and
the work is done.

635. Binding.—Various kinds of work have binding set on to them, in
preference to hemming them, or working them in herring-bone stitch.
Flannel is generally bound, sometimes with a thin tape, made for the
purpose, and called "flannel binding." It is also common to bind flannel
with sarcenet riband. The binding is so put on as to show but little over the
edge on the right side, where it is hemmed down neatly; on the other side it
is run on with small stitches.

636. Braiding.—Silk braid looks pretty, and is used for a variety of
purposes. In putting it on, it is best to sew it with silk drawn out of the
braid, as it is a better match, and the stitches will be less perceived.

637. Marking.—It is of essential importance that clothes should be
marked and numbered. This is often done with ink; but as some, persons
like to mark with silk, we shall describe the stitch. Two threads are to be
taken each way of the cloth, and the needle must be passed three ways, in
order that the stitch may be complete. The first is aslant from the person,
toward the right hand; the second is downward toward you; and the third is
the reverse of the first—that is, aslant from you, toward the left hand. The
needle is to be brought out at the corner of the stitch nearest to that you are
about to make. The shapes of the letters or figures can be learned from an
inspection of any common sampler.

638. Piping.—This is much used in ornamenting children's and other
dresses. It is made by enclosing a card of the proper thickness in a strip of
silk cut crosswise, and must be put on as evenly as possible.

639. Plaiting.—The plaits must be as even as it is possible to place them
one against another. In double plaiting, they lie both ways, and meet in the

middle.

640. To keep Thread, Sewing-silk, &c.—In making up linen, thread is
much preferable to cotton. Sewing-silk should be folded up neatly in wash-
leather, and colored threads and cotton in paper, as the air and light are
likely to injure them. Buttons, hooks and eyes, and all metal implements,
when not in use, should be kept folded up, as exposure to the air not only
tarnishes them, but is likely to injure them in a variety of ways.

INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PREPARATION OF HOUSE-LINEN.
641. Bedroom Linen.—This includes quilts, blankets, sheets, pillow-
covers, towels, table-covers and pincushion-covers.

642. Quilts.—These are of various sizes and qualities, in accordance with
the purposes to which they are applied. They are generally made of the
outside material and the lining—wadding or flannel being laid between—
and stitched in diamonds or other devices. The stitches must pass through
the whole, and the edges of the quilt are to be secured by a braiding or
binding proper for the purpose. They are best done in a frame.

643. Blankets.—These are generally bought, ready-prepared for use. It is
sometimes necessary to work over the edges at the end, which should be
done with scarlet worsted, in a very wide kind of button-hole stitch.

644. Sheets.—These are made of fine linen, coarse linen, and cotton-
sheeting. Linen sheets are best for summer, and many prefer them at all
seasons. If the sheeting is not sufficiently wide for the bed, two lengths
must be sewed together. The seam up the middle must be sewed as neatly as
possible, and the ends may be either hemmed or seamed: the latter is the
preferable method. Sheets and all bedroom linen should be marked and
numbered; to add the date of the year is also an advantage.

645. Pillow-cases.—These are made of fine or coarse linen, and
sometimes of cotton cloth. The material should be of such a width as to

correspond with the length of the pillow. One yard and three nails, doubled
and seamed up, is the proper size. One end is seamed up, and the other
hemmed with a broad hem, and furnished with strings or buttons as is
deemed most convenient. We think the preferable way of making pillow
covers is to procure a material of a sufficient width, when doubled, to admit
the pillow. The selvages are then sewed together, and the ends seamed and
hemmed as before directed. Bolster covers are made in nearly the same
manner, only that a round patch is let into one end, and a tape for a slot is
run into the other.

646. Towels.—Towels are made of diaper or huckaback, of a quality
adapted to the uses to which they are applicable. They should be one yard
long and about ten or twelve nails wide. The best are bought single, and are
fringed at the ends. Others are neatly hemmed, and sometimes have a tape-
loop attached to them, by which they can be suspended against a wall.

647. Dressing Table Covers.—These may be made of any material that is
proper for the purpose. Fine diaper generally, but sometimes dimity and
muslin are employed, or the table is covered with a kind of Marseilles
quilting, which is prepared expressly for the purpose. Sometimes the covers
are merely hemmed round, but they look much neater if fringed, or
bordered with a moderately full frill. Sometimes a worked border is set on.
All depends upon taste and fancy. A neat and genteel appearance, in
accordance with the furniture of the apartment, should be especially
regarded.

648. Pincushion Covers.—A large pincushion, having two covers
belonging to it, should belong to each toilet table. The covers are merely a
bag into which the cushion is slipped. They may be either worked or plain;
always of white muslin or linen cambric; and should have small tassels at
each corner, and a frill or fringe all round.

649. Table Linen.—This department of plain needlework comprises
table-cloths, dinner-napkins, and large and small tray napkins.

650. Table-cloths.—These may be purchased either singly, or cut from
the piece. In the latter case the ends should be hemmed as neatly as
possible, and marked and numbered.

651. Dinner Napkins.—These are of various materials; if cut from the
piece, they must be hemmed at the ends the same as table-cloths. Large and
small tray napkins and knife-box cloths, are made in the same manner. The
hemming of all these should be extremely neat. It is a pretty and light
employment for very young ladies; little girls even should do this work, and
thus early acquire habits of neatness and usefulness, which will prove
useful in after life.

652. Housemaid and Kitchen Linen.—In the housemaid's department,
paint cloths, old and soft, and chamber bottle cloths, fine and soft, are to be
provided. To these must be added dusters, flannels for scouring, chamber
bucket-cloths, which last should be of a kind and color different from
everything else. All these must be neatly hemmed and run, or seamed if
necessary. Nothing, in a well-directed family, should bear the impress of
neglect, or be suffered to assume an untidy appearance.

653. Clothes-bags.—Clothes-bags of different sizes should also be
provided, of two yards in length, and either one breadth doubled, in which
case only one seam will be required, or of two breadths, which makes the
bags more suitable for large articles of clothing. These bags are to be
seamed up neatly at the bottom, and to have strings which will draw run in
at the top. The best material is canvas, or strong unbleached linen. In the
kitchen department, you will require both table and dresser cloths, which
should be made as neat as possible.

654. Mending.—In cutting up an old garment, it is a great advantage to
have a portion of the same material new. For this reason, when purchasing
cloth for a new garment, buy a little additional quantity for repairs, and take
care that it is kept for that purpose, and not wasted in any way.
It was formerly the custom with all careful women, when buying a dress,
to buy an extra yard for new sleeving. To be sure a gown was then more

expensive than now; but it should be remembered, that if six gowns can be
bought for the money that used to buy three or four, they cannot be made up
in the same time at home, nor for the same money if put out. Any tolerably
handy woman, though she may not choose to venture upon cutting out and
making a new dress, may repair one, having the old pattern and lining to
work by, and the very creases and stitches for a guide. If, by so doing, a
gown will wear half as long again, the price of a little over-quantity at first,
and a few hours employed on the work, are well bestowed.
The same remark applies to the garments of men. Unless these be bought
ready-made, the pieces should be carefully laid by for repairs. In children's
clothing, these alterations and repairs are often needed.

655. Patchwork.—Many improvements may be made in patchwork that
most of us have been accustomed to see for years. It is a kind of needlework
very interesting for little girls; and old ladies frequently resort to this for
amusement by their cosy firesides, during the long winter evenings, when
tired of reading.

656. Of the Materials.—The materials necessary for patchwork are such
portions of wearing apparel, whether cloth, calico, linen, holland, silk,
velvet, cotton, &c., such as would otherwise be thrown away, or saved for
the rag-man. No matter how small the portion, every scrap has its use. The
next necessary article is some stiff paper—old envelopes, backs of letters,
brown paper, &c., to form the shapes; lastly, the design—shapes, cut out in
tin, and the designs themselves.
The materials should be arranged into shades and qualities. After having
been cut to required sizes, and the irregularities of the edges neatly repaired,
they are ready for use.

657. Patterns.—The patterns may be varied ad infinitum, if the person
possesses the least talent for drawing; but for the sake of those who may not
be able to do this, we submit the following simple and effective designs to
be executed in any of the materials.

658. To make the Patchwork.—The pattern should be placed before the
person, and the shades being selected, the several pieces arranged so as to
form the design, and the edges then neatly sewed together; after which they
are either pressed, or ironed, the papers removed, and the lining proceeded
with.
When silks and velvets are employed, it improves the effect to combine
the two, taking the silk for the lighter, and the velvet for the darker shades;
or, as in figures 5, 6, 8, and 11, to have silk for the lighter shades, and two
velvets for the others, shaded to pattern.
A very pretty effect is produced by combining Holland and calico, silk
and satin, silk or satin and velvet, and rough and fine cloth.
The various articles that may be manufactured, are quilts in colored and
white calico; anti-macassars in silks; ottomans in silks and velvets, silks and
cloth; table-covers in silks and cloth; cushions for chairs or sofas, in silks;
and mats, rugs, and carpets, in cloth.
We have seen many useful white quilts for children's cots, made from the
cuttings remaining after shirt making. The centre might be of Holland and
calico, pattern 10, fig. 5, and then fig. 7, with a fringe border, knitted.
Numerous rugs might be made in colored cloths, to look equal to carpets,
for poor people, and wear much better.

AN ELEGANT MUSNUD FOR A SOFA.

659. The materials required, consist of braid of various hues, purse-silk
of different shades, bed-ticking, feathers, down, horse-hair, or worsted ends;
the design-shapes, some cord for pipings, the various colored cloths, silks,
&c., and a curtain-ring or a piece of cardboard for the centre.
The size varies from fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter, according to
taste.
The colors cannot be fixed, because it depends much upon taste, but we
have made the elegant musnud given p. 160, by placing cobalt as the right
hand centre-piece, then (proceeding from right to left) white, salmon,
purple, crimson, amber, pea-green, and madder-brown. The handles are
amber, the side brown, and the back purple.
It is better, in combining or arranging all colors for patchwork, to keep as
near as possible to the harmony observed by Nature; therefore, to attend to
the same order displayed in the case of a refracted ray of light, viz., violet,
indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, adding, in this case, white, to

represent the ray in its natural state before refraction or dispersion of its
colors took place.
To make the Musnud.—Cut two circles of fifteen or eighteen inches in
diameter in bed-ticking, and a strip of the same material three inches deep,
and thrice the length of the diameter; make into the usual shape, and stuff
with feathers, down, horse-hair, or the refuse ends of worsted. Cut out two
handles as in the design, of the same material, and sew them on. Rub the
inside of the bed-ticking with a lump of bees'-wax previous to making up
the musnud, (as it prevents the feathers and dust working through,) and tack
the centre down.
Cut out the back in a piece of purple moreen, or any other material, then
cut four strips of brown cashmere, each three inches deep and five long,
join these neatly together to form the side, and braid the following design in
bright yellow on it, finishing the veining of the leaves in chain-stitch with
purse silk.
The wedge-shaped pieces should now be cut out in the various colored
cloths, &c., and braided as in the design, four being braided with floral, and
four with fancy designs. Each piece should measure nine inches in length
and six inches and three-quarters in breadth at the outer part. The centre
piece should measure two inches and a quarter in diameter, be of a dark
brown, and braided with a bright yellow star.
To cover the musnud, sew the pieces neatly together, and cover the
joining with narrow strips of dark brown cloth, braided in bright yellow to
resemble a chain; cover the curtain ring, or circular piece of card-board,
with the central piece, and sew it on.
Now affix the pipings cut crossways out of brown cloth, and cover the
handles with amber-colored material, braid and pipe them; join the back to
the side with an intervening piping, slip the musnud into the lower
covering, and sew on the top.
In braiding the patterns, the purple ground should have a scarlet braid.
The brown, yellow.
In finishing the braiding, it will require the occasional aid of some chain-
stitch work in purse-silk, for the veinings of the leaves, stamens, tendrils,
&c.

Note.—This particularity in arranging colors and patterns may seem very
trifling to some people; but rules are required in all finished work. Habits of
attention are an important part of education, or, rather, are indispensable to
a well-trained mind. Therefore, we say, be particular to do all you undertake
in a proper manner; and if you are making patchwork, aim at perfection of
its kind. But never fall in love with your own creations, and worship them
as idols; and never neglect common household duties for fanciful
needlework. Remember, also, that reading is more refining to the taste than
finger-work; and that to read well is a much higher accomplishment than
any mere skill in counting stitches and matching shades.

FOR SILK EMBROIDERY.
660. Useful Patterns for working in Cord, Silk, and Muslin.—These are
what are called "endless patterns," to be worked in cord.
These fashions for embroidering the borders of cloaks, pelisses, sacques,
&c., on merino, or fine cassimere, or flannel, with silk, are to be wrought
with coarse or fine silk, or with a mixture of the two, according to the
degree of intricacy or simplicity in the parts of the pattern.
We give two designs; from these, other combinations may be made, to
suit the fancy of the embroiderer.

SILK EMBROIDERY, ANOTHER WAY.
See p. 164.

661.—In these patterns for embroidering the borders of cloaks, pelisses,
sacques, &c., on merino, or fine cassimere, or flannel, with silk, are to be
wrought with coarse or fine silk, or with a mixture of the two, according to
the degree of intricacy or simplicity in the parts of the pattern.
These patterns are equally serviceable for muslin, or any other material.

No. 1, to be worked on fine flannel or merino, with a mixture of coarse
and fine silk.
No. 2, to be worked on flannel or merino, with fine silk.

No. 1. No. 2.

662. Sewing on glazed Calico.—By passing a cake of white soap a few
times over a piece of glazed calico, or any other stiffened material, the
needle will penetrate as easily as through any other kind of work.

