Part 46

More than forty years ago, when it was found that prevention for the Asiatic cholera was easier than cure, the learned doctors of both hemispheres drew up a prescription, which was published (for working people) in _The New York Sun_, and took the name of "The Sun Cholera Mixture." It is found to be the best remedy for looseness of the bowels ever yet devised. It is to be commended for several reasons. It is not to be mixed with liquor, and therefore will not be used as an alcoholic beverage. Its ingredients are well known among all the common people, and it will have no prejudice to combat; each of the materials is in equal proportions to the others, and it may therefore be compounded without professional skill; and as the dose is so very small, it may be carried in a tiny phial in the waistcoat pocket, and be always at hand. It is:--

Take equal parts of tincture of cayenne, tincture of opium, tincture of rhubarb, essence of peppermint and spirits of camphor. Mix well. Dose fifteen to thirty drops in a wine-glass of water, according to age and violence of the attack. Repeat every fifteen or twenty minutes until relief is obtained. No one who takes it in time will ever have the cholera. Even when no cholera is anticipated, it is a valuable remedy for ordinary summer complaints, and should always be kept in readiness.

COMP. CATHARTIC ELIXIR.

The only pleasant and reliable cathartic in liquid form that can be prescribed.

Each fluid ounce contains: sulp. magnesia one drachm, senna two drachms, scammony six grains, liquorice one drachm, ginger three grains, coriander, five grains, with flavoring ingredients.

_Dose._--Child five years old, one or two teaspoonfuls; adult, one or two tablespoonfuls.

This preparation is being used extensively throughout the country. It was originated with the design of furnishing a liquid cathartic remedy that could be prescribed in a palatable form. It will be taken by children with a relish.

GRANDMOTHER'S COUGH SYRUP.

Take half a pound of dry hoarhound herbs, one pod of red pepper, four tablespoonfuls of ginger, boil all in three quarts of water, then strain, and add one teaspoonful of good, fresh tar and a pound of sugar. Boil slowly and stir often, until it is reduced to one quart of syrup. When cool, bottle for use. Take one or two teaspoonfuls four or six times a day.

GRANDMOTHER'S UNIVERSAL LINIMENT.

One pint of alcohol and as much camphor gum as can be dissolved in it, half an ounce of the oil of cedar, one-half ounce of the oil of sassafras, aqua ammonia half an ounce, and the same amount of the tincture of morphine. Shake well together and apply by the fire; the liniment must not be heated, or come in contact with the fire, but the rubbing to be done by the warmth of the fire.

These recipes of Grandmother's are all old, tried medicines, and are more effectual than most of those that are advertised, as they have been thoroughly tried, and proved reliable.

GRANDMOTHER'S FAMILY SPRING BITTERS.

Mandrake root one ounce, dandelion root one ounce, burdock root one ounce, yellow dock root one ounce, prickly ash berries two ounces, marsh mallow one ounce, turkey rhubarb half an ounce, gentian one ounce, English camomile flowers one ounce, red clover tops two ounces.

Wash the herbs and roots; put them into an earthen vessel, pour over two quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled; let it stand over night and soak; in the morning set it on the back of the stove, and steep it five hours; it must not boil, but be nearly ready to boil. Strain it through a cloth, and add half a pint of good gin. Keep it in a cool place. Half a wine-glass taken as a dose twice a day.

This is better than all the patent blood medicines that are in the market--a superior blood purifier, and will cure almost any malignant sore, by taking according to direction, and washing the sore with a strong tea of red raspberry leaves steeped, first washing the sore with castile soap, then drying with a soft cloth, and washing it with the strong tea of red raspberry leaves.

GRANDMOTHER'S EYE-WASH.

Take three fresh eggs and break them into one quart of clear, cold rain-water; stir until thoroughly mixed; bring to a boil on a slow fire, stirring often; then add half an ounce of sulphate of zinc (white vitrol); continue the boiling for two minutes, then set it off the fire. Take the curd that settles at the bottom of this and apply to the eye at night with a bandage. It will speedily draw out all fever and soreness. Strain the liquid through a cloth and use for bathing the eyes occasionally. This is the best eye-water ever made for man or beast. I have used it for twenty years without knowing it to fail.

