The Dixie Cook-Book

“The best is none too good.” Southern family receipts gathered across generations and printed in Atlanta in 1883 — and, in the same volume, everything else a household was expected to know: the laundry, the sick-room, dressmaking, babies, and a year's bill of fare.

HomeThe Arts Of The Toilet › The Arts of the Toilet

The Arts of the Toilet

excessive perspiration. Warts are removed by steeping the hands in warm water for half an hour, and then paring away the white and insensible surface. The nails should be cut frequently, always in oval shape. The nailbrush should be full and soft. It should be rubbed on a cake of soap and then used vigorously. Biting nails is a bad habit. To break it up, in children, dip the ends of the fingers in a solution of aloes. THE NOSE.-Excessive wiping, snuffing, and blowing, especially in children, deforms the nose, and should be practiced only when necessary for cleanliness. A nose leaning to one side, caused by wiping in one direction, may be cured by using the handkerchief with the other hand, or by wearing occasionally an instrument surgeons employ for that purpose. Large, fleshy noses are reduced by wearing at night a contrivance which compresses the artery that supplies the nose. Red noses become so by exposure to heat or the sun, by alcoholic drinks, or by a debility of the blood-vessels of the skin. The latter cause is removed by gentle friction and cold bathing of the feet.

THE BATH-Not only promotes cleanliness, but is a tonic. The skin does one-third of the work of breathing, and if the myriad of pores are closed, the lungs are overburdened, or else the work is left undone. The tonic effect is caused by the contraction of the surface blood-vessels, driving the blood back to the larger blood-vessels and the heart, bringing on a reaction which rushes the blood back to the skin, causing a glow, freer respiration and more vigorous action of the whole muscular system. A sponge or hand bath are the simplest forms, and should be taken in a moderately warm room. As a rule, the more rapidly a bath is taken the better, and it should always be followed by friction with the hand or with a not too rough towel.

THE EAR. The outer ear should be well cleansed and the passage wiped out daily with a rag on the end of the little finger, but nothing should be inserted further. The insertion of a pin, or any hard substance, frequently ruptures the ear. When cleansing is necessary on account of accumulation of wax by cold, or other cause, it should be done by syringing with warm water, having dropped in two or three drops of glycerine the night before to soften the substance to be removed. This often cures sudden deafness. Cotton-wool stuffed into the ear is injurious and is seldom necessary. In conversing with deaf persons, it is important to remember that clearness, distinctness, and a musical tone of voice is understood much more easily than a loud tone.

TEETH.-Cracking nuts, biting thread, eating hot food, especially bread and pastry raised with soda, very cold drinks, alternate contact with cold and hot substances, highly seasoned food, alcoholic liquors and tobacco, metal toothpicks, and want of cleanliness, are injurious to teeth. After eating, the mouth should be rinsed with lukewarm water, and such pieces of food as are not thus washed away removed by a quill toothpick. Toothbrushes should be elastic and moderately hard. Those with hairs not too close together are best and most durable. A brush that is too hard may be permanently softened by dipping in hot water. Rub up and down as well as across the teeth. Teeth should be often examined by a competent dentist.

COLLARS THAT DO NOT FIT. - Few gentlemen have philosophy enough to endure an ill-fitting collar with patience, but not many understand why they do not fit. The fact is, the laundress stretches them the wrong way. Damp linen is very pliable, and a good pull will alter a fourteen-inch into a fifteeninch collar in in the twinkling of an eye. She ought to stretch them crosswise, and not lengthwise. Then, in straightening out shirt-bosoms, she makes another mistake of the same sort. They also ought to be pulled crosswise instead of lengthwise, particularly in the neighborhood of the neck. A lengthwise pull draws the front of the neckband somewhat directly under your chin, where it was never meant to go; and, of course, that spoils the fit of your collar. With the front of the neckband an inch too high, and the collar an inch too long, you have a most undesirable combination. CUTTING TEETH. - The time the first teeth make their appearance varies, but the following dates approximate the time: Central incisors from five to eight months after birth; lateral incisors from seven to ten: first molars from twelve to sixteen; cuspids, or eye-teeth, from fourteen to twenty; second molars from twenty to thirty-six. The first teeth should be protected from decay as far as possible by careful cleaning daily; if decay makes its appearance, the cavity should be promptly filled, and the tooth saved until displaced by the permanent teeth. About the sixth year, the first molars of the permanent teeth make their appearance. They are generally supposed to belong to the first or milk-teeth, and are frequently lost for want of care. A little more attention given to the first teeth would save parents and children sleepless nights and suffering. THE EYES.-Damp, foggy weather, the reflection of the bright sunshine, intense cold, dusty wind, reading on cars in motion, reading by gas or lamplight when the light falls directly on the eyes, sitting before a glowing fire, wearing of glasses when not needed, wearing veils, and all indulgences that weaken the nervous system, injure the eyes. The most pleasing light for work is from a northern exposure. A shade that protects the eyes from the light that falls on paper, book or work is an advantage. The light should not come from different points, but that from behind the worker is best. A very weak or very bright light should be equally avoided. Diseases of the eye are often the result of general weakness, and in such cases local treatment has little effect. In fitting glasses to the eye great care should be taken to adjust the lens to the eye with accuracy. Crown glass is preferable to flint, on account of its superior hardness, its entire want of color, and its non-decomposition of light. Scotch pebbles are unobjectionable except as to cost.

