THE 
Household Manual 
- OF - 
DOMESTIC HYGIENE, FOODS AND DRINKS, COMMON 
DISEASES, ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES, 
AND USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
WUk Many Othei^ IiLtcb'cstlny Topics, 
PUBLISHED AT 
THE OFFICE OF THE HEALTH REFORMER, 
BATTLE CREEK, MICH. 
1875. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by 
THE HEALTH REFORMER, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, 1). C. PREFACE. 
As indicated by the title page, this little work deals 
with quite a variety of topics. It is thought, however, 
that all the subjects considered will be found usefully 
suggestive to every household. The aim has been to 
make the work eminently practical in character, and to 
condense into the smallest space the greatest possible 
amount of information. 
The suggestions and hints given under the head of 
" Domestic Hygiene," if thoroughly appreciated and ap- 
plied, will obviate a very large proportion of the ills and 
suffering incident to domestic life. 
The chapter on 11 Foods and Drinks " contains much 
which may be new to a majority of those who have never 
investigated the subject from the standpoint of health. 
It, is not intended to be in any sense complete, the object 
being only to call attention to a few of the ways in which 
disease and premature death are occasioned by errors in 
diet. Those who are interested to pursue the subject 
further should send to this Office for other works which 
explain it more fully, the names of which are given in 
our book list at the close of the volume. 
In "Simple Remedies for Common Diseases" are 
given directions for treating more than sixty common 
maladies with such remedies (w ith few7 exceptions) as are 
to be found in any household. IV 
PREFACE. 
" Accidents and Emergencies " will be found to afford 
such information as may enable a person to be the means 
of saving many lives if it is carefully and promptly ap- 
plied at the proper time. 
The recipes for cooking have been tested by experi- 
enced cooks and others, and will be found to be a great 
improvement over those in ordinary use, as all admit 
upon making a fair trial. The miscellaneous recipes have 
been collected from numerous reliable sources, with 
much care, and it is hoped that all may find something 
among them that will be really a desideratum. 
The two essays by Dr. R. T. Trail which form the con- 
cluding portion of the book are valuable and interesting. 
A table of contents of each will be found in immediate 
connection with it instead of being introduced into the 
index. 
PUBLISHERS. I N n ZR X . 
PAGE. 
Accidents and Emergen- 
cies, 89 
Aconite, 106 
Acids, 106 
Acetate of Lead, 107 
Air Poisoning, 11 
Alkalies, 106 
Alcoholic Poisoning, 107 
Amount of Air Required, .. 11 
Ammonia, 106 
Animalculse, Cause of Dis- 
ease, 16 
Ani ine Colors Poisonous, . 24 
Antidotes, 105 
Ants, to Kill, 119 
Apoplexy, 59 
Apple Custard Pie, 122 
Aqua Fortis, 106 
Artificial Respiration, . 90, 93 
Arnica, 101 
Arsenic, 106 
Bathing, 23 
Bad Breath, 72, 73 
Baldness, 77 
Baths, Packs, etc., 108 
Beds and Bedding 20 
Bee-Stings, 104 
Biliousness, 66 
Bitters, 67 
Bite of Mad Dog, 103 
Bite of Rattlesnake, 103 
Blood Tonics, 67 
Bleeding from Lungs, .... 100 
Bluing, Liquid, 117 
Black Ink 118 
Blue Ink, 118 
Boils, 79 
Boots, to Dry, 119 
Borax Wash, 119 
Bromo-Chloralum, 14 
Bruises, 102 
Breakfast Cake, 121 
Bunions, 79 
Burns and Scalds, .... 53, 102 
Bug Poison 119 
Carbon Di-Oxide, 10 
Carbolic Acid, 28 
Catching Consumption, ... 36 
PAGE. 
Canker, 75 
Carbuncle, 80 
Care of the Sick, 81 
Carbonic Acid, Amount 
Produced, 10, 11 
Camphor, 106 
Candies, Poisonous, 107 
Carron Oil, 115 
Cess-Pools, 14, 15 
Cellars, Ventilation of, .... 17 
" Disinfection of, ... 18 
Cements for Glass and 
China, 112 
Cements for Wood, 113 
" " Iron, 113 
Cement for Stoneware, ... 113 
Charcoal as a Deodorizer, . 13 
Chlorine, 14 
Chloride of Lime as a Disin- 
fectant, 14, 27, 28 
Chilblains, 54 
Chafing, 74 
Chapped Hands, Feet, Lips, 74 
Choking, 96 
Chalk, 106 
Chronic Poisoning, 107 
Chimney on Fire, .. 105 
Chest-Wrapper, 109 
Cleansing Sick-Rooms, 26, 27 
Cleaning Bottles 118 
Copperas as a Disinfectant, 14 
Cold Bathing, 23 
Colors, Poisonous, 24 
Cosmetics, 25 
Corsets, etc., 29 
Condiments, 32 
Cows, Stabled, Milk from, 36 
Colds, 50 
Colic, 57 
Convulsions, 58 
Constipation, 63 
Cold Feet, 64 
Consumption, 69 
Cough, 70 
Cough Candy, 71 
Corns, 78 
Corrosive Sublimate, 106 
Compresses, 110 6 
INDEX. 
PAGE. 
Foreign Bodies in the Ear, 104 
" " " " Nose, 105 
Food, Poisonous, 107 
Fomentations 110 
Fruits, Use of, 37 
Fractures and Dislocations, 102 
Freezing, 103 
Fruit Toast, 121 
Fruit Gems, 121 
Fruit Loaf, 121 
Gases, Foul 14, 21 
Gas, Illuminating, 00 
Germs of Disease, 16, 21 
Gems, 120 
Graham Bread, 31 
Hasty Eating, 39 
Hang-Nail, 81 
Hall's Ready Method, .... 93 
Hanging, 90 
Hardened Earwax, 105 
Half-Bath, 1(9 
Heat as a Disinfectant, ... 27 
Health Reform, 41, 42 
Health, 42, 43 
Headache, 53 
Heart-Burn, 05 
Hemorrhage, 98, 99 
Hiccough, 71 
Hoarhound, 71 
Howto Ventilate, 11, 12 
" " " a Cellar, .. 17 
House Plants in Sleeping 
Rooms, 19 
House-Cleaning, 25 
Hog, the Filthy, 34 
Hog's Livers, 34 
Hoarseness, 52 
Hot Applications, 110 
Hot-Air Bath, Ill 
How to Remove Rust, .... 114 
How to Make a Filter, .... 124 
Hysterics 58 
Hydrochloric Acid, 100 
Indigestion, 68 
Ink Stains, 112 
Ink, Black, 118 
Itch, 77 
Items for Tobacco-Users, . 88 
Johnny Cake 120 
Kalsomining Fluid, 114 
Keep Warm, 28 
Late Suppers, 39 
Laudanum, 106 
Lead Water Pipes, 36 
PACE. 
Corn-Meal Gems, 120 
Cocoanut Cake, 121 
Cocoanut Pie Crust, 122 
" Cookies, 122 
Croup, 60 
Crick in the Back, 65 
Cramps, 67 
Crisps, 121 
Cream Pie Crust, 122 
Cuts, 101 
Dandruff, 76 
Deodorizers, 13 
Decayed Teeth, 72 
Death, Signs of Real, .. 84, 85 
Disinfectants, 13 
Disease, Germs of, 16 
Disinfecting Clothing, .... 27 
Disinfection, ... 13, 26, 27, 28 
Dislocations, Fractures, ... 102 
Dirt in the Eye, 104 
Domestic Hygiene 9-30 
Draughts, 12 
Drains, 14 
Dress, 28, 29 
Drinks, Foods and, 30-40 
" Alcoholic, ........ 40 
Drugs Kill-Nature Cures, 
44, 45 
Dr. Holmes on Trail Dress- 
es, 85 
Drowning and Suffocation, 89 
Drowned, Treatment of, . 89-93 
Dressing for Wounds, .... lol 
Drop Cake, 120 
Durable Whitewash, 114 
Earth as a Deodorizer, ... 13 
Eating Between Meals, ... 39 
Earache, 56 
Ear, Foreign Bodies in, ... 104 
Enemas, Ill 
Eyes, Sore, 76 
Fashionable Dress, 28 
Faceache, 55 
Fainting, 59 
Farsightedness, 77 
Feather Beds, 20 
Fevers, 61 
Felon, 80 
Fine Flour, 31 
Fire-Proof Paint for Roofs, 115 
Flesh Food, 32, 35 
Foul Gases, 14, 17 
Foods and Drinks 30-40 
Food, Poor, 31 INDEX. 
7 
PAGE. 
Lemon Pie, 123 
Lime, Chloride of, 14 
Licorice, 71 
Lice, 78 
Lightning Stroke, 97 
Liniments, 101 
Liquid Glue, 113 
Litharge, 109 
Liquid Bluing, 117 
Lotion for Fetid Perspira- 
tion, 114 
Lozenges, 71 
Lobelia, 106 
Lumbago, 66 
Lunar Caustic, 107 
Lye, 106 
Marshall Hall's Ready 
Method, 93 
Mattresses, 21 
Mad Dog Bite, 103 
Magnesia, Calcined, 106 
Measles, 61 
Medicine to the Dogs, .... 87 
Mending Tin-Ware, 119 
Milk from Stabled Cows, .. 36 
Mineral Poisons, 106 
Moderate Drinking, 40 
Morphia, 106 
Mustard, 32 
Mumps, 61 
Muriatic Acid, 106 
Nearsightedness, 77 
Night Air, 30 
Nitric Acid, 106 
Nitrate of Silver, 106 
Nose-Bleed, 99 
Nose, Foreign Bodies in, .. 105 
Oatmeal Pie Crust, 123 
" Pudding, 123 
" Gruel, 123 
Oil of Vitriol, 106 
Old Wells, 95 
Opium, 106 
Oxalic Acid, 106 
Papering Walls, 26 
Paints, Cosmetics, 25 
Pain, 55 
Palpitation of the Heart, .. 67 
Pain Killers, 101 
Paregoric, 106 
Paris Green, 106 
Pack, 109 
Pail-Douche, 110 
Paste, 116 
PAGE. 
Permanganate of Potash as 
a Deodorizer, 13, 28 
Pepper, 82 
Pearlash, 106 
Phosphorus, 106 
Piles, 64 
Plant Lice, 119 
Poison, 14 
Poisonous Paper, to Test, .. 24 
Poisonous Aniline Colors, . 24 
Poisonous Water, 34 
Poisoning of Wells, 34 
Poisonous Gases, 94 
Powder, Tooth, 117 
Poisonous Candies and 
Food, 107 
Privies, 21 
Preserving Grapes, 
Putrid Matter, Diseases 
Caused by, 16 
Rattlesnake Bite, 103 
Ratsbane, 106 
Red Flannel Poisonous, ... 24 
Red Precipitate, 106 
Red Ink, 118 
Recipes for Healthful Food, 120 
Removing Fruit Stains, ... 112 
Rheumatism, 56 
Rolls, 
Rules for Bathing, 108 
Rubbing-Wet-Sheet, 110 
Salt, 32 
Salts of Tartar, 106 
Scarlet Fever, 61 
Scalds, Burns,, 53, 102 
Sewers, Sources of Disease, 14 
Sirups, Adulterated, 37 
Sick-Room Disinfection,... 28 
Simple Remedies, 49-85 
Sinks, Care of, 15 
Sinks, Sources of Disease, 14 
Signs of Real Death, 84 
Sick, Care of, 81 
Sitz-Bath, 109 
Sleeping Rooms, 19 
Sleeplessness, 73 
Sneezing, 72 
Snow Cake, 120 
Sources of Disease, 14 
Sore Eyes, 76 
Sore Throat, 52 
Softening of the Brain, ... 68 
Soda Water 107 
Soap to Remove Grease, .. Ill 8 
INDEX. 
PAGE. 
Solder for Lead, 119 
Soldering Fluid, 119 
Solder for Tin, 119 
Soft Soap, 117 
Spice, 32 
Spare Bedrooms, 20, 25 
Sponge-Bath, 109 
Sprains, 102 
Squeezed to Death, 29 
Strange Indeed! 48 
Stitch in the Side, 65 
Stammering, 76 
Sty, 80 
Stone Bruise, 81 
Stabled Cows, 36 
Starch Polish, 116 
Stings of Bees, Wasps, &c., 104 
Strychnia, 106 
Sugars, Adulterated 38 
Suffocation, Drowning, ... 89 
Sunstroke, 97 
Sunshine, 18 
Sulphuric Acid, 106 
Sulphate of Copper, 107 
Sweet Potato Pudding,.... 122 
Sylvester's Method, 93 
Tape-Worm, 35 
Tea and Coffee, 38 
Test for Adulterated Sirup, 38 
Teeth. Wash for the, 117 
The Filthy Hog 34 
The Hygienic System, 41 
To Destroy Foul Odors,... 13 
To Test Poisonous Paper, 24 
Toothache, 35 
Tobacco, 106 
To Remove Grease, Ill 
I'o Restore Color, 112 
To Remove Stains from the 
Hands, U2 
To Remove Mildew, 112 
To Remove Paint from 
Cloth, 112 
To Remove Paint from 
Wood, 112 
To Clean Looking-Glasses, 114 
To Keep Water Cool, 124 
To Cleanse the Hair, 114 
To Preserve Steel from 
Rust, 115 
PAGE. 
To Clean Leather, 115 
To Make Cloth Water- 
Proof, 115 
To Make Cloth Uninflamma- 
ble, 115 
To Color Black, 116 
To Color Blue, 116 
To Color Scarlet, 116 
To Color Green, 116 
To Dry Boots, 119 
To Etch on Metal, 118 
To Kill Ants, 119 
To Get Rid of Rats, 117 
Tooth Powder, 117 
Trichina}, 35 
Trail Dresses, 85 
Treatment of the Drowned, 
89-93 
Ulcers, 75 
Under-Clothing, 29 
Use of Fruits, 37 
Vaults of Privies, 21, 22 
Vapor Bath, 110 
Ventilation, 10 
Ventilating Flues, 13 
Ventilation of Cellars, 17 
Vegetable vs. Animal Food, 32 
Verdigris, I07 
Vegetable Poisons, 106 
Vinegar, 32 
Vitriol, Blue, 107 
Vomiting 70 
Water-Trap, 15 
Water, Poisonous, 34 
Water Pipes, Lead, 36 
Water, Hard, 88 
Water, Iced, 39 
Warts, 78 
Way to Manage Privies,... 21 
Wash for the Teeth, . 117 
Wash, Borax, 119 
Washing Fluid, 117 
Wet-Sheet Pack, 109 
Whooping Cough, 62 
What to do in Poisoning, 105 
White Precipitate, 106 
White Lead, 106 
Wood Boxes, 25 
Worms, 62 
Wounds, Dressing for,.... 101 
Diseases of Women, by B. T. Trail, M. D. 
The Hygienic System, by B. T. Trail, M. D, DOMESTIC HYGIENE. 
State and National Health Boards and Com- 
mittees certainly do excellent work for commu- 
nities and nations; but the real influence which 
they exercise over the health of individuals is in- 
significant when compared with that which may 
be, and indeed is, exercised by the matrons of the 
various households which make up villages, cities, 
and nations. City authorities may exercise a 
rigid surveillance over all the avenues through 
which disease is known to enter; they may keep 
the public streets cleanly, introduce costly means 
of supplying water, and cause the removal be- 
yond the suburbs of slaughter-houses, tanneries, 
soap-boiling establishments, and noisome chem- 
ical works; but if the seeds of death and disease 
are allowed to germinate and flourish in each 
separate dwelling, and around each fireside, what 
favorable results can be expected ? 
All reforms must begin at home, to be effect- 
ive ; and we would urge upon all parents the im- 
portance of careful attention to the simple sug- 
gestions which are herein offered, by means of 
which they may be able to save themselves and 
their families from numerous illnesses, with their 
attendant inconveniences, expense, and suffering, 
Manual. 10 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
and, probably, in many cases, from untimely 
death. 
Ventilation.-From the first quick gasp of 
infancy to the last feeble sigh of old age, the 
prime necessity of life is air. Air is food for the 
lungs, as bread is food for the stomach. Millions 
more people die from want of lung food than from 
a deficiency of other aliment. The Creator has 
provided the necessary article in generous abun- 
dance, fresh, pure, and free to all. If we do not 
get enough, it is our own fault, for when we close 
our doors and windows the closest, this vitaliz- 
ing, invigorating element is whizzing and howl- 
ing close around outside, seeking to find an en- 
trance. 
People who nail up their windows, stop every 
crack and crevice in the walls, line the door cas- 
ing with felt, and fix a patent thing under the 
door as a sort of air-trap to catch the occasional 
whiffs of pure air which might otherwise get in, 
are barricading themselves against their best 
friend. A man who should so studiously and de- 
liberately deprive himself of the means of pro- 
curing ordinary food, would be pronounced a 
suicide. Is he any less a transgressor-though 
ignorantly so-who deprives himself and his 
family of a still greater necessity, pure air ? 
Every man produces five gallons of carbon di- 
oxide, a deadly poison, every hour. This poison 
is so deadly that the amount produced and carried 
out of the body at each breath poisons, and ren- 
ders unfit for breathing, three cubic feet of air. VENTILATION-AIR. 
11 
An ordinary gas burner produces as much 
carbon di-oxide as six men, and poisons three 
hundred cubic feet of air a minute. A man 
poisons fifty cubic feet each minute. 
Besides carbon di-oxide, the breath contains 
another poison even worse. It is the organic 
matter contained in the moisture of the breath. 
This it is which gives to the breath its foul odor, 
and to the air of a close room its peculiar fusty 
smell. 
HOW to Ventilate.-The only way to get 
fresh air is to obtain it from out-of-doors, by ex- 
changing the foul air within for pure air without. 
How much fresh air do we need ? Every man 
needs enough to dilute the poison which he ex- 
hales sufficiently to render it harmless. To effect 
this, a quantity of air 5,000 tinres as great as the 
amount of carbon di-oxide produced, is required. 
In other words, 5,000 gallons of pure air are nec- 
essary to render harmless one gallon of carbon 
di-oxide. A man produces a gallon of this poison 
every twelve minutes, or five gallons an hour; 
hence, he requires 5,000 gallons of pure air every 
twelve minutes, or 25,000 gallons each hour- 
more than 3,000 cubic feet. 
How Is this Amount of Air to Be Ob- 
tained ?-Hot air and cold air are like oil and 
water. The cold air sinks to the bottom and 
presses up the hot air. To ventilate well, then, 
there must be two openings; one at the bottom, 
and the other at the top. What1 shall we open 12 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
the windows at top and bottom on a cold, wintry 
day ? Certainly. Cold air is not poison. Plenty 
of air and a rousing fire are cheaper in the long 
run than foul air and less fire. 
But will not cold air produce colds, and lung 
fevers, and pleurisies, and consumptions ? People 
don't catch cold in open sleighs nor when walking 
in the wind. Draughts of cold air upon a small 
portion of the body only, will occasion cold ; but 
there need be no draughts. Avoid them in this 
way:- 
Make a strip of board, three or four inches 
wide, just the length of the window casing. Fit 
it beneath the lower sash. This makes an open- 
ing between the two sashes where they overlap. 
Here the air can enter, and being thrown upward 
toward the ceiling, it will be productive of no 
harm to any one. 
Another way: Lower a window at the top on 
one side of the room, and on the opposite side 
raise another a little at the bottom. Place a 
screen of fine netting in front of each, and the 
room will be pretty well ventilated without 
draughts. 
How Much Shall the Window Be Opened ? 
Under ordinary circumstances, allow one inch 
inlet and outlet, in vertical measurement, for 
each occupant of a room. 
The old-fashioned fire-place was a most efficient 
ventilator. It is a good omen that fire-places are 
again coming into use. No residence should be FOUL ODORS. 
13 
built without one. The most fashionable parlors 
in the large cities are now heated by them. 
If flues are used in ventilating rooms, it is ab- 
solutely necessary that the air in them should be 
heated several degrees higher than that in the 
rooms, to secure a draught. There should be two 
openings into the flue; one near the ceiling, and 
the other at the floor. 
Never sleep in a room which is unventilated. 
To Destroy Foul Odors.-Abundance of 
fresh air is the best deodorizer. There is no sub- 
stitute for ventilation. Pure air washes away 
foul smells as water washes away dirt. One re- 
moves solid filth, the other gaseous filth. If the 
offensive body is movable, be sure to remove it. 
If not, apply something to destroy it. Several 
agents will effect this. 
If it can be safely done, set fire to the foul 
mass; or, if this is undesirable, heat it almost to 
the burning point. 
Apply very dry, finely pulverized earth. 
Clay is the best material. Finely powdered 
charcoal which has been freshly burned, is quite 
as good as earth. Dry coal or wood ashes are 
excellent. 
Make a solution of permanganate of potash, 
dissolving one ounce in a quart of water. Add 
this to the offensive solid or fluid until it is col- 
ored like the solution. An excellent deodorizer. 
It is needed in every household. A supply of 14 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
the solution should be kept constantly on hand, 
ready for use. 
Copperas dissolved in water in proportion of 
one pound to the gallon of water is cheaper, and 
may be used when large quantities are needed. 
Apply it freely. 
Bromo-chloralum is a very good deodorizing 
agent, but is rather expensive. 
Chlorine gas, chloride of lime, ozone, and nu- 
merous other agents, are effective when rightly 
used. 