HUNTER'S PILLS.

These pills can be manufactured at home and are _truly reliable_, having been sold and used for more than fifty years in Europe. The ingredients may be procured at almost any druggist's. The articles should be all in the powder. Saffron one grain, rue one grain, Scot aloes two grains, savin one grain, cayenne pepper one grain. Mix all into a very thick mass by adding sufficient syrup. Rub some fine starch on the surface of a platter or large dinner-plate, then with your forefinger and thumb nip off a small piece of the mass the size of a pill and roll it in pill form, first dipping your fingers in the starch. Place them as fast as made on the platter, set where they will dry slowly. Put them into a dry bottle or paper box. Dose, one every night and morning as long as occasion requires.

This recipe is worth _ten times_ the price of this book to any female requiring the _need_ of these regulating pills.

HINTS IN REGARD TO HEALTH.

It is plainly seen by an inquiring mind that, aside from the selection and preparation of food, there are many little things constantly arising in the experience of everyday life which, in their combined effect, are powerful agents in the formation (or prevention) of perfect health. A careful observance of these little occurences, an inquiry into the philosophy attending them, lies within the province, and indeed should be considered among the highest duties, of every housekeeper.

That one should be cautious about entering a sick room in a state of perspiration, as the moment you become cool your pores absorb. Do not approach contagious diseases with an empty stomach, nor sit between the sick and the fire, because the heat attracts the vapor.

That the flavor of cod-liver oil may be changed to the delightful one of fresh oyster, if the patient will drink a large glass of water poured from a vessel in which nails have been allowed to rust.

That a bag of hot sand relieves neuralgia.

That warm borax water will remove dandruff.

That salt should be eaten with nuts to aid digestion.

That it rests you, in sewing, to change your position frequently.

That a little soda water will relieve sick headache caused by indigestion.

That a cupful of strong coffee will remove the odor of onions from the breath.

That well-ventilated bedrooms will prevent morning headaches and lassitude.

A cupful of hot water drank before meals will relieve nausea and dyspepsia.

That a fever patient can be made cool and comfortable by frequent sponging off with soda water.

That consumptive night-sweats may be arrested by sponging the body nightly in salt water.

That one in a faint should be laid flat on his back, then loosen his clothes and let him alone.

The best time to bathe is just before going to bed, as any danger of taking cold is thus avoided; and the complexion is improved by keeping warm for several hours after leaving the bath.

To beat the whites of eggs quickly add a pinch of salt. Salt cools, and cold eggs froth rapidly.

Hot, dry flannels, applied as hot as possible, for neuralgia.

Sprains and bruises call for an application of the tincture of arnica.

If an artery is severed, tie a small cord or handkerchief above it.

For bilious colic, soda and ginger in hot water. It may be taken freely.

Tickling in the throat is best relieved by a gargling of salt and water.

Pains in the side are most promptly relieved by the application of mustard.

For cold in the head nothing is better than powdered borax, sniffed up the nostrils.

A drink of hot, strong lemonade before going to bed will often break up a cold and cure a sore throat.

Nervous spasms are usually relieved by a little salt taken into the mouth and allowed to dissolve.

Whooping cough paroxysms are relieved by breathing the fumes of turpentine and carbolic acid.

Broken limbs should be placed in natural positions, and the patient kept quiet until the surgeon arrives.

Hemorrhages of the lungs or stomach are promptly checked by small doses of salt. The patient should be kept as quiet as possible.

Sleeplessness, caused by too much blood in the head may be overcome by applying a cloth wet with cold water to the back of the neck.

Wind colic is promptly relieved by peppermint essence taken in a little warm water. For small children it may be sweetened. Paregoric is also good.

For stomach cramps, ginger ale or a teaspoonful of the tincture of ginger in a half glass of water in which a half teaspoonful of soda has been dissolved.