663. To make Glass Jars to look like China.—Paint figures to resemble
those in China jars, and cut them out so that none of the white paper
remains; then, with thick gum-arabic water, fasten them to the inside of the
glass. Let them stand to dry for twenty-four hours. Then wipe off with a wet
cloth the gum-arabic on the glass between the prints, and let them stand a
few hours longer. Then take white wax and flake white, ground very fine,
and melt them together. With a japanning-brush go over all the glass above
the prints: done in this manner, they will hold water. For a blue ground, use
white wax and Prussian blue, ground fine; for red, wax and vermilion, or
carmine; for green, wax and verdigris; for chocolate, wax and burnt umber.

664. To give Plaster Figures the appearance of Marble.—Put into a well-
glazed earthen vessel, four pounds of clear water and one ounce of pure
curd soap, grated; add one ounce of white bees'-wax, cut into thin slices.
Let them dissolve over a slow fire. As soon as the whole is incorporated, it
is fit for use. Let the figure be thoroughly dried, then suspend it by a twine,
and dip it once into the varnish; upon taking it out, the varnish will appear
to have been absorbed; in two minutes' time, stir the compost, and dip it a
second time, which is generally sufficient. Cover it carefully from the dust
for a week; then, with a soft muslin rag, rub the figure gently, when a most
brilliant gloss will be produced.

665. To improve Plaster Casts.—Brush them over with size, and, when
dry, varnish them with copal varnish.

666. To dissolve Putty.—To remove old putty from glazed frames, brush
over it pearlash and slaked stone-burnt lime, mixed to the thickness of
paint.

ANGLO-JAPANESE WORK.

667. This elegant and most useful work is very easy in its execution,
while the means and appliances for its performance are within the reach of
every one. The materials are simply yellow withered leaves, a little
dissolved gum, black paint, and copal varnish: while the objects to be
ornamented may be a box, cupboard, table, &c., in fact, any old furniture
that has been rendered unsightly by age or long use. A plain deal box,
costing about a shilling, may by this process, so far as the outside goes, be
converted into a costly-looking dressing-case. An exquisite chess-board
may be made, with very little skill, from a square piece of deal. Flower-
pots, pole-screens, folding and hand-screens, may all be decorated in this
manner, and, from untidy-looking lumber, may be converted into articles of
use, elegance, and beauty; and this at a merely nominal expense, taste being
the chief requisite in the production. The employment forms one of the
most agreeable and pleasing amusements for summer days and winter
evenings; in the summer, giving a purpose and an aim to many a joyous
ramble, for in these desultory walks a goodly collection may be made of
Nature's ambered jewels.
All leaves that are small, of uneven shape, and serrated at the edges, are
well adapted for this work. As they are collected, they should be placed
between sheets of paper, but not close together, then pressed by placing a

board on the top, with a weight upon it, to express any moisture that may be
therein, and to render them quite flat. In the autumn, the sweet-scented
geranium-leaves, the maple, thorn, chrysanthemum, wild parsley, fern, and
a multitude of others, may be found, including the smaller sycamore and
small vine-leaves; but they must all have turned of a golden hue, or reddish-
tinted yellow. Prepare the article to be ornamented, thus:—First rub the
surface smoothly down with sand-paper; then coat it over with black paint,
which can be procured, ready-mixed, at any oil-shop; when dry, rub it down
smoothly with pumice-stone, and give two more coats. When these are dry,
arrange the leaves on the surface in a careless manner, but not in groups,
unless preferred. Butterflies drawn, and colored yellow with gamboge, or
cut out of prints, and then colored, may be stuck at different spaces with
advantage; but there should be no other color than the brown and different
tints of yellow in the leaves. Gum the wrong side of the leaf, and press it on
in its appointed place with a hard tuft of wadding, fastened tightly up in a
piece of silk. Continue this with the whole of the leaves; and when they are
all gummed on, dissolve some gelatine or isinglass in warm water, and
while rather warm, brush it well over every portion of the work, using the
brush entirely one way, not forward and back. When dry, give the work
three coats of the best copal varnish, letting the article remain a day or two
between each coat. This process, though elaborate in detail, is easily and
even quickly done, and will well repay any trouble that may be taken, as,
with a renewed coat of varnish every five or six years, it will remain, as
long as the wood will hold together, as bright in appearance as when first
finished.

668. Sealing Wax Varnish.—For fancy work, this has, of late years, been
much used, and if well applied, and the wax good, will be a very good
imitation of India Japan. The method of making the varnish or japan is very
easy, being simply reducing the wax to a coarse powder, and pouring the
best spirits of wine on it in a bottle, and letting it gradually dissolve without
heat, shaking the bottle occasionally till it is all dissolved. A two-ounce
stick of the best wax will be enough for a quarter of a pint of spirits.
Recollect that much depends on the goodness of the sealing-wax; and that
you may vary the color of the varnish by using different colored wax. As
this varnish dries very quickly, it should not be made until it is wanted for
use.

669. Method of preparing the Composition used for Colored Drawings
and Prints, so as to make them resemble Paint in Oil.—Take of Canada
Balsam, one ounce; spirit of turpentine, two ounces; mix them together.
Before this composition is applied, the drawing or print should be sized
with a solution of isinglass in water, and when dry, apply the varnish with a
camel-hair brush.

670. Oil and Water Gilding.—In oil gilding, the frame is first covered
with a composition of whiting and parchment size, then with a coating of
"oil gold size," (a kind of varnish,) upon which when nearly dry, gold leaf is
applied.

671. In Water Gilding, a size mixed with water is used. Parts of the frame
are burnished, other parts left dead. This is the most beautiful and expensive
style of gilding, but it does not bear washing as oil gilding does.
["The Carver and Gilder," published by Knight, furnishes much useful
information on this subject.]

672. To mount Prints or Maps.—Upon a table, floor, or board, stretch a
piece of calico or smooth canvas, by first fixing it with tacks along one side,
then straining it tightly with one hand, and driving the tacks with the other:
nail the remaining edges, leaving no wrinkles on the surface. Paste the back
of the print or map, fold it together, and let it remain until the paper is
soaked, then open it, and place it evenly on the canvas, cover it with a sheet
of clean paper, and beginning in the middle, rub it down carefully with the
hand, going from the centre all round to the edges, until all the air is
excluded, and the paper adheres closely to the canvas. When quite dry, with
a large camel-hair brush lay on a coating of parchment size, repeating this
when dry: then varnish with mastic varnish. Parchment size is made by
boiling parchment cuttings in water, until it forms a jelly when cold. Mastic
varnish may be procured at oil and color-shops.

673. New Camera Lucida.—Sir John Robinson devised, a few years
since, a cheap and easily-used camera lucida, applicable to the delineation

of flowers and other small objects. A piece of plate glass is made to stand in
a vertical position by means of a support. It rests on a table covered with
white paper, and the object is placed on the paper on one side of the glass.
On looking down from that side of the glass diagonally, an image of the
object is seen on the paper on the other side, and a drawing of it can be
readily taken.

674. Varnish for Oil Pictures.—According to the number of your
pictures, take the whites of the same number of eggs, and an equal number
of pieces of sugar-candy, the size of a hazel-nut, dissolved, and mix it with
a tea-spoonful of brandy; beat the whites of your eggs to a froth, and let it
settle; take the clear, put it to your brandy and sugar, mix them well
together, and varnish over your pictures with it.
This is much better than any other varnish, as it is easily washed off
when your pictures want cleaning again.

675. To take Impressions of Butterflies' Wings.—Lay the wings gently on
paper, wet with gum arabic water, and nearly dry; a copy will be left when
the wing is removed, but inferior in beauty to the wing itself. It is better to
gum the wings themselves on paper, and paint the body of the fly in its
natural position.

676. To preserve the Eggs of Birds.—First clean them of their contents.
This may be done with the larger eggs by making a hole on one side large
enough to admit a quill, and shaking out the contents. Then wash them well
with a solution of camphor, not too strong, or it will make them brittle.
When dry, fasten them with gum on the side in which the hole was made to
a piece of card board, and write the name under each. As the colors of many
of them are perishable, to preserve them give them a slight coating of
varnish. The best varnish for this purpose is isinglass dissolved in gin. In
cleaning the smaller eggs, make a hole at each end, a little to one side, and
blow them. The camphor solution need not be used.

677. To make Artificial Coral.—Melt together four parts of yellow resin
and one part of vermilion. Dip twigs, cinders or stones in this, and when dry

they will resemble coral.

678. An Excellent Pen-Wiper for Steel Pens.—Fill a short, wide-mouthed
vial with shot, the smaller the better. Whenever it is necessary to clean the
pen, rub it up and down in the shot. This is much more effectual than cloth
wipers, and the shot will last a life-time.

679. To preserve Steel Pens.—Metallic pens may be preserved from
rusting by throwing into the bottle containing the ink a few nails, or broken
pieces of steel pens, if not varnished. The corrosive action of the acid which
the ink contains is expended on the iron so introduced, and will not
therefore affect the pen.

680. Black Paper for drawing Patterns.—Mix and smooth lamp-black
and sweet oil; with a bit of flannel cover a sheet or two of large writing-
paper with this mixture; then dab the paper dry with a bit of fine linen, and
keep it by for using in the following manner:—Put the black side on another
sheet of paper, and fasten the corners together with small pins. Lay on the
back of the black paper the pattern to be drawn, and go over it with the
point of a steel pencil; the black paper will then leave the impression of the
pattern on the under sheet, on which you must draw it with ink.
If you draw patterns on cloth or muslin, do it with a pen dipped in a bit of
stone blue, a bit of sugar, and a little water, mixed smooth in a teacup, in
which it will be always ready for use, if fresh: wet to a due consistence as
wanted.

681. To make Transparent Paper for Drawing.—Tracing paper is readily
made by taking a sheet of very thin silk, or other paper, and rubbing it over
gently with some soft substance, filled with a mixture of equal parts of
drying oil, and oil of turpentine, which, being suspended and dried, will be
fit for use in a few days; or it may be had at any of the shops. Lay this
transparent material on the print or drawing to be transferred, and, with a
sharp black lead pencil, trace the outlines exactly as they appear through the
paper. If more permanent or stronger lines are wished, ink mixed with ox-
gall will be necessary to make it adhere to the oiled surface.

682. Transparent Paper.—Wet some fine paper with a feather on both
sides with a thin layer of rosin, dissolved in spirits of wine. It will then
serve to put over anything you wish to take off.

683. Method of using Tracing Paper.—Take a piece of the size required,
and rub it equally over, on one side, with black lead, reduced to a powder,
till the surface will not readily soil a finger; then lay a piece of white paper
with the leaded side of this paper next to it, under the print, and securing
them firmly together with pins at the corners, proceed to take the outlines
with a blunt point, and some degree of pressure, which will transfer the lead
to the clean paper precisely in the direction the point passed over the print;
this may be corrected with the black lead pencil, and cleansed of any soil by
the crumbs of stale bread.

684. Method of setting Pencil Drawings.—A solution of alum water, in
which the drawing is to be dipped (not washed on with a brush, as it would
smear) will answer the purpose extremely well.

685. Wash for preserving Drawings made with Black Lead Pencil, or
with hard Black Chalk.—A thin wash of isinglass will fix either black lead
or hard black chalk, &c., so as to prevent their rubbing out; or the same
effect may be produced by the simple application of skimmed milk. The
best way of using the latter, is, to lay the drawing flat upon the surface of
the milk, and then, taking it up expeditiously, to hang it by the one corner
till it drains and dries. The milk must be perfectly free from cream, or it will
grease the paper.

686. To make Red Sealing Wax.—To every ounce of shell-lac take half an
ounce each of resin and vermilion, all reduced to a fine powder. Melt them
over a moderate fire; and when thoroughly incorporated and sufficiently
cool, form the composition into what are called sticks. On account of the
dearness of shell-lac, seed-lac is usually substituted. A more ordinary sort,
but sufficiently good for most occasions, may be made by mixing equal
parts of resin and shell-lac with two parts of red lead and one of vermilion.
In a still commoner sort, the vermilion is often entirely omitted.

MARKING INK.
687. Mix in six drachms of distilled water, two drachms of sub-nitrate of
silver, and two drachms of gum-arabic. For the mordant, mix with four
ounces of water, half an ounce of gum-arabic, and half an ounce of sub-
carbonate of soda. The article to be marked should first be wetted with the
mordant, and pressed smooth, and should be thoroughly dried before it is
written upon. The mark should be exposed to the light for some time, to
become black.

688. Permanent Red Ink for marking Linen.—This useful preparation,
which was contrived by Dr. Smellie, of Edinburgh, who was originally a
printer in that city, may be used either with types, a hair pencil, or even with
a pen: Take half an ounce of vermillion, and a drachm of salt of steel; let
them be finely levigated with linseed oil, to the thickness or limpidity
required for the occasion. This has not only a very good appearance, but
will, it is said, be found perfectly to resist the effects of acids, as well as of
all alkaline leys. It may be made of other colors, by substituting the proper
articles instead of vermillion.

689. An Indelible Ink for marking Linen.—Pour a little aqua-fortis into a
cup, and add to it a small piece of pure silver; when the effervescence
ceases, filter the solution through a piece of blotting-paper, and put it into a
small phial; then add to it a little gum-arabic and a little of the paint, called
sap-green. After the whole is perfectly combined it is then fit for use.

690. To take out Writing.—When recently written, ink may be completely
removed by the oxymuriatic acid (concentrated and in solution). The paper
is to be washed over repeatedly with the acid; but it will be necessary
afterwards to wash it also with lime-water, for the purpose of neutralizing
any acid that may be left on the paper, and which would considerably
weaken it. But if the ink have been long written, it will have undergone
such a change as to prevent the preceding process from taking effect. It
ought therefore to be washed with liver of sulphur (sulphuret of ammonia),
before the oxymuriatic acid is applied. It may be washed with a hair pencil.