Cess-pools.-Drains, sewers, and cess-pools, 
connected with a house, are often sources of seri- 
ous disease. The kitchen sink is not unfrequent- 
ly the door through which the germs of disease 
silently creep into a household and develop into 
disease and death, the cause of which remains a 
mystery, and is attributed to the inscrutable 
dealings of Providence. 
In the summer, draughts are produced in the 
room, which suck up the filthy gases which are 
formed in the cess-pool or sewer, through the 
drain-pipe-unless it is furnished with an effi- 
cient water-trap, which is not usually the 
case. In the winter, the gases of the cess-pool 
are naturally warmer than the air above, and so 
they rise and find their way into the house, 
filling it with invisible poison, which is breathed, 
and thus taken into the blood, by every occupant 
of the dwelling. Thousands of valuable lives are 
annually sacrificed in this way. CESS-POOLS. 
15 
How shall this evil be remedied ? In cities, 
the problem is a difficult one, unless sewers can 
be replaced by the dry-earth system. In the 
country and in small towns, it is easily cured 
thus:- 
Make the cess-pool some little distance from 
the house. Place in communication with it a 
wooden ventilating flue sixteen or eighteen feet 
in hight, and four to six inches square inside. 
This will carry off the foul gases under ordinary 
circumstances, but it will sometimes be found in- 
efficient ; hence, a water-trap should be formed in 
the drain-pipe, just beneath the sink, by bending 
the pipe so that it will retain constantly three or 
four inches of water. 
A still better way is to connect the drain-pipe 
with the chimney or stove-pipe, by means of a 
pipe of suitable size. This will secure ventilation 
of the drain; and if the connecting pipe joins 
the drain-pipe just beneath the sink, the protec- 
tion will be perfect. All joints should be air- 
tight, and the outlet from the sink should be 
plugged tightly when there is no fire in stoves 
communicating with the chimney. 
Another valuable precaution is this: Pour 
into the sink, at least once a week, a gallon of 
water in which a pound of copperas has been 
dissolved. A few crystals kept constantly in the 
sink could do no harm. It is very cheap when 
bought by the quantity. 
A new cess-pool should be made at least once a 
year, or the old one should be thoroughly cleaned. 16 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
The Germs of Disease.-What are they ? 
They are little animals-animalculae-and the 
seeds of microscopic plants. How do they make 
a person sick ? They are taken into the lungs or 
the stomach. Then they find their way into the 
blood. Here they develop and multiply to a re- 
markable extent, and with astonishing rapidity. 
Some kinds are very deadly; others are much 
less so, and some again seem to be almost harm- 
less. 
If you wish to see some of the latter kind, shut 
yourself up in a darkened room on a sunny day. 
Make a little opening in the window curtain, and 
thus admit a pencil of light. As you look across 
it, you will notice multitudes of little specks, 
" motes, dancing in the sunbeam?' These are the 
little germs which will develop, under favorable 
circumstances, into plants and animals of micro- 
scopic proportions, but in numbers too vast to 
enumerate. These are the agents which cause 
bread to rise, malt and wine to ferment, and the 
housewife's carefully hoarded canned fruit to 
" spoil." 
All kinds of putrid matter, whether of animal 
or vegetable origin, send out immense quantities 
of germs which are of a much more poisonous 
character than those just referred to. These 
latter are the exciting causes of such diseases as 
typhoid fever, ague, bilious fever, typhus fever, 
and cerebro-spinal meningitis. 
Under the House.-Many families who 
wonder why " some of the children are sick all of UNDER THE HOUSE. 
17 
the time," can find the cause underneath the floor. 
Nearly all houses have cellars. Here are stored all 
sorts of things for winter use-dead things and live 
things, articles to eat and fuel to burn, old boxes 
and barrels, heaps of coal, bins of vegetables, etc., 
etc. The coal and wood are continually sending 
up foul gases and germs. Many of the vegetables 
undergo decay and add greatly to the production 
of disease elements. 
Besides the cellar there is usually an open 
space under the other portions of the house, be- 
tween the foundation walls. This space is large 
enough te admit chickens, dogs, cats, rats, even 
pigs, and other small animals, but not sufficiently 
large to allow room for clearing it. Here various 
small animals find a hiding-place, and often die. 
Being out of sight and reach, they are not discov- 
ered even when the stench of their decaying 
bodies becomes distinctly manifest. 
All tire foul gases engendered in these various 
ways pass upward into the house, filling every 
room, condensing in fetid moisture upon the 
walls, and poisoning all who breathe in the 
house. What shall be done ? 
Cellars under a house are rather prejudicial to 
health, even at best. As they are commonly 
used, they are very greatly so. If there must be 
cellars beneath the house, they should be large, 
light, and well ventilated. Every week at least 
the cellar windows should be opened wide to al- 
low free change of air. A good way to ventilate 
a cellai' is to extend from it a pipe to the kitchen 18 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
chimney. The draught in the chimney will 
carry away the gases which would otherwise 
find their way into the rooms above. 
Cellars should be kept clear of decaying vege- 
tables, wood, wet coal, and mold. The walls 
should be frequently white-washed, or washed 
with a strong solution of copperas. The im- 
portance of some of these simple measures can- 
not well be overestimated. 
Houses should be built so high above the 
ground that the space beneath can be easily 
cleared every few months. 
Sunshine.-In caves, mines, and other places 
which are excluded from the light, plants do not 
grow, or, at most, they attain only a sickly de- 
velopment. The same is true of animals. In 
the deep valleys among the Alps of Switzerland, 
the sun shines only a few hours each day. In 
consequence, the inhabitants suffer terribly from 
scrofula and other diseases indicative of poor nu- 
trition. The women, almost without exception, 
are deformed by huge goiters, which hang pend- 
ant from their necks unless suspended by a sling. 
A considerable portion of the males are idiots. 
Higher up on the sides of the mountains, the in- 
habitants are remarkably hardy, and are well de- 
veloped, physically and mentally. The only 
difference in their modes of life is the greater 
amount of sunshine higher up the mountain side. 
When the poor unfortunates below are carried 
up the mountain, they rapidly improve. PLANTS IN SLEEPING ROOMS. 
19 
Throw open the blinds and draw aside the 
window curtains. Never mind if the carpets do 
fade a little sooner. The pale cheeks will acquire 
a deeper hue, and the sallow skins will become of 
a more healthy color. 
A sitting-room ought to be on the cast or south 
side of a house, so that sunlight will be plentiful. 
House plants will not thrive in a north room. 
Women and children, who live mostly in the 
house, thrive no better in such a situation than 
plants. Sleeping rooms should be aired and 
sunned every day. 
House Plants in Sleeping Rooms.-It is 
a very popular error that house plants are injuri- 
ous in sleeping rooms and sick rooms. It is com- 
monly supposed that plants draw the vitality of 
the patient, or poison the atmosphere in some 
way. This is wholly an error, if we except a few 
of the more strongly scented plants which emit a 
somewhat poisonous odor, or which might in 
some cases be unpleasant to the senses of a nerv- 
ous patient. Plants cannot draw vitality from 
animals. Indeed, they are the one great means 
which make human life possible; for if they did 
not purify the air, all animals would quickly 
perish. 
Plants inhale carbon di-oxide during the day, 
and exhale oxygen. During the night, they in- 
hale carbon di-oxide the same as in the day- 
time, but exhale a part of it again, along with 
the oxygen. They purify the air, then, during 
the night, but less than during the day. 20 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
A mouse and a growing plant can live together 
in an air-tight box. Alone, either one would 
die; together, they both thrive. Plants purify 
the air for human beings as well as for mice. 
Plants also remove impurities from the air by 
means of the ozone which they produce, which is 
one of the most powerful disinfectants known. 
The laurel, hyacinth, mint, mignonette, lemon 
tree, and fever-few are among the best ozone-pro- 
ducing flowers. 
The cheerful aspect which flowers give to a 
room, and the pleasant recreation which their 
care affords, are not the least of the advantages 
to be derived from them. 
Beds and Bedding.-A cold, damp, musty 
bed has cost the world many a valuable life. The 
" spare bed " is a genuine terror to traveling min- 
isters, and school teachers who board around. A 
night spent in one of them is a certain cause of 
cold, headache, sore lungs, sore muscles, and stiff 
joints the next day. Never sleep in a room which 
has been unused for weeks, unaired, unwarmed, 
and secluded from sunlight, until the bedding, at 
least, has been thoroughly aired and dried, and 
the aii' of the room thoroughly changed by ven- 
tilation. Never offer such a room for the accom- 
modation of a guest without treating it in the 
same way, unless it is desired to make him sick. 
Feather beds are very unhealthful. They not 
only undergo a slow decomposition themselves, 
thus evolving foul and poisonous gases, but they PRIVIES. 
21 
absorb the fetid exhalations from the body which 
are thrown off" during sleep. By constant ab- 
sorption, the accumulation soon becomes very 
great, and the feather bed becomes a hot-bed of 
disease. Hair, cotton, straw, or husk mattresses 
are greatly superior to feathers from the stand- 
point of health. 
Don't cling to the old feather bed because it is 
an heir-loom. The older it is, the worse it is. 
Only think of the amount of diseased germs which 
must be stowed away in a sack of feathers which 
has done service during a hundred years or more ! 
Subject to all the accidents and emergencies of 
domestic life it has, perhaps, carried a half dozen 
patients through typhoid fever and pillowed the 
last months of the gradual dissolution of a con- 
sumptive, besides being in constant use the bal- 
ance of the time. 
Privies.-As ordinarily constructed and man- 
aged, these necessary institutions are most prolific 
sources of disease. The animal excretions which 
are left to accumulate in them undergo still further 
putrefactive changes, which result in the devel- 
opment of the most pestilential germs and gases. 
Here is where the terrible typhoid poison orig- 
inates. Deep vaults should never be allowed 
under any circumstances. 
The best way to manage a privy is this: Early 
in the spring fill up the old vault, if there is one, 
even with the surface. Raise the building a little. 
Have made at the tin shop a sufficient number of 22 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
pans of thick sheet iron. The pans should be 
about two feet square and two inches and a half 
deep. Each should be furnished with a long bail, 
and a strong handle at one side about a foot in 
length. In using these pans, fill each half full 
of fine, dry dirt-not sand-or ashes, and shove 
it into position, allowing the bail to fall back upon 
the handle behind. By the addition of a little 
dry dirt several times a day, all foul odors will 
be prevented. The contents of the pans ought to 
be removed every night in the warmest weather 
of summer, the pans being replaced with a fresh 
supply of dry earth. During cooler weather, if 
little used, the pans will require emptying but 
once a week, if they are kept well supplied with 
dry earth. The contents of the pans may be 
buried or removed to a proper place at a distance 
from any dwelling. 
For convenience, it is found to be an excellent 
plan to hire a scavenger to attend to the pans at 
regular, stated times. Fifteen or twenty in a 
community can unite on the same plan, and thus 
make the expense very slight for each. 
About the first of December, the pans may be 
removed and a shallow vault dug. The vault 
should not exceed two feet in depth, and it 
should not be tightly inclosed. This will allow 
the contents of the vault to freeze. They may be 
removed several times during the winter, and 
should be kept covered with dry dirt, which 
should be procured in sufficient quantity in the 
fall. BATHING. 
23 
Bathing.-From the millions of little pores 
on the surface of the body there flows a ceaseless 
stream of impurities. As the moisture evapor- 
ates, these are left upon the skin. The require- 
ments of health and cleanliness demand that 
these should be removed. Once a week, at least, 
the year round, the whole person should be 
thoroughly washed with soap and water. 
A barrel of water is not required for an efficient 
bath. A pailful is an abundance. Even a 
a pint will go a good ways toward making a per- 
son clean if judiciously applied. A simple air- 
bath is better than none. 
Cold bathing is not recommended. Robust 
persons may stand it very well, but it is injuri- 
ous to invalids, and to any one if long continued. 
The best temperature for most persons is about 
blood heat. 
In the summer time, when perspiration is more 
free than in winter, the accumulation of dirt upon 
the skin is much more rapid, and a daily bath is 
required. 
Are not baths weakening? The weakening 
effect of a simple application of a little water to 
the surface of the body is not one-tenth as great 
as that from carrying about constantly a load of 
dirt upon the skin which not only prevents the 
elimination of impurities from the blood, but is 
actually absorbed into the system again. A 
bath is refreshing, soothing, and strengthening if 
O' o o 
properly taken. 24 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Poisonous Paper,-Many cases of poison- 
ing, some of which were fatal, have been traced 
to the arsenic contained in several of the colors 
of wall-paper. The most dangerous color is 
green. It is almost impossible to find a green 
paper which does not contain arsenic. Green 
window curtains are especially dangerous. The 
green dust which can be rubbed off from them is 
deadly poison. In rolling and unrolling the cur- 
tain it is thrown into the air and is breathed. 
The same poison is brushed off the surface of 
arsenical wall-paper into the air by the rubbing 
of pictures, garments, etc., which come in contact 
with it. 
It is very easy to test papers of this kind before 
buying, and it would be wise to always take this 
precaution. Take a piece of the paper and pour 
upon it strong aqua ammonia over a saucer. If 
there is any arsenic present, this will dissolve it. 
Collect the liquid in a vial or tube and drop in 
a crystal of nitrate of silver. If there is arsenic 
present, little yellow crystals will make their ap- 
pearance about the nitrate of silver. Arsenical 
green, when washed with aqua ammonia, either 
changes to blue, or fades. 
Poisonous Aniline Colors.-Red flannel, 
stockings, and hat linings, and the striped stock- 
ings which have recently become fashionable, have 
occasioned serious poisoning in numerous cases. 
The aniline dyes with which they are colored 
are used in connection with arsenic, which is not COSMETICS-HOUSE CLEANING. 
25 
removed by the manufacturers. They should be 
carefully avoided. 
Cosmetics.-The various paints and other 
preparations which are sold by druggists as 
means of beautifying the complexion are most 
pernicious and poisonous articles. None of them 
can be safely used. We have seen cases of hope- 
less paralysis occasioned by their use. 
Fresh air, sunshine, a wholesome diet, abun- 
dant exercise, and daily bathing are the best 
means of beautifying the complexion. A sallow 
skin is a pretty sure indication of a torpid liver 
or dyspepsia, or both. No amount of cosmetics 
can cure these. 
House Cleaning.-The semi-annual house, 
cleaning, although not a pleasant experience, is 
just as necessary as the original building of the 
house. Some important things are often over- 
looked in the general hurry and confusion. 
The closets, garrets, clothes rooms, stairways, 
and similar places need thorough renovation as 
well as more conspicuous rooms. The steam and 
gases from the kitchen find their way into all 
parts of the house, and are absorbed by the por- 
ous walls, or condense upon the wood-work. If 
not removed, they become sources of disease. 
The spare bedroom and the parlor must not be 
neglected on account of having been little used, 
for the same reason. 
Wood boxes are too often neglected until the 
rubbish at the bottom becomes exceedingly foul, 
Manual. 26 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
and occupies so much space that there is little 
room for anything else. Wet, souring, ferment- 
ing bark and chips, decaying apple cores, moldy 
leather, and similar elements which usually oc- 
cupy a considerable portion of wood boxes, con- 
tribute largely to the production of many febrile 
diseases. 
New wall-paper should never be put on over 
old. The fresh paste, by its moisture, causes the 
fermentation of the old paste and the production 
of foul gases from the colors of the paper and the 
impurities which have been absorbed. If the old 
paper contained arsenic, the danger is increased 
ten fold, as arseniureted hydrogen is formed, one 
of the most fatal gases known. 
Cleansing Sick Rooms.-A room which 
has been long occupied by a person suffering 
from chronic disease, or by a fever patient, or a 
case of small-pox or other contagious disease, ought 
to be very thoroughly cleansed before being occu- 
pied by others. The means by which this may 
be most efficiently done are these:- 
1. Take out the windows and give the greatest 
possible freedom to ventilation. 
2. Remove the old paper from the walls and 
burn it. Wash the bare walls with a solution of 
copperas, and then apply whitewash to the ceil- 
ing. Cleanse the wood-work with a solution of 
chloride of lime or carbolic acid. 
3. Remove carpets from the floor, the bedding 
from the beds, and every other kind of fabric in DISINFECTING CLOTHING. 
27 
the room, and thoroughly disinfect them before 
replacing. 
4. If still more thorough disinfection is de- 
sired, remove from the room such furniture as will 
be injured by corrosive gases, close the windows 
tightly, and place in the center of the room a 
shallow stone or earthen vessel containing the 
following mixture: 4 oz. each of salt and black 
oxide of manganese, 3 fl. oz. of water, and 3^ fl. oz. 
of sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol. Mix the acid 
and the water first, let it cool, and then add it to 
the salt and oxide of manganese, which should be 
previously intimately mixed in the earthen vessel. 
Stir well with a stick and then close the room as 
tightly as possible, stopping up the crevices. 
Chlorine gas will be slowly formed by this means, 
and it will destroy whatever organic matter there 
may be in the room. It will even penetrate the 
plaster on the walls. 
In two or three days the room should be opened 
and thoroughly ventilated. 
Disinfecting Clothing.-Clothing which 
has been exposed to contamination by contagion, 
if of little value, should be destroyed. If more 
valuable, it may be disinfected in any one of 
several ways. 
1. Heat in an oven as hot as possible without 
scorching, for an hour or two. A temperature of 
250° will do no harm. 
2. If the clothing is uncolored, or colored with 
mineral dyes, soak a few minutes in a solution of 
fresh chloride of lime. Afterward boil. 28 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
3. Soak for half an hour in boiling water to 
which carbolic acid has been added in proportion 
of an ounce to the gallon of water. Boil again 
in pure soft water, to remove the smell of the 
acid. 
4. Expose for several hours in a close box to 
the fumes of burning sulphur. Air thoroughly 
afterward and wash. 
Sick-Room Disinfection.-In such diseas- 
es as typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, yellow 
fever, and diarrhea, the bowel discharges should 
be instantly disinfected and then removed as 
soon as possible. To do this readily and prompt- 
ly, a strong solution of permanganate of potash 
or copperas should be kept constantly in the 
chamber vessel. Large vessels of water kept in 
the room and daily changed will absorb much of 
the gaseous poison. Carbolic acid, tar, chloride 
of lime, and most other gases are offensive to the 
patient and should not be used. 
Keep Warm.-Fashionable dress totally dis- 
regards every consideration but novelty and dis- 
play. Fashion loads the shoulders and chests of 
ladies and girls with warm shawls, cloaks, and 
furs, surrounds the abdomen with ten to fourteen 
thicknesses of cloth, and imprisons the hands in 
an enormous muff, but leaves the limbs and 
ankles exposed to chilling blasts almost without 
protection. The limbs actually need more cloth- 
ing than any other part of the body. They should 
be clothed uniformly from the body to the ankles, SQUEEZED TO DEATH. 
29 
which should be clothed with warm woolen 
stockings and thick shoes or boots with high 
tops. 
Flannel under-clothing should be worn during 
O O 
all but the hottest months of summer. 
Squeezed to Death.-Not long ago a young 
lady went to bed without removing her corset, 
as she wished to grow small. When morning 
came, her friends found her a lifeless corpse. 
Thousands of young ladies are killing themselves 
in the same way. They may not die as suddenly, 
but they are dying as surely. 
If any young lady who wears a corset could 
see the terrible havoc which it makes among her 
internal organs, she would be ready to desist from 
so foolish and harmful a practice. If the oppor- 
tunity were afforded her, she would see her stom- 
ach squeezed out of shape and position so as to 
resemble much more a dog's than a human stom- 
ach. She would find her lungs compressed so 
that the blood could circulate with freedom 
through only a small portion, while the heart 
must struggle to its utmost to secure even a par- 
tial circulation. The large and small intestines 
she would find all jammed down into a heap in 
the lower part of the abdomen, where they do 
not belong, crowding upon the most delicate 
organs of her whole body, displacing and other- 
wise injuring them. 
Any young woman who can deliberately com- 
mit al] of these assaults against her physical frame 30 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
while knowing the consequences, is guilty of a 
crime different from that of the suicide only in 
degree. 
Night Air.-A general prejudice exists in the 
world against night air. In part it is justifiable ; 
but much of it is unfounded. There is only one 
kind of air in the night, and that is night air. 
The air in the house is night air as much as that 
out of doors. All the air we breathe comes from 
the outside. If the windows and doors are shut, 
it crowds in through the cracks and chinks. It 
makes very little odds, then, whether we breathe 
night air in-doors, or out of doors, except that it 
is rather purer in the latter situation. In many 
localities night air is purer than day air. 
FOODS AND DRINKS. 
A man is made of what he eats. Good food 
and drink make good blood; and good blood is 
manufactured into healthy brains, and strong 
bones and muscles. Poor food and improper 
drinks make poor and foul blood, which, in turn, 
is made into equally poor brains, bones, and 
muscles. 
Those who pay no attention to the character 
of their food, but hurry into their stomachs indis- 
criminately, food which is good, bad, and indiffer- 
ent, are sooner or later admonished by disease 
and suffering that the wav of the transgressor is 
hard, and that nature's laws arc inexorable. POOR FOOD. 
31 
America is known abroad as a nation of dyspep- 
tics. This unfortunate condition is the result of 
the universal disregard of dietetic rules for which 
our countrymen arc notorious. Attention to a 
few plain principles would save many thousands 
of lives annually. A large number of the most 
fatal acute diseases have their chief cause in errors 
of diet. 