DRESS. The first object of dress is protection of the body, second to enhance and bring out its beauty. Dress which does not enhance the beauty of the wearer, or which attracts attention from the wearer to itself, is out of taste. To be in correct taste it must be "becoming," and in this sense dressing is an art worthy of the attention and study of the most intellectual and accomplished woman. The beauty of dress, to a cultivated eye, does not lie in its money value, but in its perfection in detail and per fect adaptation to the wearer and the occasion for which it is intended. Any simpleton in petticoats, who has plenty of money, can order her clothes from Worth, in the latest Paris styles, but some quiet woman, with brains and taste, in simpler costume, will be sure to outshine her in "society." Low-necked dresses, dragging skirts, corsets and stays, paddings, heavy skirts which rest on the hips, heavy veils, high-heeled boots and every other unphysiological abomination in dress, mars beauty and de stroys health.

M FRECKLES.-Grate horse-radish fine: let it stand a few hours in buttermilk, then strain and use the wash night and morning. Or, squeeze the juice of a lemon into half a goblet of water and use the same way. Most of the remedies for freckles are poisonous, and can not be used with safety. Freckles indicate a defective digestion, and consist in deposits of some carbonaceous or fatty matter beneath the skin. The diet should be of such a nature that bowels and kidneys will do their duty. Daily bathing, with much friction, should not be neglected, and the Turkish bath taken occasionally, if convenient. The juice of a lemon, in which there is as much sugar dissolved as the juice will hold in solution, is an excellent remedy for freckles. This should be applied with a camel's-hair brush several times daily, until they disappear. It must be understood that all acids are astringents in their nature, and their too frequent use is as injurious as many apparently more deleterious cosmetics; for, by too frequent and violent contraction of the pores, they become overworked, and finally refuse to respond to the action of any application; wrinkles result, and are generally ineradicable, except after a tedious dietetic and medical course of treatment.. TEETH.-Many, while attentive to their teeth, do more injury than good by two much officiousness, daily applying some dentifrice, or tooth-powder, often impure and injurious, and rubbing them so hard as not only to injure the enamel by excessive friction, but also to hurt the gums even more than by a toothpick. Tooth-powders advertised in newspapers are to be suspected, as some of them are not free from corrosive ingredients. Charcoal (which whitens the teeth very nicely), pumice-stone, cuttle-fish, and similar substances, are unfit for use in tooth-powders, as all are to a certain extent insoluble in the mouth, and are forced between the margin of the gums, forming a nucleus for a deposit. Below will be found a few good formulas for dentifrices: Three and one-half pounds of creta preparata, one pound each of powdered borax, powdered orris-root and white sugar, and two ounces cardamom seeds; flavor with wintergreen, rose or jasmine. If color is desired, use one pound of rose-pink and as much less of creta preparata. Toothpowders should be thoroughly triturated in a wedgewood mortar and finely bolted. The following is a simple and cheap preparation, and is pretty good. Take of prepared chalk and fine old Windsor soap pulverized well in proportion of about six parts of the former to one of the latter. Soap is a very beneficial ingredient of tooth-powder.

THE HAIR.-Professor Erasmus Wilson, of London, who is authority on the subject, condemns the washing of hair; but advises that it should be kept clean by brushing, this being a more effective stimulant than water. In cases of ordinary falling out of the hair, he prescribes the following: Liquid ammonia, almond oil, and chloroform, of each one part, diluted with five parts of alcohol or spirits of rosemary, which can be made fragrant by the addition of a drachm of the essential oil of lemons. The head should undergo a thorough friction with the hair-brush, after which the lotion may be applied. It may be diluted, if necessary, and can be applied daily or otherwise.

For removing scurf, he advises a lotion of borax and glycerine, two drachms of each to eight ounces of distilled water. This is cooling, and allays dryness of the skin.

In cases of baldness, a lotion of the following can be used with effect: Camphor, ammonia, chloroform and aconite, in equal parts, to be rubbed on the bare place daily, or twice a day.