691. To make Old Writing legible.—Take six bruised gall-nuts, and put
them to a pint of strong white wine; let it stand in the sun for forty-eight
hours. Dip a brush in it and wash the writing, and by the color you will
discover whether the mixture is strong enough of the galls.

692. Sympathetic Ink.—With a clean pen write on paper with a solution
of muriate of cobalt, so diluted with water, that the writing when dry will be
invisible. On gently warming the paper, the writing will appear of a blue or
greenish color, which will disappear again when cool. A solution of muriate
of copper forms a yellow and sympathetic ink, and acetate of cobalt a rose
or purple. If a landscape be drawn representing a winter scene, the paper
being overlaid where the foliage should be with the green sympathetic ink,
then, on gently warming the drawing, it will represent summer. Sky and
water may be drawn with the blue, and standing corn with the yellow ink.

693. Blue Ink.—Dissolve a small quantity of indigo in a little oil of
vitriol, and add a sufficient quantity of water, in which gum-arabic has been
dissolved.

694. Yellow Ink.—Dissolve gamboge in a solution of gum-arabic.

695. Scarlet Ink.—Dissolve vermilion in a solution of gum-arabic.

696. Red Ink.—Boil one ounce of Brazil wood in half-a-pint of water for
a quarter of an hour; add to the decoction three drachms of gum-arabic, and
an ounce of alum.

697. Green Ink.—Verdigris, two ounces; cream of tartar, one ounce;
water, half a pint; boil till reduced to one half, and filter.

698. Excellent Writing Ink.—Boil eight ounces of galls in coarse powder,
and four ounces of logwood in thin chips, in twelve pints of rain water, for
one hour: strain the liquor, and add four ounces of green copperas, three

ounces of powdered gum-arabic, one ounce of blue vitriol, and one ounce
of rock candy, powdered; stir the mixture until the whole be dissolved, then
let it subside twenty-four hours; decant it very steadily, and put it into stone
bottles for use.
A clove kept in it will prevent it from becoming mouldy.

699. Black Ink.—To make one gallon, take of pounded blue nutgalls one
pound; copperas, six ounces; gum common, four ounces; soft water, one
gallon. Dissolve the gum separately by the fire, and add, after it has boiled a
quarter of an hour. Let the ink be boiled over a slow fire three-quarters of an
hour.

700. To make Ink.—To four ounces of bruised galls, allow two of
copperas and two of gum-arabic; put the galls into a large bottle, with three
pints of rain water; and, in three or four days, dissolve the gum in hot water,
and add it with the copperas. Shake the bottle frequently for some days. A
few cloves may be put into the bottle, to prevent the ink from moulding.

701. Ink Powder.—Take five ounces of the cleanest nutgalls, bruise them,
and sift the powder very fine; then add one ounce of white copperas, two
ounces of Roman vitriol, gum-arabic, half an ounce; pound and sift them
very fine. An ounce of this powder will make a pint of very black ink.

702. To prevent Ink from moulding.—Half-a-dozen cloves, bruised with
gum-arabic, are to be put into the bottle. If a very fine ink is wanted, white
wine, or vinegar and water, should be used, instead of water alone.

703. To make Indian Ink.—Put six lighted wicks into a dish of oil; hang
an iron or tin concave cover over it, so as to receive all the smoke; when
there is a sufficient quantity of soot settled to the cover, then take it off
gently with a feather upon a sheet of paper, and mix it up with gum-
tragacanth to a proper consistence.
N. B. The clearest oil makes the finest soot, consequently the best ink.

704. Indian Ink.—Take horse-beans, burn them till they are perfectly
black, grind them to a fine powder, and, with weak gum-arabic water make
it into a paste, and form it into long square cakes.

705. To make China Ink.—Take dried black horse-beans, burn them to a
powder, mix them up with gum-arabic water, and bring them to a mass;
press it well, and let it dry.

MANAGEMENT OF CANARY-BIRDS.
706. Canary-birds, that are kept tame, will breed three or four times in
the year. Towards the middle of March, begin to match your birds, putting
one cock and hen into the breeding-cage, which should be large, so that the
birds may have room to fly and exercise themselves. Place two boxes or
little basket-nests in the cage, for the hen to lay her eggs in, because she
will sometimes have a second brood before the first are fit to fly, leaving the
care of them to the father-bird, who feeds and brings them up with much
care, while she is sitting on her second nest of eggs. Whilst your birds are
pairing, feed them, besides the usual seeds, with the yolks of hard-boiled
eggs, bread that has been moistened, or, if hard, grated fine, and pounded
almond-meat. When the young birds are to be fed, give the same soft food,
and be sure have it fresh every day; also furnish the old birds with fresh
greens, such as cabbage-lettuce, chick weed, groundsel, &c. Give fresh
water every day, and a clean bath every morning. The hen lays, commonly,
four or five eggs, and sits fourteen days. When the young are hatched, leave
them to the care of the old birds, to nurse and bring up till they can fly and
feed themselves, which is, usually, in about twenty days.

707. Gold and Silver Fish.—Pure rain-water is best to keep these delicate
little creatures in; they should never be put into water that has been boiled.
It is a good plan to throw them in the morning into a large bowl of fresh
water, with a few bread-crumbs in it, and let them remain there an hour.
Then put them in pure fresh water in their vases. The water should be
changed every day. If the bread remains in the water to become sour, it will
kill the fish.

708. Improvement in the management of Bees.—The improvement is that
of having double skeps or hives, the one on the top of the other. When the
lower skep is filled with honey, it is to be removed after the bees are
admitted (through a passage which is made to be opened) into the upper
skep; into this skep food must be put, and the bees will remain there, and go
on with their work in it. When it is filled with honey, the former skep, with
food in it, may be replaced, and the bees again admitted into it. The full
skep is then to be taken away. This change of the skeps must always be
made about midsummer; and by thus annually removing the full one, more
honey will be collected than is usual, and the bees will not be destroyed.

709. To preserve Flowers in Water.—Mix a little carbonate of soda with
the water, and it will preserve the flowers for a fortnight. Common saltpetre
is also a good preservative.

710. To preserve Flowers in Winter.—Take the latest buds just as they are
ready to open; cut them off, leaving the stem about three inches long; cover
the end of the stem with melted sealing-wax, and when the buds are a little
withered, wrap them separately in paper, and place them in a dry box. When
you wish to have the buds blossom, cut off the sealed end, and put them
into water in which a little saltpetre has been dissolved. In twelve hours the
buds will be open.

711. To take Impressions of Leaves.—Dissolve in a saucerful of water
about a tea-spoonful of bichromate of potash. Pass the paper to be used
through this solution, and, while wet, press the leaves lightly upon it, and
expose it to the sun when it is shining brightly. When perfectly dry, remove
the leaves, and a fac-simile will be left in a light lemon shade, while the rest
of the paper will be of a dark brown.

712. To preserve the natural color in Petals of dried Flowers.—Immerse
the petals for some minutes in alcohol. The colors will fade at first, but in a
short time they will resume, permanently, their natural tint.

713. To revive faded Flowers.—Nearly all flowers may be revived, when
faded, by placing one-third of the stalks in hot water; when it has become
cold, the flowers will be re-set and fresh; the end of the stalks should then
be cut off and the flowers put into cold water.
Or, dip flowers in spirits of wine for twenty minutes; at first they will
appear to have entirely faded; but in drying, the colors will revive, and the
fragrance be prolonged.
A few grains of salt put into the water with flowers, will keep them from
fading.
Sand may be substituted for water.
Flowers may be preserved throughout the winter, if plucked when they
are half-blown, dipped, stalks downward, in equal quantities of water and
verjuice mixed, and sprinkled with bay salt. They should be kept in an
earthenware vessel, closely covered, and in a warm place; when, in mid-
winter, if the flowers be taken out, washed in cold water, and held before a
gentle fire, they will open as if in their first bloom.

714. To paint Cloth, Cambric, Sarcenet, &c., so as to render them
Transparent.—Grind to a fine powder three pounds of clear white resin, and
put it into two pounds of good nut-oil, to which a strong drying quality has
been given: set the mixture over a moderate fire, and keep stirring it till all
the resin is dissolved; then put in two pounds of the best Venice turpentine,
and keep stirring the whole well together; and if the cloth or cambric be
thoroughly varnished on both sides with this mixture, it will be quite
transparent. In this operation, the surface upon which the varnish is to be
applied, must be stretched tight and made fast during the application. This
mode of rendering cloth, &c. transparent, is excellently adapted for
window-blinds. The varnish will likewise admit of any design in oil-colors
being executed upon it as a transparency.

715. Varnish to prevent the rays of the Sun from passing through the
glasses of Windows.—Pulverize gum-tragacanth, and put it to dissolve for
twenty-four hours in whites of eggs, well beaten. Lay a coat of this on the
panes of your windows, with a soft brush, and let it dry.

716. To stain paper or parchment Yellow.—Paper may be stained of a
beautiful yellow, by the tincture of turmeric, formed by infusing an ounce
or more of the root, powdered, in a pint of spirit of wine. This, by the
addition of water, may be made to give any tint of yellow, from the lightest
straw to the full color called French yellow, and will be equal in brightness
even to the best dyed silks. If yellow is wanted of a warmer or redder cast,
anotta, or dragon's blood, must be added to the tincture.

717. To stain paper or parchment Crimson.—A very fine crimson stain
may be given to paper, by a tincture of the Indian lake, which may be made
by infusing the lake some days in spirit of wine, and then pouring off the
tincture from the dregs.

718. To stain paper or parchment Green.—Paper or parchment may be
stained green by the solution of verdigris in vinegar, or by the crystals of
verdigris dissolved in water; also by the solution of copper in aquafortis,
made by adding filings of copper, gradually, to the aquafortis, till no
ebullition ensues; or, the spirit of salt may be substituted for the aquafortis.

HOUSE-PLANTS.
719. Plants require much light and fresh air; a light garret is an excellent
place for them; even those which will not bear the outer air, must have the
air of the room frequently freshened by ventilation, to preserve them in
health. They should not stand in a draught of air. In frosty weather the
windows should be kept close, and at night, the shutters. In sharp frost,
instead of stirring out the fire, leave a little on retiring to rest, with a guard
before it for security.
As a general rule, never water plants while the sun shines. The time
should be in the evening, or early in the morning, unless it be confined to
watering the roots, in which case transplanted plants, and others in a
growing state, may be watered at any time; and, if they are shaded from the
sun, they may also be watered over the tops.
The water, if taken from a well or cold spring, should be exposed one day
to the sun, otherwise it will chill the plants. A small quantity only should be

applied at a time, that it may have the effect of refreshing rain.
Rain water is the best for plants; next river water; hard spring water is the
worst.

720. To air Plants, and ventilate Rooms wherein they are contained.—
Plants should have air, every day in the year, to make them grow well; but
this matter, in sitting-rooms, will not of course be regulated for their sakes,
especially in the colder seasons. Wherever placed, however, some attention
should be paid to airing and ventilating the rooms regularly, by opening the
windows, and occasionally the doors, in order to excite a free circulation of
air. This should be done to a certain extent every day, according to the state
of the weather, except in the time of severe frost, when it would not be
advisable to admit external air. But at such times, if bad weather be of long
continuance, the rooms may be ventilated by means of the doors, and by
exciting a current of air in the passages, or other parts of the house.
In very severe frost, or in a continuation of damp weather, moderate fires
should be made for the sake of the plants, if placed in rooms not occupied.
The window shutters should also be closed at night.

721. Hints to Lovers of Flowers.—A most beautiful and easily-attained
show of evergreens may be had by a very simple plan, which has been
found to answer remarkably well on a small scale. If geranium branches
taken from luxuriant and healthy trees, just before the winter sets in, be cut
as for slips, and immersed in soap-water, they will, after drooping for a few
days, shed their leaves, put forth fresh ones; and continue in the finest vigor
all the winter. By placing a number of bottles thus filled in a flower-basket,
with moss to conceal the bottles, a show of evergreens is easily insured for
the whole season. They require no fresh water.

722. Bulbous Roots.—The time to put bulbous roots, as the hyacinth,
narcissus, and jonquil, into glasses filled with water, is from September to
November, and the earliest will begin blooming about Christmas. The
glasses should be blue, as that color best suits the roots; put in water enough
to cover the bulb one third; let the water be soft, change it once a week, and

put in a pinch of salt at each change. Keep the glasses in a moderately warm
place, and near to the light.
They should have fresh water about once in ten days. The leaves should
not be plucked off before they decay, or the root will be deprived of much
of its natural nourishment. When they have decayed, the bulbs should be
taken up, laid in the shade to dry, cleaned, and kept in sand in a dry place
till wanted to replant. The offsets should be taken off, and planted according
to size.