Poor Food.-Impoverished food is that which 
does not contain all the elements of which the 
body is built up in proper proportion. Perhaps 
the poorest article of food in common use in this 
country is fine-flour bread. The miller removes 
the very best and most nutritious portion of the 
wheat by the process of bolting; for the gluten 
which nourishes brain and muscle is deposited 
around the outside of the grain, just beneath the 
horny covering, or bran. In the center of the 
grain is found almost nothing but pure starch, 
which is so incapable of sustaining life that even 
a dog will starve to death in a short time if fed 
upon it exclusively. 
Of such material nearly all American bread is 
made. Most other nations are wiser in this re- 
spect than we. The sturdy German eats his 
black bread made of the whole grain with a keen 
appetite, and it makes his muscles firm and his 
sinews strong in spite of the pernicious influence 
of his favorite lager beer. 
Wheat-meal, or graham, bread is incomparably 
sweeter, richer, cheaper, and healthier than that 32 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
made of the superfine, bolted, impoverished ar- 
ticle. 
Condiments.-Every day a hundred thou- 
sand dyspeptics sigh and groan in consequence 
of condiments. Pepper, spice, salt, vinegar, mus- 
tard, and all kinds of fats belong to the list of dys- 
pepsia-producing articles known as condiments. 
All the works on diet define a condiment as an 
article which adds nothing to the real nutritive 
value of food. It is simply something which is 
added to make food taste better. Whether the 
food does taste better or not does not depend up- 
on the condiment, but upon the taste of the eater. 
If his taste is unperverted, he likes food best 
without condiments. If his taste is perverted, 
he may like almost any kind of unnatural com- 
bination. A Frenchman is as fond of assafeetida 
in his food as an American is of salt, or an East 
Indian of curry powder. 
Condiments are innutritious and irritating. 
They induce a heated condition of the system 
which is very unfavorable to health. They clog 
the liver, imposing upon it a great addition to its 
rightful task. Worst of all, they irritate the di- 
gestive organs, impairing their tone and derang- 
ing their function. A little practice soon accus- 
toms a person to the disuse of condiments, and he 
learns to relish his food better without than with 
them. 
Vegetable vs. Animal Food. -It is a mis- 
taken opinion that flesh food is necessary to VEGETABLE VS. ANIMAL FOOD. 
33 
maintain human life. This is abundantly proven 
by numerous facts which are drawn from the 
anatomy of man and the lower animals, human 
and comparative physiology, and the experience 
of the human race from Adam's time to our own. 
Flesh food is not necessary to sustain either 
mental and physical vigor, or animal heat. It 
contains no nutrient element not found in vege- 
tables. In fact, eating flesh is only taking vege- 
tables at second hand, for all animals subsist up- 
on vegetables. 
On the other hand, the use of meat is unfavor- 
able to longevity. Flesh food is stimulating. 
It contains venous blood, which is filled with 
such poisons as urea, uric acid, and cholesterin, 
with many others, which would have been re- 
moved by the kidneys and liver of the animal 
had it lived. It is also liable to contain the prod- 
ucts and germs of disease, for few animals are 
perfectly healthy when killed, and many are in 
a condition of gross disease, being only hindered 
from dying a natural death by the intervention 
of the butcher's knife. 
Animal food will sustain life; it will nourish 
the body; but it is not the best food. Science 
shows that it is not the natural food of man, and 
history testifies that the bravest and noblest na- 
tions of antiquity subsisted for ages without it. 
Thousands of people have investigated this 
subject during the last twenty years, have be- 
come convinced that animal food was inferior to 
vegetable food, and have renounced the use of HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
34 
the former with the most excellent results. 
Reader, investigate, and then try it for yourself. 
Poisonous Water. - Whole communities 
have been stricken with disease at once by what 
seemed a very mysterious cause. Investigation 
traced the origin to the water supply. Further 
investigation proved that the original sources 
was some sewer or privy which communicated 
with the water supply. This is known to be one 
of the greatest causes of typhoid fever. 
The water of wells is often rendered poisonous 
by receiving the drainage of barnyards and 
vaults. Sometimes matter of this character will 
be conducted many feet under ground in a per- 
vious soil, by percolation. 
Water from a barnyard well or cistern should 
never be used. No vault or cess-pool should be 
within fifty feet of a well. 
The Filthy Hog.-The hog is a scavenger 
by nature. Uis organization indicates it, for he 
has a regular system of sewers running all 
through his body and discharging on the inside 
of his fore legs, the express object of which is to 
convey away the filth with which his body teems. 
The process of fattening hogs is one of disease. 
A fat hog is one which is grossly diseased. That 
this is the case is showm by the condition of the 
liver. The livers of all fat hogs are masses of 
disease. Every butcher will tell you that he 
finds not more than one liver in twenty among 
fat hogs which is not crowded with abscesses TAPE-WORM TRICHINAE. 
35 
filled with pus. Every organ of the body is dis- 
eased in consequence. 
Tape-Worm. - This loathsome creature, 
which sometimes gets into a human stomach and 
intestines, and grows there to the enormous 
length of several rods, is communicated to man 
by eating pork. The occurrence of tape-worm is 
becoming much more frequent in this country 
than formerly, owing to the free use of pork. 
Trichinae.-Still more to be dreaded by pork- 
eaters are the terrible trichime, which are also 
communicated by the eating of pork. Each 
worm is so small that several hundred thousand 
of them may occupy a single cubic inch of pork. 
When taken into the body, a single worm pro- 
duces ten young, which at once commence boring 
into the body in every direction, lodging at last 
in the muscles. The pain and general disturb- 
ance of the system is so great that few constitu- 
tions can survive the terrible ordeal. If life is 
not destroyed at once, the individual lingers 
along, a sufferer for life, his body filled with dis- 
gusting worms for which there is no remedy. 
No cure for the disease has been discovered. 
About one hog in every ten is affected by the 
disease. No more than one in ten of the deaths 
from this cause are attributed to it, as the disease 
may appear like many others, resembling cholera, 
dysentery, typhoid fever, cerebro-spinal meningi- 
tis, and rheumatism. No pork is safe. 36 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Milk from Stabled Cows.-Milk is not the 
best food, because it contains the impurities of 
the blood of the animal from which it is taken. 
If the animal's blood be pure, the milk is pro- 
portionately good; if it is impure, the milk must 
be likewise affected. 
When cows are confined in a close stall, they 
breathe over and over the same foul air, which is 
always loaded with filthy vapors from their own 
excreta. These vapors enter the blood and poi- 
son every tissue and every secretion. The in- 
haled impurities make their appearance in the 
milk also, which thus becomes a means of excre- 
tion. If it is eaten, the filthy impurities of the 
stable are taken with it. 
Catching Consumption.-French experi- 
menters have ascertained that cows are very lia- 
ble to consumption, and that the tubercle of this 
disease may be communicated either by eating 
the flesh or the milk of affected animals. This 
will account in part for some of the cases of 
"quick consumption;" for it is observed that 
when the disease is communicated in this way 
its progress is much more rapid than under other 
circumstances. When milk is used, the greatest 
care should be taken to obtain it from healthy 
animals. 
Lead Water Pipes.-This is another of the 
numerous sources of poisoning to which we are 
exposed. If water passes through lead pipes, it 
is sure to dissolve some of the lead, which is a ADULTERATED SIRUPS. 
37 
dangerous poison when taken into the body, pro- 
ducing colic, paralysis, and a variety of other 
diseases. Hard water will be poisoned as well as 
soft water, though less readily. Never use lead 
pipe for conducting water to be used in cooking 
or for drinking. If the water is conducted from 
a main pipe in a short lead pipe, the danger may 
be averted by allowing the water to run, before 
using, long enough to remove from the pipe what 
has been standing in it, as this will contain many 
times as much lead as that which merely passes 
rapidly through. 
The Use of Fruits.-Fruits are wholesome 
the year round, and should be more largely eaten. 
Ripe fruits are not productive of bowel diseases, 
as commonly supposed; fruit is one of the best 
remedies for dysentery. Fruits and nuts should 
be eaten with the meal, as a part of it. 
Adulterated Sirups.-It is now becoming 
pretty generally known that the articles sold by 
grocers as " golden drip," " silver drip," etc., are 
largely spurious. It is difficult to find a pure or 
genuine article. Instead of being made of cane 
sugar, as they should be, they are mostly-some- 
times wholly-composed of a kind of sugar made 
by boiling together starch, rags, sawdust or shav- 
ings, and sulphuric acid, or oil of vitriol. 
So much of the acid is left in the sirup that it 
will sometimes corrode the cork of a jug. Its 
effect upon the human stomach is most mis- 
chievous. 38 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
In the manufacture, the sirup is boiled in iron 
pans. The acid dissolves a considerable quantity 
of the iron, so that it is also found in the sirup. 
It is very easy to prove its presence and thus 
prove the spurious character of the sirup. Into 
half a cup of strong tea, to which no milk has 
been added, put a teaspoonful of the sirup. If 
the tea becomes black, the sirup is bogus, no 
matter how earnestly the merchant may protest 
to the contrary. Reject it. 
Cheap sugars are sometimes adulterated also. 
Test them in the same way. 
Tea and Coffee.-Few that use these bev- 
erages are aware that they are daily poisoning 
themselves by so doing, but it is a fact. Tea con- 
tains a poison called theine; coffee contains the 
same under the name of caffeine. The amount 
of this poison contained in a few ounces of tea 
would suflice to kill a man. 
By reason of the action of the vital organs 
against this poison, tea and coffee are stimulating, 
which is only another name for poisoning. Their 
effect upon the nerves is very injurious. They 
are a great cause of sleeplessness, nervousness, 
dyspepsia, and torpid livers. People sometimes 
even become tea-drunkards. The less of them 
that is used, the better. 
Hard Water.-Water containing lime and 
other mineral matters is productive of several 
very painful diseases. Avoid its use. Soft wa- 
ter can always be obtained at certain times, and ICED WATER-HASTY EATING. 
39 
preserved in cisterns. Such water is only fit for 
use after filtering. (See directions for making a 
filter.) Boiling hard water removes a portion of 
the lime. Filtration does not purify it. 
Iced Water.-Copious draughts of iced water 
are very injurious. In the summer time espe- 
cially, iced water is harmful on account of the sud- 
den cooling of the internal organs which it in- 
duces. If drank at all, it should only be in small 
sips and very slowly. 
Eating Between Meals.-The stomach re- 
quires rest as well as the brain or the muscles. 
If food is eaten at other times than at meals, it is 
kept constantly at work. From three to six 
hours are required to digest most articles of food ; 
hence, if food is taken again within five or six 
hours after eating, the stomach is kept incessant- 
ly employed, and becomes exhausted. When the 
next meal is taken, it is unprepared to receive it, 
and indigestion with its myriad train of ills re- 
sults. Late suppers are suicidal. Never eat 
within five hours of retiring. 
Hasty Eating.-Americans are proverbial 
for hasty eating. The student swallows his food 
unmasticated, and hastens back to his books. The 
merchant bolts his meal to save time for business. 
The glutton eats as fast as ever he can to keep 
pace with his neighbors and get his full share. 
It is not enough to fill the stomach with food. 
Digestion begins in the mouth; and unless the 
mouth does its share of the work, the stomach is 40 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
required to do a double portion. When the food 
is sent down into the stomach in lumps, the 
abused organ does its best to digest it, but fails, 
because it has no means for grinding food. The 
mill is in the mouth, and mastication, if done at 
all, must be done there. The gastric juice can- 
not act upon solid food, and allows it to go un- 
digested. Fermentation ensues, and dyspepsia, 
dysentery, cholera morbus, and a dozen other 
diseases result. 
Eight ounces of food, well masticated, will 
afford as much nourishment to the body as a 
pound hastily bolted. 
Alcoholic Drinks.-No well man can ha- 
bitually use wine, beer, brandy, or any other alco- 
holic drink, without becoming diseased. Ninety- 
nine sick people are killed by alcohol to one that 
is cured by it. It kills both well and sick 
people. It is good for nothing as a food, and 
worse than nothing as a medicine. Old peo- 
ple do not require it any more than young per- 
sons. Indeed, it is far more dangerous for old 
than young, because it endangers them to apo- 
plexy. 
Moderate drinking is a skillful trick of the old 
serpent to lead men to drunkard's graves. 
Any quantity of alcohol intoxicates. Intoxi- 
cation is poisoning. A little alcohol intoxicates 
a little; a larger quantity intoxicates a good 
deal. The moderate drinker, no matter how 
small his libations, only differs from the gutter 
toper in degree. THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 
41 
THE HYGIENIC SYSTEM. 
The " hygienic system," or " health reform," as 
it is sometimes called, is very little understood 
outside of the ranks of its adherents. The ma- 
jority of people believe it to be a " horrid " doc- 
trine which teaches all manner of absurdities, 
such as " starvation diet," " bran-bread diet," 
" cold-water cure," and similar notions. 
Some people entertain a still more discredita- 
ble opinion of it. When President White, of 
Cornell University, was performing his duties as 
a member of a committee to examine the health 
commissioners of New York with reference to 
their fitness for their office, he asked one of them 
to define hygienic. " Hi-jin-nicks," said the com- 
missioner, " is a bad smell arising from dirty wa- 
ter"! 
All this popular prejudice and misunderstand- 
ing is found, by a little examination, to be found- 
ed in sheer ignorance of the real teachings of this 
system. Hygienic doctrines have the support of 
both science and common sense. Nearly every 
new discovery in physiology confirms the teach- 
ings of this system. 
" Water cure," " hydropathy," and " vegetarian- 
ism " are epithets which are in no way applicable 
to the hygienic system. Those terms are justly 
applied to certain specialists, who are not proper 
representatives of health reformers, or hygienists 
in general. Like every other great reform, it 
Manual. 42 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
numbers among its professed adherents, extrem- 
ists, fanatics, enthusiasts, quacks, tyros, and pre- 
tenders. These, also, must not be taken as rep- 
resentative hygienists. The public are often un- 
able to discriminate between genuine reformers 
and pretenders, and the whole system is thus 
brought into disrepute. 
Health reform requires a man to sacrifice noth- 
ing but those things which are of positive injury 
to him. It takes from him no real pleasure, and 
deprives him of no real good. It only corrects 
his bad habits and educates him in good ones. 
It shows him the depravity of his nature, and re- 
stores him to right relations with life. It ena- 
bles him to appreciate pleasures of which he was 
formerly unconscious. It cleanses his body, frees 
his mind, unfetters his soul, and sharpens his 
senses. 
To those to whom this subject is new, we 
would say, Investigate it candidly and thor- 
oughly; then you will be prepared to judge of 
its merits. 
HEALTH. 
Sound physical health is as rare as it is valu- 
able; so rare, indeed, that a learned doctor in 
Buffalo declares that health is unnatural to man, 
disease being his normal condition. Not being 
ready to believe the race so hopelessly depraved 
as this, we are unwilling to accept the doctor's 
theory. Yet he has considerable grounds upon HEALTH. 
43 
which to base his argument. According to the 
annual reports of " vital statistics," three-fourths 
of the whole population are sick every year. Of 
twenty-eight persons sick, one dies. Disease, 
then, is certainly more common than health. 
The " statistics " referred to take no account of 
the thousand 'and one ailments that make life 
miserable, and are certainly great departures 
from the standard of health, though not reck- 
oned as serious illnesses. 
Health, rosy and robust, is the natural condi- 
tion of the human family. Sin and sickness- 
the words are nearly synonymous-are both the 
result of transgression. Sin is the transgression 
of law-either moral or physical. Sickness is 
the penalty of physical transgression. 
How can I be healthy ? says the gouty man; 
and how can I enjoy health ? says the petulant 
dyspeptic. 
How did the gouty man come by his disease ? 
He has filled his blood with irritating wines and 
stimulating food until his joints have become 
stiffened, enlarged, and inflamed. Would he re- 
cover, he must discard his port, and sherry, and 
champagne, and fare plainly. 
How did the dyspeptic arrive at his sorry con- 
dition ? He lived the life of an epicure, tickling 
his palate with savory viands made tempting by 
unwholesome condiments; or perhaps, more tem- 
perate, he only took his meals irregularly, and at 
unseasonable hours, or violated otherwise the 
laws which regulate digestion, thus wearing out 44 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
with ceaseless toil that faithful slave, the stom- 
ach. Would he have health, he must renounce 
his dainty tidbits, midnight feasts, and gormand- 
izing. Plain, frugal, regular, and wholesome 
must be his diet. 
Health may be retained, or, when lost, re- 
gained, by obedience to the laws of life. 
Disease is only the penalty which is inflicted 
for the transgression of the laws of life. 
Obey, and live; disobey, and die. 
DRUGS KILL-NATURE CURES. 
Twenty years ago, when a man had a fever 
the doctors thought he had too much vitality- 
too much life-and so they bled him, and purged 
him, and poisoned him with calomel, and blue 
mass, and sundry other poisons, for the purpose 
of taking away from him a part of his vitality- 
his life-in other words, killing him a little. If 
a man was extraordinarily tough, he survived in 
spite of the killative influence of both disease 
and doctors; the doctors got the credit of having 
barely saved his life by their consummate skill, 
when the fact in the case was that his recovery 
was wholly due to his strength of constitution. 
If the patient happened to be less hardy, he died. 
Then the doctors and friends consoled themselves 
with the thought that they had done all they 
could, given all the medicines (drugs and poisons) 
they knew the names of, and wondered at the 
mysterious (?) dealings of Providence ! DRUGS KILL-NATURE CURES. 
45 
After a time a great doctor thought he had 
discovered that a fever was a want of vitality, 
and that bleeding and purging was what made 
so many fever patients die. He announced his 
discovery to the world, and the doctors stopped 
bleeding, and purging, and salivating, and began 
dosing their patients with brandy, wine, and other 
stimulants, with a view to increase their vitality 
by so doing. 
The result remained the same, much to the as- 
tonishment of the savants of medical lore, who 
found no explanation of the difficulty except in 
the hypothesis that fevers had totally changed 
their character. 
After a few years, another great doctor an- 
nounced that brandy and milk was a sovereign 
remedy for fever, for more patients got well who 
took milk with their brandy than those who took 
the brandy alone. 
Pretty soon another doctor found that water 
and brandy-water outside and inside, in the 
form of drink and baths-was a still better rem- 
edy. 
Numerous physicians adopted the brandy-and- 
milk cure, found it superior to the brandy cure 
alone, and extolled it to the skies. Pretty soon 
an observing practitioner discovered that milk 
alone was a better remedy than milk and brandy, 
since a larger percentage of patients recovered 
under that mode of treatment than under the 
brandy system. " Milk Cure " for fever then at- 
tracted great attention for a time. 46 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
German physicians, experimenting with the 
brandy-water method, became convinced that 
this method was a little in advance of the milk- 
and-brandy mode, and finally discovered that wa- 
ter alone was still better than any of the other 
plans of treatment. Then came the announce- 
ment that " water cure " was the best remedy for 
fevers. And so, from bleeding, purging, deple- 
ting, and salivating, we have come to simple wa- 
ter. In former times, the mortality was fearful. 
Under the new treatment, it is very small. What 
makes the difference ? 
Under the old plan, a man was bled, physicked, 
and poisoned with mercury and other drugs, and 
was compelled to lie with parched lips, swollen 
tongue, and a burning skin-consumed by the 
fierce fever fire within, the hot blood rushing 
through his veins like molten lead, drying up 
the vital fluids and making his quick breath like 
the blast from a furnace-but no cooling draught 
to quench his torturing thirst, moisten his 
parched lips, and thin his thickened blood; no 
water to lave his throbbing brow or cool his 
burning skin; no pure, fresh, invigorating air to 
breathe-for an open window would be certain 
death I-and smothered under heavy blankets, 
quilts, and feather beds. 
Is it any wonder that few patients could sur- 
vive the ordeal of such a plan of treatment ? 
Nature did her best to cure, art (unwittingly, 
perhaps) did its best to kill. 
Under the stimulus of brandy, wine, and kin- DRUGS KILL-NATURE CURES. 
47 
dred drugs, about the same number of patients 
died. What else could be expected when the 
call for drink was only answered by such fiery 
beverages as brandy, rum, and other alcoholic 
liquors ? 
Brandy and milk was better. Milk is food; 
brandy is poison. A pint of food and a pint of 
poison are certainly preferable to two pints of 
poison. Less poison, fewer deaths. 
Brandy and water was better yet. Water to 
quench the consuming thirst and cool the fever- 
ish skin, with one-half as much poison and no 
bleeding-still less patients were killed. More 
patients recovered in spite of the poison. 
Milk alone proved still better. Nutritious 
food and no poison ought to be better than equal 
quantities of food and poison. Even sour milk, 
or buttermilk, or even whey, was better than 
brandy. The majority recovered. Nature was 
neither aided nor hindered very much. 
Water alone, within and without, in abun- 
dance, hot, cold, or tepid, to suit the patient's feel- 
ings, proved just the thing. Nature was not 
only not hindered, but was aided. The fever 
fire was quenched, and the skin was cooled. 
Fresh air and pure water were nature's best as- 
sistants. They did not cure, they only helped 
nature and gave her a chance to do her work. 
Nearly all the patients got well. 
The same principles are true in other diseases. 
Nature's remedies are the best. Drugs are poi- 48 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
sons. They cannot cure patients. They cure 
one disease by producing another. 
