PART I.—MISCELLANEOUS.

Gelatine Copying Pad.

[HEKTOGRAPH.]

By this process a letter, postal card, drawing, or other manuscript can be duplicated from sixty to one hundred times from one original. Reproductions from the copying pad are now admitted in the mails as third-​class matter, i. e., one cent for every two ounces or fraction thereof. A soft, gelatinous composition, similar to that used in making printers’ rollers, is made and poured into shallow pans of the required size. The pans should be made of stout zinc one-half inch deep on the inside, with a lid or cover. The length and breadth of the pans is determined by the class of copying to be done. Always make the pan slightly larger than the paper used. The three sizes given below will answer most purposes:

Postal card size4×6 inches.

Note paper size6 1/2×10 inches.

Full letter size9×12 inches.

The composition is made as follows:

Good glue4 ounces av.

Glycerine16 ounces av.

Water8 fluid ounces.

Break up the glue and soak in the water for a few hours, then heat by water-bath until melted. Next add the glycerine and heat together for some time to evaporate part of the water, and then strain into the pan, which should be placed perfectly level and filled about two-thirds full; skim with a card to free from bubbles, and set away to cool. An improvement consists in adding one ounce of carbonate of barium to the fluid while warm. The composition should be made somewhat softer for winter use than for summer, which can be done by adding a little larger proportion of glycerine. Another way to make the composition is to soak over night in cold water best gelatine or glue 1 part, and the excess of water poured off. The glue is then warmed in a water-bath with the addition of from 10 to 12 parts of glycerine, to which may be added 4 to 6 parts of finely ground heavy spar, and one part dextrine thoroughly mixed by constant stirring. (In summer less glycerine.)

The letter or sketch to be duplicated is written on a sheet of paper with ink specially prepared for the purpose (see inks). For the original it is best to use smooth, well-​sized writing paper, allowing the ink to dry without using a blotter. After writing the original place it face downward on the pad, and rub it gently with the hand to insure contact at every point. Let it remain from two to six minutes, according to the number of copies you wish to print. In cold weather it should be left longer, as it requires more time for the composition to absorb the ink. Remove the original carefully, and a reversed impression will be observed on the pad. To take off copies lay dry sheets of paper on the reversed impression, press gently, and remove quickly.

When you have taken all the copies you require wash the ink from the surface at once with a sponge and plenty of lukewarm water; never use hot water. The surface of the composition will allow considerable rubbing without fear of tearing it, if not done roughly and carelessly. Be sure your sponge is free from sand and grit, and also avoid scratching with the finger nails. Always wash the surface with a sponge before using, and dry with a newspaper. In cold weather if the composition feels chilled it will not absorb the ink properly, and the copies will be faint unless it be carefully warmed to a moderate temperature. Attention to these details will produce the most gratifying results.

Foliotypes.

Horace M. Engle, Esq., of Marietta, Pa., has devised a method of taking leaf-prints of marked beauty, which he terms “foliotypes,” some specimens of which he sent to Dr. Gray, the eminent botanist, who pronounced the process a new way, and advised him to send an account of it to the Botanical Gazette, which he generously did. We have employed the method according to the explanation there given (which we reprint in full) with the most delightful results, having secured prints of some beautiful leaves which are faithful to nature in color and outline, with all their delicate tracery: “The method is of actual usefulness to the botanist, as well as a refining recreation for others who love Nature ‘on general principles.’ For illustrating monographs and similar papers, where the number is too limited to warrant an expensive lithograph; for identifying a rare specimen, or as an adjunct to an herbarium, combining portability, unalterability, and beauty withal the method seems particularly fitted. But aside from this others may find a delightful and instructive recreation in taking prints of the entire flora of the old farm, the trees of a certain grove, the native annuals of a county, the ferns of a State, or any other special field that seems most inviting. Such copies may be taken in a blank book suited to the purpose, or, better, take them on single sheets of uniform size, as in this way imperfect copies may be thrown out, and when the work is completed they may be named, classified, and bound, making a volume of real value and worthy of just pride.