723. Geraniums.—The shrubby kinds are commonly increased by
cuttings, which, if planted in June or July, and placed in the shade, will take
root in five weeks. They are the most tender, and when placed out of doors,
should be defended from strong winds, and be so placed as to enjoy the sun
till eleven o'clock in the morning. As the shrubby kinds grow fast, so as to
fill the pots with their roots, and push them through the opening at the
bottom, they should be moved every two or three weeks in summer, and the
fresh roots cut off. They should also be newly potted twice in the summer:
once about a month after they are placed abroad, and again towards the end
of August. When this is done, all the roots outside the earth should be pared
off, and as much of the old earth removed as can be done without injuring
the plants. They should then be planted in a larger pot; some fresh earth
should first be laid at the bottom, and on that the plant should be placed, so
that the old earth adhering to it may be about an inch below the rim of the
pot; it should next be filled up, and the pot slightly shaken: the earth must
then be gently pressed down at the top, leaving a little space for water to be
given without running over the rim; finally, the plant should be liberally
watered, and the stem fastened to a stake, to prevent the wind displacing the
roots before they are newly fixed.
As the branches grow, and new leaves are formed at the top of them, the
lower ones may die, and should be plucked off every week.
Geranium slips should be planted in May, June, or July, taking only the
last year's shoots, from which the leaves must be stripped. When planted,
give them water, and place them in the shade: when they have taken root,
let them have the sun in the morning. The slips chosen for cutting should

not be such as bear flowers; and they should be inserted about half their
length in the earth.
Geraniums, except the shrubby kinds, require shelter from frost only, and
should have free air admitted to them, when the weather is not very severe.
In sultry weather, they should all be watered liberally every morning, except
some few of a succulent nature, which must be watered sparingly; the latter
may be known by plucking a leaf from them. Geraniums may be watered
three times a week, when not frosty, in winter.

724. Artificial Mould for Plants.—Russian potash, one drachm; water,
four ounces; one tea-spoonful of oil. Mix the whole well together. Seeds put
in this mixture will grow for a time at least, as well as if planted in common
soil.

725. To take Impressions of Plants.—Take half a sheet of fine paper, and
cover the surface with sweet oil; let it stand a minute or two, then rub off
the superficial oil, and hang the paper in the air; when almost dry, move the
paper slowly over the flame of a candle or lamp, till it is perfectly black; lay
on it the plant or leaf, place a piece of clean paper over, and rub it equally
with the fingers for half a minute. Then place the plant on the paper or
scrap-book where it is desired to have the impression, cover it with blotting
paper, and, on repeating the rubbing, a representation of the plant will
appear equal to the finest engraving. The same piece of black paper will
serve for a number of impressions.

726. Another Process.—Burn a common cork till reduced to powder; mix
with it a tea-spoonful of olive oil, making a thick paste. Paint the veiny side
of the leaf with a camel-hair brush, and lay it, with the painted side down,
on a piece of clean paper. Submit it to a strong and even pressure (it is best
placed in a book and put under a weight,) for about fifteen minutes; remove
the leaf carefully, and there will be an exact representation left. Very veiny
leaves are best. These impressions are almost equal to engravings.
Collections of them might be made interesting, by having narratives of
rambles written under them, stating the features of the spot from which the
leaves were gathered.

DIRECTIONS FOR WINDOW-PLANTS.
727. Through January and February.—The summer flowering-plants—
such as geraniums, fuchsias, &c.—should be kept as nearly dormant as
possible, allowing just enough water to prevent flagging, and all the light
that can be spared from the more interesting division of winter-bloomers; of
the latter class, such things as china-roses, cinerarias, hyacinths and other
bulbs, will now be in an active state, some of them flowering, and others
about to do so; these must be liberally treated with water. Mignonnette,
however, must be excepted. Above everything, keep the leaves clean; they
are few in number, and feeble in action, but they have yet an important
function to perform; and, without they are kept as healthy as possible, the
plant cannot begin a new growth with the vigor it is desirable it should
possess. The pots should be occasionally scrubbed with clean water, but do
not paint or otherwise fill up their pores, for air is as essential to the roots as
to the foliage, and no inconsiderable quantity finds its way to them through
the sides of a clean pot. With the same view, the surface of the soil should
be frequently stirred; the process keeps it open, prevents the growth of moss
and weeds, and imparts a better appearance. The water given should always
be rather warmer than the atmosphere of the room; and rain-water, slightly
heated, is the best.

728. March.—The whole of these plants will be benefited by re-potting.
Geraniums and fuchsias delight in light rich earth; calceolarias (lady's
slipper), roses, the chimney campanula, and others which grow as freely,
should have a larger proportion of loam; whatever manure is added for
either, must be thoroughly decayed. The pots should be perfectly clean,
inside and out; take care to have each properly drained with pieces of slate
or potsherds, in size and number proportionate to the pot; the larger ones
require from one to three inches of this drainage. In removing the plants,
take off the matted fibres with a knife; loosen the soil moderately, and,
when in its place, press the new earth tightly round it; give a gentle
watering, and keep them rather warm for a few days; afterwards they should
have plenty of air on fine days, and water as they become dry. Station each
where it may receive the direct light, and pay particular attention to keeping
the leaves clean.

729. April.—On the attention given through this month, most of the
success for the season will depend. The plants are now, or ought to be, in a
very active growth, which must be encouraged by moderate and regular
supplies of water and air. Pinch out the points of the growing shoots of such
plants as are required to become bushy; this is commonly called "stopping,"
and, with such things as geraniums, fuchsias, myrtles, and others of similar
habit, is very necessary. Cactuses must have a sunny position, and plenty of
water. Mignonette in pots and boxes, will require thinning, so as to leave
the plants about three inches apart. The several kinds of China roses form
beautiful window ornaments, and occasion but little trouble: at this time
they are coming rapidly into bloom. Look for and destroy insects of all
sorts, every few days; they multiply so fast, that without constant attention,
the plants are soon overrun. The leaves must be kept clear of dust, and the
branches properly tied out to sticks, that the centre may receive its due
share of light.

730. May.—As the influence of the advancing season and power of the
sun begins to be felt, the management of window-plants becomes easier,
and must be gradually changed from the careful nursing hitherto necessary,
to a course of almost constant exposure that will render the plants robust
and hardy.

731. June.—From this time till the middle of September, plants in pots
may be placed out of doors; they are, in fact, better in the open air, than in
the heated atmosphere of a room. Except in stormy seasons, they may stand
out night and day, in some slightly-sheltered spot. As a precaution against
the effects of strong sun-light, it is advisable to place the pots in which the
plants grow, into others a size or two larger, and fill the space between them
with moss; for many plants, having slender fibrous roots, are easily injured
by the heat of the sun scorching them through the pot. Such as stand upon
the ground, should have a thick layer of ashes spread for them, to prevent
worms from creeping in. Wash their leaves frequently with clean water, and
remove insects. When any portion of the collection is kept in-doors, a
window facing the north or west is to be preferred, and plenty of air must be
admitted. As soon as geraniums have done flowering, they should be cut
down, re-potted, and the tops struck, to form plants for next year. This is a

good time to propagate nearly all kinds of pot-plants; most of them strike
with freedom on a warm border in sandy soil, covered with a glass, and
kept moderately watered. Myrtles, and some other hard-wooded plants, may
be struck by placing the cuttings, for about half their length, into a phial
filled with water. Seeds must be sown in light earth, as soon as they are
thoroughly ripe.

732. July.—Fuchsias, in a growing state, should receive a final potting:
place them in large, perfectly clean pots, using a mixture of turfy loam and
peat, or leaf mould; train the shoots, and water liberally. Geraniums that
have done flowering, should also be re-potted; they require a lighter soil,
such as one part turfy loam, two parts leaf mould, and the remainder sand:
cut down the tops to within two or three joints of their base, and set the
plants in a warm sheltered place, to induce them to grow again: the cuttings
may be struck in a frame or hand-glass, and will form nice plants by next
season. Cactuses should be kept in a sunny situation, and have plenty of
water. Camellias which have made their season's growth, may be set out of
doors, to ripen. China roses may be re-potted, if requisite, and are easily
propagated now, in the same manner as geraniums. Separate and pot violets,
for early spring-flowering; keep them and similar plants, as the cyclamen,
&c., in the most shaded place out of doors. The whole tribe of lilies are
handsome window-plants, and some of the dwarf Japan kinds peculiarly
adapted for the purpose; they are just beginning to bloom, and should have
plenty of air and water. The Chinese primrose may be sown in pots of light
rich earth, and, if covered with a piece of glass, will vegetate quickly, and
form nice plants by the autumn. Propagation of such plants as myrtles,
sweet-scented verbena, or lemon plant, chimney campanulas, &c., is now
easy, and should be attended to without loss of time. Water all the plants
with regularity, and in quantities proportionate to their size and the state of
the weather; but particularly keep the leaves clean, by frequent sprinklings
of clean water and sponging. The essential points in the culture of every
plant, is to allow the functions of both roots and leaves to be carried on in a
proper manner—the first, by placing them in suitable soil, and the latter, by
clearing them of all impurities.

733. August.—Needs only a continuance of the attention recommended
last month. Let them have plenty of air, light, and water, with a slight
protection from the mid-day sun; propagation may still be carried on
successfully. Pot the bella-donna and Guernsey lilies, to flower in autumn;
and the young plants of the Chinese primrose should be placed three or four
together, in pots of light rich earth, and nursed, to forward their growth as
far as possible.

734. September.—The geraniums cut down in July, will now be pushing
forth a number of young shoots; these must be encouraged as much as
possible, by keeping the plants in a sheltered place, and duly supplying
them with moisture. When the shoots have grown two or three joints, they
should be stopped by picking out the points, in order to render them bushy.
The cuttings made at the same period will now be fit for potting; put each
one separately into a small pot, and treat them as the older plants. Young
plants of myrtles, and indeed all others that are properly rooted, should
receive similar treatment. Cinerarias are among the most useful of spring-
flowering plants, and if a few seedlings can be obtained now, they will
make nice plants, with the treatment recommended for geraniums.
Cyclamen, Guernsey, or Bella-donna lilies, and Lachenalias should be re-
potted; the first and last are very handsome spring-flowering plants, and the
lilies are exceedingly beautiful through October and November; all of them
are of reasonable price, and well worth adding to the usual stock of window
plants. Fill a few pots with fibrous loam, and sprinkle them over with
mignonette, nemophila insignis, and intermediate stocks; leave the pots in
the open air, and thin the plants to about three or four of the strongest, as
soon as they can be handled. Pot off china primroses, putting one plant into
each three-inch pot. Encourage the chrysanthemums in pots with alternate
applications of manure water, repot the strongest, and allow them all plenty
of room, or the leaves are liable to injury. Set all plants as they grow out of
flower in the sun, to ripen their wood, but do not let them suffer from
drought.

735. October.—The principal endeavor among this class of plants must
now be directed towards getting them into a state of rest; water very
cautiously, giving air whenever the weather will permit, and at all times let

them enjoy whatever sunshine occurs, and uninterrupted light. Now that the
respiring power of the leaves becomes lessened, it is most essential that
every particle of dust be carefully removed; the surface of the soil in which
they grow should be occasionally stirred, to keep it clean and porous, and
even the outside of the pots should be washed, for the same end. If it be
necessary to stand the pots in saucers, when the plants are watered, the
waste which runs through should be regularly emptied away, as much
mischief ensues from allowing the roots to remain in the water.

736. November.—The directions given last month must be closely
observed throughout the remainder of the year. The great object being to
keep the majority of the plants in a resting condition, that they may start the
more vigorously on the return of genial weather. Winter, or early spring-
flowering plants, such as violets, China primroses, cyclamen, and roses, are,
however, to be excepted from this rule; they are now in an active state, and
must be encouraged accordingly. As soon as hyacinths and other bulbs,
placed in pots last month, have become pretty well rooted, they may be
brought into the window, and being placed near the light, will grow rapidly;
those in glasses should have the water changed once or twice a week.
Chrysanthemums in pots require plenty of water while in bloom, and when
their beauty declines, the plants should be taken to a warm part of the
garden, or placed in a light shed, to complete their maturity.

737. December.—If the geraniums or other plants taken from the borders
in autumn, exhibit signs of rottenness, remove the decaying parts, and dust
the wounds with quick-lime or sulphur, keep them comparatively dry and as
much exposed to the sun as possible; air is essential whenever it can be
admitted. Remember previous directions regarding the employment of pans;
they are a most fatal source of disease and death when left with water in
them. Water sparingly, keep the leaves clean, and wait patiently. Flowering
plants must still form the exception, as mentioned last month.

738. To manage a Watch.—First: Wind your watch as nearly as possible
at the same hour every day. Secondly: Be careful that your key is in good
condition, as there is much danger of injuring the machine when the key is
worn or cracked; there are more mainsprings and chains broken through a

jerk in winding, than from any other cause, which injury will, sooner or
later, be the result, if the key be in bad order. Thirdly: As all metals contract
by cold, and expand by heat, it must be manifest, that to keep the watch as
nearly as possible at one temperature, is a necessary piece of attention.
Fourthly: Keep the watch as constantly as possible in one position—that is,
if it hangs by day, let it hang by night against something soft. Fifthly: the
hands of a pocket-chronometer or duplex watch, should never be set
backwards; in other watches this is a matter of no consequence. Sixthly: The
glass should never be opened in watches that set and regulate at the back.
One or two other directions more, it is of vital importance that you bear in
mind. On regulating a watch, should it be fast, move the regulator a trifle
towards the slow, and if going slow, do the reverse; you cannot move the
regulator too slightly or too gently at a time, and the only inconvenience
that can arise is, that you may have to perform the duty more than once. On
the contrary, if you move the regulator too much at a time you will be as far,
if not farther than ever, from attaining your object; so that you may repeat
the movement until quite tired and disappointed—stoutly blaming both
watch and watch-maker, while the fault is entirely your own. Again, you
cannot be too careful in respect of the nature and condition of your watch-
pocket; see that it be made of some material that is soft and pliant—such as
wash-leather, which is the best; and, also, that there be no flue or nap that
may be torn off when taking the watch out of the pocket. Cleanliness, too, is
as needful here as in the key before winding; for if there be dust or dirt in
either instance, it will, you may rely upon it, work its way into the watch, as
well as wear away the engine turning of the case.

PART IV.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND OTHER MATTERS WORTH
KNOWING.
Of the different kinds of Tea, Coffee, &c.—Preserving Fruits, Flowers, &c.—Care of Fires—and
other Hints.