Do physicians generally know this? Yes; 
they must, for the most eminent medical authors 
teach the doctrine, and many eminent German 
practitioners are beginning to practice it. Why, 
then, do n't our physicians generally treat their 
patients in accordance with the better way ? We 
dislike to say it, but we fear that many are too 
indolent. It is so much easier to administei' a 
dover's powder than a wet-sheet pack-so much 
more convenient to carry a pill-box than a bath- 
tub. 
Every man should learn to be his own physi- 
cian. Every woman ought to know how to treat 
herself and her children in all ordinary cases. 
The best way of all is to learn to keep well by 
doing right; that is, obeying nature's laws. 
Strange Indeed!-"You have lost your ba- 
by, I hear," said one gentleman to another. " Yes ; 
poor little thingI it was only five months old. 
We did all we could for it. We had four doctors, 
blistered its head and feet, put mustard poultices 
all over it, gave it nine calomel powders, leeched 
its temples, had it bled, gave it all kinds of med- 
icines, and yet, after a week's illness, it died i " SIMPLE REMEDIES FOR COMMON 
DISEASES. 
Ninety-nine out of a hundred of all the cases 
of illness which are constantly occurring in near- 
ly every family are of such a character that they 
can be treated by any intelligent mother quite as 
well as, or even better than, the doctor. Again, 
the necessary trouble of going for a physician for 
every trifling ailment, besides the useless expense 
in fees which it occasions, are weighty considera- 
tions. Important cases demand medical advice; 
but every parent ought to be sufficiently well in- 
formed to be able to attend promptly and effi- 
ciently to the great majority of the ailments to 
which all families are liable. 
If children are properly clothed and fed, al- 
lowed plenty of exercise, fresh air, and sleep, 
they will be seldom ill. The same is equally true 
of grown people. Accidents, exposures, and in- 
discretions will occur, however, resulting in vari- 
ous ailments. If the simple directions given for 
treating some of the more common diseases are 
carefully followed, much trouble, expense, and 
suffering may be avoided. No drugs are recom- 
mended for internal use because the cases in 
which they are really needed are so exceptional- 
49 50 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
ly rare that none but physicians should deal with 
them; the less the better, in any case. Drugs do 
not cure. 
Colds.-Tommy, or Mary, or baby, or some 
other one of the children, or the family, has 
" caught a hard cold ;" what shall we do ? Do 
nothing, and let it wear off? 
No; perhaps he will get well, may be his cold 
will become something worse. 
Shall we give him ginger tea, red pepper, 
brandy sling, onion sirup, honey and lard, fat 
pork, castor-oil, licorice, hoarhound, molasses can- 
dy, boneset, catnip, mullen tea, or pennyroyal ? 
or shall we apply a mustard plaster to his chest, 
a blister to the bottom of each foot, and fat pork 
with salt and pepper to his throat ? 
Do no such thing. Such trash put into his 
stomach, with such irritating applications outside 
would make a well person sick. Now do this:- 
In the first place, prevent the cold, if possible, 
by beginning in season. Perhaps the feet have 
been wet, and are damp and cold. Pull off the 
shoes or boots and stockings, and put the feet 
into a pail of water as hot as can well be borne, 
after first wetting the head with cool water. Af- 
ter fifteen minutes soaking, pour a little cold wa- 
ter into the pail. Allow the feet to remain two 
or three minutes longer, then take out, wipe dry 
every part, between the toes and around the an- 
kles, and then rub them until they glow with 
warmth. Put on dry, warm stockings, and send COLDS. 
51 
the patient to bed for an hour, or all night if it 
i» evening. Instead of waking up in the morn- 
ing with a headache, a sore throat, and a voice 
like a cracked fiddle, he will be quite well. 
If a person has really got a cold, and is sneez- 
ing, and wheezing, and coughing, and expectorat- 
ing, more thorough measures must be taken. 
1. Eat little or nothing for a day or two. The 
popular adage, " Stuff* a cold and starve a fever," 
is without foundation. A cold is a fever-a heat, 
really, rather than a cold, if temperature be con- 
sidered. 
2. Rest. Sleep all that is possible. No time 
is lost in such a course. Timely rest may save 
serious illness. 
3. Take some kind of hot bath, which will 
start the prespiration freely. Long sweating is 
debilitating, only start the action of the skin. 
The foot-bath combined with the sitz-bath, the 
wet-sheet pack, the vapor-bath, and the hot-air 
bath are alike suitable. These are severally de- 
scribed in this work. After the bath, go to bed. 
Drink freely of water, the purer the better. 
A day or two of such treatment will usually 
"break" the hardest cold, saving the patient 
several weeks of pain and annoyance, if not from 
chronic disease. Try it. The trouble is less than 
you think; and the results are splendid. 
Frequent bathing in tepid water makes a per- 
son less liable to colds. 52 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Sore Throat.-There are many remedies for 
sore throat, some of which are harmless, being 
simply worthless-like goose oil applied exter- 
nally-while others are quite injurious. The 
remedy used by the Germans-and many sensi- 
ble Americans-is the best. If it is a case of 
simple sore throat, make, alternately, hot and 
cold applications, according to directions given 
elsewhere. If there is fever, cool the skin with 
sponge baths. Keep the feet warm. If there 
are symptoms of diptheria, apply ice in a bag to 
the outside of the neck, and give the patient lit- 
tle pieces of ice to swallow. Lemon juice applied 
to the pharynx with a swab is sometimes a good 
remedy. 
Hoarseness.-All the sirups, expectorants, 
cough mixtures, anodynes, and inhalations ever 
invented or advertised will not cure hoarseness. 
They may sometimes destroy the sensibility of 
the nerves of the diseased part, and so relieve 
cough, but they cannot remove the disease. 
Honey, loaf sugar, and all such articles are very 
deceptive remedies. Cough lozenges and candy, 
troches, etc., are equally useless. They do not 
come in contact with the diseased surfaces, as 
many suppose. They pass directly down into 
the stomach, where they occasion much disturb- 
ance, disordering digestion, and so producing a 
disease really worse than the one they were in- 
tended to cure. 
If the disease has not become chronic, it may HEADACHE-BURNS AND SCALDS. 
53 
usually be relieved by bathing the throat and 
neck in cool water, applying heat and cold alter- 
nately, and wearing a wet bandage around the 
neck nights. If the difficulty is of long standing, 
a physician's care is needed. 
Headache.-Pain in the head is caused either 
by too much or too little blood. If the pulse is 
high and the head hot, while the feet are cold, 
apply cold to the head and put the feet in a hot 
bath. A sitz-bath and foot-bath combined will 
be necessary in severe cases. If the cold appli- 
cation does not give speedy relief, apply hot fo- 
mentations for a half hour, unless relief is sooner 
obtained, renewing the application every four or 
five minutes. Apply a tepid compress last. 
Sometimes headache is caused by undigested 
food in the stomach. In such cases a warm-wa- 
ter emetic is needed. If accompanied by cramp 
in the stomach, apply fomentations over that or- 
gan also. Sick headache nearly always requires 
hot applications. 
Burns and Scalds.-Apply at once light 
cloths dipped in cool or tepid water, or immerse 
the part in water. When the pain is somewhat 
relieved, apply pure lard or sweet oil. One of 
the best preparations is sweet oil to which car- 
bolic acid has been added in proportion of one 
part to twenty. It may be applied by means of 
a saturated cotton or linen cloth laid over the 
part If the burn has not destroyed much of the 
skin, prompt relief will usually be obtained by 54 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
covering the part with the white of egg applied 
with a soft brush. Apply a second coat when 
the first dries. Deep burns should be poulticed 
after the pain has been somewhat relieved by the 
application of cool wet cloths; as they will be 
attended with sloughing and discharge of pus. 
Alum water and carron oil (a mixture of lime 
water and linseed oil) are favorite remedies with 
some. (See " Accidents " for further information.) 
Chilblains. - This troublesome affection, 
though seemingly insignificant, often makes ex- 
istence almost a burden by its constant irritation. 
It is easily cured, but not by the application of 
any sort of salve, ointment, liniment, or quack 
nostrum, no matter how highly recommended. 
Just before retiring, prepare two vessels for a 
foot-bath. Place in one, water as hot as can be 
borne, and in the other, very cold water. Place 
the feet first in the hot water for two minutes, 
then in the cold water for the same time. Al- 
ternate thus four or five times, merely dipping 
the feet in the cold water the last time, and then 
wiping them dry. Repeat this treatment every 
night until the cure is effected. Improvement 
will begin at once. 
Wear thin cotton stockings inside the woolen 
ones, and avoid exposing the feet to severe cold 
until they are well. A general bath twice a week 
is necessary. (See article on freezing for prevent- 
ive of chilblain.) PAIN-FACEACHE-TOOTHACHE. 
55 
Pain.-Acute pain is usually due either to in- 
flammation or neuralgia. Hot applications are 
nearly always the most grateful, and the most suc- 
cessful of any local remedy. Plasters, liniment, 
and leeches are seldom if ever useful. Blisters 
are wholly unnecessary, and are always harmful. 
The most judicious physicians have wholly dis- 
carded them. Sometimes cold applications are 
the most grateful and efficient. The patient's 
feelings will determine which is to be employed. 
The hot foot-bath, or the foot-bath and sitz-bath 
combined, is sometimes necessary in addition to 
local measures. 
Faceache.-Pain in the face is generally of a 
neuralgiac character. Frequently it originates in a 
diseased tooth. Make hot applications inanyof the 
several ways described in the article on " Hot Ap- 
plications." Cold applications are occasionally 
best. The foot-bath, sitz-bath, and abstinence 
from food are useful auxiliaries of treatment. 
When due to constitutional causes, as the use of 
tea, coffee, tobacco, or liquor, or to an impover- 
ished condition of the blood and general derange- 
ment of the nerves, the disease is very obstinate 
and requires constitutional treatment. 
Toothache.-This painful affection is often 
closely connected with faceache. It may be due 
to a decayed or ulcerated tooth, or to disease of 
the dental nerve. Apply the same remedies as 
directed for faceache. In addition, apply half of 
a steamed fig (hot) to the diseased tooth. A bit 56 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
of cotton saturated with laudanum or creosote, 
and crowded into the cavity of a carious tooth, 
will often give speedy relief. The only proper 
and permanent remedy when the tooth is de- 
cayed, is to have it filled or extracted. It should 
be filled, if possible. 
Earache.-Hot applications, or the pro- 
longed hot douche, applied with the fountain 
syringe, will often give relief. A hot poultice, 
continually applied, and frequently changed, is a 
good remedy. Half a boiled or roasted onion, 
bound upon the ear, will sometimes give relief. 
No remedy is infallible. The hot foot-bath and 
sitz-bath are excellent remedies. If an abscess is 
forming in the outer ear, the pain will continue 
until it opens, or is lanced. A few drops of lau- 
danum placed in the ear give relief in some 
cases, and can do no harm. A still better appli- 
cation is obtained by evaporating the alcohol 
from a teaspoonful of laudanum and mixing the 
residue with half a teaspoonful of sweet oil or glyc- 
erine. Incline the head and pour a few drops of 
this into the ear. Such applications give relief 
only by deadening the sensibility of the nerves 
and not by removing the cause of the difficulty. 
Hence, they should be employed, if at all, only 
in connection with other remedies. 
Rheumatism. - Inflammatory rheumatism 
requires the attendance of an experienced person. 
The wandering pains from which many people RHEUMATISM -COLIC. 
57 
suffer, which are commonly called rheumatism, 
can be relieved by proper attention. 
1. Avoid the use of irritating condiments, tea, 
coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic liquors, including 
wine, beer, etc. Avoid, also, gross food, and the 
use of food or drink containing saline matters. 
Be temperate in all things. 
2. Dress warmly and uniformly. Silk or 
buckskin under-suits, worn next the cotton un- 
der-clothing, give great relief to many. Wear 
flannel the whole year. 
3. Apply heat to the painful parts as in neu- 
ralgia. The hot-air and vapor-baths are good. 
Keep the skin clean. Exercise freely. 
Colic.-The usual causes are indigestion and 
constipation. Administer a copious enema to se- 
cure a free passage from the bowels. Apply dry, 
hot cloths or hot fomentations over the abdomen. 
Percuss and knead the abdomen gently, to pro- 
mote action of the bowels. Hot drinks do very 
little good, and usually as little harm. For an 
infant, fold a thick woolen blanket. Wet one 
end in as hot water as can be borne. Wring it 
so that it will not drip, and apply the wet end 
over the abdomen of the child, wrapping the re- 
mainder around its body. It is often surprising 
to mark the almost instantaneous relief which 
follows. The applications must be hot, not sim- 
ply warm, and must be renewed every five or 
ten minutes until relief is obtained. 
Manual. 58 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Nearly all abdominal pains may be relieved in 
the same way. 
Convulsions.-The convulsions of children- 
commonly called spasms, or fits-are usually due 
either to worms or indigestion, unless they occur 
in the course of some acute disease. Place the 
child at once in a hot bath, disturbing it as little 
as possible. It will usually recover in a few 
minutes. When sufficiently recovered, adminis- 
ter an enema to free the bowels, and keep it per- 
fectly quiet. Some advise the cold bath, and 
practice it with good success. The patient should 
be rubbed vigorously during the cold bath. 
Epileptic convulsions require more than sim- 
ple domestic treatment. The most that can be 
done for the patient during the fit is to prevent 
him from injuring himself or others. The lips 
and tongue are often severely bitten by the spas- 
modic action of the muscles of the jaws closing 
the teeth together upon them. This may be 
prevented by placing a piece of soft wood or 
other material between the teeth at the begin- 
ning of the fit. As the patient usually sleeps 
some time after the fit, the brief interval of con- 
sciousness which immediately follows it should 
be occupied in getting him into a comfortable 
position. 
Hysterics.-This peculiar disease is most 
common in women, though sometimes observed 
in men. It is a real disease, and should be treat- 
ed as such. The symptoms are almost as various APOPLEXY-FAINTING. 
59 
as the cases. It may simulate any disease. Place 
the patient upon a sofa, beside which a large 
vessel is placed. Hold the head of the patient 
over the vessel, and pour cold water upon it from 
a pitcher held a few feet above. Apply at the 
same time cold to the chest and spine, and hot 
bricks or bottles to the feet. This treatment may 
be continued for an hour or two without injury 
if the patient does not recover sooner. Speedy 
relief is usually secured. If the patient becomes 
quite chilly, apply warm cloths to the chest and 
shoulders. 
Apoplexy.-If a person falls suddenly and 
is found with a full pulse, throbbing temples, 
flushed face, and breathing hard, he has apoplexy. 
Loosen every constriction about the throat at 
once, elevate the head, secure fresh air, bare the 
chest, and pour cold water upon the head. See 
that the extremities are warm. Call a physician 
as soon as possible. Do not bleed, nor give bran- 
dy, ammonia, nor any other stimulant. Apoplec- 
tic convulsions are quite rare. They generally 
occur in sedentary people of full habit, in ad- 
vanced life. 
Fainting.-When a person faints, the heart 
nearly ceases its action, the action of the lungs is 
nearly or quite suspended, the face becomes pale, 
and partial or complete unconsciousness ensues. 
If the person has fallen, do not elevate the head, 
but be careful to keep it as low as, or lower than, 
the rest of the body. If the patient is sitting in 60 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
a chair, step behind him, grasp the chair at the 
sides, and carefully tip it back until the head 
touches the floor. This alone will suffice in many 
cases. If the patient does not immediately re- 
vive, loosen the clothing about the neck, chest, 
and abdomen; sprinkle cold water in the face; 
slap the surface of the body with the hand or a 
slipper; apply an ammonia bottle, camphor, or 
any other pungent odor to the nostrils; secure 
abundant cool, fresh air, and use artificial respi- 
ration. If the patient can swallow, give very 
hot or very cold drinks. 
A person who is subject to syncope should lie 
down at once when he first feels faint. 
Croup.-If the child can speak aloud, the 
disease is of the spasmodic variety, and he will 
probably recover with a little attention ; but if he 
can only whisper, and the disease has come on 
somewhat gradually, it is a much more serious 
variety-true croup-and a physician should be 
called at once. 
Apply, alternately, hot and cold cloths to the 
throat and neck for a half hour, then apply 
cold continuously for half an hour, then foment 
again. Give a hot bath, and keep the limbs and 
extremities warm. Give no emetics, expectorants, 
stimulants, nor anodynes; all are harmful. Goose 
oil on the outside does no more good than ipecac 
inside. Give the child an abundance of fresh air. 
If the case is one of true croup, the inhalation of 
steam is one of the best remedies. MEASLES-FEVERS-MUMPS. 
61 
Measles.-Ordinary cases require little more 
than care and good nursing. The comfort of the 
patient is greatly increased by frequent tepid 
sponge-baths or packs. If the irruption does 
not appear promptly, or is repelled, put the pa- 
tient into a hot pack, with a woolen sheet, for 
thirty minutes. Keep the head constantly wet 
with cool water, and bathe the face every few 
minutes when there is considerable fever. If the 
throat is sore, give treatment for sore throat as 
already described. Give the patient abundance 
of fresh air, but do not expose him to draughts. 
The diet should be as simple as possible, and very 
light. Slings, teas, sirups, and other medicinal 
agents are not required in this disease. 
Scarlet Fever.-This disease may be treated 
essentially in the same manner as measles. The 
sponge-bath should be administered several times 
a day. Keep the bowels free by enemas. 
Fevers.-Simple fevers may be treated in ac- 
cordance with the directions for measles and scar- 
let fever. If complications occur, as pleurisy, 
lung fever, or other affections, a physician should 
be consulted. 
Mumps.-This common affection needs lit- 
tle more than careful nursing. A spare diet, rest, 
and a daily warm bath facilitate recovery. If 
the diseased parts are very painful, treat as for 
sore throat. Keep the feet warm. If the breasts 
or testicles become inflamed, apply ice or alter- 
nate hot and cold cloths. 62 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Whooping Cough.-No method of treatment 
will cure this disease. The patient gets well of 
himself in due time in ordinary cases, if he is not 
dosed with sickening, poisonous drugs, teas, sir- 
ups, expectorants, cough mixtures, and emetics. 
Good care, plenty of fresh air, a warm bath three 
or four times a week, and a plain, nourishing diet 
are the best means to secure a speedy recovery. 
Worms.-Various kinds of worms infest the 
human body. Children are particularly liable to 
them. For the small worms which are found in 
the rectum, perfect cleanliness, regularity of the 
bowels, daily enemas of salt water, and anointing 
the anus with sweet oil are the best remedies. 
Indigestion and constipation are the chief causes. 
Tape-worm and the large round worm require 
more energetic measures of treatment. For the 
first, the best remedy known is the seed of the 
common pumpkin. Take two ounces of fresh 
seeds, remove the shells, and beat them to a paste 
with an equal quantity of finely pulverized white 
sugar. Add a little milk or water, and take at 
one dose after fasting twenty-four hours. After 
three hours, take a tablespoonful of castor oil. 
If this does not dislodge the worm, there proba- 
bly is none. Many people imagine they have 
tape-worm when they have not. For a child, the 
dose should be about one-half that for an adult. 
The fluid extract of the seeds can be obtained at 
the stores, the dose of which is half a fluid ounce. 
For the round worms, worm seed, chenopodium, CONSTIPATION. 
63 
is one of the best remedies. To a child two or 
three years old give half a dram of the seed in 
sirup or honey, night and morning, for three or 
four days in succession. After the last dose, give 
a teaspoonful of castor oil. Five or ten drops 
of the oil may be given with sugar in place of 
the seed. 
Constipation.-Torpidity of the large intes- 
tine is a condition very common among seden- 
tary people, especially women. It is the result, 
in part, of eating fine-flour bread and irritating 
condiments. One of the greatest causes-the 
chief, perhaps-is neglect to attend promptly to 
the calls of nature. When the feces are retained 
in the rectum, they become hard and dry through 
the absorption of their fluid portion. Thus a 
considerable part of this foul matter is taken into 
the system, permeating every fluid and tainting 
every tissue. The dry, hard residue becomes 
packed in the intestine, and makes defecation 
difficult, and is productive of several serious dis- 
eases of the bowels and other abdominal organs. 
Nothing could be more injurious than the use 
of purgatives as remedies for this difficulty. No 
matter under what form or name they are taken, 
they always aggravate the disease in the end, 
though they seem to give temporary relief. Be- 
sides, these " aperients," " laxatives," " purgative 
pellets," and "cathartics" are the most potent 
causes of dyspepsia. To cure the difficulty do 
this:- 64 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
1. Exercise plentifully and regularly in the 
open air. 
2. Eat no bolted flour. Instead, eat wheat 
meal or graham flour, oatmeal, rye, barley, 
crushed wheat, etc. Eat plenty of fruit, spar- 
ingly of milk, sugar, and condiments. Discard 
hot drinks at meals. Knead and percuss the ab- 
domen gently for half an hour each day, or five 
minutes at a time, and several times a day. By 
regularity in habits, accustom the bowels to move 
at a certain hour each day. Secure an action of 
the bowels at least once each day, if possible, but 
do not resort to the continued use of the enema 
to effect it. Drink a glass of cold water half an 
hour before breakfast, if it does not disagree with 
the stomach. 
Piles.-This malady is simply a result of the 
preceding one. It usually disappears when its 
cause is removed. Sometimes, however, the tu- 
mors which are formed have to be excised. 
Ointments seldom do any good. The numerous 
"infallible cures" advertised, are frauds. Cool 
bathing of the parts, cleanliness, and the injec- 
tion of cool water are among the best remedies. 