“The process consists in using the leaf for producing an impression as a printer uses type, the ink being green, and the pressure applied either by hand or with a press. There will be needed for the work (1) a small ink roller such as printers use for inking type by hand in taking proofs; (2) a stout window glass (10×12 is a good size) fastened securely (not glued, as it may warp and break,) to an evenly planed board about twice its surface, say 10×24. A small quantity of the ink is put on the glass and spread with a knife, after which it is distributed evenly by going over in all directions with the ink roller. When this has been carefully done the leaf to be copied is laid on a piece of waste paper and inked by applying the roller once or more with moderate pressure. This leaves a film of ink on the veins and network of the leaf, which should then be placed on a piece of blank paper and considerable pressure applied for a few moments. When the leaf is removed from the paper the work is done.

“To get the best results several points must be carefully noted. Get a quarter or half a pound of dark green ink, which is put up in collapsible tubes costing from fifty cents to $2 per pound, according to quality. As sold it is invariably too thick for this purpose, and should be thinned by adding several drops of balsam of copaiba to as much ink as may be taken on a salt spoon. Much depends on the proper consistency of the ink. In inking the leaf is liable to curl on the roller, but it should part readily from it. In case it sticks tightly the ink is too thick. Take care that the ink is evenly distributed on the glass and roller, as it is essential that each part of the leaf receives an equal coating of ink. If the leaf is large ink it part by part, keeping the roller well supplied. A roller three inches long, costing forty cents, will answer for all small leaves and branches of plants. Clean the roller and glass with benzine after using. If the leaf is finely veined the lower surface makes the better print, but if the veins are coarse and large the upper surface may be used. If the specimen is fleshy or brittle allow it to wilt until it becomes more pliable, or if necessary it may be pressed and dried first. In most cases the best copy is obtained after taking one or two impressions, as the leaf takes the ink better after several applications. A good quality of unsized paper that is made slightly damp by placing between sheets of moist newspaper is best for general work, but in other cases well sized paper will take a copy that will allow a foliotype (may I coin the word?) to bear inspection side by side with a good lithograph. I find a copying press very valuable in making the impression, especially if the leaf is at all coriaceous. If it be soft it should be covered with a few thicknesses of newspaper. If it is irregular in thickness, paper may be laid over the thin parts, so that equal pressure is received. This is necessary with all leaves that have thick stems. If the branch is very irregular or delicate, or in the absence of a press of any kind, the specimen may be covered with several layers of paper, and held in place by one hand while the pressure is applied by the thumb or palm of the other hand as required.

“These particulars are as complete as practicable. Experiments will lead to many improvements in details. Employ tact and neatness, and you will be surprised at the result.”

Fire-Extinguishers.

Hand Grenades.

Prof. F. S. Kedzie of the Michigan State Agricultural College, after a series of analyses and experiments, draws some important conclusions as to the value of hand-​grenades, in a paper which he publishes in the Chicago Sanitary News. A Harden hand-​grenade was opened, and the solution contained qualitatively analyzed. It consisted of common salt, sulphate of lime, and a small amount of acetate of soda. The principal ingredient was common salt.

The effort was made to determine (1) whether the solution in the grenades had any more extinguishing power than water; (2) if the solution had extinguishing power greater than water, what was the essential ingredient in the solution. The question that first arose regarding the composition of the grenades was: Did they contain carbon dioxide gas or any substance that would give up the gas by being heated? Opening the grenades under water and collecting the gas that escaped it was found that the average amount of carbon dioxide contained was about one cubic inch per grenade. Boiling the solution liberated a slight amount of gas in addition; but altogether the gas was not enough to be of any practical benefit in extinguishing fire. It was then certain that the extinguishing power was in the solution itself. Replacing the solution in the grenade with pure water the extinguishing power, while greater than water thrown from a dish upon flaming boards, was still much less than the power exerted by the solution.

By a careful series of trials it was found that the essential ingredient was common salt. From a number of experiments it was found that when a grenade, or a bottle containing a strong brine, was broken in the midst of the burning kerosene the flames were almost instantly extinguished. A vapor seemed to spread in all directions from where the salt solution struck the board, extinguishing the flame as it went. Strong solutions were also made of sulphate of soda, hyposulphite of soda, borax (biborate of soda), and bicarbonate of soda and tried as fire extinguishers. Some worked as well, but none any better, than common salt in extinguishing fire. The experiment was then made of charging the bottles with brine and generating carbon dioxide by adding lime dust and sulphuric acid and corking tightly. No practical increase in extinguishing power from this addition was noticed. In most instances the carbon dioxide gas escaped from the bottles inside of four days, proving that it is impracticable to attempt to use glass vessels with corks as a means of storing CO₂ under pressure for fire extinguishing.