Sickness of the stomach is most promptly relieved by drinking a teacupful of hot soda and water. If it brings the offending matter up, all the better.

A teaspoonful of ground mustard in a cupful of warm water is a prompt and reliable emetic, and should be resorted to in cases of poisoning or cramps in the stomach from over-eating.

Avoid purgatives or strong physic, as they not only do no good, but are positively hurtful. Pills may relieve for the time, but they seldom cure.

Powdered resin is the best thing to stop bleeding from cuts. After the powder is sprinkled on, wrap the wound with soft cotton cloth. As soon as the wound begins to feel feverish, keep the cloth wet with cold water.

Eggs are considered one of the best remedies for dysentery. Beaten up slightly, with or without sugar, and swallowed, they tend by their emollient qualities to lessen the inflammation of the stomach and intestines, and by forming a transient coating on those organs, enable Nature to resume her healthful sway over the diseased body. Two, or at most, three eggs per day, would be all that is required in ordinary cases; and, since the egg is not merely medicine, but food as well, the lighter the diet otherwise, and the quieter the patient is kept, the more certain and rapid is the recovery.

Hot water is better than cold for bruises. It relieves pain quickly, and by preventing congestion often keeps off the ugly black and blue mark. "Children cry for it," when they experience the relief it affords their bumps and bruises.

For a sprained ankle, the whites of eggs and powdered alum made into a plaster is almost a specific.

MEDICINAL FOOD.

Spinach has a direct effect upon complaints of the kidneys; the common dandelion, used as greens, is excellent for the same trouble; asparagus purifies the blood; celery acts admirably upon the nervous system, and is a cure for rheumatism and neuralgia; tomatoes act upon the liver; beets and turnips are excellent appetizers; lettuce and cucumbers are cooling in their effects upon the system; beans are a very nutritious and strengthening vegetable; while onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallots, all of which are similar, possess medicinal virtues of a marked character, stimulating the circulatory system, and the consequent increase of the saliva and the gastric juice promoting digestion. Red onions are an excellent diuretic, and the white ones are recommended raw as a remedy for insomnia. They are tonic, nutritious. A soup made from onions is regarded by the French as an excellent restorative in debility of the digestive organs. We might go through the entire list and find each vegetable possessing its especial mission of cure, and it will be plain to every housekeeper that a vegetable diet should be partly adopted, and will prove of great advantage to the health of the family.

HOUSEKEEPERS' TIME-TABLE.