Cold Feet.-Cold feet are due to deficient 
circulation. Administer the alternate hot-and- 
cold foot-bath as directed for chilblains, several 
times a day, if possible; at least, twice a day. 
Wear lame, thick boots or shoes, and thick 
woolen stockings. Keep the feet dry. Exercise. 
Allow no constriction about the limbs, as garters HEART BURN-CRICK IN THE BACK. 
65 
or elastics. Clothe the upper portions of the 
limbs warmly. Do not wear rubbers except for 
a little while at a time when necessary. Electric 
or galvanic soles are of no use whatever. The 
feet should be kept perfectly clean, and the stock- 
ings should be changed every day, being allowed 
to air one day, when they may be worn again. 
Three changes a week are none too many for 
cleanliness and warmth. Cork soles are useful. 
Heart-burn.-This unpleasant affection has 
nothing to do with the heart. It is the result of 
fermentation of the food, which produces irritat- 
ing acids. These are thrown up into the mouth, 
producing a burning sensation. A few sips of 
hot or cold water will commonly give relief. 
Sometimes a warm-water emetic is required. 
Soda and magnesia, which are so often used, are 
productive of a vast amount of mischief. They 
never cure, but increase the real disease, and 
sometimes cause fatal injury to the stomach and 
intestines. 
Crick in the Back.-This curious malady 
is sometimes relieved as quickly as produced, by 
stretching the back by bending backward across 
a log or fence. Hot fomentations, with vigorous 
rubbing, usually give relief quite readily. 
Stitch in the Side.-This difficulty is of 
the same character as the preceding. Hot appli- 
cations usually give prompt relief. A tight flan- 
nel bandage should be worn about the trunk after 
the fomentation has been given. 66 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Lumbago--Alternate hot and eold applica- 
tions followed by thorough rubbing and percus- 
sion are the best local applications. Systemi® 
treatment and attention to the general health are 
also required. 
Biliousness.-Every spring the regular doc- 
tors, and the quack doctors, and all the drug fra- 
ternity reap a rich harvest from the numerous 
multitudes who seek to be cured of biliousness 
by purgatives, alteratives, " blood purifiers " and 
" anti-bilious pills." This is one of the great pop- 
ular delusions upon which charlatans and drug- 
gists fatten. The ill feelings which are inter- 
preted to mean too much bile, really mean, too 
much fat pork, too much sugar, too much grease, 
too much mince pie, too much cake and preserves, 
too much fried sausage; in fact, too much of all 
kinds of food, whether good or bad. April and 
May bring the penalty of the transgressions of 
the winter months. Flagrant outrages against 
nature in the matter of food and drink are often 
seemingly borne with impunity during the cold 
months; but if the same line of conduct is ex- 
tended into the warmer months, all the symp- 
toms of " biliousness " appear. 
The proper cure for " biliousness " is, first, Ab- 
stinence for a day or two until nature can get rid 
of a little of the grossness which clogs her ma- 
chinery; second, Avoidance of the cause; third, 
A few packs, fomentations over the liver, and the 
daily dry-hand rub, with a wholesome diet. CRAMPS-PALPITATION OF THE HEART. 
67 
Lemons and other acid fruit seem to have a fa- 
vorable influence upon this condition of the sys- 
tem. 
Bitters are filthy compounds of various nause- 
ous drugs and poisons, and bad whisky. All of 
them contain alcohol. " Temperance Bitters " 
and " Vinegar Bitters " are no exceptions. Some 
contain more alcohol and fusel-oil than brandy, 
gin, or rum. The various " blood tonics," " puri- 
fiers," " invigorators," etc., are of the same char- 
acter. Their manufacturers are deserving of a 
place in the deepest part of the bottomless pit; 
for they lay snares for the unwary, making 
drunkards of the best and most promising men 
and youth. Their pretensions are all falsehoods, 
and their testimonials are either fraudulent or the 
result of bribery. Can bitters purify the blood ? 
Never. As well talk of cleansing a delicate fab- 
ric with slime from a cess-pool. 
Roots and herbs belong in the same category 
with the rest. They are not so harmful, however, 
though equally useless. 
Cramps,-Relief is given by the hot or cold 
douche, hot fomentations, rubbing with cold 
water, and by pressing the affected muscle against 
some hard body, or grasping it firmly with the 
hand. Cramp in the stomach may require an 
emetic of warm water, with a hot sitz-bath and 
foot-bath. 
Palpitation of the Heart.-Indigestion is 
the usual cause. It will cease when the cause is 68 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
removed. It need not be a cause of alarm in 
ordinary cases. If the patient has had rheuma- 
tism he should have his heart examined by a 
physician. 
Indigestion.-Proper food, eaten in proper 
quantity, and at the proper times, ought to be 
properly digested. In rare cases, only, it may 
not be. When it is discovered that an article of 
food is really injurious to digestion, discard it at 
once. Eat few kinds at a meal. Avoid eating 
fruits and vegetables together. Do not drink at 
meals. Eat slowly. Eat mostly dry food. Do 
not sleep soon after eating. If the stomach is 
slow in its action, hot fomentations and gentle 
kneading soon after eating will promote digestion. 
Salt and other condiments are often the cause of 
indigestion. 
Sometimes oatmeal gruel, eaten with dry crack- 
ers, will be retained and digested when nothing 
else will be. Other cases will not tolerate any 
kind of farinaceous food. 
A young infant which is for any reason de- 
prived of its natural food, and rejects everything 
else, will thrive upon a mixture of raw white of 
egg in water-the white of one egg to a half pint 
of tepid water. The water should not be hot 
enough to coagulate the egg. Thoroughly mix, 
and feed with a spoon. 
Softening of the Brain.-So-called soften- 
ing of the brain is not softening of the brain at 
all. It is simply congestion of the brain from CONSUMPTION. 
69 
bad food, bad air, late hours, dissipation, lack of 
exercise, and sundry other causes. Healthy food, 
a daily bath, abundant sleep, and plenty of exer- 
cise in the open air, will cure nearly every case 
in a short time. 
Consumption.-Is consumption curable ? It 
is, if taken in time. The following hints, if care- 
fully followed, will arrest the disease in its early 
stages:- 
1. Avoid all the causes of the disease, chief 
among which are breathing air which has been 
previously breathed, sedentary habits, late hours, 
and exposure to extremes of temperature. 
2. Live in the open air at least seven hours a 
day. Exercise sufficiently to produce moderate 
fatigue, but not exhaustion. Horseback riding 
and walking are good exercises. 
3. Fill the lungs to their utmost capacity sev- 
eral times in succession, every hour of the day at 
least; and cultivate the habit of deep breathing. 
Do not strain the lungs by holding the breath 
long. Keep the shoulders well thrown back. 
4. Avoid all kinds of stimulants and stimulat- 
ing food. Eat the most nourishing kinds of food. 
The chance for recovery largely depends upon the 
amount of nutriment which can be well digested 
and assimilated. 
5. Take a thorough tepid sponge-bath, followed 
by a diy-hand rub, three times a week. The 
whole body should be thoroughly rubbed with 
the dry hand each morning. 70 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
6. Wear flannel the year round ; thick in win- 
ter, thin in summer. A silk under-suit is an ex- 
cellent protective. 
7. Avoid every form of cough sirup, balsam, 
cough mixtures, lozenges, expectorants, etc., etc., 
no matter how strongly recommended. Cod-liver 
oil, fat pork, bullock's blood, and similar reme- 
dies are as useless as absurd and disgusting. 
Be sure to begin in season. A few months' 
delay has often sacrificed the last chance. "Throw 
physic to the dogs," obey the laws of nature, and 
trust in nature's God. 
Vomiting.-If the patient evidently has 
something in his stomach which ought not to be 
there, as indigested food, or something obnoxious 
which has been swallowed, administer a warm- 
water emetic to assist in the removal of the cause 
of the difficulty. If there is no evidence of any- 
thing in the stomach which needs expulsion, ap- 
ply either very cold or very hot cloths over the 
stomach, place the feet in hot water, and give 
sips of either hot or cold water, or little bits of 
ice to swallow. The attempt should not be made 
to check the vomiting unless it is clear that the 
stomach has been freed from its irritating con- 
tents, if this was the cause which induced it at 
first. 
Cough.-Coughing, like vomiting, should be 
encouraged rather than restrained when there is 
anything which needs expulsion in that manner. 
Many consumptives have been suffocated by the HTCCOUGH. 
71 
sudden stopping of a cough which was merely an 
effort of nature to get rid of foul matter in the 
lungs. If there is no cause for the cough but ir- 
ritation in the throat, it may be cured, in most 
cases, by the application of the wet bandage. 
Wear night and day, and change frequently. If 
the cough seems to have no sufficient cause, it 
may be concluded that it is of a purely nervous 
character. The force of will power is the best 
remedy. Resolve not to cough, engage the at- 
tention with something else, and forget it. This 
method will sometimes succeed even when there 
is a little irritation present. Continuous cough- 
ing will produce irritation of itself. Frequent 
sips of cold water, and gargling cold water or a 
mixture of water and lemon juice, will often re- 
lieve a cough when it is due to irritation of the 
upper part of the windpipe. Wearing the wet 
bandage about the throat is an excellent remedy. 
Do not eat honey, lozenges, loaf sugar, licorice, 
hoarhound, cough candy, or anything of the 
kind. They are worthless as remedies, and do 
the stomach a vast deal of damage. 
Hiccough (hickup).-This troublesome af- 
fection is usually caused by a disordered stom- 
ach. Get the stomach in good condition, and 
it will disappear. A few sips of cold water will 
often relieve it. Perhaps the best remedy is hold- 
ing the breath and fixing the attention intently 
upon some object. 72 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Sneezing.-When suddenly seized with a 
desire to sneeze, place the finger upon the upper 
lip and press hard. Rubbing the nose vigorously 
will also suppress the paroxysm when it is de- 
sirable to do so. When the affection is caused 
by disease of the nasal cavity, it will not be so 
easily controlled. The inhalation of steam, and 
the warm or cold nasal douche, or gently draw- 
ing water into the nose, will frequently give mate- 
rial relief. 
Bad Breath.-The chief causes are catarrh, 
decayed teeth, foul teeth, disordered stomach, 
and constipation. The remedy is to remove the 
cause. If there are foul and decaying accumula- 
tions in the nose, remove them by syringing the 
nose with a weak solution of permanganate of 
potash, common salt, or tepid water. Simply 
snuffing the fluid gently into the nose is quite ef- 
fective. The fluid should not be thrown violent- 
ly into the nose, as injury may result there- 
from. 
Decayed teeth should be either filled or drawn ; 
their presence in the mouth is not only a cause 
of offense, but is productive of disease of the 
stomach, besides being a source of impurities 
which find their way into the blood through the 
lungs. 
Uncleanly teeth are quite certain to decay 
sooner than those which are kept free from im- 
purities. If the food which adheres to the teeth 
and lodges between them is allowed to remain. SLEEPLESSNESS. 
73 
it speedily undergoes putrefaction and becomes 
very offensive. The teeth should be cleansed 
with a brush and pure water after each meal, 
and soon after rising in the morning. Once a 
day, at least, they should be thoroughly brushed 
with fine soap and pulverized chalk. Artificial 
teeth need especial attention. They should be 
daily washed with fine soap and a solution of 
carbolic acid and water, in proportion of a tea- 
spoonful of the acid to a half pint of soft water. 
Shake well before using. Do not wear artificial 
teeth during the night. 
When disorder of the stomach is the cause, it 
must be cured, to purify the breath. 
If the contents of the bowels are retained, in- 
stead of being promptly voided, their fluid por- 
tion will be absorbed into the blood with all 
their noxious and disgusting properties. The 
chracteristic odor can be easily detected in the 
breath of persons whose bowels are constipated 
or irregular. Few things are more offensive than 
the breath of a costive child. 
The proper remedies for foul breath from this 
cause are pointed out under the head, "Consti- 
pation." No amount of good looks can atone 
for a foul breath. Cleanliness and wholesome 
diet are all that are necessary to remove it. It 
is a very disgusting thought that the breath may 
contain what ought to have been voided from 
the bowels some time before. 
Sleeplessness.-Eat an early and light sup- 
per of easily digested food; or, better, eat no 
Manual, 74 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
supper at all. Do not engage in exciting conver- 
sation or amusements during the evening. At 
an early hour prepare to retire, determined to 
sleep. Just before going to bed, soak the feet 
for ten minutes in a pail of hot water. Cool the 
water a little just before taking them out. This 
will relieve the brain of a little of its surplus 
blood. Go to bed at peace with all the world, 
close the eyes, and fix the mind steadily upon 
some familiar object until sleep comes. Don't 
allow the mind to wander if possible to prevent 
it. If unsuccessful, in addition to the above 
have hot wet cloths applied to the head after 
going to bed. A dripping sheet bath just be- 
fore retiring sometimes affords excellent results. 
Gently rubbing the temples with the hand, and 
rubbing the spine from above downward and the 
feet and limbs in the same direction have a very 
soothing effect. The warm full-bath is an excel- 
lent soporific. 
Chafing.-Fleshy persons and children are 
often seriously troubled by chafing in hot weather. 
Daily cleansing of the affected parts with cool 
water and fine soap, and local tepid bathing, re- 
peated several times a day, will prove the most 
efficient remedies. Anointing the parts with 
sweet cream or a little unsalted butter, and ap- 
plying dry, powdered starch, are useful measures. 
Cleanliness is the most important remedy. 
Chapped Hands, Feet, and Lips-Wet, 
cold, and dirt are the chief causes. The use of ULCERS-CANKER. 
75 
hard soap, and imperfectly drying the hands be- 
fore exposure to cold are the exciting causes of 
chapped hands in most cases. To cure, keep them 
scrupulously clean. Wash them with castile 
soap and soft water. After wiping them nearly 
dry, rub them with finely powdered starch. 
Washing the hands with water to which a 
handful of bran or corn meal has been added, is a 
good remedy. 
Another remedy: After thorough washing and 
drying, at night, apply glycerine, adding a few 
drops of soft water, and rubbing in well. Wear 
gloves during the night. 
Sweet cream is another common remedy. 
Honey is warmly recommended by some. The 
wet bandage is one of the best of all. 
The same remedies are to be used for the lips 
and feet as for the hands. When fissures or cracks 
occur, keep the edges together by means of adhe- 
sive plaster. 
Ulcers.-Old ulcers on various parts of the 
body are frequently very offensive as well as 
painful. To remove the odor emitted by the 
discharges, wash them thoroughly twice a day in 
a weak solution of carbolic acid or permanganate 
of potash. The application will also do some- 
thing toward healing it. The water-dressing, 
and a strict diet are the best remedial agents. 
Canker.-The small white ulcers which some- 
times occur in the mouths of both children and 
adults are commonly known by this name, which 76 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
really belongs to a much more serious affection. 
They indicate derangement of the stomach. The 
proper remedies are, improvement of the diges- 
tion, washing the mouth frequently with cold 
water, and touching the cankers with nitric acid, 
lunar caustic, or some other caustic application. 
Various astringent washes are used with some 
benefit. 
Stammering.-Stammering is a real disease. 
It is sometimes induced, by imitation of others, 
in those who have no natural impediment of 
speech. It is rather difficult to cure, but perse- 
verance and firmness will master it. Speak very 
slowly and deliberately, uttering no sound until 
the vocal organs are well under control. Open 
the mouth widely in speaking, speak loudly, and 
breathe deeply. One of the causes of stammering 
is attempting to speak with the lungs only par- 
tially filled. Stop speaking instantly when the 
slightest embarrassment is felt, and keep the 
lungs well filled. 
Dandruff.-Cleanse the scalp daily with pure 
soft water and fine soap, and brush it with a 
soft brush. Do not use any of the patent nos- 
trums advertised. 
Sore Eyes.-Ordinary inflammation of the 
eyes is greatly relieved by laying upon them one 
or two thicknesses of linen cloth wet in tepid 
water. Smarting of the eyes when reading will 
usually be relieved by moistening them often SIGHT-BALDNESS-ITCH. 
77 
with water. Never use eye-water or caustic un- 
less under the advice of a skillful oculist. 
Nearsightedness,-If the eyes are near- 
sighted, they should be at once provided with 
suitable glasses, or they will suffer injury. The 
glasses should be adapted to the eye by an ex- 
perienced oculist. 
Farsightedness.-Like the preceding, this 
disease needs immediate attention, although less 
injury will result from some neglect in this case. 
Baldness.-Cut the hair short, and bathe the 
head twice a day in cool water, adding consider- 
able friction with a brush of medium stiffness. 
Keep the feet warm, and maintain good digestion. 
If the hair follicles are not destroyed, the hair 
will grow again; otherwise it will not. The va- 
rious lotions sold for this purpose are poisonous, 
and produce diseases which are sometimes fatal. 
Itch.-The disease is caused by a parasite 
which burrows under the skin. The object of 
treatment is to kill the insect. It is perhaps 
possible to do this by means of water alone; but 
as the only applications necessary are made to 
the skin only, no harm can result from the care- 
ful use of more speedy and effective remedies. 
Sulphur is the most reliable remedy. Take two 
ounces of lard, one ounce of sulphur, and one- 
eighth ounce of powdered sal ammoniac. Mix 
well and apply at night after thoroughly wash- 
ing the affected parts in strong soap-suds. Al- 78 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
low the ointment to remain on over night. 
Wash it off thoroughly in the morning and put 
on clean clothes. Repeat the same treatment 
three or four times in succession. An ointment 
of storax and lard, one part of the former to four 
of the latter, is quite efficient. Perfect cleanli- 
ness is essential to successful treatment. The 
application of oil and lard alone is said to cure 
by half a dozen applications. Mercurial prepara- 
tions should be avoided, as they sometimes poison 
the system. 
Lice.-Animal parasites of various kinds 
which infest the body abound only when their 
presence is encouraged by filth. They usually 
disappear very quickly when absolute cleanliness 
is preserved. If they do not at once vanish, the 
application of an ointment made of one part of 
Scotch snuff to two of lard will speedily destroy 
them. This ointment is quite poisonous, and 
should be quickly removed after thorough ap- 
plication. 
Warts.-If the wart is small, it may be cured 
by touching it with the end of a stick which has 
been dipped in strong acetic acid. The applica- 
tion should be made several times a day until it 
is destroyed. If large and old, apply nitric acid 
in the same way. Lunar caustic and caustic 
potash may also be used. 
Corns.-Cease to wear tight boots, shoes, or 
stockings. Soak the feet for half an hour in hot 
water and soft soap. Repeat this treatment nn- BUNIONS BOILS. 
79 
til the corn is soft, then remove it. The applica- 
tion of acetic acid, muriatic acid, nitric acid, or 
almost any caustic, will effect a cure. Wearing 
a piece of buckskin with an opening through it 
just the size of the corn, keeping the buckskin 
saturated with oil, will give great relief by re- 
moving pressure from the tender part. 
Bunions,-These originate in the same way 
as corns, and require somewhat similar treatment. 
Soaking the feet in hot water when they are in- 
flamed, and bathing with cool water at other 
times, gives great relief. If there is much thick- 
ening of the skin, apply a caustic, as nitrate of 
silver, or lunar caustic. When the black surface 
comes off, apply the caustic again. Wearing a 
piece of soft buckskin, as directed for coms, to 
prevent pressure, is a useful remedy. 
Boils.-The application of heat and cold, al- 
ternately, will sometimes disperse a boil in the 
early stage. When it becomes painful, ap- 
ply hot fomentations frequently, with the wet 
compress during the intervals, or apply con- 
tinuously a soft poultice. The wet compress 
covered with oil silk has the same effect as the 
poultice. The kind of poultice is quite immate- 
rial, if it be unirritating, for its only valuable 
properties are warmth and moisture. 
When the boil is ripe, that is, when a little 
white vesicle appears near the surface, its cure 
may be hastened by lancing with a sharp knife. 
The discharge may be encouraged by gentle pres- 80 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
sure; but squeezing boils is a very harmful pro- 
cess, and greatly retards their cure. If they do 
not discharge freely after opening, poultice or ap- 
ply fomentations. Applications for the treat- 
ment of boils should be made to the surrounding 
tissues as well as to the boil itself, to be effective. 
A carbuncle is simply a large boil. A sty is a 
small one upon the eyelid. Treatment for each 
is the same as for ordinary boils. 
It is a mistaken notion that the purulent mat- 
ters discharged from boils are concentrated im- 
purities which previously existed in the blood. 
The pus itself is made up of the white blood 
corpuscles, the most precious part of the blood. 
The discharge contains impurities, but most of 
them are the result of the death of the tissues 
which have suffered in the inflammation. It is 
yet an undeniable fact that many persons experi- 
ence an improvement in health after having sev- 
eral boils, whatever may be the explanation. 
The contents of a boil are very poisonous to the 
system when absorbed into the blood. 
Felon.-The real disease is an abscess formed 
beneath the periosteum, or skin of the bone. It 
may sometimes be dispersed by the application 
of turpentine or other strong irritants, or by 
holding the finger in strong lye as hot as can be 
borne for half an hour, several times a day. 
Keeping the hand constantly in ice-cold water 
gives great relief, and sometimes prevents the 
further progress of the disease if employed in STONE BRUISE-HANG-NAIL. 
81 
time. Relief is also afforded by the cold douche, 
arm-bath, and wearing the cold compress upon 
the arm and hand. When the disease is mani- 
festly settled, the quickest remedy is found in 
lancing the finger to the bone. Warm fomenta- 
tions and poultices may afterward be applied to 
encourage the discharge. 