The conclusion reached from these and many more experiments was that the Harden grenade solution possesses much greater extinguishing power than water alone, and that it owed this power to common salt held in solution. We then constructed some home-​made grenades, using flat bottles bound together side by side with wire. Using two bottles in this way insures their being broken in striking the burning body, which would not always occur when only one bottle is used. Bottles thus charged with brine and bound together were broken side by side with the Harden grenades and found to be equally valuable.

It thus appears from the experiment that any person can construct as good and effective grenades as those offered in the market at $7 and $10 per dozen. Bottles filled with brine and placed around the premises will afford considerable protection, especially when used upon the flames when the fire just begins. Salt solutions have the further advantage of not being easily frozen—never enough to burst the bottles.

The Lewis hand fire-extinguisher was next investigated. This consists of a tin tube about two feet long containing thirty-four fluid ounces of soda in weak caustic ammonia. From the trials made we could not notice any appreciable superiority over the salt solution as used in the Harden grenade. It has the disadvantage of not being made to break by being thrown, but must be opened by having a cork extracted from one end of the tube, requiring a smart jerk. The solution is then sprinkled on the fire by the operator.

We herewith append a number of fire-extinguishing compounds, all of which are highly recommended by various authorities:

Munich Fire-Extinguishing Powder.

Common salt43 per cent.

Alum19.5 per cent.

Glauber’s salt5.1 per cent.

Soda3.5 per cent.

Water glass6.6 per cent.

Water22.3 per cent.

Richardson’s Fire-Extinguishing Powder.

Alum4 1/2 pounds.

Common salt10 pounds.

Glauber’s salt1 pound.

Soda1 pound.

Water glass1 1/2 pounds.

Vienna Fire-Extinguishing Powder.

Green vitriol4 parts.

Ammonium sulphate16 parts.

Water100 parts.

Proteau’s Fire-Extinguishing Powder.

Carbonate of soda8 pounds.

Alum4 pounds.

Borax3 pounds.

Carbonate of potash1 pound.

Silicate of soda solution24 pounds.

Mix thoroughly and add 1 1/2 pounds of this mixture to each gallon of water, when required.

Transferring Photographs.

[ON GLASS.]

This beautiful and valuable process of transferring photographs in plain or colored work has been taught at high prices under various high-​sounding names, such as “Roman art,” etc. Photographs can be transferred and preserved for years which would have been soiled, faded, and ruined if allowed to remain on the card.

Separate the paper print from the background or card by steaming it, after which dry thoroughly. Warm the glass slightly and coat evenly with balsam or negative varnish and place the print face downward on the surface thus prepared. After smoothing it carefully set away in a cool place until the varnish has hardened. Then apply water, and with a soft piece of gum rubber rub off the paper so as to leave the photographic image on the varnished glass.

Stamping Patterns.

Draw the pattern upon heavy paper and perforate with small holes all the lines with the point of some sharp instrument, dust the following powder through the perforations, remove the pattern and pass a warm iron over the fabric, when the pattern will become fixed. Any desired color can be used, such as Prussian blue, chrome green, yellow, vermilion, etc.:

Fine white rosin2 ounces.

Gum sandarac4 ounces.

Color2 ounces.

Powder very fine, mix, and pass through a sieve.

Magic Paper.

[FOR TRANSFERRING AND COPYING.]

This paper is really a valuable article, and is manufactured and sold under various names, such as the “stylograph,” “rapid copying process,” etc. It is used principally by salesmen in keeping a record of their sales, as three copies can be taken simultaneously with one writing. In this way traveling salesmen can with one writing give a copy of his sale to his customer (which is frequently demanded), another he can send to his firm, and retain the third one for his own use. It is used in a similar manner in nearly all the large stores, and by many individuals in their business correspondence. It is also valuable for transferring figures in embroidery and taking impressions of leaves for herbariums, etc., which it does beautifully, but for the latter purpose nothing equals the foliotype method previously explained.