TEAS.
739.—The names of the different kinds of tea, relate to the time of their
being gathered, or to some peculiarity in their manufacture. It is a general
rule, that all tea is fine in proportion to the tenderness and immaturity of the
leaves. The quality and value of the different kinds diminish as they are
gathered later in the season.
Black Teas.—As soon as the leaf-bud begins to expand, it is gathered to
make Pekoe. A few days' later growth produces black-leaved Pekoe. The
next picking is called Souchong; as the leaves grow larger and more mature,
they form Congou; and the last picking is Bohea.
Bohea is called by the Chinese, Ta-cha (large tea), on account of the
maturity and size of the leaves; it contains a larger proportion of woody
fibre than other teas, and its infusion is of a darker color and coarser flavor.
Congou, the next higher kind, is named from a corruption of the Chinese
Koong-foa (great care, or assiduity). This forms the bulk of the black tea
imported, and is mostly valued for its strength.
Souchong—Seaou-choong (small, scarce sort), is the finest of the
stronger black tea, with a leaf that is generally entire and curly. It is much
esteemed for its fragrance and fine flavor.
Pekoe is a corruption of the Canton name, Pak-ho (white down), being
the first sprouts of the leaf-buds; they are covered with a white silky down.
It is a delicate tea, rather deficient in strength, and is principally used for
flavoring other teas.

740. Green Teas.—The following are the principal kinds: Twankay,
Hyson-Skin, Hyson, Gunpowder, and Young Hyson.
Young Hyson is a delicate young leaf, called in the original language, Yu-
tsien (before the rains), because gathered in the early spring.
Hyson, from the Chinese word He-tchune, which means, flourishing
spring. This fine tea is gathered early in the season, and prepared with great
care and labor. Each leaf is picked separately, and nipped off above the
footstalk, and every separate leaf is rolled in the hand. It is much esteemed
for its flavor.
Gunpowder Tea is only Hyson rolled and rounded, to give it the granular
appearance whence it derives its name. The Chinese call it Choo-cha (pearl
tea).
Hyson-Skin is so named from the Chinese term, in which connection skin
means the refuse, or inferior portion. In preparing Hyson, all leaves that are
of a coarse yellow, or imperfectly twisted appearance, are separated, and
sold as skin-tea, at an inferior price.
Twankay is the last picking of green tea, and the leaf is not rolled or
twisted as much as the dearer descriptions. There is altogether less trouble
bestowed on the preparation.

COFFEE.
741.—The infusion or decoction of the roasted seeds of the coffee-berry,
when not too strong, is a wholesome, exhilarating, and strengthening
beverage; and, when mixed with a large proportion of milk, is a proper
article of diet for literary and sedentary people. It is especially suited to
persons advanced in years. People who are bilious and liable to costiveness,
should abstain from it. When drank very strong, it proves stimulating and
heating in a considerable degree, creating thirst and producing
watchfulness. By an abusive indulgence in this drink, the organs of
digestion are impaired, the appetite is destroyed, nutrition is impeded, and
emaciation, general debility, paralytic affections, and nervous fever, are
brought on.

742. Proper method of making Toast and Water, and the advantages
resulting therefrom.—Take a slice of fine and stale loaf-bread, cut very thin
—as thin as toast is ever cut—and let it be carefully toasted on both sides,
until it be completely browned all over, but nowise blackened or burned in
any way. Put this into a common deep stone or china jug, and pour over it,
from the tea-kettle, as much clean boiling water as you wish to make into
drink. Much depends on the water being actually in a boiling state. Cover
the jug with a saucer or plate, and let the drink cool until it be quite cold; it
is then fit to be used. The fresher it is made the better, and of course the
more agreeable. The above will be found a pleasant, light, and highly-
diuretic drink. It is peculiarly grateful to the stomach, and excellent for
carrying off the effects of any excess in drinking. It is also a most excellent
drink at meals, and may be used in the summer-time, if more agreeable to
the drinker.

743. Baked Milk.—Put half a gallon of milk into a jar, and tie it down
with writing-paper. Let it stand in a moderately warm oven about eight or
ten hours. It will then be of the consistence of cream. It is used by persons
who are weak or consumptive.

744. Substitute for Cream, in Tea or Coffee.—Beat the white of an egg to
a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well. Then turn the
coffee to it gradually, so that it may not curdle. If perfectly done, it will be
an excellent substitute for cream. For tea, omit the butter, using only the
egg. This might be of great use at sea, as eggs can be preserved fresh in
various ways.

745. Economical use of Nutmegs.—If a person begin to grate a nutmeg at
the stalk end, it will prove hollow throughout; whereas the same nutmeg,
grated from the other end, would have proved sound and solid to the last.
This circumstance may thus be accounted for:—The centre of a nutmeg
consists of a number of fibres issuing from the stalk, and its continuation
through the centre of the fruit; the other ends of which fibres, though
closely surrounded and pressed by the fruit, do not adhere to it. When the
stalk is grated away, those fibres, having lost their hold, gradually drop out,
and the nutmeg appears hollow: as more of the stalk is grated away, others

drop out in succession, and the hollow continues through the whole nut. By
beginning at the contrary end, the fibres above-mentioned are grated off at
their core end, with the surrounding fruit, and do not drop out and cause a
hole.

746. To ascertain the quality of Nutmegs.—Oil of nutmegs being of great
value, it is often extracted from the nuts which are exposed to sale, and
which are thereby rendered of very little value. To ascertain the quality of
nutmegs, force a pin into them; and if good, however dry they may appear,
the oil will be seen oozing out all round the pin.

747. Essence of Nutmeg.—Is made by dissolving one ounce of the
essential oil in a pint of rectified spirits. It is an expensive but invaluable
mode of flavoring, in the arts of the cook or confectioner.

748. To make Essence of Celery.—Soak for a fortnight half an ounce of
the seeds of celery in one gill of brandy. A few drops will flavor a pint of
soup or broth equal to a head of celery.

749. Tincture of Lemon-peel.—Fill a wide-mouthed pint bottle half full of
brandy; when a lemon is used, pare off the rind very thin, and put it into the
brandy. In two weeks the spirit will be strongly impregnated with the flavor
of the lemon.

750. To test the purity of Spirits.—See if the liquor will burn away
entirely: or, place a hollow ivory-ball in it; the deeper the ball sinks, the
lighter the liquor, and consequently more spirituous.

751. To purify Olive Oil.—Turn the oil into a crock or bottle, and pour in
a quantity of pure water; shake the vessel vigorously, and let it stand two
hours. The mucilaginous matter which is the cause of rancidity, will be
separated from the oil, and remain in the water. The oil can be decanted,
and re-bottled for use.

752. To preserve Eggs.—The most simple and easy mode of preserving
eggs, is to rub the outside of the shell, as soon as gathered from the nest,
with a little butter, or any other grease that is not fetid. By filling up the
pores of the shell, the evaporation of the liquid part of the egg is prevented;
and either by that means, or by excluding the external air, which Fourcroy
supposes destroys the milkiness which most people are fond of in new-laid
eggs, that milkiness will be preserved for mouths, as perfect as when the
egg was taken from the nest.

753. Cream preserved in Long Voyages.—Mix with a quantity of fresh
rich cream half its weight of white sugar in powder; stir the whole well
together, and preserve it in bottles well corked. In this state it is ready to
mix with tea or coffee, and has continued in good condition during a voyage
to America.

754. To preserve Hazel Nuts in great perfection for many months.—Hazel
nuts may be kept a long time in full kernel by burying them in earthen pots,
well closed, a foot or two in the ground. They keep best in gravelly or sandy
places.

755. Easy Method of preserving Animal Food.—Fresh meat may be kept
for nine or ten days perfectly sweet and good, in the heat of summer, by
lightly covering the same with bran, and hanging it in a high and windy
room; a cupboard full of small holes, or a wire safe, is recommended to be
placed in such a room, to keep away the flies.

756. To purify Lemon-juice.—Add one ounce of pulverized, well burnt
charcoal, to a quart of lemon-juice; after standing twelve hours, filter the
juice through white blotting-paper; it will keep good several years in a
cellar, in a bottle, well corked; a thick crust will form beneath the cork, and
the mucilage will fall to the bottom.

757. To detect Copper in Liquids.—Spirit of hartshorn mixed with them,
turns them blue. Therefore tea is not dried on copper, as an infusion of it is

not turned blue by this mixture. Cider, being passed through brass pots, is
detected by this experiment.—Dr. Moyes' Lectures.

758. To detect the Mixture of Arsenic.—A solution of blue vitriol dropped
into any liquid in which arsenic has been put, will turn it green.

759. To test Mushrooms.—Rub the upper skin with a gold ring or any
piece of gold: the part rubbed will turn yellow if it is a poisonous fungus.

760. To prepare Salt.—Set a lump of salt in a plate before the fire, and
when dry, pound it in a mortar, or rub two pieces of salt together; it will
then be free from lumps, and in very fine powder.

761. To make Cheap and Good Vinegar.—To eight gallons of clear rain
water, add three quarts of molasses; turn the mixture into a clean tight cask,
shake it well two or three times, and add three spoonsful of good yeast, or
two yeast cakes. Place the cask in a warm place, and in ten or fifteen days,
add a sheet of common wrapping-paper, smeared with molasses, and torn
into narrow strips, and you will have good vinegar. The paper is necessary
to form the "mother," or life of the liquor.

762. To prevent Mouldiness.—The best preventive is any of the essential
oils, as the oil of lavender, cloves, peppermint, &c. Russia leather, which is
scented with the tar of the birch-tree, is not subject to mouldiness, and
books bound in it will even prevent mouldiness in other books bound in
calf, near which they happen to lie.
Aromatic seeds are not subject to mould, and gingerbread, or cakes
containing caraway seeds are far less liable to mouldiness than plain bread.
Children have been poisoned by eating mouldy bread.

763. To keep Fruits.—To preserve fruits, you must keep them in a room
rather above the ground floor, sheltered alike from the sun and damp; it is
even prudent, in order to avoid opening the windows, to let out the humid
exhalations of the fruit, to have a stove in the room, and light a fire in it

now and then. The decaying fruit should be carefully removed. Cherries,
grapes, &c., are kept sound by hanging them to threads, and then inclosing
them in new boxes or barrels; these are closed as tightly as possible, and
deposited in a dry place. Some preserve them by laying them in sawdust or
bran.

764. To preserve Apples.—Dry a glazed jar perfectly well, put a few
pebbles in the bottom; fill the jar with apples, and cover it with a bit of
wood made to fit exactly; and over that, put a little fresh mortar. The
pebbles attract the damp of the apples. The mortar draws the air from the
jar, and leaves the apples free from its pressure, which, together with the
principle of putrefaction which the air contains, are the causes of decay.
Apples, kept thus, have been found quite sound, fair, and juicy, in July.

765. To keep Potatoes from frost.—If you have not a convenient store-
place for them, dig a trench three or four feet deep, into which they are to
be laid as they are taken up, and then covered with the earth taken out of the
trench, raised up in the middle like the roof of a house, and covered with
straw, to carry off the rain. They will be thus preserved from the frost, and
can be taken up as they are wanted.

766. To dry Corn for winter use.—Sweet corn is the best. Husk it. Have a
pot of boiling water—put in your corn and let it boil three minutes—then
cut it from the cobs and put it in pans in a warm oven. It must be stirred
frequently; when perfectly dry put it away in bags. When wanted for use,
soak it all night, next day boil it an hour with a little salt; before it is dished
stir in flour, pepper, and butter.

767. To preserve Aromatic and other Herbs.—The boxes and drawers in
which vegetable matters are kept should not impart to them any smell or
taste; and more certainly to avoid this, they should be lined with paper.
Such as are volatile, of a delicate texture, or subject to suffer from insects,
must be kept in well covered glasses. Fruits and oily seeds, which are apt to
become rancid, must be kept in a cool and dry, but by no means in a warm
or moist place.

768. To dry Herbs.—Dry the gathered crop, thinly spread out, and shaded
from the sun; tie the herbs in small bundles, and keep them compactly
pressed down and covered with white paper. Or, after drying them, put each
sort into a small box, and by means of boards, of the size of the interior
length and width of the box, and a screw-press, press the herbs into cakes,
or little trusses. These should be afterwards carefully wrapped up in paper,
and be kept in a dry place, when they will retain their aroma as perfectly as
when they were put into the press, for, at least, three years. By the common
mode of hanging up herbs in loose bundles, the odor soon escapes.

769. To dry Chamomile Flowers.—Pull them, from time to time, as they
are produced; for the plants continue to blossom in succession for several
months. When gathered, dry them gradually, partly in the sun, and partly in
the shade, by being spread upon a mat or sheet, removed out of the sun in
the heat of the day, and placed in it mornings and evenings.
Lavender Flowers should also be dried as chamomiles.
Marigold Flowers, dried, improve broths and soups, however much they
may have got into disuse.

770. Winter Herbs.—The best time for gathering herbs for winter use is
when they are in blossom. If left till they are in seed, the strength goes to
the seed. They are best picked from the stocks, dried quickly (but not
burnt), before the fire, and rubbed into powder, then bottled.

771. Galvanism a Protector of Trees.—A German journal states that the
application of galvanism has been made in Austria for preserving trees and
plants from the ravages of insects. The process is very simple, consisting
only in placing two rings, one of copper, the other of zinc, attached
together, around the tree or plant. Any insect that touches the copper
receives an electric shock, which kills it or causes it to fall to the ground.

772. Moss on Trees.—The following is an excellent application to the
scraped trunk to prevent the growth of moss, and destroy eggs of insects.

One gallon of soft soap, one pound of flour of sulphur, and one quart of salt,
to be well stirred together and put on with a hard brush.