Stone Bruise.-This disease, usually the re- 
sult of accident, is of a nature similar to felon. 
The intense pain often present is relieved by 
placing the part in very cold water. It may be 
treated nearly like a felon. 
Hang-Nail.-Do not attempt to cure the dif- 
ficulty by cutting away the sharp edge of the 
nail which protrudes into the flesh. This will 
only increase the evil. Scrape the nail very thin 
in the center-nearly or quite to the quick. 
Then elevate the portion of the nail which en- 
croaches upon the flesh, and place a little pledget 
of cotton underneath. Repeat the operation un- 
til a cure is effected. 
Care Of the Sick.-Every physician knows 
that in the majority of cases much more depends 
upon the care which the patient receives from his 
nurse, than from himself. A careless nurse has 
often turned the scale which hung nearly evenly 
balanced between life and death, adverse to re- 
covery. The following are some of the more es- 
sential matters which demand attention, though 
nothing can supply the native tact and grace 
which are necessary to make a really good nurse:- 82 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
1. Secure a constant supply of pure air from 
out-of-doors. It is not sufficient to open a door 
leading into another room. Cold air may be very 
impure. Be careful to exclude the air from the 
kitchen and wash room as perfectly as possible. 
2. Admit the light and sunshine freely. Di- 
rect sunlight is sometimes unpleasant to the pa- 
tient; then shade the windows with a white 
curtain, which will admit the light. In a few 
diseases it may be necessary to keep the patient 
in a darkened room for a few days. 
3. Maintain equable temperature. More fire is 
needed in the morning and evening than at noon. 
Regulate the heat by a thermometer hung near 
the bed. The mercury should never be above 
70°. Old people especially need attention in this 
particular. A fall of a few degrees in tempera- 
ture is often fatal to them. Avoid draughts. 
4. The linen of the patient and his bedding 
should be changed every day at least. Daily 
washing will not be demanded in all cases, but 
the clothing should hang for several hours near a 
heated stove to air and dry. 
5. Food for sick people should always be 
simply and neatly prepared. Light food is usu- 
ally the best. Condiments should be very spar- 
ingly added, if at all. Oatmeal gruel is one of 
the best articles of food for sick persons. Fruit 
may be freely allowed if of good quality and ripe. 
Beef tea and broth will not sustain life. A dog 
starved sooner on a diet of beef tea than he would 
have done with nothing at all. Give food regu- CARE OF THE SICK. 
83 
larly, as in health. Continual dosing with milk 
or any other food is harmful. 
6. The patient himself should be kept scrupu- 
lously clean. The whole body should be washed 
several times a week at least. The mouth and 
teeth should be daily cleansed. 
7. All discharges should* be kept in covered 
vessels, and should be removed from the room at 
the earliest moment possible. 
8. The sick chamber should be made pleasant 
by tasteful arrangement of its contents, by flow- 
ers, simple pictures, etc. Frequent change in the 
aspect of the room is desirable. 
9. The patient should never be kept in a state 
of expectancy. When a promise is made him, 
fulfill it promptly. 
10. Whispering or low talking in the sick-room 
or adjoining rooms will arouse the patient's fears 
unnecessarily. Avoid it. 
11. Hasty movements in the sick-room are al- 
ways annoying to a patient. A calm, deliberate 
air on the part of the nurse inspires confidence. 
12. Arrangements for the night should be made 
before the patient becomes sleepy, so that he may 
not be disturbed. Otherwise, the movements 
necessary in making preparations for the night 
may cause him to become so restless that sleep 
will be impossible. 
13. All avoidable noises should be prevented. 
Creaking doors, squeaking boots or shoes, a swing- 
ing blind, or a flapping curtain, are intolerable to 
he sensitive cars of invalids, Coal should never HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
84 
be poured from the scuttle upon the fire. Bring it 
into the room in small parcels wrapped in damp 
paper. These can be laid upon the fire noise- 
lessly. 
14. If the patient can sleep, let him sleep. 
Never think of waking a sick person out of a 
sound sleep. Refreshing sleep will do him more 
good than all the medicines and baths in the 
world. 
15. The covering of the patient in bed should 
be several light, porous blankets, rather than one 
or two heavy ones. 
16. Strangers and visitors should be prohibited 
from entering the sick-room of a feeble patient. 
Visiting will often determine a fatal issue of the 
disease. 
17. Water kept in a sick-room should be often 
changed. Never drink that which has been in 
the room more than a few minutes. 
18. Always wear a cheerful face. Do not look 
solemn and anxious, even though the case is 
grave. 
19. Never annoy the patient by questions or 
too much conversation. 
20. Always recollect that nature must cure. 
All you can do is to make the conditions as fa- 
vorable as possible. 
Signs of Real Death.-It has sometimes 
happened that people have been buried alive 
when they were seemingly dead. Such a sad 
mistake can be prevented by applying the follow- 
ing simple tests:- DR. HOLMES ON TRAIL DRESSES. 
85 
1. The loss of sensibility and warmth, and 
cessation of the pulse and the breathing, are the 
signs which at first indicate death ; but these are 
not always reliable. 
2. Rigidity of the muscles is another better 
evidence, but this is not wholly decisive; yet if 
the muscles remain soft after death, interment 
should be delayed. 
3. The most reliable sign of death, perhaps the 
only decisive one, is putrefaction. This usually 
begins first in the lower part of the abdomen. 
4. Another test of some value in doubtful cases 
is tying a cord tightly around a finger. If death 
has taken place, the color will remain unchanged. 
If the heart still beats, the end of the finger will 
become of a deeper color. 
5. The application of a hot iron or other caustic 
appliance will not produce a blister on a dead 
body. 
Dr. Holmes on Trail Dresses.-Our land- 
lady's daughter is a young lady of some preten- 
sions to gentility. She wears her bonnet well 
back upon her head, which is known to all to be 
a mark of high breeding. She wears her trains 
very long, as the great ladies do in Europe. To 
be sure, their dresses are so made only to sweep 
the tapestried floors of chateaus and palaces, as 
those odious aristocrats of the other side do not 
go dragging through the mud in silks and satins, 
but, forsooth, must ride in coaches when they are 
in full dress. 86 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
It is true, that, considering various habits of 
American people, also the little accidents which 
the best-kept sidewalks are liable to, a lady who 
has swept a mile of them is not exactly in such 
a condition that one would care to be her neigh- 
bor. But confound the make-believe women we 
have turned loose in our streets ! Where do they 
come from? Not out of our parlors, I trust. 
Why, there is'nt a beast or a bird that would 
drag its tail through the dirt in the wav these 
creatures do their dresses. 
Because a queen or a duchess wears long robes 
on certain occasions, a maid of all work or a factory 
girl thinks she must make herself a nuisance by 
trailing about with her-pah that's what I call 
getting vulgarity into your bones and marrow. 
Making believe what you are not is the essence 
of vulgar people. If any man can walk behind 
one of these women and see what she rakes up 
as she goes, and not feel squeamish, he has got a 
tough stomach. I wouldn't let one of 'em into 
my room without serving them as David served 
Saul at the cave in the wilderness-cut off his 
skirts, sir ; cut off his skirts. 
Do n't tell me that a true lady ever sacrifices 
the duty of keeping all about her sweet and clean 
to the wish of making a vulgar show. I won't 
believe it of a lady. ^There are some things that 
no fashion has a right to touch, and cleanliness is 
one of those things. If a woman wishes to show 
that her husband or father has got money which 
she wants and means to spend, but does n't know MEDTCTNE TO THE DOGS. 
87 
how, let her buy a yard or two of silk and pin it 
to hei' dress when she goes out to walk, but let 
her unpin it before she goes into the house. 
Medicine to the Dogs.-Many years ago, 
when cholera was rife in Ireland, it seemed to defy 
the skill of the faculty to such a degree that the 
panic-stricken people believed the doctors poi- 
soned the patients; and in some instances, they 
threatened to pull down the hospitals. During 
the while, a physician was applied to very urgent- 
ly by the brother of a cholera patient to make 
a visit at the dead hour of the night, and at con- 
siderable distance from his residence. Being un- 
able to attend, he carefully prepared and gave 
the messenger medicines suited to the emergency, 
and dispatched him, with the injunction to in- 
form him if his brother was not relieved by 
morning, and he would call. 
A few days afterward, he met the brother- 
messenger in the street, and the folio wing con- 
O' o 
versation occurred :- 
"Well, John, how is Pat ? " 
" Long life to your honor, he's finely ! " 
" I'm very glad to hear it, John; it's an ugly 
complaint, that cholera." 
" Throth, and your honor, it is ; and poor Pat 
had a hard time of it, but praised be the Lord, 
he's well again; and plase your honor, the dog's 
dead." 
" What dog ? " 88 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
" Oh ! your lion or, it's for sartin the dog's 
dead." 
" What dog are you talking about, my good 
fellow ? " 
" Plase your honor, I gave the medicines the 
doctor sent, to the dog, and he's dead ; but Pat's 
finely, your honor." 
Items for Tobacco-Users. -The New 
York Dutchman, which certainly should be post- 
ed, speaks as follows : " The tobacco crop, for the 
year 1850, amounted to nearly 200,000,000 of 
pounds; of this 200,000,000, S8,000,000 worth was 
consumed at home. The census also informs us that 
our ' chewing ' is on the increase. In 1840, the 
consumption per head, in the United States, 
amounted to 2 lbs. and 1-2 oz.; in 1850, to 3 lbs. 
8 oz.; which shows that our taste for filth in- 
creased 70 per cent, in the short period of ten 
years. The spittle made per year by our smok- 
ers and chewers, would, it is estimated, fill a res- 
ervoir as long, wide, and deep as the Erie Canal, 
while the amount of short-cut annually masticat- 
ed by our people would, if thrust down the throat 
of Vesuvius, keep the crater vomiting for the 
next two centuries. Why is there not a society 
for the suppression of this abuse of the salivary 
glands ? " ACCIDENTS ANO EMERGENCIES. 
The injuries resulting from accidents usually 
demand instantaneous action. A little delay or 
confusion, or misdirected effort, in a case of se- 
vere burning, drowning, or hemorrhage, will often 
sacrifice a human life. The following simple di- 
rections should be carefully studied so that they 
can readily be made available at any moment:- 
Drowning and Suffocation.-The chief 
remedy to be used in all cases is artificial respi- 
ration. There are several methods which are 
very serviceable. The following, which is the 
most approved method for restoring drowned 
persons, we copy from a publication issued by 
the Michigan State Board of Health, the Secre- 
tary of which, Dr. H. B. Baker, has kindly fur- 
nished us with cuts for illustration:- 
Treatment of the Drowned.-" Two things 
to be done: 1. Restore breathing; 2. Restore 
animal heat. 
"Rule 1.-liemove all obstructions to breath- 
ing. Instantly loosen or cut apart all neck and 
waist bands; turn the patient on his face, with 
the head down hill; stand astride the hips with 
your face toward his head, and, locking your 
fingers together under his belly, raise the body 
as high as you can without lifting the forehead 
Manual. 
89 90 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
off the ground (Fig. 1), and give the body a smart 
jerk to remove mucus from the throat and water 
from the windpipe; hold the body suspended 
long enough to slowly count one, two, three, four, 
five, repeating the jerk more gently two or three 
times. 
" Rule 2.-Place the patient on the ground, 
face downward, and maintaining all the while 
your position astride the body, grasp the points 
of the shoulders by the clothing, or, if the body 
is naked, thrust your fingers into the armpits, 
clasping your thumbs over the points of the 
shoulders, and raise the chest as high as you can 
(Fig. 2) without lifting the head quite off the 
ground, and hold it long enough to slowly count 
one, two, three. Replace him on the ground, 
with his forehead on his flexed arm, the neck 
straightened out, and the mouth and nose free. 
Place your elbows against your knees, and your TREATMENT OF THE DROWNED. 
91 
hands upon the sides of his chest (Fig. 3) over 
the lozver ribs and press dozunzuard and inzvard 
Fi^. 2 
zvith increasing force long enough to slowly 
count one, two. Then suddenly let go, grasp the 
Fitf. 3. 
shoulders as before and raise the chest (Fig, 2); 92 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
then press upon the ribs, &c. (Fig. 3). These al- 
ternate movements should be repeated ten to 
fifteen times a minute for an hour at least, unless 
breathing is restored sooner. Use the same reg- 
ularity as in natural breathing. 
"Rule 3.-After breathing has commenced, 
restore the animal heat. Wrap him in warm 
blankets, apply bottles of hot water, hot bricks, 
or anything to restore heat. Warm the head, 
nearly as fast as the body, lest convulsions come 
on. Rubbing the body with warm cloths or the 
hand, and slapping the fleshy parts may assist to 
restore warmth, and the breathing also. If the 
patient can surely swallow, give hot coffee, tea, 
milk, or a little hot sling. Give spirits sparing- 
ly, lest they produce depression. Place the pa- 
tient in a warm bed, and give him plenty of 
fresh air; keep him quiet. 
"Avoid Delay. A moment may turn the 
scale for life or death. Dry ground, shelter, 
warmth, stimulants, etc., at this moment are 
nothing-artificial breathing is everything 
-is the one remedy-all others are secondary. 
" Do not stop to remove wet clothing before ef- 
forts are made to restore breathing. Precious 
time is wasted, and the patient may be fatally 
chilled by exposure of the naked body, even in 
summer. Give all your attention and effort to 
restore breathing by forcing air into, and out of, 
the lungs. If the breathing has just ceased, a 
smart slap on the face, or a vigorous twist of 
the hair will sometimes start it again, and may ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION. 
93 
be tried incidentally, as may, also, pressing the 
finger on the root of the tongue. 
" Before natural breathing is fully restored, do 
not let the patient lie on his back unless some 
person holds the tongue forward. The tongue 
by falling back may close the windpipe, and 
cause fatal choking. 
" If several persons are present, one may hold 
the head steady, keeping the neck nearly straight; 
others may remove wet clothing, replacing at 
once clothing which is dry and warm; they may 
also chafe the limbs, and thus promote the circu- 
lation. 
" Prevent friends from crowding around the 
patient and excluding fresh air; also from try- 
ing to give stimulants before the patient can 
swallow. The first causes suffocation; the sec- 
ond, fatal choking. 
" Do not give up too soon. You are working 
for life. Any time within two hours you may be 
on the very threshold of success without there 
being any sign of it." 
Marshall Hall's Ready Method.-This fa- 
mous method consists, briefly, in laying the pa- 
tient with his face downward, his arms folded 
beneath his forehead, and then slowly rolling 
him upon his side, restoring him again to his 
former position. By this means, the chest is al- 
ternately compressed and expanded,'thus imitat- 
ing the movements of respiration. This method 
has been variously modified. 
Sylvester's Method.-This method, which 94 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
has been proposed more recently, is highly rec- 
ommended by many physicians. Raise the arms 
from the sides until they meet above the head; 
then bring them slowly back to the sides again, 
pressing them against the sides of the chest. 
Repeat this sixteen or eighteen times a minute. 
It is a very efficient means when skillfully ap- 
plied. 
Upon submersion in the water, the epiglottis, 
a little valve at the top of the windpipe, closes, 
shutting out the water from the lungs. After a 
time, the muscles relax, and the valve opens. 
Water then enters the lungs. After this occurs, 
there is no longer any possible chance for recov- 
ery ; but as there is no ready means for deter- 
mining accurately the condition of the lungs, 
every effort should be made to resuscitate the 
patient by the means already described. The 
length of time a person can live under water 
will depend very much upon the amount of pure 
air in his lungs at the time of submergence. 
Poisonous Gases.- Carbonic acid (more 
properly carbon di-oxide) is the most common 
cause of suffocation. Chlorine gas, illuminating 
gas, the vapor of burning sulphur, ether, and ni- 
trous oxide or laughing gas, with othei' poison- 
ous gases, produce death in the same way, though 
some of them are active irritants in addition. 
Carbonic acid is heavier than air, and, in conse- 
quence, it accumulates in old wells, caves, deep 
valleys, and other low places. It is formed in 
mines in large quantities, at times, and is known POISONOUS GASES. 
95 
to miners as " choke damp." It is also formed 
in the vats of breweries by fermentation. In the 
burning of limestone it is also produced in enor- 
mous quantities. When the kilns are opened, it 
sometimes pours out so rapidly as to suffocate 
the workmen before they can escape. Miners 
are frequently destroyed by a sudden gust of 
" choke damp." 
Old wells should never be entered without first 
testing the air at the bottom. Do this by lower- 
ing a burning candle. If it is extinguished, or 
burns feebly, carbonic acid is present, and de- 
scent would be extremely perilous. If it burns 
brightly, no fears need be entertained. If gas is 
found to be present, it can be dislodged by throw- 
ing into the well burning fagots or paper. Old 
cellars and cisterns are sometimes dangerous on 
the same account; they may be tested in the 
same way. 
Upon the inhalation of the first breath of car- 
bonic acid, the person usually falls, and thus re- 
mains exposed to the poisonous effects of the gas. 
Under such circumstances, speedy and well-di- 
rected efforts are necessary to prevent death. 
In a burning building, the purest air is near 
the floor, as the smoke containing the carbonic 
acid is hotter than the air when first formed, and 
rises. In escaping from a burning building, it is 
sometimes advantageous to go upon all-fours so 
as to breathe the best air. 
Charcoal burning in a room in an open ves- 
sel will produce large quantities of carbonic acid 96 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
gas in a short time. In France, suicide is often 
committed by this means. 
Illuminating Gas often escapes into sleep- 
ing rooms through leakage of the gas pipes, or by 
reason of failure to completely shut off the sup- 
ply to the burner upon extinguishing the flame. 
People unaccustomed to the use of gas are 
sometimes so thoughtless as to blow out the flame 
as they would that of a lamp or candle, leaving 
the gas to find unobstructed entrance. Many 
lives have been lost in this way. 
Hanging is another means by which the sup- 
ply of air to the lungs is cut off, causing asphyxia. 
A red line around the neck is usually indicative 
of this manner of producing suffocation. 
The remedies in all cases of suffocation are es- 
sentially the same. Remove the patient from 
the cause, or, vice versa, as quickly as possible. 
Draw the tongue forward, cleai' the mouth, dash 
cold water upon the face and chest, rub the body 
vigorously, and apply artificial respiration. If 
chlorine has been accidently breathed, inhale as 
quickly as possible ammonia gas. 
Choking.-When a particle of food, or any 
other body, becomes lodged in the throat, go 
upon all-fours and cough. If it is not expelled, 
the patient should be seized by the heels and 
suspended head downward, while his back is 
percussed by another person. If the body can 
be seen by drawing the tongue well forward, 
seize it with a pair of forceps, or a hook made by LIGHTNING STROKE SUNSTROKE. 
97 
bending the end of a wire ora hair-pin which has 
been straightened. Sometimes it may be elevated 
from its position by mean of a spoon handle. If 
it is out of sight and all efforts to expel it are 
unavailing, press it down with the finger or a 
smooth rod with a rounded end, throwing the 
head back as far as possible while doing so. A 
body which has lodged part way down the esoph- 
agus may sometimes be pressed down into the 
stomach by pressing hard upon each side of the 
neck close to the windpipe. 
Lightning Stroke.-Dr. Fothergill remarks 
as follows on this subject:- 
" Persons struck by lightning are not always 
dead when they appear to be so. There are few 
recoveries from this state, because no means are 
tried to restore the sufferer. In the tropics there 
are many instances of persons, struck down by 
lightning, recovering after a heavy thunder 
shower; and it would appear that cold affusion 
to the body has a decided action in such cases. 
The injured cannot be harmed by the free use of 
cold water, and if only an occasional recovery 
took place, it would be well worth the pains be- 
stowed. The persons so injured should have cold 
water poured or even dashed freely over them." 
Artificial respiration should also be employed. 
Sunstroke.-Carry the patient at once to a 
cool, shady place, remove his clothing, and dash 
cold water upon his body, especially the head and 
chest. Rubbing the spine with ice is an excel- 98 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
lent remedy. Continue the cold application un- 
til the unnatural heat is materially decreased. 
Artificial respiration should be practiced at the 
same time. No stimulants should be given to 
the patient. 
Hemorrhage.-If an artery is wounded, the 
blood will flow in jets, sometimes being thrown 
several feet, and will be of a bright red color. If 
the wounded vessel is a vein, the blood will be of 
a dark color, and will flow in a steady stream. 
Slight hemorrhage will be easily controlled by 
pressure over a little pad of folded linen applied 
directly to the wound. 
When large vessels are injured, greater care is 
necessary. If the vessel is an artery, apply the 
pressure between the wound and the heart. If 
it is a vein, apply the pressure upon the opposite 
side. 
The application of cold, by means of cloths wet 
in iced water, snow, or pounded ice, is a very ef- 
fective means of stopping hemorrhage. 
In case the hand, forearm, or foot is severely 
wounded, it should be elevated above the rest of 
the body and bound in towels in which pounded 
ice is folded. Hemorrhage from the end of a fin- 
ger or toe may be stopped by the application of 
pressure to the sides. 
When a very large artery of the arm or leg is 
wounded, resulting in hemorrhage which cannot 
7 o o 
be quickly controlled by any of the means men- 
tioned, proceed as follows:- HEMORRHAGE-NOSE-BLEED. 
99 
Take a handkerchief or a strip of cloth of suf- 
ficient length to reach around the limb. Tie a 
large knot in the center. Apply the knot just 
over the course of the wounded vessel, above the 
wound. Now pass a stout ruler or rod beneath 
the bandage upon the opposite side from the knot. 