A barber recommends ladies to have their hair shampooed once a month. This will bring out the natural luster, soften it, clear it of dust, and rob it of that musty smell which comes of having long hair wound up closely for any length of time. It will also remove that itching of the head which some ladies find so troublesome.

FOR COMPLEXION. -Blanch one-fourth pound best Jordan almonds, slip off the skin, mash in a mortar, and rub together with best white soap, for fifteen minutes, adding gradually one quart rose-water, or clean fresh rain-water may be used. When the mixture looks like milk, strain through fine muslin. Apply, after washing, with a soft rag. To whiten the skin, and remove freckles and tan, bathe three times a day in a preparation of three quarts water, one quart alcohol, two ounces cologne, and one of borax, in proportion of two tea-spoons mixture to two table-spoons soft water. Bathing the face in pure buttermilk, clear whey, sour milk, new or sweet milk, is soothing and healing after walking, riding, driving, rowing or sailing. Do not plunge the face into cold water, neither dash the water over the face when suffering from sunburn or exposure to wind or water; the sudden shock is not only injurious to the whole system, but has been known to permanently deface the complexion by a species of tanning which left a brown or yellow tinge impossible to efface.

Queen Bess Complexion Wash. -Put in a vial one drachm of benzoin gum in powder, one drachm, nutmeg-oil, six drops of orange-blossom tea, or apple-blossoms put in half pint rain-water and boiled down to one teaspoonful and strained, one pint of sherry wine. Bathe the face morning and night: will remove all flesh-worms and freckles, and give a beautiful complexion. Or, put one ounce of powdered gum of benzoin in pint of whisky; to use, put in water in wash-bowl till it is milky, allowing it to dry without wiping. This is perfectly harmless.

THE HAIR.-Combs of tortoise-shell, bone, or rubber, with not very sharp teeth, should be used. Sharp teeth injure the scalp and produce dandruff. Two brushes, one hard, to clean the hair and scalp, and the other soft, to smooth and polish, are best. Clean brushes by rubbing them with bran, or wash with one part ammonia and two of water. Combing or brushing should be done in the natural direction of the hair, and never against it. In the proper way it can not be brushed too much. To keep the scalp clean wash in tepid soft water with a little pure soap in it, rinse in pure water, dry with towels and then in the sun or by the fire. Oily hair may be washed once a week, light hair less often. Some occupations require that it should be washed much oftener. All preparations for the hair are more or less injurious. Healthy hair has enough oil of its own, and the application of foreign oil destroys its vitality. Preparations containing alcohol fade hair and make it brittle. The only time when oil is admissable is after washing. The best preparation is one part of glycerine to three of rose-water. Powders made of starch, when used, must be washed out of the hair to prevent injury. Those made of colored glass are very injurious, cutting and otherwise damaging the hair. At night, the hair should be loosened and left free. Night-caps are a relic of barbarism. Hair dyes are very injurious, as they all contain more or less sugar of lead, nitrate of silver, and other ingredients, which affect the brain, produce paralysis, inflammation of the eyes, and impairment of sight. Gray hairs are an indication that the hairproducing organs are weakening. When found they should be cut down to the healthy part, and the head should be exposed as much as possible, except in the middle of the day, to the sun and air. When hair falls out, it indicates a disease of the scalp. To cure, dip the head twice a day in cold water and rub with a brush until a glow is produced. In case the hair is too long to wet, brush until a glow is produced, and then rub into the roots a wash made of three drachms of pure glycerine and four ounces of limewater. THE FEET.-The largest pores of the body are located in the bottom of the feet. For this reason the feet should be frequently and thoroughly washed, and the stockings changed often. If great cleanliness is not observed, these great pores become absorbent, and the poisons given off are taken back into the system. The nails ought to be cut squarely. Blisters may be prevented by rubbing the feet, after washing, with glycerine. Bunions are caused by wearing shoes too tight or too short. They are difficult to get rid of, but may be alleviated by wearing easy-fitting shoes, poulticing and putting a rubber ring around the spot. Corns, which are caused by a continued pressure on the foot, may be prevented by wearing woolen stockings and shoes that fit well. They are known as hard and soft, but their difference is entirely owing to locality. If a corn is situated between the toes, where it is kept moist by perspiration, it is of the soft variety; but, if located on the outside of the toe, where it could get no moisture, it would necessarily be hard. They are produced by pressure or friction, and are simply a protective growth thrown out for the purpose of preventing the tissues being injured. They are sufficiently painful at all times, but they are the most unbearable when an accumulation of pus takes place beneath them. The escape of this drop of pus is prevented by the hardened and thickened cuticle, which must be poulticed or soaked in warm water, and then removed by a sharp-pointed knife. The entire corn can be taken out with a little care and patient work, without drawing a drop of blood. The application of caustics should be avoided in the treatment of corns, especially in old people, as fatal gangrenous inflammation may be the result. Temporary relief from a painful sore corn may readily be obtained by applying strong carbolic acid. Take the cork out of a small bottle of carbolic, and apply it (the cork) to the corn. Relief will the corn. come at once, and you will be enabled to walk with comparative comfort till with comparative comfort till you can find time to remove the corn with the knife. Hard corns may be treated as follows: Take a thick piece of soft leather or felt, cut a hole in the center. Upon going to bed at night, fill the hole in the center of the leather with a paste made of soda and soap; wash it off in the morning, and repeat the process for several nights, and the corn will be removed. Half a cranberry, or a piece of lemon, bound on a corn will soon kill it.