773. To destroy Caterpillars in Gooseberry Trees.—Gather dust from any
turnpike road, and shake it well among the trees, and the caterpillars will
immediately fall to the ground. It is an excellent plan to dust the trees twice
or three times a week, as it will effectually prevent the lodgment of
caterpillars.

774. A neat method of Grafting.—Prepare the stock and the graft in the
same way as for grafting with clay in the common way. Then take a long
slip of India-rubber, three-quarters of an inch broad, and about the thickness
of a shilling. Tie one end of this elastic riband with a thread, well prepared
by rubbing with shoemakers' wax, to the stock, a little below where it is cut
for being joined to the graft; then make the joint as neatly as possible, and
wrap it round with the riband, taking due care to keep the India-rubber fully
stretched, and to make it overlap at each turn fully one-half of the breadth
of the previous round, till the whole is covered, then tie the top with a
thread in the same manner as at the bottom, and the operation is finished.
After grafting the trees in the manner described, nothing is done to them till
they are completely set, when the India-rubber slips are taken off to be
ready again for the next year. When opened up, there is scarcely any
appearance of a joint, and altogether they are much neater than when done
with clay.

775. To Kill Vermin on Plants.—Tobacco water is much used for the
above purposes; it is made by pouring a gallon of boiling water upon a
pound of tobacco leaves, and straining it in twenty minutes.
Or, syringe the plants with this mixture: put into a jar five gallons of
spring water and four ounces of chloride of lime, to which add four ounces
of vitriol; when the lime is precipitated, pour off the clear solution, and
keep it air-tight.
Or, mix coal tar and water, and sprinkle it over the infected plants.

776. To Propagate Plants.—It may be received as a general principle,
that all plants which produce shoots may be propagated by cuttings; though
some plants are much more difficult to propagate in this manner than
others. Generally speaking, all the soft-wooded plants which have
abundance of sap, such as geraniums, fuchsias, petunias, and verbenas,
strike root readily. The usual mode for striking cuttings is to put them in
fine sand, and to cover them with a bell-glass. Some cuttings which are
difficult to strike are directed to have bottom heat; that is, the pots in which
they are planted should be plunged into a hot-bed, that the stimulus afforded
by the heat may induce the cuttings to throw out roots.

777. Plants watered by being placed in Dishes, improper.—The practice
of placing flats or saucers under plants, and feeding them by the roots, that
is, pouring the water continually into these dishes, and never on the earth at
top, is highly improper. The water should always be poured on the surface
of the earth, that it may filter completely through it, to the benefit and
refreshment of the fibres.

778. When to plant Annual and Perennial Flowers.—Many kinds of
annuals and perennials, sown in March and the beginning of April, will be
fit for transplanting about the end of May, and may either be planted in
patches about borders, or in beds, as fancy shall direct. Of these, the kinds
improved by transplanting are, amaranthuses, China asters, columbines,
French and African marigolds, fox-gloves, hollyhocks, India pinks, love-
lies-bleeding, mallows, mignonette, prince's feather, scabious, stocks, sun-
flowers, sweet-williams, wall-flowers, and others. They should be planted
out in a showery time, if possible, or otherwise be frequently watered, till
they have struck root.

779. To preserve Flower Seeds.—Those who are curious about saving
flower-seeds must attend to them in the month of August. Many kinds will
begin to ripen apace, and should be carefully sticked and supported, to
prevent them from being shaken by high winds, and so partly lost. Others
should be defended from much wet; such as asters, marigolds, and generally
those of the class Syngenesia; as from the construction of their flowers they
are apt to rot, and the seeds to mould, in bad seasons. Whenever they are

thought ripe, or indeed any others, in wet weather, they should be removed
to an airy shed or loft, gradually dried, and rubbed or beat out at
conveniency.

780. Easy Method of discovering whether or not Seeds are sufficiently
ripe.—Seeds, when not sufficiently ripe, will swim, but when arrived at full
maturity, they will be found uniformly to fall to the bottom; a fact that is
said to hold equally true of all seeds, from the cocoa-nut to the orchis.

HINTS TO FARMERS.
781. There are some things that all farmers ought to know.
Sheep put into fresh stubble are apt to be killed by eating too much grain.
A bare pasture enriches not the soil, nor fattens the animals, nor increases
the wealth of the owner.
One animal well fed is of more value than two poorly kept.
The better animals can be fed, and the more comfortable they can be
kept, the more profitable they are—and all farmers work for profit.
Ground once well plowed is better than thrice poorly.
Bountiful crops are more profitable than poor ones. Make the soil rich,
pulverize it well, and keep it clean, and it generally will be productive.
Weeds that grow unmolested around the fences, stumps, and stones,
scatter their seeds over the farm, and are very likely to increase.
Cows well fed in winter give more milk in summer. An ox that is in good
condition in the spring, will perform more labor, and stand the heat of
summer much better than one that is poor.
When you see the fence down, put it up: if it remains until to-morrow, the
cattle may get over.
What ought to be done to-day, do it; for to-morrow it may rain.
A strong horse will work all day without food, but keep him at it, and he
will not last long.

A rich soil will produce good crops without manure, but keep it at it, and
it will tire.
Farmers' sons had better learn to hold the plow, and feed the pigs, than
measure tape and count buttons.
Young ladies who have the good fortune to become farmers' wives will
find it more profitable to know how to make Johnny-cake, butter, and
cheese, than to play on the piano.
All who wish to be rich, must spend less than they earn.

MANAGEMENT OF A HORSE.
782. When a horse is brought in hot, loosen the girth, and allow the
saddle to remain on for five minutes. Let him be walked about in summer,
and, in the winter, be put directly in the stable.
A horse should not be permitted to drink cold water, whilst warm; neither
should the legs or feet of a horse be washed, until he gets cold.
Horses prefer soft water, and it is best for them. If the water be very hard
and brackish, put a small piece of chalk into a pail of water, some time
before it is given to the horse.
Fourteen pounds of hay in one day, or one hundred pounds a week, with
three feeds of corn a day, are sufficient for a horse that is not over-worked.
In travelling, after the principal feed, let a horse have not less than two
hours' rest, that his food may have time to digest.
After a hard day's work, give a horse about two gallons of gruel, made
with a quart of oatmeal, half a gallon of ale, half a quartern of brandy, and
the proper quantity of water. Wetted bran may be given advantageously to
lean horses.

783. To dress a Horse.—On entering the stable, first give him about a
gallon of clean water in a clean pail; then shake up the best litter under the
manger, sweep out the stall, and clean out the stable.
Whilst the horse is feeding, dress him: first, curry him all over with the
currycomb, to loosen the dirt and dust on his skin; then remove the dust

with a whalebone brush; next, smooth and cleanse the coat with a wisp of
straw; and again use the brush and currycomb, to take off what dust may
remain; after which, whisk him again with a damp lock of hay; and, finally,
rub him down with a woollen or linen cloth.
Then turn round the horse in the stall, brush his head well, and wisp it
clean and smooth with a damp lock of hay. Then wipe the dust and filth
from the inside of the ears with a damp sponge, and draw the ears through
the hands for a few minutes, until they are warm. Wash out the sponge, and
with it cleanse the dust, &c., from the eyes; sponge the nostrils, and then
rub the whole head with a cloth, in the same manner as the body.
Next, turn the horse round into his proper situation, put on the head-stall,
and with a sponge wash the dirt and filth from under the tail. Then, clean
and lay the mane with a comb and water-brush, used alternately with both
hands; again wipe over the head and body, put on the body-clothes, and
fasten them with a surcingle.
Examine the heels, pick out the dirt from the feet, and wash the heels
with a brush and plenty of water. If the horse has bad feet, they should be
dressed and stuffed.
Lastly, shake hay into the rack; and then the horse will be completely
dressed.

784. Horse Flies.—To prevent horses being teased with flies, take two or
three small handfuls of walnut leaves, upon which pour two or three quarts
of soft cold water; let it infuse one night; pour the whole next morning into
a kettle, and let it boil for a quarter of an hour: when cold, it will be ready
for use. Nothing more is required than to moisten a sponge with the liquid,
and, before the horse goes out of the stable, let those parts which are most
irritable be smeared over with the liquor, namely, between and upon the
ears, the flank, &c.

785. To milk Cows.—A cow should be milked clean. Not a drop, if it can
be avoided, should be left in the udder. It has been proved that the half-pint
that comes out last, has twelve times, I think it is, as much butter in it, as the
half-pint that comes out first. The udder would seem to be a sort of milk-

pan, in which the cream is uppermost, and, of course, comes out last, seeing
that the outlet is at the bottom. But, besides this, if you do not milk clean,
the cow will give less and less milk, and will become dry much sooner than
she ought.—Cobbett.

RAISING POULTRY.
786. There is scarcely any branch of farming operations more productive
than the raising of poultry for market; and yet, with a large majority of our
agriculturists, it is considered of but little account. The proximity to a great
market, and the facilities for reaching it possessed by many of our farmers
in this country, should make the rearing of poultry an object of attention.

787. To fatten Poultry.—Poultry should be fattened in coops, and kept
very clean. They should be furnished with gravel, but with no water. Their
only food, barley-meal, mixed so thin with water, as to serve them for
drink. Their thirst makes them eat more than they would, in order to extract
the water that is among the food. This should not be put in troughs but laid
upon a board, which should be clean washed every time fresh food is put
upon it. It is foul and heated water which is the sole cause of the pip.

788. Method of expeditiously fattening Chickens.—Take, for that
purpose, a quantity of rice, and grind or pound it into a fine flour; mix
sufficient for present use with milk and a little coarse sugar; stir the whole
well over the fire, till it makes a thick paste; and feed the chickens, in the
day-time only, by putting as much of it as they can eat, but no more, into the
troughs belonging to their coops. It must be eaten while warm; and, if they
have also beer to drink, they will soon grow very fat. A mixture of oatmeal
and treacle, combined till it crumbles, is said to form a food for chickens, of
which they are so fond, and with which they thrive so rapidly, that at the
end of two months they become as large as the generality of full-grown
fowls fed in the common way.

789. Method of fattening Geese and Ducks.—Geese, the more quiet and
undisturbed they are kept, the faster and better they fatten. Put young geese

into a place that is almost dark; feed them with ground malt mixed with
milk, and they will very soon, and at very little expense, be fit to kill.
Another way is cheaper still:—Mix barley-meal, pretty thick, with water,
which they must constantly have by them, to eat as they choose; in another
part of the shed where they are, keep a pan with some boiled oats and water,
for them to resort to when they are inclined to change their food. This
variety is agreeable to them, and they thrive apace, being so fattened at less
expense than in any other manner.

790. Cobbett's method of fattening Geese.—Geese are raised by grazing:
but, to fat them, something more is required. Corn of some sort, or boiled
Swedish turnips, or carrots, or white cabbages, or lettuces, make the best
fatting. The modes that are resorted to by the French for fatting geese, are, I
hope, such as Englishmen will never think of. He who can deliberately
inflict torture upon an animal, in order to heighten the pleasure his palate is
to receive in eating it, is an abuser of the authority which God has given
him, and is, indeed, a tyrant in his heart. Who would think himself safe, if at
the mercy of such a man?

791. Swedish method of raising Turkeys.—As soon as the young turkeys
leave the shell, they are made to swallow one or two pepper-corns, and
returned to their mother. They are afterwards fed with crumbs of bread and
milk, and with common dock-leaves, chopped small, and mixed with fresh
buttermilk, and kept in a warm place or sunshine, and guarded from the rain
or from running among nettles.
Nothing, however, is more useful for them than the common garden
pepper-cress, or cut-leaved cress. They are very fond of it; and, supplied
with as much of it as they will eat, they will not be delicate in their other
food.

792. To fatten Turkeys as they do in Norfolk.—The quality and size of the
Norfolk turkeys are superior to those of any other part of England. They are
fed almost entirely with buckwheat; and give them with it boiled oats,
boiled malt, or boiled barley, and sometimes, for change, even boiled wheat
and water.

793. To fatten Ducks.—Feed them with the same food as the turkeys or
geese, and let them have a pan of water to dabble in.

794. To make Hens lay perpetually.—Hens will lay perpetually, if treated
in the following manner:—Keep no roosters (cocks): give the hens fresh
meat, chopped up like sausage-meat, once a day; a very small portion, say
half an ounce a day to each hen, during the winter, or from the time insects
disappear in the fall till they appear again in the spring. Never allow any
eggs to remain in the nest for what are called "nest eggs." When the roosters
do not run with the hens, and no nest eggs are left in the nest, the hens will
not cease laying after the production of twelve or fifteen eggs, as they
always do when roosters and nest eggs are allowed; but continue laying
perpetually. The only reason why hens do not lay in winter as freely as in
summer, is the want of animal food, which they get in summer in
abundance, in the form of insects.

HINTS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN LIFE FROM
FIRE.
795. Cautions.—Sweep chimneys regularly; sweep frequently the lower
part of the chimney within reach; the kitchen chimney should be swept once
a month.

796. Fires in Chimneys.—When a chimney or flue is on fire, throw into
the fire-place handfuls of flour of sulphur, which will destroy the flame. Or,
apply a wet blanket, or old carpet, to the throat of the chimney, or over the
front of the fire-place. A chimney-board, or register-flap, will answer the
same purpose, by stopping the draught of air from below.
Beware of lights near combustibles; of children near fires and lights; and
do not trust them with candles. Do not leave clothes to dry by the fire
unwatched, either day or night; do not leave the poker in the fire; see that
all be safe before you retire to rest.