Twist it around so as to tighten the bandage and 
thus compress the artery beneath the knot. In- 
crease the compression until the hemorrhage is 
controlled. A tight bandage of this kind should 
not be retained too long, as it may destroy the 
life of the parts below. Its object is to control 
the hemorrhage only until the wounded vessel 
can be secured and tied by a surgeon or other 
competent person. 
Bleeding from wounds of the scalp is easily 
controlled by pressure upon the scat of injury. 
Nose-Bleed.-Remove all constrictions from 
the throat, so that the return of blood from the 
head will be unobstructed. Hold the head erect 
for the same reason. Inclining it forward en- 
courages the hemorrhage. Twist the corner of a 
handkerchief or piece of old linen and press it 
tightly into the bleeding nostril. Hold it in 
place until the bleeding ceases, unless it passes 
backward into the throat, when other measures 
will be required. Blowing the nose, and bathing 
it in water, increase the hemorrhage rather than 
check it. 
Pressure upon the facial artery upon the side 
on which the hemorrhage occurs, will sometimes 
check it. Apply firm pressure upon the notch 100 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
on the lower border of the lower jaw just in 
front of the angle. 
When the bleeding has once stopped, do not 
disturb the clot that has formed in the nose, as 
it may be induced again by so doing. In very 
severe cases the posterior opening from the nasal 
cavity into the mouth will require plugging ; sur- 
gical assistance will be required for this. 
Hemorrhage from the nose is seldom fatal. 
When scattered upon the floor or clothing, a few 
ounces of blood look like a quart. A very few 
spoonfuls will color a large quantity of water 
very red. 
Bleeding from Lungs.-Blood which is ex- 
pectorated by coughing often comes from the 
throat or nasal cavity, trickling down into the air 
passages and being coughed out. This is nearly 
always of a dark color, and is commonly clotted. 
Blood which comes from the lungs is of a bright 
red color, and is frothy from the admixture of air. 
The amount of blood lost is much less than usu- 
ally thought, and is seldom the cause of death. 
Keep the patient as quiet as possible, with his 
head elevated a little. Instruct him to restrain 
his cough as much as he can, and to avoid all 
violent efforts at coughing. Make cold applica- 
tions to the spine and hot to the feet and limbs. 
Salt and other drugs are often employed, but it 
is exceedingly doubtful whether they are of the 
slightest value, since they pass at once to the 
stomach not entering the lungs at all. CUTS-DRESSING FOR WOUNDS. 
101 
Cuts.-Cuts should be dressed in such a way 
that the severed edges may unite properly. 
Firm clots of blood lying in the wound should be 
carefully removed, with any other foreign body. 
If the bleeding has ceased, the edges may be 
brought together and secured by stitches or ad- 
hesive straps, according to the size and position 
of the wound. Small wounds sometimes require 
only that the edges be thus brought together to 
stop the bleeding. The strips of plaster used 
should be narrow, and there should be narrow 
spaces left between them, to allow room for the 
escape of the discharge, should any occur. 
If the end of a finger or toe has been accident- 
ally cut off, it should be at once replaced, even 
though it was entirely severed. Being kept in 
place, it will be quite likely to adhere and pre- 
vent an ugly scar. If the severed piece is frozen 
or badly bruised, the attempt will be useless. 
Dressing for Wounds.-As a dressing to be 
applied to all wounds, nothing is equal to water 
While swollen and painful, cold applications- 
should be made by means of thin compresses, 
which should be changed every few minutes. 
After the pain and inflammation have subsided, 
apply thin compresses kept constantly wet with 
tepid water. In some cases submersion of the 
part in water is serviceable. 
The various " pain-killers," liniments, and 
washes have no healing virtue whatever. Opium 
and arnica relieve the pain by paralyzing the 102 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
nerves only. They simply hide the condition of 
the wound from the patient. Both are poisons 
which retard healing. 
Bruises.-Apply as quickly as possible a hot 
fomentation. Renew the application every five 
minutes for an hour or two. Apply afterward 
the tepid compress. This will prevent soreness, 
and much of the swelling and discoloration which 
would otherwise result. This is the way to treat 
a black eye, a broken nose, or a foot which has 
been pierced by a rusty nail. 
Sprains.-Apply hot fomentations at first; 
afterward wear tepid or cool compress contin- 
ually. Absolute rest of the joint is also required. 
Fractures and Dislocations.-These ac- 
cidents usually require the attention of a skillful 
surgeon, who should be called at once. 
Burns and Scalds.-If a person's clothes 
catch on fire, wrap about him at once a blanket, 
cloak, rug, or similar article, bringing it tight 
about the neck to protect the head and face. 
Remove the burned clothing as quickly as possi- 
ble and apply wet linen cloths to the burned sur- 
faces. Change every five minutes, applying an- 
other cloth instantly after one is removed. (For 
further treatment see page 53.) 
To burns produced by lye, caustic potash, or 
other alkalies, apply vinegar or some other weak 
acid as quickly as possible. To a burn produced 
by an acid, apply an alkali; as soda, ashes, or 
simple earth. FREEZING-BITES. 
103 
Freezing.-In cases of freezing, the great dan- 
ger is in thawing out too quickly, the result of 
which is inflammation and death of the frosted 
parts; or, in milder cases, chilblain. Keep the 
patient away from the fire. Place him in a cool 
room, and rub the frozen parts with snow or cold 
wet cloths until the circulation is re-established. 
If the patient is apparently dead, artificial respi- 
ration should be practiced as long as there is a 
particle of hope of recovery. 
Those who are exposed to severe cold should 
remember that one of the symptoms of freezing 
is an uncontrollable desire to sleep. Resist it. 
Bite of Mad Dog.-Remove the clothing 
from the part at once and apply suction to the 
wound with the mouth. As quickly as possible, 
remove the injured flesh with a sharp knife or 
destroy it with an iron at white heat, afterward 
applying the water-dressing or a poultice. 
Few persons that are bitten by rabid animals 
ever have the disease. Hydrophobia is more 
common among dogs in the winter than in the 
summer, contrary to the common supposition. 
The skunk or polecat is liable to the same disease. 
Its bite is more dangerous than that of the dog. 
Rattlesnake Bite.-Destroy the poison vi- 
rus in the manner described in the preceding ar- 
ticle. As with the bites of mad dogs, few of those 
bitten are poisoned, and fewer still fatally so. 
Artificial respiration and rubbing the spine with 
ice have been highly recommended. Whiskey is HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
104 
entirely worthless as an antidote. It does more 
harm than good when administered. 
Bee-Stings.-The stings of bees, wasps, and 
hornets are sometimes extremely painful. Ex- 
tract the sting, then apply salt and water, am- 
monia water, alcohol, camphor, or half an onion. 
The latter will often give immediate relief; the 
others increase the pain at first. 
The same remedies should be applied to the 
bites of the mosquito, spider, gnat, flea, and other 
insects. 
Dirt in tile Eye.-Particles of dirt or other 
foreign bodies in the eye should be removed at 
once. If the object is upon the visible por- 
tion of the eyeball, remove it with the comer of 
a handkerchief. If concealed beneath the lid, 
roll the lid over upon a pencil or turn it outward 
with the finger and remove the speck in the 
same way. Dirt beneath the upper eyelid can 
often be removed by drawing it outward and 
downward over the under lid. Then press it 
upon the under lid and open the eye. Blowing 
the nose while the eye is closed will assist in the 
removal of small particles of dirt. Particles of 
iron which have become embedded in the tissue 
of the eye may be loosened and removed by a 
needle mounted in the end of a pencil. 
Foreign Bodies in the Ear.-Never use 
a sharp instrument about the ear in any way. 
Insects can generally be dislodged very speedily 
by dropping into the ear a little oil or warm FOREIGN BODIES IN THE NOSE. 
105 
water. Solid bodies like peas, beans, or pieces 
of stone, can usually be removed by the diligent 
application of warm water and soap by means of 
a syringe. The head should be inclined to one 
side so that the object'may readily drop out. If 
this is unsuccessful after thorough trial, use a 
loop of fine wire, a small scoop, or a pair of deli- 
cate forceps. Hardened ear wax should be soft- 
ened by warm water and soap and then removed 
with great care by means of the scoop. 
Foreign Bodies in the Nose. -Blow 
through the nose with as much force as possible, 
at the same time closing the mouth and the un- 
obstructed nostril. Sneezing will sometimes ex- 
pel the cause of obstruction. A loop of wire or 
a blunt hook may be successfully used; but care 
must be taken to avoid crowding the object 
further in. If it is not tightly embedded, it may 
be driven out by making the water from a syringe 
pass up the unobstructed nostril and out at the 
one containing the foreign body. 
Chimney on Fire.-Throw into the stove, 
or upon the coals in the fire-place, a handful of 
salt or sulphur. Close the stove-draught, or 
hold a board or blanket before the fire-place. 
What to Do in Poisoning. - Give an 
emetic at once, which may consist simply of tep- 
id water in large quantities, or the same with the 
addition of mustard or common salt. After drink- 
ing several cupfuls, tickle the throat with the 
Manual. 106 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
finger or a feather. Continue taking a cupful 
every two or three minutes until vomiting occurs. 
Individual poisons require special remedies. The 
following lists comprise the most common poi- 
sons and their antidotes:- 
Vegetable Poisons.-Opium, Morphia, Camphor, Aco- 
nite, Laudanum, Paregoric, Strychnia, Tobacco, Lobe- 
lia, Arnica, and other vegetable poisons require the 
emetic and the application of a stomach pump if possible. 
Milk and mucilaginous drinks should be given freely af- 
ter thorough vomiting. Artificial respiration should be 
employed in poisoning by strichnia and opium. The 
cold douche is also excellent in poisoning by the latter 
drug. Keep the patient awake, if possible, by making 
him walk about. 
Acids.-Sulphuric (oil of vitriol), Nitric (aqua fortis), 
Hydrochloric (muriatic), and Oxalic Acids, are the more 
common. Drink largely of water at once. Acids are 
neutralized by alkalies. Calcined magnesia is the best 
antidote. Chalk (powdered), whiting, lime, weak lye, 
and strong soap-suds, are the best substitutes. Some- 
thing must be done quickly in case of poisoning by acids. 
Alkalies.-The most common which are sources of 
poisoning are Ammonia, Potash, Soda, Pearlash, Lye 
(from wood ashes), and Salts of Tartar. Drink copiously 
of weak vinegar or lemon juice. Afterward take some 
mucilaginous drink, or oil. 
Mineral Poisons.- For Corrosive Sublimate, White 
Precipitate, Ped Precipitate, and Vermilion, take the 
whites of several eggs in a quart of tepid water. Soap- 
suds thickened a little with wheat flour is the best sub- 
stitute for eggs. No other emetic is necessary. 
Arsenic, Cobalt (fly powder), Ratsbane, Paris Green, 
and other compounds containing Arsenic, should be ex- 
pelled by vomiting as soon as possible. Then administer 
quite large doses of calcined magnesia. WHAT TO DO IN POISONING. 
107 
Acetate of Lead, White Lead, Litharge, and Salt- 
petre, require an emetic followed by oil or mucilage. 
For Lunar Caustic (nitrate of silver), administer half a 
tablespoonful of salt in a pint of water. 
The antidote for Matches or Phosphorus is calcined 
magnesia, followed by soothing fluids. 
Antidotes for Verdigris and Blue Vitriol (sulphate of 
copper), are eggs, milk, and soda. 
Alcoholic Poisoning.-A man found "dead drunk" 
should be treated like any other case of narcotic poison- 
ing, as from opium. 
Chronic Poisoning by Lead, Opium, Tobacco, or any 
other drug which has been received into the system for a 
long time, requires, first, that the cause be wholly re- 
moved at once ; second, attention to the general health. 
In the case of Opium and Tobacco, the disuse of the 
drugs is attended with a good deal of unpleasant feeling 
on the part of the patient. He feels as though he will 
certainly die. His fears are groundless. He is in much 
less danger of dying than before. 
Poisonous Candies and Food.-The paints used in the 
manufacture of candies are poisonous, and often sicken 
those who eat the candies, sometimes fatally in the case 
of children. 
Fish and meat, either fresh or canned, are frequently 
sources of poisoning. Decayed fruit or other food, shell- 
fish, and mushrooms, are often productive of injury in 
the same way. Such cases should be treated on the gen- 
eral principles relating to poisoning. 
Soda Water.-The water nearly always contains lead. 
The sirups are most wretched imitations of natural flavors, 
and are made from such things as old cheese, tar, and 
mineral acids. 108 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
BATHS, PACKS, FOMENTATIONS, Etc. 
Water, applied in the various modes in which 
it may be, is one of the most potent of remedies. 
Wrongly applied, it may be productive of great 
harm. The following are a few general rules 
which should always govern its use:- 
1. Never bathe when exhausted or within three 
hours after eating, unless the bath be confined to 
a very small portion of the body. 
2. Never bathe when cooling off after profuse 
sweating, as reaction will then often be deficient. 
3. Always wet the head before taking any form 
of bath to prevent determination of blood to the 
head. 
4. If the bath be a warm one, always conclude 
it with an application of water which is a few de- 
grees cooler than the bodily temperature. 
5. Be careful to thoroughly dry the patient 
after his bath, rubbing vigorously to prevent 
chilling. 
6. The most favorable time for taking a bath 
is between the hours of ten and twelve in the 
forenoon. 
7. The temperature of the room should be at 
about 80° or 85°. 
8. Baths should usually be of a temperature 
which will be the most agreeable to the patient. 
Cold baths are seldom required. Too much hot 
bathing is debilitating. 
The following are brief descriptions of the BATHS-TACKS-FOMENTATIONS. 
109 
more important baths applicable in the home 
treatment of disease :- 
Sponge-Bath.-This bath consists in rubbing the whole 
body with a sponge or towel wet in water of an agreeable 
temperature ; is most useful for a general ablution. 
Sitz-Bath.-A tub made especially for the purpose, or 
a common wash-tub, may be employed. Place in the 
vessel sufficient water to cover the hips and lower part of 
the abdomen. The patient or an attendant should rub 
and knead the abdomen during the bath. The water 
should be of a temperature ranging from 85° to 98°, ac- 
cording to the condition of the patient. Cover the pa- 
tient during the bath. 
Wet-Sheet Pack.-Spread two or three comfortables 
upon a bed or mattress. Spread over the whole a woolen 
sheet. Wring out of water of the desired temperature a 
linen or cotton sheet. Spread it quickly upon the bed, 
and let the patient immediately lie down in the middle. 
Then quickly envelop him in the wet sheet, wrapping 
him snugly from head to foot. Then cover him with the 
comfortables, and let him remain quiet as long as re- 
quired. Elevate the head a little, and use care to have 
the feet warm. Half-packs may be taken in a similar 
manner, confining the application to the trunk of the 
body. 
Chest-Wrapper.-The wrapper should be made of 
coarse cloth, and should be shaped so as to fit the chest. 
Apply it after wringing just sufficiently to prevent drip- 
ping. Cover with a light, dry flannel wrapper. Change 
three or four times a day. 
Half-Bath.-For this bath is required a vessel of suffi- 
cient size to allow the patient to sit upright with his 
limbs extended. Enough water to cover the limbs, 
thighs, and lower part of the abdomen, is necessary. 
During the bath, the attendant should rub vigorously 
the limbs, back, chest, and abdomen, of the patient. 110 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
Pail-Douche.-This consists in pouring water over the 
shoulders of the patient. It is often employed to tone 
up the surface after a hot bath. 
Compresses.-Apply wet cloths in the same manner as 
in fomentations, wetting them in either cold, cool, or 
tepid water, according to the effect desired. 
Rubbing-Wet-Sheet.-This bath consists in envelop- 
ing the patient in a wet sheet, and rubbing him briskly 
with the hand outside the sheet. 
Fomentations.-Wring out of water as hot as can well 
be borne, a folded flannel cloth, and apply it quickly to 
the part to be treated. Cover with a dry cloth, and 
change once in five minutes. 
Hot Applications.-Besides fomentations, heat may 
be applied in several other ways. Bottles filled with hot 
water, hot bricks or stones wrapped in papers or cloths, 
hot cloths, bags filled with hot sand, salt, or corn meal, 
and rubber bags filled with hot water, are convenient 
methods of applying dry heat. 
Moisture and heat may be applied in a variety of ways 
also. Instead of wringing cloths out of hot water, put 
them in a steamer for a few minutes. This saves the 
trouble of wringing them. When there is no water hot, 
and a fomentation is wanted quickly, wring a cloth out of 
cold water, spread it between the folds of a newspaper, 
and lay the paper upon the top of the stove, or press it 
against the side. In a minute it will be hot. Wrap 
stones or bricks in a moist cloth. Poultices of various 
sorts answer the same purpose. 
All hot applications should be renewed every few min- 
utes until the desired effect is obtained. 
Vapor-Bath.-Place the patient in a chair which has a 
wooden bottom, beneath which place a pail half filled with 
water. Surround the patient completely, chair and all, 
with a woolen blanket, leaving only his head visible ; 
even this may be covered a little while at a time in cases 
of neuralgia, if desired. Add other blankets sufficient for USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
111 
warmth. Now raise the blankets a little, behind, and 
place in the pail a stone or brick which has been heated 
sufficiently hot to hiss when it touches the water. Do 
.not drop it into the water at once, but let it in gradually. 
As this becomes cool, add another in the same way. The 
bath should not usually be continued more than twenty 
minutes. Wash off quickly with tepid water upon coming 
out of the bath. The head should be wet from the first. 
Hot-Air Bath.-Prepare the patient in the same man- 
ner as directed for the vapor-bath. Instead of the pail 
of water, place beneath the chair a cup containing a 
small quantity of alcohol. Wet the head well, and then 
light the alcohol. Wash with tepid water after the bath, 
and be careful to avoid taking cold. 
Enemas.-An enema is a small portion of water thrown 
into the rectum by means of a syringe. The water may 
be either cool, tepid, or warm, as occasion may require. 
USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
Soap to Remove Grease Spots.-Take equal parts of 
soft soap and fuller's earth. After beating well together, 
form into cakes. Moisten the spot, and rub the soap 
upon it. Allow it to dry, then rub it well, with warm 
water, rinse, and dry. 
To Remove Grease from Silk,-Grease may be removed 
from silk and other delicate fabrics, thus: Upon a 
smooth surface spread a woolen cloth. Lay upon this 
the silk with the right side down. Over the grease spot 
lay a piece of coarse brown paper. Place upon this a 
flat-iron sufficiently hot to just scorch the paper. A very 
few seconds will suffice. Remove the flat-iron and paper 
and rub the spot briskly with a piece of paper. 112 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
If this is not quite successful, apply a little powdered 
chalk or magnesia to the spot, under the brown paper, 
before applying the flat-iron. 
To Restore Color.-When the color has been destroyed 
by acids, apply a little ammonia (hartshorn). The res- 
toration will be the more perfect, the more recent the ap- 
plication of the acid. 
To Remove Stains from the Hands.-For fruit stains, 
apply a solution of oxalic acid, and wash quickly. Another 
way : Light a sulphur match and clasp the hand about it 
while the sulphur is burning. 
Removing' Fruit Stains.-Pour boiling water upon the 
stained spot, and it will usually disappear. This should 
be done before the spot has been wet with anything else. 
Ink Stains.-Apply a solution of oxalic acid to the 
spot, and wash quickly. If a reddish stain is left, apply 
a solution of chloride of lime. 
To Remove Mildew.-Wet the linen, apply soap to the 
spot, and then apply fuller's earth or salt and lemon juice 
to both sides. Air for a few hours. Or, soap the spot, 
and then apply finely powdered chalk, rubbing it in very 
thoroughly. 
Chloride of lime will remove mildew. Dissolve one 
ounce in two quarts of water. Steep the linen in the so- 
lution all day. 
To Remove Paint from Cloth.-Apply spirits of tur- 
pentine with a sponge. After an hour or two, rub the 
spot as in washing, and the paint will crumble off. 
To Remove Paint from Wood.-Apply to it a strong 
solution of oxalic acid, when it will easily crumble off. 
It may be removed from glass or metal in the same way. 
Cements for Glass and China.-1. Mix thoroughly an 
ounce of pure white lead in oil with ten grains of finely 
powdered acetate of lead. Apply at once, and allow the 
mended article to dry two weeks before it is used. 
2. Rub old cheese to a fine thick paste with a little wa- USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
113 
ter. Add. one-fourth pulverized lime. One of the best 
cements for glass, porcelain, stone, and wood. 
3. Burn oyster shells, pulverize fine, and mix to a 
thick paste with white of egg. Apply at once to the edges 
of the glass. Secure them tightly together until dry. 
Freshly burned lime will do, but is not so good. The ce- 
ment must be made when used. 
4. Soak Russian isinglass in water over night, to soften. 
Then heat until it is dissolved ; mends china and glass. 
Cements for Wood.-1. In a pint of soft water dis- 
solve 6 ozs. of best glue. Remove from the fire and add 
i oz. of white lead, stirring it in well. Then stir in 3 
gills of whisky. This cement will remain thin at all or- 
dinary temperatures. It should be warmed and well 
stirred when it is to be applied. Good for wood, marble, 
glass, and china. 
2. Dissolve a pound of glue in three pints of water. 
Add 2 ozs. of powdered chalk and J oz. of borax. 
Liquid Glue.-Fill a bottle two-thirds full of common 
glue. Fill the bottle with whisky. It will dissolve in a 
few days, when it will be ready for use. Must be kept 
tightly corked. 