SWITCHES-That have lost freshness may be very much improved by dipping them into common ammonia without dilution. Half a pint is enough for the purpose. The life and color of the hair is revived as if it were just cut from the head. This dipping should be repeated once in three months to free the switch from dust, as well as to insure safety from parasitic formations. ROWLAND'S MACASSAR OIL-Is a wonderful stimulant to the growth of hair: Tie one-fourth ounce chippings of alkanet root in a piece of coarse muslin, suspend it for a week in a jar containing eight ounces of sweet oil, taking care to cover from dirt. Then add sixty drops tincture cantharides, ten drops oil of rose, and sixty drops neroli and lemon. Let stand three weeks closely corked.

OX-MARROW POMATUM. - Take two ounces of yellow wax and twelve ounces of beef marrow. Melt all together, and when sufficiently cool perfume it with essential oil of almonds.

ERUPTIONS CAUSED BY HEAT. - Nothing is better than bathing irritated parts in a solution of one tea-spoonful of the common carbolic acid to a pint of rose-water. The acid, as usually sold in solution, is about one-half the strength of really pure acid, which is very hard to find. Care must be taken not to let the wash get into the eyes, as it certainly will smart, though it may not be strong enough to do further harm. No more purifying, healing lotion is known to medical skill, and its work is speedy. COARSE AND STIPPLED SKIN. - Some faces which are neither pimpled nor freckled look like a pin-cushion from which the pins have been drawn out. The oil-glands, particularly on the nose and cheeks, are coarse and large. Wearing at night a mask of quilted cotton wet in cold water will soften and renew the skin, and will do more for it than the costly toilet masks and cosmetiques. It requires patience, four to six weeks being required sometimes; but it works a cure and repays patience. The new skin is as soft as an infant's. When oily, bathing in camphor is an aid, but camphor should never be used on good complexions, as it parches them.

FOR THE COMPLEXION. - If ladies will use any thing, the following are the best and most harmless: Blanch one-fourth pound best Jordan almonds, slip off the skin, mash in a mortar, and rub together with the best white soap for fifteen minutes, adding gradually one quart of rose-water; or clean, fresh rain-water may be used. When the mixture looks like milk, strain through fine muslin. Apply after washing with a soft rag. To whiten the skin and remove freckles and tan, bathe three times a day in a preparation of three quarts of alcohol, two ounces cologne, and one of borax, in proportion of two tea-spoons mixture to two table-spoons soft water.

SALLOWNESS.- A preparation which rids the system of the cause of sallowness, and which is of value in the spring, is made as follows: Half an ounce each of spruce, hemlock and sarsaparilla bark, dandelion, burdock and yellow dock, in one gallon of water; boil half an hour, strain while hot, and add ten drops of oil of spruce and sassafras; mix. When cold, add half a pound brown sugar and half a cup yeast. Let stand twelve hours in a jar covered tight, and bottle. Use freely as an iced drink. It is equal to the root beer which New Yorkers drink so generally during warm months.

It is no longer considered a mark of the highest type of the feminine mind to faint away at the smallest fright, and to sink into helplessness at the first appearance of danger. Indeed, self-possession in emergencies is evidence of a clear brain, which, at the critical moment, asserts its supremacy over physical weakness, and takes command of the demoralized forces; besides, fright and confusion are a confession of ignorance as well as want of self-control. Those who know exactly what to do in emergencies rarely become panic-stricken. And it is particularly important for women, who are, doubtless, constitutionally more timid than men, to fortify themselves against danger, by learning what to do in such accidents and emergencies as are likely to occur in the life of every one. It would prove a rare case, indeed, if such knowledge did not, at least once in a life-time, enable the possessor of it to save a valuable life, perhaps one infinitely dearer to her than her own.