| MODE OF | TIME OF | TIME OF | |PREPARATION| COOKING |DIGESTION| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | H. M. | H. M. | Apples, sour, hard |Raw | | 2 50 | Apples, sweet and mellow |Raw | | 1 50 | Asparagus |Boiled | 15 to 30| 2 30 | Beans (pod) |Boiled | 1 00 | 2 30 | Beans with green corn |Boiled | 45 | 3 45 | Beef |Roasted |[A] 25 | 3 00 | Beefsteak |Broiled | 15 | 3 00 | Beefsteak |Fried | 15 | 4 00 | Beef, salted |Boiled |[A] 35 | 4 15 | Bass, fresh |Broiled | 20 | 3 00 | Beets, young |Boiled | 2 00 | 3 45 | Beets, old |Boiled | 4 30 | 4 00 | Bread, corn |Baked | 45 | 3 15 | Bread, wheat |Baked | 1 00 | 3 30 | Butter |Melted | | 3 30 | Cabbage |Raw | | 2 30 | Cabbage and vinegar |Raw | | 2 00 | Cabbage |Boiled | 1 00 | 4 30 | Cauliflower |Boiled | 1-2 00 | 2 30 | Cake, sponge |Baked | 45 | 2 30 | Carrot, orange |Boiled | 1 00 | 3 15 | Cheese, old |Raw | | 3 30 | Chicken |Fricasseed | 1 00 | 3 45 | Codfish, dry and whole |Boiled |[A] 15 | 2 00 | Custard (one quart) |Baked | 30 | 2 45 | Duck, tame |Roasted | 1 30 | 4 00 | Duck, wild |Roasted | 1 00 | 4 50 | Dumpling, apple |Boiled | 1 00 | 3 00 | Eggs, hard |Boiled | 10 | 3 30 | Eggs, soft |Boiled | 3 | 3 00 | Eggs |Fried | 5 | 3 30 | Eggs |Raw | | 2 00 | Fowls, domestic, roasted or |Boiled | 1 00 | 4 00 | Gelatine |Boiled | | 2 30 | Goose, wild |Roasted |[A] 20 | 2 30 | Lamb |Boiled |[A] 20 | 2 30 | Meat and vegetables |Hashed | 30 | 2 30 | Milk |Raw | | 2 15 | Milk |Boiled | | 2 00 | Mutton |Roast |[A] 25 | 3 15 | Mutton |Broiled | 20 | 3 00 | Onions |Boiled | 1-2 00 | 3 00 | Oysters |Roasted | | 3 15 | Oysters |Stewed | 5 | 3 30 | Parsnips |Boiled | 1 00 | 3 00 | Pigs' Feet |Soused | | 1 00 | Pork |Roast |[A] 30 | 5 15 | Pork |Boiled |[A] 25 | 4 30 | Pork, raw or |Fried | | 4 15 | Pork |Broiled | 20 | 3 15 | Potatoes |Boiled | 30 | 3 30 | Potatoes |Baked | 45 | 3 30 | Potatoes |Roasted | 45 | 2 30 | Rice |Boiled | 20 | 1 00 | Salmon, fresh |Boiled | 8 | 1 45 | Sausage |Fried | 25 | 4 00 | Sausage |Broiled | 20 | 3 30 | Soup, vegetable |Boiled | 1 00 | 4 00 | Soup, chicken |Boiled | 2 00 | 3 00 | Soup, oyster or mutton |Boiled |[B]3 30 | 3 30 | Spinach |Boiled | 1-2 00 | 2 30 | Tapioca |Boiled | 1 30 | 2 00 | Tomatoes |Fresh | 1 00 | 2 30 | Tomatoes |Canned | 30 | 2 30 | Trout, salmon, fresh, boiled or|Fried | 30 | 1 30 | Turkey, boiled or |Roasted |[B] 20 | 2 30 | Turnips |Boiled | 45 | 3 30 | Veal |Broiled | 20 | 4 00 | Venison steak |Broiled | 20 | 1 35 |

[Footnote A: Minutes to the pound.]

[Footnote B: Mutton soup.]

The time given is the general average; the time will vary slightly with the quality of the article.

MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES.

USES OF AMMONIA.

All housekeepers should keep a bottle of liquid ammonia, as it is the most powerful and useful agent for cleaning silks, stuffs and hats, in fact cleans everything it touches. A few drops of ammonia in water will take off grease from dishes, pans, etc., and does not injure the hands as much as the use of soda and strong chemical soaps. A spoonful in a quart of warm water for cleaning paint makes it look like new, and so with everything that needs cleaning.

Spots on towels and hosiery will disappear with little trouble if a little ammonia is put into enough water to soak the articles, and they are left in it an hour or two before washing; and if a cupful is put into the water in which clothes are soaked the night before washing, the ease with which the articles can be washed, and their great whiteness and clearness when dried, will be very gratifying. Remembering the small sum paid for three quarts of ammonia of common strength, one can easily see that no bleaching preparation can be more cheaply obtained.

No articles in kitchen use are so likely to be neglected and abused as the dish-cloth and dish-towels; and in washing these, ammonia, if properly used, is a greater comfort than anywhere else. Put a teaspoonful into the water in which these cloths are, or should be, washed everyday; rub soap on the towels. Put them in the water; let them stand half an hour or so; then rub them out thoroughly, rinse faithfully, and dry outdoors in clear air and sun, and dish-cloths and towels need never look gray and dingy--a perpetual discomfort to all housekeepers.

A dark carpet often looks dusty soon after it has been swept, and you know it does not need sweeping again; so wet a cloth or a sponge, wring it almost dry, and wipe off the dust. A few drops of ammonia in the water will brighten the colors.