Cements for Iron.-Take equal parts of sulphur and 
white lead, with about a sixth of borax, mixing them so 
as to form a homogeneous mass. When about to apply 
it, wet it with sulphuric acid and place a thin layer of it 
between the two pieces of iron, which should then be 
pressed together. In a week it will be perfectly solid, 
and no traces of the cement will be apparent. This ce- 
ment is said to be so strong that it will resist the blows 
of a sledge hammer. 
2. Mix to a paste with vinegar 5 parts clay, 1 part 
salt, and 15 parts of iron filings. It will stand heat. 
Cement far Stoneware.-To a cold solution of alum 
add plaster of Paris sufficient to make a rather thick 
paste. Use at once. It sets rather slowly, but is an ex- 
cellent cement for mending broken crockery, eventually 
becoming as hard as stone. 114 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
How to Remove Rust from Clothing.-Oxalic acid will 
take rust or any other stain out of white goods. Dis- 
solve a small quantity in boiling water and dip the spots 
in. The acid can be got at any drug store. Another 
way is to saturate the spots with lemon juice and spread 
the cloth in the sun ; if it do n't take out all the rust the 
first time, repeat the application. 
To Clean Looking-Glasses.-Wash with a sponge wet 
in lukewarm soap-suds. Wipe dry, and rub with buckskin 
or a newspaper and finely powdered chalk. Polish win- 
dows in the same way. 
To Cleanse the Hair.-Hub thoroughly into the hair 
the white of an egg. Wash with soft water until the egg 
is entirely removed. This leaves the hair soft and plia- 
ble. Never use alkalies or coarse soap on the hair. 
Lotion for Fetid Perspiration.-Permanganate of pot- 
ash, 1 dr., dissolved in half a pint of water. Wash the 
part twice a day. A wash of weak vinegar is quite as 
efficient in some cases. 
Durable Whitewash.-Slack, with abundance of hot 
water, half a bushel of lime, stirring briskly meanwhile. 
When completely slacked, add sufficient water to dissolve. 
To this add two pounds of sulphate of zinc (white vitriol) 
and one pound of common salt. The last-named ingredi- 
ents cause the wash to harden, and prevent cracking. If 
a cream color is desired, add yellow ochre. For stone 
color, add raw umber and lampblack. 
K alsomhiing Fluid.-The following is well recommend- 
ed for walls : White glue, 1 lb. ; white zinc, 10 lbs.; 
Paris white, 5 lbs. Soak the glue over night in 3 qts. of 
water. Add an equal quantity of water, and heat on a 
water bath until the glue is dissolved. Put the two 
powders into another vessel. Pour on hot water while 
stirring, until of the consistency of thick milk. Mix 
the two liquids thoroughly, and apply to the walls with 
a whitewash brush. USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
115 
To Preserve Steel from Rust.-Cover the surface with 
finely powdered unslacked lime. The surface may first 
be smeared with melted tallow before the lime is sprinkled 
on, to cause it to adhere. 
To Clean Leather.-Leather which is uncolored may be 
easily cleaned by wiping it with a sponge moistened in a 
solution of oxalic acid. 
To Make Cloth Water-Proof.-In a bucket of soft wa- 
ter put i lb. sugar of lead and i lb. powdered alum. Stir 
occasionally until the solution becomes clear, then pour 
it off into another bucket, and immerse the garment in 
it. Allow the garment to remain in the solution twenty- 
four hours. Scotch tweed is the best material for a wa- 
ter-proof cloak. 
There are several other methods : 1. Moisten the cloth 
on the wrong side with a weak solution of isinglass. 
When this is dry, apply a solution of nut-galls. 2. 
Moisten with a strong solution of soap, and then with a 
solution of alum. 3. Spread the cloth on a smooth sur- 
face with the wrong side up. Rub it with pure bees-wax 
until it is gray. Pass a hot iron over it, and blush it 
while still warm. 
To Make Cloth Uninflammable.-1. To a quart of boil- 
ing water add 1 lb. chloride of calcium, and 1 lb. acetate 
of lime. Moisten the fabric in the solution, and dry. 
2. Moisten the goods in a solution of phosphate of am- 
monia. Dry with a warm flat-iron. 
Carron Oil.-Mix equal parts of linseed oil and lime 
water. Shake well. Good for burns. 
Fire-Proof Paint for Roofs.-Slack stone-lime in a 
covered vessel. Take 6 qts. of the slacked lime, after it 
has been passed through a sieve, add 1 qt. of salt, and 1 
gal. of water. Boil and skim. Add | lb. powdered alum, 
j lb. pulverized copperas. Then slowly add 6 ozs. of 
powdered potash. Finish by the addition of 2 lbs. of 
fine sand. Apply to the rcof with a brush. It may be 116 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
colored as desired ; is very durable, and stops leaks in the 
roof. 
Starch Polish,-1. Melt together at a gentle heat 1 oz. 
white wax and 2 ozs. spermaceti. Add a piece the size of 
a pea to starch sufficient for a dozen pieces. 
2. Dissolve 2 ozs. of gum arabic in a pint of hot water ; 
bottle and cork. Add a tablespoonful to each pint of 
starch. 
Paste.-Mix 8 parts of flour and 1 part of powdered 
alum with a little water. Beat out the lumps, and pour 
on boiling water until of the proper consistency, stirring 
briskly all the time. This is more adhesive than ordin- 
ary paste, and will last much longer. 
To Color Black.-For 10 lbs. of goods, dissolve and boil 
J lb. blue vitriol in sufficient water to cover the goods. 
Dip them three quarters of an hour, airing often. Then 
remove to another dye made by boiling 6 lbs. of logwood 
in a sufficient quantity of water for half an hour. Dip 
three quarters of an hour, air, and then dip three quar- 
ters of an hour more. Wash in strong suds. 
To Color Blue.-For five lbs. of goods, dissolve 4 lb. 
alum, | lb. cream tartar. Boil the goods in the solution 
for half an hour. Throw them into warm water. 
To Color Scarlet.-For two lbs. of goods, mix to- 
gether and dissolve in sufficient water 1 oz. cream of 
tartar ; 1 oz. cochineal, well pulverized ; 5 ozs. muriate 
of tin. Boil the dye and place the goods in it. Work 
them briskly for a quarter of an hour, after which boil 
an hour and a half, stirring slowly while boiling. Wash 
in clear soft wrater, and dry in the shade. 
To Color Green.-1. First, color yellow by soaking the 
goods in a solution made by steeping together 1 lb. fus- 
tic and J lb. alum for 1 lb. of the goods. Remove the 
chips and add indigo, a tablespoonful at a time, until the 
desired color is obtained. 
2. Make a yellow dye with yellow-oak and hickory USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
117 
bark in equal quantities. Add indigo until the desired 
shade is obtained. 
Liquid Bluing.-Pulverized Prussian-blue, 1 oz. ; ox- 
alic acid, pulverized, oz. ; dissolve in 1 qt. of soft 
water. Use one or two tablespoonfuls to a tub, accord- 
ing to its size. Will not speck. 
Soft Soap,-Cut fine 4 lbs. white soap in bars, and dis- 
solve in 4 gals, of soft water by heating. Add 1 lb. of 
sal-soda, dissolve and mix. 
Washing Fluid.-Boil together 1 lb. of sal-soda, I lb. 
of stone-lime, and 5 qts. of water, stirring while boiling. 
Let it settle, pour off the clear fluid, and preserve for use 
in a stone jug. 
Soak the clothes an hour or two in warm suds. Wring 
out, and soap the most dirty places. Add a tea-cupful 
of the fluid to a boiler half full of boiling water, and then 
add the clothes. It will save half the labor of washing, 
and will not injure the texture of the goods. 
To Get Rid of Rats.-Scatter potash freely in their 
holes and runways. It will make their feet and mouths 
sore, and they will leave in disgust. Several varieties of 
traps are quite successful in catching them. Poisoning is 
not a very good plan, as the dead bodies of those which 
happen to eat the poison are usually left in some unob- 
served or inaccessible place where they undergo decay. 
Tooth Powder.-To make a most excellent and perfect- 
ly harmless tooth powder, mix eight parts of precipitated 
chalk with one part of calcined magnesia. Flavor with 
a few drops of wintergreen or cinnamon oil if desired. 
Apply this to the teeth twice a day with a soft brush and 
pure soft water, or water and fine soap, and they will al- 
ways glisten like ivory. 
Wash for the Teeth.-1. Dissolve 1 dr. of carbolic acid 
with 2 ozs. of alcohol. Add this to half a pint of water. 
Use freely with a tooth brush. Is excellent as an appli- 
cation to cleanse artificial teeth. 118 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
2. Dissolve 1 dr. of permanganate of potash or soda in 
| pt. of water. Place in a bottle and cork tightly. 
Cleaning Bottles.-Small shot, pebbles, or broken 
charcoal, placed in a dirty bottle and shaken about with 
warm water and soap, will remove almost any kind of dirt. 
Charcoal is especially serviceable in removing unpleasant 
odors from bottles. 
Black Ink.-2 ozs. extract of logwood ; 2 drs. bichro- 
mate of potash ; 1 dr. prussiate of potash. Dissolve the 
logwood in 2 qts. of soft water, soaking it over night and 
then boiling. Then add the bichromate and prussiate of 
potash after pulverizing. When the solution is com- 
plete, filter, and it will be ready for use. This is a very 
excellent ink. 
Blue Ink.-Dissolve sufficient indigo in soft water to 
give the desired color ; is very good for ordinary use, 
but will fade. 
Red Ink.-Mix 1 dr. of aqua ammonia, a bit of gum 
arabic as large as a hazel nut, equal parts of No. 40 and 
No. 6 carmine, and 7 drs. of soft water. It will be 
ready for use in a day or two. 
Indelible Ink.-Dissolve 1 sc. of nitrate of silver in 
a teaspoonful of aqua ammonia. In 2 A teaspoonfuls of 
soft water dissolve 1 sc. of gum arabic. When the gum 
arabic is dissolved, add an equal weight of carbonate 
of soda. Mix the two solutions and boil in a bottle 
placed in a basin of boiling water. When it becomes 
black, it is ready for use. 
To Etch on MetaL-Mix two parts of muriatic acid 
with one of nitric acid. Cover the surface of the metal 
with melted wax. When the wax is cold, write or draw 
upon it the desired name or design, with a sharp-pointed 
instrument. Be careful to remove the wax quite down 
to the surface of the metal. Apply the acid with a brush 
or feather, carefully filling the outlines of the design. In 
a few minutes wash the acids away with water, and wipe 
the surface with oil after removing the wax. USEFUL HINTS AND RECIPES. 
119 
Borat Wash.-Dissolve 1 oz. of borax in 5 qts. of 
water. This is a good cleansing wash for the hands, and 
is also an excellent washing fluid. Many nse it for the 
hair. It is rather severe for the latter purpose. 
To Kill Auts;-Pour into their nests hot water, lime 
water, or a strong solution of alum. 
Bug Poison.-Mix 2 ozs. alcohol, J oz. camphor, | oz. 
turpentine, and 1 dr. corrosive sublimate. Apply to 
infested places with a feather. 
Plant Lice.-Shower the plant with a solution of carbol- 
ic acid in water, a dram to the pint; or fumigate with to- 
bacco smoke. 
Solder for Tin.-Melt together 5 ozs. of lead and 
ozs. of tin. 
Solder for Lead.-Melt together 1 oz. tin and 2 ozs. 
lead. 
Soldering Fluid.-Dissolve in 1 oz. of muriatic acid as 
much zinc as possible. Add | dr. of sal-ammoniac. 
Mending Tin-Ware.- Every house-keeper can save 
many dollars by mending her own pans, dippers, and 
basins. If a hole in a basin is to be stopped, scrape the 
inside of the basin just around the hole until it is bright. 
Dip the end of a little wooden rod in the fluid, and rub 
it upon the scraped surface. Now place a small bit of 
solder over the hole, and heat the under surface over a 
candle flame until the solder melts. In a minute it cools, 
and the hole is stopped. 
To Dry Boots.-Fill them with oats at night after re- 
moving them from the feet. Set them in a warm room. 
In the morning, shake out the oats and the boots will be 
found to be dry, and will not be shrunken and stiff as 
they would otherwise have been. 120 
HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
RECIPES FOR HEALTHFUL FOOD. 
Most of the following recipes are strictly healthful. 
We give few recipes for articles of food which would be 
in the least degree injurious, for the reason that cook books 
containing such recipes are already sufficiently numerous. 
Those who may not relish the plain dishes described, can 
readily so modify them by the addition of some simple 
condiment, as milk or sugar, as to make them palatable ; 
but the effort of each one should constantly be to learn 
to relish food prepared in as simple a manner as possible, 
and wholly free from injurious condiments. 
Gems.-Into one part of*pure, cold, soft water, slowly 
stir two parts of the best graham flour, making the batter 
just thick enough so that it will not settle flat. Bake in 
cast-iron gem pans or patty pans in a very hot oven. 
Have the pans very hot when the batter is put in. By 
combining the several grains in various proportions, many 
different kinds of gems may be made. 
Corn-Meal Gems.-Upon one part of fine corn meal, 
pour two parts of boiling water, and mix well. Bake in 
gem pans, in a quick oven. This makes the simplest and 
sweetest corn cake that can be made. 
Drop Cake.-Mix wheat or rye meal with cold water 
to a stiff dough, stirring until well mixed, and drop with 
a spoon upon a hot baking tin in a hot oven. Bake until 
well cooked and brown. Eat while warm. 
Johnny Cake.-Prepare the batter as for corn-meal 
gems, and bake in a common baking tin. This is known 
in the South and West as "hoe-cake," "corn-dodger," 
etc. In the days of open ranges and fire-places, the batter 
was commonly baked upon a board before the fire. 
Snow Cake.-Take one part of corn meal and two parts 
dry snow. If the snow is moist, use less. Mix wrell in a 
cold room. Bake in gem pans, filling the pans rounding 
full. Place quickly in a very hot oven. If the cakes are RECIPES FOR HEALTHFUL FOOD. 
121 
raw, or too dry, more snow was required. If they are 
heavy, too much snow was used. 
Breakfast Cake.-Saturate oatmeal of medium fineness 
with water. Pour the batter into a shallow baking dish, 
and shake down level. It should be wet enough so that 
when this is done a little water will stand on the top. 
Bake twenty minutes in a quick oven. It may also be 
baked in fifteen minutes on the top of the stove in a cov- 
ered dish. 
Bolls.-Make a stiff batter with cold water, work in as 
much flour as will knead well, and then knead for twenty 
minutes or half an hour. Make into rolls one-half inch 
to two inches in thickness, and bake in a hot oven on a 
grate or baking pan dusted with flour, laying them a little 
distance apart. Excellent rolls may be made by knead- 
ing flour into cold graham, corn-meal, or oatmeal pudding. 
Crisps.-Mix graham flour or oatmeal with cold water 
into a very stiff dough. Roll very thin, and bake in a 
hot oven. Eat while warm. Excellent for dyspeptics. 
Fruit Toast.-Slice and toast cold soft biscuit. Place 
in a proper dish and pour over the slices hot canned 
whortleberries, raspberries, or similar fruit, with much 
juice. Eat with oatmeal crisps. Some cooks soften the 
toast with hot water before adding the fruit. 
Fruit Gems.-Make a batter as for gems. Add a few 
whortleberries, chopped apples, dates, raisins, or any 
other fruit desired. Bake in gem pans as directed for 
gems. 
Cocoanut Cake.-With a pint of boiled cracked wheat 
mix a grated cocoanut, a half pint of cocoanut milk, half 
a pint of dried currants or other dried berries, a quart of 
stewed sweet apples or boiled figs, and sufficient wheat 
meal to make a moderately stiff' dough. Bake, in loaves, 
an hour and a half to two hours. 
Fruit Loaf.-Oue and a half cups of bread crumbs-or 
soaked graham gems-one cup of wheat meal, one cup of 
Manual. HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
122 
sugar, two cups of chopped apple, and two-thirds of a 
cup of currants. Mix thoroughly, and bake till the ap- 
ples are tender. This may be eaten with or without a 
dressing. 
Cocoanut Cookies.-One cup good wheat meal, one- 
half cup grated cocoanut, and one-half cup sugar. Rub 
these thoroughly together, then wet with a scant half 
cup of water-just enough to make a dough as soft as 
can readily be worked. Roll out to one-third of an inch, 
cut into shapes, and bake in a pretty quick oven about 
fifteen minutes. Some care is required not to bake them 
too hard. 
Oatmeal Pie Crust.-Scald two parts of oatmeal with 
one part of hot water. Roll thin. It bakes very quick- 
ly, so that fruit which requires much cooking must be 
cooked before making into the pie. This remark, how- 
ever, applies only to pies which are baked with an upper 
crust. This crust is very tender, and possesses all the 
desirable qualities of shortened pie crusts, with none of 
their deleterious properties. 
Cocoanut Pie Crust.-Two cups graham Hour, one cup 
grated cocoanut. Make into a stiff dough with cold wa- 
ter, and knead well. Add one cupful of well-boiled rice. 
Mix well and roll thin. This crust is very excellent. 
Sweet Potato Pudding,-Grate six medium-sized, raw 
sweet potatoes. Add two quarts of cold sweet cider, one 
cup of grated cocoanut, and an equal quantity of raisins. 
Thicken with graham flour, beat the batter well, and 
bake in a moderate oven. 
Cream Pie Crust.-Take equal quantities of graham 
flour, white flour, and Indian meal; rub evenly together, 
and wet with very thin sweet cream. It should be rolled 
thin and baked in an oven as hot as for common pie 
crust. 
Apple Custard Pie.-Grate sweet apples, or a mixture 
of sweet and sour, if preferred. Add and mix one spoon- 
ful of dry flour for each pie. Cover a deep pie plate RECIPES FOR HEALTHFUL FOOD. 
123 
with crust, and add the apples. Cover the top with 
chopped raisins, figs, or dates. 
Lemon Pie.-Two cups sweet apple sauce ; two sliced 
lemons ; one teacup of chopped raisins ; one raw potato, 
grated ; a very little corn starch and flour. Bake with 
two crusts after properly mixing. 
Oatmeal Pudding.-Sift one part of coarsely ground 
oatmeal into three or four parts of boiling water, stirring 
five minutes or until it sets. Cover closely, and put it 
where it will only simmer for a half hour. Do not stir 
after it sets, and take it up carefully. It is somewhat 
improved by cooking three quarters of an hour. 
Oatmeal Gruel.-Mix a tablespoonful of oatmeal with 
a little cold water ; pour on the mixture a quart of boil- 
ing water, stirring it well; let it settle two or three min- 
utes ; then pour it into the pan carefully, leaving the 
coarser part of the meal at the bottom of the vessel ; set 
it on the fire and stir it till it boils ; then let it boil half 
an hour and skim. It is best when cooked in a double 
boiler. 
Preserving Grapes.-Pick carefully the later kinds of 
grapes. Select such bunches as are perfect, rejecting all 
upon which there are any bruised grapes, or from which 
a grape has fallen. Spread them upon shelves in a cool 
place for a week or two. Then pack them in boxes in 
sawdust which has recently been thoroughly dried in an 
oven. Bran which has been well dried may also be used. 
Dry cotton is employed by some. Keep in a cool place. 
In this way, grapes may be kept until long after New 
Year's with ease. 
Another method still more efficient is to select perfect 
bunches, as already directed, and dip the broken end of 
the stem of each bunch in melted sealing-wax. The 
bunches may then be wrapped in tissue paper and placed 
in layers, or hung in a cool place, or they may be packed 
in sawdust. HOUSEHOLD MANUAL. 
124 
To Keep Water Cool.-Ice is almost universally de- 
pended upon as a means of cooling drinking water in 
summer. The free use of iced water is harmful. By 
making use of the following means, the water may be 
kept sufficiently cool to answer all the real demands of 
nature ; in fact, it may be kept nearly at freezing tem- 
perature :- 
Place between two sheets of thick brown paper, a layer 
of cotton half an inch thick. Fasten the ends of the 
sheets together so as to form a roll. Sew in a bottom 
made of similar material, making it nearly air-tight, if 
possible. Fill a pitcher with cool water, and cover it 
with the cylindrical box by inverting it over the pitcher. 
If the box is kept constantly wet with water, evaporation 
will go on so rapidly that the water in the pitcher will be 
kept very cool for a long time. 
Water may also be kept cool by placing it in jugs and 
wrapping them with wet cloths. 
IIow to Make a Filter.-Take a large flower pot or 
earthen vessel, make a hole one-half inch in diameter in 
the bottom, and insert in it a sponge. Place in the bot- 
tom of the vessel a number of clean stones of sizes vary- 
ing from that of an egg to an apple. Place upon this a 
layer of much smaller stones and coarse gravel. Then 
till the jar within two inches of the top, with equal parts 
of pulverized charcoal and sharp sand, well mixed. Place 
loosely over the top of the jar white flannel cloth, allow- 
ing it to form a hollow in the middle of the jar, into 
which the water can be poured. Secure the edges by ty- 
ing a stout cord around the outside of the jar. By keep- 
ing a suitable vessel under the filter thus made, and sup- 
plying rain w ater when needed, very pure water can be 
obtained. It can be kept in a cool place in the summer 
time. It will require to be renewed occasionally by ex- 
changing the old sand and charcoal for fresh. The flan- 
nel and sponge must be frequently cleansed.