Of course, within the limits of such an article as is permissible here, only a few hints can be given, rather to suggest further investigation than to be a complete guide.

A LIFE-PRESERVER. -A felt or silk hat, held so as to keep the crown full of air, will sustain a person above water for a great length of time. PANICS. If in a public hall in a panic, keep your seat; even in case of fire the chance of life is greater if free from the crowd. STINGS OF INSECTS-Are relieved by the application of ammonia, or common table salt, well rubbed in, or a slice of an onion, to the part. RUNAWAYS. In all runaways it is safer to remain in the vehicle, and to stop with it, than to jump while the horse is running. The vehicle helps to break the shock of the final stop.

POISONOUS WOUNDS. - Wounds by which poison has been carried into the system, require instant treatment. The wound must be burned out by a stick of lunar caustic, or by inserting a large, red-hot nail. BURNS BY ALKALIES, such as lime, caustic potash, soda, ammonia, etc., are stopped in their progress by applying vinegar, lemon-juice, or other dilute acid; they must be then treated like other burns.

BURNS FROM ACIDS, such as oil of vitriol and aqua fortis, may be checked by the free application of water or handfuls of moist earth. The first dilutes the acid, and the second contains alkali enough to neutralize the acid. CHOKING. A piece of food lodged in the throat may sometimes be pushed down with the finger, or removed with a hair-pin quickly straightened and hooked at the end, or by two or three vigorous blows on the back between the shoulders.

FRACTURE.-Send at once for a physician, and simply make the patient as comfortable as possible. If he is to be conveyed to some distance, the fractured part should be supported in its natural position by handkerchiefs loosely tied. Allow no more handling than is absolutely necessary. CHILBLAINS-Are the result of a chilling of the part. To cure, keep (582) away from the fire, and at night, before going to bed, wash in cold water, or rub in snow, and apply the compound resin ointment, made by all druggists, with a little oil of turpentine added to it.

SWALLOWING PIECES OF BROKEN GLASS, PINS, ETC.-By no means take a purgative. Rather partake freely of suet pudding, or any solid farinaceous food, and it is possible that both may pass away together without injury being done.

BITES OF SERPENTS. When bitten by a rattlesnake, or other poisonous serpent, pinch the skin, and, if the wound can be reached, suck out all the blood possible; if the skin of the lips and mouth is sound, no harm will be done. Whisky or brandy should, however, be administered freely, to intoxication. FAINTING.-Debility of the nervous system favors fainting. The head should be kept low; and if the patient faints in a chair, the simplest treatment is to grasp the back of it and depress it until the floor is reached, while another holds the knees so as to prevent slipping off the side. The patient will usually recover by the time the head has reached the floor. SHOCK FROM COLD WATER. -Prostration from drinking or bathing in cold water while exhausted by heat or exercise should be treated as described for shock from other causes. Cold water should be taken in small quantities when the body is heated and exhausted, and a cold bath is often fatal under such circumstances.

EPILEPTIC FITS.-In these there is nothing which a by-stander or friend can do, except to keep out of reach such articles as may injure the patient during the convulsive movements; to loosen the clothing about the neck and throat, and to assist to some place of safety when the semi-conscious state returns. Other convulsions are treated in the same manner. LIGHTNING. If the person shows no signs of life, strip and dash the body with cold water, dry and place in bed with bottles of hot water at the pit of the stomach and extremities, keeping up artificial respiration until the natural breathing is restored; a tea-spoon of brandy in a table-spoon of water may be given every few minutes. Burns from lightning should be treated like burns from any other cause.

BREAKING THROUGH ICE. -In assisting persons who have broken through ice, get a long pole, or stick, or board, to distribute the weight over a greater surface of ice. In attempting to get out of water upon the ice, after having fallen in, the best way is to approach it. sidewise, and roll out rather than to attempt to raise the body up by the arms alone, as the weight is more widely distributed.

HANGING. Death is from the same cause as in drowning. Cut down the body without allowing it to fall, place on face, press back tongue with finger to allow any accumulation to escape from the mouth, place on the back, and treat as directed for the drowned. If body is still warm after the removal of clothing, stand off six feet and dash several times with a bowl of cold water, the face, neck, and chest.

BURNING-HOUSES. - When a house is on fire, close all the doors and prevent currents of air. If the fire could be entirely shut in, it would smother and die out. The check will give time to get help, or, at least, to remove furniture and make all lives secure. If up-stairs when the stairway below is on fire, tear clothing to make cords to let yourself down by. If a room is full of smoke and flame, crawl on the floor, as the lower air is the colder and more free from smoke.