The paper is made by mixing pure lard or sweet oil to the consistence of cream with either of the following paints, the color of which is desired: Prussian blue, lamp black, Venetian red, or chrome green, either of which should be rubbed with a knife on a plate or flat surface until smooth. Use rather thin but firm paper; put on with a sponge and wipe off as dry as possible. Lay the sheets between uncolored paper or newspaper, and press by laying books or some other flat substance upon them until the surplus oil is absorbed, when it is ready for use.

For Copying Letters and Orders.—Either two or three copies can be made at one time, as desired. To make two copies place a sheet of the magic paper between the two sheets selected for the order, bill, or letter, and write upon the upper sheet with a hard lead pencil (the harder the lead the cleaner the copy). It is best to place a piece of hard cardboard under all the sheets while writing.

To make three copies use two sheets of magic paper, placing one between the first and second leaves and the other between the second and third leaves. Proceed as in taking two copies by writing upon the top leaf. A stout, thin linen paper will produce the best results, but almost any kind will do.

To Transfer Embroidery Patterns.—Place a piece of thin paper over the embroidery to prevent soiling; then lay on the magic paper and put on the cloth you wish to take the copy on to embroider; pin fast and rub over with a spoon-handle, and every part of the raised figure will show upon the plain cloth.

To Take Impressions of Leaves.—Place the leaf between two sheets of the magic paper and rub it over hard; then take the leaf out and place it between two sheets of white paper; rub again, and you will have a beautiful impression of both sides of the leaf or flower.

Cleaning Preparations.

Lightning Grease Renovator.

An excellent general preparation for removing grease, paint, etc.

Castile soap (cut fine)4 ounces.

Hot water1 quart.

Dissolve, after which add and mix thoroughly,

Aqua ammonia4 ounces.

Sulphuric ether1 ounce.

Glycerine1 ounce.

Alcohol1 ounce.

Water1 quart.

An elegant general preparation for cleaning gloves, silks, etc., is made as follows:

Deodorized gasoline (or benzine)1 pint.

Alcohol, chloroform, and ether, each 1/2 fluid ounce.

Mix, and perfume with cologne, lavender, or any desired odor. Do not use near a flame.

“Gantein” for Cleansing Gloves.—The preparation sold under this name is made as follows: Dissolve 6 parts of soap in 2 parts of water; add 4 parts of bleaching liquor and 1/4 part of aqua ammonia. Rub the gloves with the fluid until clean.

Cleaning Tarnished Silverware.

[IN USE BY ALL LEADING JEWELERS.]

Cyanide potassium3 ounces.

Soft water2 gallons.

Mix and dissolve. Label it “poison,” and place out of the reach of children. Have the article clean and free from grease; dip in solution till tarnish is off, but no longer (and under no circumstances leave it in too long). After immersion the article must be taken out and thoroughly rinsed in a number of waters (warm preferred), then dried with a soft rag or sawdust.

Another method, which is safe and cheap, consists in using a saturated solution of hyposulphite of soda to which a little bolted whiting has been added. Apply with a brush or cloth until the tarnish is removed.

Clark’s Wash for Carpets.

Solution 1.—Dissolve 10 parts of soap in 20 of water, and add 3 1/2 parts of soda and one-half part of liquid ammonia and spirit of wine.

Solution 2.—Is the actual cleansing liquid, and consists of 4 parts of liquid ammonia and 3 of alcohol diluted with water.

The last solution is first used, and when the dirt loosened by it has been removed the soap solution is applied. Carpets thus treated regain their original colors in all their freshness, the entire operation of washing and drying a large carpet requiring but two hours, and the carpet need not be taken up.

Universal Stain Table.

Showing at a glance what means to employ in removing any kind of stain from any kind of fabric. Red acid stains are destroyed by ammonia, followed by thorough washing with water. Burn stains of nitric acid are permanent. Great care must be observed when ether and benzine are used. Keep the open bottle and the fabric being cleaned away from an open fire or blaze. The ether especially is so volatile that an open bottle will take fire from a gas-jet or blaze several feet away if the draft is right. You cannot be too careful.