797. Persons in Danger.—When a fire happens, put it out in its earliest
stage; if suffered to extend itself, give the alarm. Beware of opening doors,

&c., to increase the fire by fresh air. Muster the whole family, see that none
are missing. First save lives, then property. Think of the ways of escape; by
the stairs, if no better way—creep along a room where the fire is, and creep
down stairs backwards on hands and knees—(heated air ascends); come
down stairs with a pillow before your face, and a wet blanket round the
body, and hold your breath; or try the roof of the adjoining house. Throw
out of the window a feather bed, to leap upon in the last extremity—fasten
fire-escapes to the bed-posts first—send children down by the sack fastened
to a rope, taking care of the iron spikes and area; then lower yourselves.

798. Means of Extinction.—The safety of the inmates being ascertained,
the first object at a fire should be the exclusion of all fresh and the
confinement of all burnt air—suffocate the flames—and remember that
burnt air is as great, if not a greater enemy to fire than water. For both
purposes, of excluding the one air, and confining the other, all openings
should be kept as carefully closed as possible. The prevailing practice of
breaking windows is peculiarly mischievous. The only excuse for this is the
admission of water; but if the firemen were provided with self supporting
ladders, (that need not lean against the wall,) they might direct the water-
hose through a single broken pane, with ten times more accuracy than by
their random squirting from the street. Water should be made to beat out the
fire by its impetus; sprinkling is useless.

799. Neighbors and Spectators.—When a fire happens, let every
respectable neighbor attend. Send instantly for engines, both of the parish
and of the insurance companies, and the parish and other ladder and fire-
escapes. Look for the nearest fireplug—send instantly for policemen, and
see they attend, and are active.

800. Method of escape from Fire.—The following simple machine ought
always to be kept in an upper apartment. It is nothing more than a shilling
or eighteen-penny rope, one end of which should always be made fast to
something in the chamber, and at the other end should be a noose to let
down children or infirm persons, in case of fire. Along the rope there should
be several knots, to serve as resting places for the hands and feet of the

person who drops down by it. No family occupying high houses should ever
be without a contrivance of this kind.

801. To make Water more efficacious in extinguishing Fires.—Throw into
a pump, which contains fifty or sixty buckets of water, eight or ten pounds
of salt or pearlashes, and the water thus impregnated will wonderfully
accelerate the extinction of the most furious conflagration. Muddy water is
better than clear, and can be obtained when salt and ashes cannot.

802. To extinguish Fires speedily.—Much mischief arises from want of a
little presence of mind on these alarming occasions. A small quantity of
water, well and immediately applied, will frequently obviate great danger.
The moment an alarm of fire is given, wet some blankets well in a bucket of
water, and spread them upon the floor of the room where the fire is, and
afterwards beat out the other flames with a blanket thus wet. Two or three
buckets of water thus used early, will answer better than hundreds applied at
a later period. Linen thus wet will be useful, but will not answer so well as
woollen.

803. To escape from or go into a House on fire.—Creep or crawl with
your face near the ground, and, although the room be full of smoke to
suffocation, yet near the floor the air is pure, and may be breathed with
safety. The best escape from upper windows is by a knotted rope; but, if a
leap is unavoidable, then the bed should be thrown out first, or beds
prepared for the purpose.

804. Hints respecting Women's and Children's Clothes catching fire.—
The woman and children in every family should be particularly told and
shown, that flame always tends upwards; and, consequently, that as long as
they continue erect, or in an upright posture, while their clothes are burning,
the fire generally beginning at the lower part of the dress, the flames
meeting additional fuel, as they rise, become more powerful in proportion;
whereby the neck and head, being more exposed than other parts to the
intense and concentrated heat, must necessarily be most injured. In a case of
this kind, where the sufferer happens to be alone, and cannot extinguish the

flames by instantly throwing the clothes over the head, and rolling or lying
upon them, she may still avoid great agony, and save her life, by throwing
herself at full-length on the floor, and rolling herself thereon. This method
may not extinguish the flame, but, to a certainty, will retard its progress,
prevent fatal injury to the neck and head, and afford opportunity for
assistance; and it may be more practicable than the other, to the aged and
infirm. A carpet or hearth-rug instantly lapped round the head and body, is
almost a certain preventive of danger.

805. Method of rendering all sorts of Paper, Linen, and Cotton, less
combustible.—This desirable object may be, in some degree, effected, by
immersing these combustible materials in a strong solution of alum-water;
and, after drying them, repeating this immersion, if necessary. Thus, neither
the color nor the quality of the paper will be in the least affected; on the
contrary, both will be improved: and the result of the experiment may be
ascertained, by holding a slip of paper, so prepared, over a candle.

806. To extricate Horses from fire.—If the harness be thrown over a
draught, or the saddle placed on the back of a saddle horse, they may be led
out of the stable as easily as on common occasions. Should there be time to
substitute the bridle for the halter, the difficulty towards saving them will be
still further diminished.

807. Method of rendering assistance to persons in danger of Drowning.
—This desirable object appears attainable by the proper use of a man's hat
and pocket-handkerchief, which (being all the apparatus necessary) is to be
used thus:—Spread the handkerchief on the ground, and place a hat, with
the brim downwards, on the middle of the handkerchief; and then tie the
handkerchief round the hat as you would tie up a bundle, keeping the knots
as near the centre of the crown as may be. Now, by seizing the knots in one
hand, and keeping the opening of the hat upwards, a person, without
knowing how to swim, may fearlessly plunge into the water with what may
be necessary to save the life of a fellow-creature.
If a person should fall out of a boat, or the boat upset, by going foul of a
cable, &c., or should he fall off the quays, or indeed fall into any water

from which he could not extricate himself, but must wait some little time
for assistance—had he presence of mind enough to whip off his hat, and
hold it by the brim, placing his fingers withinside the crown, and hold it so,
(top downwards), he would be able, by this method, to keep his mouth well
above water till assistance should reach him. It often happens that danger is
descried long before we are involved in the peril, and time enough to
prepare the above method; and a courageous person would, in seven
instances out of ten, apply to them with success; and travellers, in fording
rivers at unknown fords, or where shallows are deceitful, might make use of
these methods with advantage.

808. To prevent excessive Thirst, in cases of emergency at Sea, in the
summer-time.—When thirst is excessive, as is often the case in summer-
time, during long voyages, avoid, if possible, even in times of the greatest
necessity, the drinking of salt water to allay the thirst; but rather keep thinly
clad, and frequently dip in the sea, which will appease both hunger and
thirst for a long time, and prevent the disagreeable sensation of swallowing
salt water.

809. Best mode of avoiding the fatal Accidents of Open Carriages.—
Jumping out is particularly dangerous, (the motion of the gig
communicating a different one to the one you give yourself by jumping),
which tends very much to throw you on your side or head. Many suppose it
very easy to jump a little forward, and alight safe: they will not find it so on
trial. The method of getting out behind the carriage, is the most safe of any,
having often tried it when the horse has been going very fast. Perhaps it is
best to fix yourself firm, and remain in the carriage.

810. Recovery from Suffocation, &c.—There are many occasions of
danger, on which a person who can hold breath for a minute or two, may
save the life of another. The best preparation for rendering such assistance
is, by breathing deep, hard, and quick, (as a person would do after running,)
and ceasing with his lungs full of air; he will then find himself able to hold
his breath more than twice as long as he would without such preparation.

If in a brewer's fermenting vat, or an opened cess-pool, one man sinks
senseless and helpless, from breathing the foul air, another man of cool
mind would, by the above preparation, have abundant time, in most cases,
to descend by the ladder or bucket, and rescue the sufferer, without any risk
to himself. In entering a room on fire, a knowledge of this fact may be
useful.
The following precautions should also be regarded. Avoid all unnecessary
exertion; go coolly and quietly to the spot where help is required; do no
more than is needful, leaving the rest to be done by those in a safe
atmosphere.
In case of choke-damp, as in a brewer's vat, hold the head as high as may
be: in case of a fire in the room, keep the head as low as possible.
If a rope be at hand, fasten it to the person who is giving help, that he
may be succored, if he venture too far. Many deaths happen in succession in
cess-pools, and similar cases, for want of this precaution.
It is hardly needful to say, do not try to breathe the air of the place where
help is required. Yet many persons fail, in consequence of forgetting this
precaution. If the temptation to breathe be at all given way to, the necessity
increases, and the helper himself is greatly endangered. Resist the tendency,
and retreat in time.
Be careful to commence giving aid with the lungs full of air, not empty;
for the preparation consists chiefly in laying up for the time, in the lungs, a
store of that pure air which is so essential to life.

811. Thunder Storms.—The safest situation during a thunder-storm is the
cellar; for when a person is below the surface of the earth, the lightning
must strike it before it can reach him, and will probably be expended on it.
Dr. Franklin advises persons apprehensive of lightning to sit in the middle
of a room, not under a metal lustre, or any other conductor, and to place
their feet upon another chair. It will be still safer, he adds, to lay two or
three beds or mattresses in the middle of the room, and to place the chairs
upon them. A hammock suspended with silk cords would be an
improvement on this apparatus. Persons out of doors should avoid trees,
&c.

The distance of a thunder-storm and its consequent danger can easily be
estimated. As light travels at the rate of 192,000 miles in a second of time,
its effects may be considered as instantaneous within any moderate
distance. Sound is transmitted at the rate of only 1142 feet in a second. By
observing, therefore, the time which intervenes between the flash of
lightning and the thunder which accompanies it, a very near calculation
may be made of its distance.

812. Stroke of Lightning.—Throw cold water upon them as soon as
possible. It will often restore persons struck by lightning when apparently
insensible, or even dead.

813. A few Concise Rules for the Recovery of Persons apparently
Drowned.—The body on being taken out of the water, should be conveyed
to the nearest house, in the gentlest manner possible; the wet clothes must
be removed, and the body well dried with a towel; it must then be placed on
a mattress, laid on a table of proper height and length. Care must always be
taken to lay the head considerably higher than the extremities, and to place
the body on the right side. The lungs should be inflated with a pair of
bellows, not forcibly, but gradually, so as to imitate the action of respiration.
Do not place the body in a high degree of heat; (below 98 degrees of
Fahrenheit's scale is the best temperature,) clear the apartment of all
supernumerary persons, and let the windows and doors be open, to admit a
free circulation of air.
Apply friction, after the lungs have been expanded, with the hand only,
or with a little oil on the fingers.
No injections are necessary, nor emetics, except in particular cases:
bleeding is also a doubtful remedy: electricity, in judicious hands, may
prove highly beneficial.
Let no rolling of the body be used with a view of emptying it of water;
there is no water present, or scarcely any. The heart being overloaded with
blood, may be burst by this injudicious proceeding, and more mischief has
been done by tossing and rolling the body, than by any other erroneous
treatment. Hot water, in bottles, may be applied to the feet and ankles, as

soon as respiration commences: when the blood begins to circulate, heat
may be gradually increased, and the patient removed to a warm bed, where
he must be carefully watched till the action of the heart be completely
restored.
The following way is commended by those who have seen it tried: 1.
Lose no time. 2. Handle the body gently. 3. Carry the body with the head
gently raised, and never hold it up by the feet. 4. Send for medical
assistance immediately, and in the mean time act as follows: 1. Strip the
body, rub it dry; then rub it in hot blankets, and place it in a warm bed in a
warm room. 2. Cleanse away the froth and mucus from the nose and mouth.
3. Apply warm bricks, bottles, bags of sand, &c., to the arm-pits, between
the thighs and the soles of the feet. 4. Rub the surface of the body with the
hands enclosed in warm dry worsted socks. 5. If possible, put the body into
a warm bath. 6. To restore breathing, put the pipe of a common bellows in
one nostril, carefully closing the other and the mouth; at the same time
drawing downward, and pushing gently backward, the upper part of the
windpipe, to allow a more free admission of air; blow the bellows gently, in
order to inflate the lungs, till the breast be raised a little; then set the mouth
and nostrils free, and press gently on the chest; repeat this until signs of life
appear. When the patient revives, apply smelling-salts to the nose, give
warm wine or brandy and water. Cautions.—1. Never rub the body with salt
or spirits. 2. Never roll the body on casks. 3. Continue the remedies for
twelve hours without ceasing.

PART V.
MISTRESS—MOTHER—NURSE—AND MAID.
In which are set forth the prominent Duties of each department, and the most important Rules for the
guidance and care of the Household.

OF THE TABLE
814. The taste and management of the mistress are always displayed in
the general conduct of the table; for, though that department of the
household be not always under her direction, it is always under her eye. Its
management involves judgment in expenditure, respectability of
appearance, and the comfort of her husband as well as of those who partake
of their hospitality. Inattention to it is always inexcusable, and should be
avoided for the lady's own sake, as it occasions a disagreeable degree of
bustle, and evident annoyance to herself, which is never observable in a
well-regulated establishment.
Perhaps there are few occasions on which the respectability of a man is
more immediately felt, than the style of dinner to which he may
accidentally bring home a visitor. Every one ought to live according to his
circumstances, and the meal of the tradesman ought not to emulate the
entertainments of the higher classes; but, if merely two or three dishes be
well served, with the proper accompaniments, the table-linen clean, the
small sideboard neatly laid, and all that is necessary be at hand, the
expectation of both the husband and friend will be gratified, because no
interruption of the domestic arrangements will disturb their social
intercourse.
Should there be only a joint and a pudding, they should always be served
up separately; and the dishes, however small the party, should always form
two courses. Thus, in the old fashioned style of "fish, soup, and a roast," the
soup and fish are placed at the top and bottom of the table, removed by the
joint with vegetables and pastry; or, should the company consist of eight or
ten, a couple or more of side-dishes in the first course, with game and a
pudding in the second, accompanied by confectionary, are quite sufficient.