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EAR. - Take the head of the child between the knees, face downward, and inject a stream of warm water into the ear, holding the nozzle of the syringe outside, so as to allow the foreign body to come out with the water. Probing, with any substance whatever, is very dangerous, and may inflict permanent injury. When the above plan does not succeed, call a surgeon. Kill insects that get into the ear by pouring in sweet-oil or glycerine, which drowns and brings them to the surface. FOREIGN BODY IN NOSTRIL. - Children often push foreign bodies up the nostril. To remove it, make the child draw a full breath, and then, closing the other nostril with the finger, and the mouth with the hand, expel the air from the lungs by a sharp blow on the back. If it can not be removed in this way, compress the nostril above it to prevent its going up any further, and hook it cut with the bent end of a wire or bodkin. If this fails, call a surgeon.

FREEZING. Keep the frozen person, or part, away from the heat. If the person is insensible, take him to a cold room, remove clothing, rub with snow or clothes wrung out of ice-water. The cold friction should be kept up for some time; and when the frozen parts show signs of life, the patient should be carefully dried and put into a cold bed in a cold room, and artificial respiration used until the natural is restored; and then brandy, beef-tea, and ginger-tea administered. The patient must be brought by degrees into the warmer air. Parts frozen should be treated by the same rule. BITES OF DOGS.-The only safe remedy in case of a bite from a dog suspected of madness, is to burn out the wound thoroughly with a red-hot iron, or with lunar caustic, for fully eight seconds, so as to destroy the entire surface of the wound. Do this as soon as possible, for no time is to be lost. Of course it will be expected that the parts touched with the caustic will turn black. If, unfortunately, it should chance that any one is bitten by a dog that is said to be mad, it is worth while to chain the animal up, instead of shooting it instantly, for if it should turn out that it is not mad-and a false alarm is frequently raised-the relief to the minds of all concerned is indescribable.- FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EYE. -The particle almost invariably lodges under the upper lid, adhering to it. If that lid is grasped by the thumb and finger, drawn outward and then downward, and then released, the lashes of the lower lid act as brush, and sweep off the intruder. If, however, it adheres to the eye-ball, it may be removed by rolling the upper lid over a knitting-needle, and holding it there in such a position as to expose the surface, when the particle can be removed by the corner of a handkerchief. Sometimes it may become imbedded in the membrane which covers the eyeball, or eye-lid, and require the aid of a surgeon. Never use any of the eyewaters, lotions, or salves, advertised as popular. A particle of lime in the eye is very dangerous, and vinegar diluted with water should be applied at once; even when done immediately the eye will be seriously inflamed. SHOCK OR COLLAPSE from lightning, sudden and severe injuries, burns extending over a large extent of surface, or powerful emotions, produces something analogous to fainting. Place the patient flat on the back, with the head raised not more than an inch, and give a tea-spoon of brandy in a table-spoon of water, every minute for six or eight minutes. If the temperature of the body has been raised, and the action of the heart is restored, enough has been given. Application of heat to the stomach and extremities is useful. The nausea and vomiting that sometimes accompany it may be allayed by swallowing whole small chips of ice, split off by standing a piece with grain upright and splitting off a thin edge with the point of a pin. Ammonia applied to the nostrils is often useful, and cologne on a handkerchief is sometimes of service.

PUNCTURED WOUNDS need a pad at the surface to cause clotting of the blood in the wound, but are otherwise treated like cuts. If pain follows and inflammation ensues, the pad must be removed to permit the results of the inflammation to escape. Thorns or splinters, when run into the flesh, should be removed by cutting in far enough to get hold of and draw them out. Slivers under the nail, when not reached from the end, should be removed. by scraping the nail thin, and cutting through it to the foreign body, and so withdrawing it; the part should then be tied with a cloth wet with water, in which a few drops of laudanum have been mixed. A puncture, by a rusty nail or some such substance, of the finger, toe, hand, or foot, frequently causes inflammation, and yet there is not room for the foreign matter left in the wound to escape through the tough skin, and lock-jaw results; in all such cases the wound should be cut open to provide a way of escape for the blood, etc., and a piece of linen wet with laudanum inserted. Wounds from bruises and lacerations especially demand careful treatment, on the same general principles given above.