For cleaning hair-brushes it is excellent; put a tablespoonful into the water, having it only tepid, and dip up and down until clean; then dry with the brushes down and they will be like new ones.

When employed in washing anything that is not especially soiled, use the waste water afterward for the house plants that are taken down from their usual position and immersed in the tub of water. Ammonia is a fertilizer, and helps to keep healthy the plants it nourishes. In every way, in fact, ammonia is the housekeeper's friend.

Ammonia is not only useful for cleaning, but as a household medicine. Half a teaspoonful taken in half a tumbler of water is far better for faintness than alcoholic stimulants. In the Temperance Hospital in London, it is used with the best results. It was used freely by Lieutenant Greely's Arctic party for keeping up circulation. It is a relief in nervousness, headache and heart disturbances.

TO DESTROY INSECTS AND VERMIN.

Dissolve two pounds of alum in three or four quarts of water. Let it remain over night till all the alum is dissolved. Then with a brush, apply boiling hot to every joint or crevice in the closet or shelves where croton bugs, ants, cockroaches, etc., intrude; also to the joints and crevices of bedsteads, as bed bugs dislike it as much as croton bugs, roaches, or ants. Brush all the cracks in the floor and mop-boards. Keep it boiling hot while using.

To keep woolens and furs from moths, be sure that none are in the articles when they are put away; then take a piece of strong brown paper, with not a hole through which even a pin can enter. Put the article in it with several lumps of gum camphor between the folds; place this in a close box or trunk. Cover every joint with paper. A piece of cotton cloth, if thick and firm, will answer. Wherever a knitting-needle can pass, the parent moth can enter.

Place pieces of camphor, cedar-wood, Russia leather, tobacco-leaves, whole cloves, or anything strongly aromatic, in the drawers or boxes where furs and other things to be preserved from moths are kept and they will never be harmed. Mice never get into drawers or trunks where gum camphor is placed.

_Another Recipe_.--Mix half a pint of alcohol, the same quantity of turpentine and two ounces of camphor. Keep in a stone bottle and shake well before using. The clothes or furs are to be wrapped in linen, and crumbled-up pieces of blotting-paper dipped in the liquid to be placed in the box with them, so that it smells strong. This requires renewing but once a year.

Another authority says that a positive, sure recipe is this: Mix equal quantities of pulverized borax, camphor gum and saltpetre together, making a powder. Sprinkle it dry under the edges of carpets, in drawers, trunks, etc., etc. It will also keep out all kinds of insects, if plentifully used. If the housekeeper will begin at the top of her house with a powder bellows and a large quantity of this fresh powder, and puff it thoroughly into every crack and crevice, whether or not there are croton bugs in them, to the very bottom of her house, special attention being paid to old furniture, closets, and wherever croton water is introduced, she will be freed from these torments. The operation may require a repetition, but the end is success.

MOTHS IN CARPETS.

If you fear that they are at work at the edge of the carpet, it will sometimes suffice to lay a wet towel, and press a hot flat-iron over it; but the best way is to take the carpet up, and clean it, and give a good deal of attention to the floor. Look in the cracks, and if you discover signs of moths, wash the floor with benzine, and scatter red pepper on it before putting the carpet lining down.

Heavy carpets sometimes do not require taking up every year, unless in constant use. Take out the tacks from these, fold the carpets back, wash the floor in strong suds with a tablespoonful of borax dissolved in it. Dash with insect powder, or lay with tobacco leaves along the edge, and re-tack. Or use turpentine, the enemy of buffalo moths, carpet worms and other insects that injure and destroy carpets. Mix the turpentine with pure water in the proportion of three tablespoonfuls to three quarts of water, and then after the carpet has been well swept, go over each breadth carefully with a sponge dipped in the solution and wrung nearly dry. Change the water as often as it becomes dirty. The carpet will be nicely cleaned as well as disinfected. All moths can be kept away and the eggs destroyed by this means. Spots may be renovated by the use of ox-gall or ammonia and water.