In most of the books which treat of cookery, various bills of fare are
given, which are never exactly followed. The mistress should give a
moderate number of those dishes which are most in season. The cuts which
are inserted in some of those lists, put the soup in the middle of the table—
where it should never be placed. For a small party, a single lamp in the
centre is sufficient; but, for a larger number, the room should be lighted
with lamps hung over the table, and the centre occupied by a plateau of
glass or plate, ornamented with flowers or figures.

815. Carefulness.—A proper quantity of household articles should
always be allowed for daily use. Each should also be kept in its proper
place, and applied to its proper use. Let all repairs be done as soon as
wanted, remembering the old adage of "a stitch in time;" and never, if
possible, defer any necessary household concern a moment beyond the time
when it ought to be attended to.
In the purchase of glass and crockery-ware, either the most customary
patterns should be chosen, in order to secure their being easily matched,
when broken; or, if a scarce design be adopted, an extra quantity should be
bought, to guard against the annoyance of the set being spoiled by breakage
—which, in the course of time, must be expected to happen. There should
likewise be plenty of common dishes, that the table-set may not be used for
putting away cold meat, &c.
The cook should be encouraged to be careful of coals and cinders: for the
latter there is a new contrivance for sifting, without dispersing the dust, by
means of a covered tin bucket.
Small coal, wetted, makes the strongest fire for the back of the grate, but
must remain untouched till it cakes. Cinders, lightly wetted, give a great
degree of heat, and are better than coal, for furnaces, ironing-stoves, and
ovens.

816. Attention to little things.—By attention to little things, the neat
appearance of a house may be secured, and time and labor saved. For
instance, when you are sewing, carefully deposit your bits of thread, &c., in
a little basket or box, instead of throwing them on the floor. And again: set
your chairs out a little from the wall, instead of putting them close to it,

which would not only rub the paint from the chairs, but would soon deface
the beauty of the wall-paper. These appear like trifling things—but nothing
is too trifling to demand our attention, when we are endeavoring to fulfil the
duties of our sphere.

817. Cheerfulness.—Does it seem singular that cheerfulness is placed
among the requisites for good house-keeping? But it is of far more
importance than you would, at first view, imagine. What matters it to a
brother or husband, if the house be ever so neat, or the meals punctually and
well prepared, if the mistress of it is fretful and fault-finding—ever
discontented and complaining. The outside of such a house is ever the most
attractive to him, and any and every excuse will be made for absenting
himself; and the plea of business or engagements will be made to her who is
doomed to pass her hours needlessly in solitude.

818. Of Economy in Expenditure.—Economy should be the first point in
all families, whatever be their circumstances. A prudent housekeeper will
regulate the ordinary expenses of a family, according to the annual sum
allowed for housekeeping. By this means, the provision will be uniformly
good, and it will not be requisite to practise meanness on many occasions,
for the sake of meeting extra expense on one.
The best check upon outrunning an income is to pay bills weekly, for you
may then retrench in time. This practice is likewise a salutary check upon
the correctness of the accounts themselves.
To young beginners in housekeeping, the following brief hints on
domestic economy, in the management of a moderate income, may perhaps
not prove unacceptable.
A bill of parcels and receipt should be required, even if the money be
paid at the time of purchase; and, to avoid mistakes, let the goods be
compared with these when brought home; or, if paid or at future periods, a
bill should be sent with the article, and regularly filed on separate files for
each tradesman.
An inventory of furniture, linen, and china should be kept, and the things
examined by it twice a-year, or oftener if there be a change of servants; the

articles used by servants should be intrusted to their care, with a list, as is
done with the plate. In articles not in common use, such as spare bedding,
tickets of parchment, numbered and specifying to what they belong, should
be sewed on each; and minor articles in daily use, such as household cloths
and kitchen requisites, should be occasionally looked to.

819. Books and Accounts.—Housekeeping books, with printed forms for
the various heads of expenditure, and the several articles, are used in many
families; but accounts may be kept with as much certainty in plain books.

820. Servants.—In the hiring of Servants, it is an excellent plan to agree
to increase their wages annually to a fixed sum, where it should stop, and to
recommend that a portion of it should be regularly placed in a savings-bank.
An incentive will thus be offered to good conduct; and when the hoard
saved up amounts to any considerable sum, the possessor will generally feel
more inclined to enlarge than to expend it.
A kindly feeling of indulgence on the part of the mistress towards her
servants, in the matter of petty faults, coupled with good-natured attention
to their daily comforts, and occasional permission to visit and receive a few
of their near friends, would go far to create a cordial degree of attachment,
which must be ever desirable to a respectable family, and cheaply purchased
by such consideration. Mildness of language will generally be met by
respectful language on the part of a servant, and of itself will produce a
saving of temper at least to the master or mistress. Due praise will mostly
be found a powerful stimulus to good, and in some measure a preventive to
bad conduct, on the part of a servant.
Do not speak harshly or imperatively to servants, or tell them of their
faults in the presence of strangers or visitors; but take the earliest
opportunity of reproving them after your company have left.

821. Store-room.—A store-room is essential for the custody of articles in
constant use, as well as for others which are only occasionally called for.
These should be at hand when wanted, each in separate drawers, or on
shelves and pegs, all under the lock and key of the mistress, and never be
given out to the servants but under her inspection.

Pickles and preserves, prepared and purchased sauces, and all sorts of
groceries, should be there stored; the spices pounded and corked up in small
bottles, sugar broken, and everything in readiness for use. Lemon-peel,
thyme, parsley, and all sorts of sweet herbs, should be dried and grated for
use in seasons of plenty; the tops of tongues saved, and dried, for grating
into omelets, &c.; and care taken that nothing be wasted that can be turned
to good account.
Coarse nets suspended in the store-room are very useful in preserving the
finer kinds of fruit, lemons, &c., which are spoiled if allowed to touch.
When lemons and oranges are cheap, a proper quantity should be bought
and prepared, both for preserving the juice, and keeping the peel for
sweetmeats and grating, especially by those who live in the country, where
they cannot always be had; and they are perpetually wanted in cookery.

822. Sugar.—The lowest-priced and coarsest sugar is not the cheapest in
the end, as it is heavy, dirty, and of a very inferior degree of sweetness; that
which is most refined is the sweetest: the best has a bright and gravelly
appearance. East India sugars appear finer in proportion to the price; but
they do not contain so much sweetness as the other kinds. Loaf-sugars
should be chosen as fine and as close in texture as possible, except they are
for preserving, when the coarse, strong, open kind is preferable.

823. Pepper.—The finest Cayenne pepper consists of powdered bird-
pepper; but, as this is of a bad color, it is often adulterated to heighten the
color. English chilies, dried and pounded, make good pepper.
White pepper is inferior to black, although the former is sold at the
highest price. White pepper is merely black pepper deprived of its outer
coating, which has a stimulating property; so that white pepper is much
weaker than black.

824. Cinnamon, when good, is rather thin and pliable, and about the
substance of thick paper, of yellowish-brown color, sweetish taste, and
pleasant odor: that which is hard, thick, and dark-colored, should be
rejected.

825. Articles in Season.—Some weak-minded persons affect to despise
articles of food when they are plentiful and cheap, not knowing that such is
the time when the articles are in the greatest perfection.
Young and inexperienced housekeepers sometimes incur unnecessary
expense by ordering articles of food when they are scarce, dear, and hardly
come into season. This can only be prevented by attention to the seasons of
different articles.

826. Every Family to make their own Sweet Oil.—With a small hand-
mill, every family might make their own sweet oil. This may easily be done,
by grinding or beating the seeds of white poppies into a paste, then boil it in
water, and skim off the oil as it rises; one bushel of seed weighs fifty
pounds, and produces two gallons of oil. Of the sweet olive oil sold, one-
half is oil of poppies. The poppies will grow in any garden; it is the large-
head white poppy, sold by apothecaries. Large fields are sown with poppies
in France and Flanders, for the purpose of expressing oil from their seed for
food. When the seed is taken out, the poppy head when dried is boiled to an
extract, which is sold at two shillings per ounce, and it is to be preferred to
opium, which now sells very high. Large fortunes may be acquired by the
cultivation of poppies. Women and children could attend to the cultivation
of any quantity required for their own use, in making oil, and it would be
found a profitable branch of industry, when engaged in on a large scale.

827. Candles and Lamps.—In purchasing wax, spermaceti, or
composition candles for company, there will be a saving by proportioning
the length and size of the lights to the probable duration of the party. Mixed
wax and spermaceti make the best candles, of which a long four (that is,
four to the pound,) will last ten hours; a short six will burn six hours; a
three, twelve hours.
A moderate-sized French table-lamp, will consume a quarter of a pint of
oil in twelve hours and a half.
A common japanned kitchen-lamp, with one burner, will consume one-
eighth of a pint of oil in nine hours.

828. Neats'-foot Oil.—Boil the feet for several hours, as for making stock
for jelly; skim off the oily matter from time to time as it rises, and, when it
ceases to come up, pour off the water; next day, take off the cake of fat and
oil which will be found on the top; boil it and the oil before obtained,
together with a little cold water; let it cool; pour off the water, and bottle the
oil for use. This oil being perfectly pure, and free from smell, may be used
with the French lights in a sick-room.

829. Soap.—Soap, as well as candles, is improved by keeping. Buy your
store for the winter as early as September, and cut the large bars of soap
into pieces, to dry. It goes farther, and is better.

830. Coals.—Lay in your stock of coal and wood, during summer, when
fuel of all kinds is cheapest.

831. Good method of making Fires.—In managing your fires during the
day, first lay on a shovelful of the dust and ashes from under the grate, then
a few coals, then more ashes, and afterwards a few more coals, and thus
proceed till your grate is properly filled, placing a few round coals in front.
You will find that the ashes retain the heat better than coals alone; you will
have less smoke, a pleasant fire, and a very little waste left at night.

832. Kitchen-Paper.—Whited-brown and common writing is much used:
it should be bought by the ream or half-ream, which will be much cheaper
than by the quire. White paper only should be used for singeing, and for
covering meat, pastry, &c.

833. Economy in Tinder.—The very high price of paper, at present,
renders the saving of even the smallest quantity of linen or cotton rags of
consequence, as they sell very dear. Trifling as it may be thought, yet it will
be found that a considerable quantity of rags may be saved in a family, by
using as tinder for lighting matches, the contents of the common snuffers,
collected in the course of the evening.

834. To prevent Accidents, from leaving a poker in the fire.—The
following invention is equally simple and secure:—Immediately above that
square part of the poker, by blacksmiths called "the bit," let a small cross of
iron, about an inch and a half each way, be welded in.
The good consequences of this simple contrivance will be—
1st. If the poker, by the fire giving way, should slip out, it will probably
catch on the edge of the fender.
2d. If it should not, it cannot injure the hearth or carpet, as the hot part of
the poker will be borne up some inches.
3d. The poker cannot be run into the fire further than the bit, which, in
regard to a polished poker, is also of some consequence.

ON THE MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS, YOUNG CHILDREN,
AND THE SICK.
835. In a previous work—"Mrs. Hale's New Cook Book,"—I gave many
receipts for preparing food for invalids and children; but something more is
needed. Young mothers and nurses, who are often inexperienced, will, I am
sure, thank me for taking pains to procure, from the most eminent
authorities, the best directions and recipes to aid them in the discharge of
their arduous and most important duties. The preservation of life, and the
formation of the physical constitution, as well as the moral development of
the young beings committed by Divine Providence to the especial care of
woman, render it one of the best accomplishments of our sex, to learn all
we can respecting the high vocation whereunto we are called, viz., that of
conservators of humanity.

836. Of young Infants.—Immediately on the birth of the child, it should
be received into soft fine flannel, sufficient completely to envelop or wrap
round the body, in which, with the mouth and nose scarcely exposed, it
should repose at least an hour. The child may then be washed with tepid
water, tenderly and cautiously, yet speedily made dry with soft linen cloth.
Afterwards let it be expeditiously dressed, and put into a warm, bed, and,
during the first week or fortnight, exposed as little as possible to cold air:
how long this caution may be necessary, will depend on the season of the

year, or the temperature of the atmosphere. By strictly adhering to this
mode of managing a new-born infant, it will not suffer from catarrh, cough,
difficulty of breathing, diarrhea, sore eyes, or stoppage in the head.
Children are frequently placed under the care of a nurse, who, from her
experience, is supposed qualified for the important trust; but it often
happens, either from her obstinacy or self-importance, that the most
judicious plan of treatment recommended by the attending physician, is
defeated.
At this period the mother is called on, by religious and moral obligation,
as well as by the ties of natural affection, to suckle her infant: no doubt
could be entertained of her immediate assent to so powerful an impulse, if
uninfluenced by her friends or relatives. It cannot be denied, that she may
be disqualified for the office by various maladies, by an incipient phthisis,
by a scorbutic or scrofulous taint, by hysterical or nervous affections, &c.
However, the fitness or unfitness of the mother for this endearing office,
should be determined by the attending physician. There are many instances
recorded of women who had been extremely delicate and sickly previous to
their first confinement, becoming afterwards healthy and robust. On the
contrary, there are several histories of other women, who previously had
enjoyed good health, suffering from counteracting the regular process of
nature. The flow of the milk being checked, undue determinations have
taken place to the chest or head, and in some cases proved fatal.
In the bowels of children at the time of their birth, there is an
accumulation of what is called "the meconium." For whatever purpose it
was intended before the birth of the child, it would become injurious were it
afterwards suffered to remain. Nature has provided the means for its
removal, by giving to the new milk an aperient quality. Therefore it is
advisable to wait, even to the third day, for the appearance of the milk,
rather than attempt to remove the meconium by castor oil, or any other mild
aperient medicine. The coats of the child's stomach and bowels are so
extremely tender and irritable, that the mildest purgative will give pain, and
disorder the health of the infant. By waiting for the milk, relief is obtained
by the means nature has provided, without the slightest inconvenience.