SUFFOCATION.-This often occurs from carbonic acid gas, or "choke-damp," on entering wells or old cellars; this gas being heavier than air, falls and rests at the bottom. Before entering such places, test by lowering a lighted candle; if the flame is extinguished it is unsafe to enter until the gas has been removed, by throwing down a bundle of lighted shavings or blazing paper, sufficient to cause a strong upward current. When a person is overcome by this gas, he must be immediately rescued by another, who must be rapidly lowered and drawn out, as he must do all while holding his breath; a large sack is sometimes thrown over the person who goes to the rescue. As soon as brought out, place the person on his back, bare the neck and throat, loosen clothing and strip as quickly as possible; if he has not fallen in the water, dash cold water freely over head, neck, and shoulders, standing off several feet and throwing it with force; artificial respiration should be used meantime, as in case of drowning, with as little cessation as possible. If the person has fallen into the water when overcome by the gas, place in a warm bed, and use the means of artificial respiration vigorously. Suffocation from burning charcoal, from anthracite or bituminous coal, or from common burning gas, or the foul gases from drains and cess-pools, is treated as if from carbonic acid gas.

ACCIDENTS IN GENERAL. -The first and most important thing, after sending for a surgeon, when an accident has occurred, is to keep off the crowd. No one, except one or two in charge, should be allowed nearer than ten feet; and the kindest thing a by-stander can do is to insist on such a space, and to select such persons as are willing to go for whatever is needed by the surgeon or physician, so that there may be no delay, if any thing is needed. If there has been a "shock" from a fall or blow, although there may be no fracture or external injury, the person is "faint," and should be placed flat on the back, with the head, neck, and shoulders slightly raised; the limbs should be straightened out, so that the heart may act as easily as possible; the cravat, collar, and clothing, if in the least tight, should be loosened. A sup of cold water will bring reaction soon if the injury is slight; a tea-spoon of brandy, in a table-spoon of water, every two minutes, gentle friction to the extremities, a handkerchief wet with cologne-water held to the nostrils, a fan, if weather is hot, will all aid in restoring full consciousness. If thought best to remove the patient to his residence, or to a more favorable place for treatment, place on a stretcher, settee, or shutter, slipping him on gently, taking care that the body is supported along its whole length; throw a handkerchief over the face to prevent the unpleasant sensation of the staring crowd, and let the stretcher be borne by persons of uniform gait, if possible. A policeman's services, if in a city, are invaluable in keeping off a crowd. When a surgeon arrives, his directions will suffice. BURNS AND SCALDS. - First put the fire out. If the clothing is on fire, throw the person on the ground and wrap in carpet, rug, or your coat, if nothing else is at hand. Begin wrapping at the neck and shoulders, and keep the flames away from the neck and face, so as to prevent breathing the hot air and consequent injury to the lungs. If prostration and shock or fainting is produced, a little brandy, repeated often until there is a revival of strength, should be given. A superficial burn covering a large surface is often more dangerous than a deeper one confined to less surface. If there is any cause for apprehension that the hot air has been inhaled, send for a physician at once. If the burn is slight in character, apply the water-dressing, by placing two or more thicknesses of old linen (from table-cloth or sheet), slightly dampened over a surface a little larger than the wound; fasten on by slips of sticking-plaster, or tie on with bandages, and keep it wet by frequent applications of water. When the pain has moderated, a dressing of pure hog's-lard is one of the best. It may be purified, when doubtful, boiling in water until the salt and impurities have settled, and then set away to cool until the floating lard hardens; this is gathered, placed in a bowl, set in hot water, and kept hot until all the water in the lard has passed off, when it is ready for use. The common soda used for cooking purposes may be employed as a dressing. A thick layer should be spread over the part and covered with a light wet bandage, keeping it moist and renewing it when necessary. A good dressing for a slight burn or scald is the white of an egg, applied with a soft rag or brush, applying fresh as the first layer dries; a lather of soap from a shaving-cup often allays pain, and keeps out the air. If so serious that a physician has been sent for, it is better not to apply any thing, as it may interfere with his examination and treatment of the case. In cases too severe for the mild treatment given above, send at once for a physician.

DROWNING.-Death is caused by cutting off the supply of fresh air from the lungs, so that the process of purification of the arterial blood ceases. Life is rarely restored after an immersion of five or six minutes, but recovery has been recorded after twenty minutes. Efforts to restore should be continued for at least two hours, or until the arrival of a physician. What is done must be done quickly. The body should be recovered without loss of time, from the water, and laid face downward for a moment, while the tongue is pressed back by the finger to allow the escape of water or any other substance from the mouth or throat (no water can ever by any possibility get into the lungs). This may be done while the body is being conveyed to the nearest house; on arrival, strip off clothing, place on a warm bed, with head raised very little, if any, apply friction with the dry hands to the extremities, and heated flannels to the rest of the body. Now breathing must be artificially restored. "Silvester's ready method" is most favored by physicians, and consists in pulling the tongue well forward, to favor the passage of air to the lungs, and then drawing the arms away from the sides of the body, and upward, so that they meet over the head, and then bringing them down until the elbows almost meet over the "pit of the stomach." These movements must be made, and persisted in, at the rate of sixteen to the minute. Another method is to place the body flat on the face, press gently on the back, turn body on its side or a little beyond, and then, turning back upon face, apply gentle pressure again, repeating at the rate of sixteen times a minute. As soon as vitality begins to return, a few drops of brandy, in a little water, may be administered, and, in a few minutes, some beef-tea or light nourishment. Persons at all weakened by debility, especially by any thing that affects the nervous system, or those recovering from sickness, or in the least indisposed, should never venture into water beyond their depth, as such conditions predispose to "cramp," against which the best swimmers are helpless.

SUNSTROKE. This is favored by intemperance, and by debility brought on by work in a heated atmosphere. Those who sleep in badly ventilated apartments are most subject to it. Most cases are preceded by pain in the head, wandering thought and loss of mental control, disturbed vision, irritability, sense of pain, and weight at pit of stomach, and labored breathing. The skin is hot and dry, or covered with profuse perspiration; the face bluish; the breath rapid and short; and the action of the heart "fluttering." In many instances the patient does not move an eyelid, from the beginning of the main attack until death ensues.

Carry the person attacked at once to a cool, airy spot, in the shadow of a wall, or to a large room with a bare floor, remove clothing gently, place patient on the back, raise head two inches by a folded garment, dash entire body with water profusely, supplying basin with cold water from two buckets, one of which is filled with water and finely pulverized ice while the other is supplying the water used by the attendant. Dash on water with force, particularly on head and chest. Two persons may also rub the entire body, particularly the head, with a towel in which is wrapped pulverized ice. As soon as a decline in heat is noticed remove patient to a dry place, and wipe dry. If heat comes on again when consciousness is restored, renew cold applications. As soon as the heat declines, artificial respiration must be resorted to, until the natural takes its place. There being real asphyxia, as in drowning, no medicine is of use, and alcoholic stimulants should be carefully avoided. To prevent sunstroke, use no malt or alcoholic liquors, avoid overwork and exhaustion, take plenty of sleep in a well-ventilated room, bathe every night, avoid drinking large quantities of water, especially at meals, wear loosefitting garments, protect the head with a covering that will shelter from the sun and yet permit free circulation of air over the scalp; a straw hat of loose texture, with a lining that may be wet when going out, and a broad brim to protect neck and shoulders, is is best. b HEMORRHAGES. -Bleeding from the nose may be stopped by lying flat on the back, with the head raised, and the hands held above it. The nose must be covered with a cloth filled with pounded ice, or wrung out of ice-water. The head should never be held over a basin, as the position encourages bleed.. ing. The blood may be received in a wet sponge.

When any one coughs or spits up blood, the first thought is that it must be from the lungs. A slight knowledge of the characteristics of the blood from. different parts that may come through the mouth will sometimes save much needless anxiety.

Blood from the lungs is always bright red in color, because it has just been purified by contact with the air. It is frothy, mixed with mucus, in small quantity, and is usually coughed up.

Blood from the stomach is dark red, almost black, is mixed with particles of food, comes in large quantities, and is vomited.

Blood from the mouth and gums is of a red color and usually mixed with saliva. Unless it has first been swallowed, it is not vomited or coughed up. In hemorrhage from the lungs the head and shoulders must be raised. Some physicians recommend a table-spoonful of table salt to be given in a tumbler of water. It is always safe to give cracked ice. Bleeding from the stomach may be checked by the application of a mustard plaster over the stomach; cracked ice should be given and the doctor sent for.

In bleeding from wounds or recent amputation there are three things that may be done:

First, press the finger or the hand over the bleeding point. Second, press on the main artery supplying the wound, or, if this can not be found, apply a bandage as tightly as possible above the wound. An excellent tourniquet may be improvised by knotting a handkerchief loosely around the limb, thrusting a short stick through it and twisting it tight. The blood from an artery is bright red and comes in spurts with each beat of the heart, while that from the veins is a dark purplish color and flows in a steady stream. When the bleeding is from an artery, the pressure should be applied between the wound and the heart; when from a vein, the limb must be compressed beyond the wound.

Third, raise the part above the rest of the body, that the blood may drain out of it, and support it on pillows. It should be bathed in ice-water and have ice wrapped in cotton cloths laid on it.

If faintness ensues, the sufferer should not be immediately roused, as this is nature's remedy, and acts by lessening the force and activity of the circulation. If any part of the body has been cut off, it should be cleaned of foreign matter, and at once replaced, wrapped in cotton to retain warmth, and a gentle pressure kept on it to retain it in place. Circulation is often restored and the union made complete.

← Tonic for the HairAntidotes to Poisons (First thing to do is to cause) →