UNIVERSAL STAIN-REMOVING TABLE.

KIND OF STAIN.From Linen.COLORED FABRICS.Silk.

Cotton.Wool.

Sugar, gelatine, blood, albumen.Washing simply in water.

FatSoap-water, alkaline lyes.Tepid soap-water.Soap-water, spirit sal-ammoniac.Benzine, ether, spirit of sal-ammoniac, potash, magnesia, chalk, yolk of egg.

Varnish and oil-paint.Oil of turpentine, benzine, and finally soap.Benzine, ether, soap; careful rubbing.

Stearine.Alcohol of 95 per cent.

Vegetable colors, red wine, fruits, red ink.Sulphurous vapors, warm chlorine water.Washing in warm soap-water or liquid ammonia.As above, rubbing gently and carefully.

Alizarine ink.Tartaric acid; the older the stain the more concentrated the solution.Diluted solution of tartaric acid, if the fabric permits.As above.

Rust and gall-nut ink.Warm oxalic acid solution, diluted hydrochloric acid, and finally tin filings.Repeated washing with dissolved citric acid, if the fabric is dyed well.The same as for cotton, but diluted hydrochloric acid if the wool is naturally coloured.Nothing can be done; all attempts only increase the evil.

Lime and alkaline lyes.Washing simply in water.Pouring diluted nitric acid drop by drop upon the stain. The previously moistened is rubbed off with the finger.

Tannin, green nut shells.Eau de Javelle, warm chlorine water concentrated solution of tartaric acid.More or less concentrated chlorine water, according to the nature and tint of the fabric, and alternate washing with water.

Coal-tar, wagon-grease.Soap, oil of turpentine, alternating with a jet of water.Rubbing with lard, then soaping, and after a while washing alternately with oil of turpentine and water.Same as for colored fabrics; use benzine instead of turp.; jet of water must fall on back of stain.

Liebig’s Washing Fluid.

SAVING HALF THE WASH-BOARD LABOR.

Sal soda1 pound.

Stone lime 1/2 pound.

Water5 quarts.

Boil a short time, stirring occasionally; then let it settle and pour off the clear liquid into a bottle or jug and cork for use. Soak your clothes over night in simple water; wring out and soap wrist-bands, collars, and dirty or stained places. Have your boiler filled with water, and when at scalding heat put in a teacupful of the fluid, then put in your clothes and boil for half an hour, after which rub lightly through one suds only, rinsing well in the bluing water, and all is complete.

For each additional boiler of clothes add half a cup of the fluid; of course boiling in the same water through the whole washing. If more water is needed in the boiler for the last clothes dip it from the sudsing tub. Soak your woolen and calico in the suds from which you have washed the white clothes, while hanging them out dipping in some of the boiling water from the boiler, if necessary; then wash out the woolen and calico as usual—of course washing out woolen goods before you do the calico. The fluid brightens instead of fading the colors.—Dr. Chase.

Premium Washing Fluid.—This fluid is equal to the best that can be prepared, and as it is recommended to be used in a simpler manner than the foregoing many will doubtless prefer it:

Sal soda4 pounds.

Borax2 ounces.

Sal tartar1 ounce.

Aqua ammonia 1/2 pint.

Spirit of camphor2 ounces.

Oil of turpentine1 ounce.

Hot water6 pints.

Dissolve the sal soda, borax, and sal tartar in the hot water and add the other ingredients. Soak the clothes over night in water to which has been added a table-spoonful of the fluid for each gallon of water; also add a little in washing water.

How I Iron Shirts.

BY MRS. HUSBANDPLEASER.

Take two ounces of spermaceti, one ounce of white wax, one ounce of paraffine. Mix and put in a saucer over a tea-kettle in which water is boiling, until melted, stirring several times. Then let it get cold, after which put in a clean box for use.

To make the starch: For two shirts, collars, and cuffs take one table-spoonful of starch dissolved in water; shave a piece of the above into it the size of a bean. Pour boiling water into it until thick, cook twenty minutes and set away to cool. Take one table-spoonful of starch, dissolve it in cold water, and when the boiled starch gets lukewarm pour it over it, stir well, and strain. Have the garments dry and lay the starch on the wrong side and work it through. Be careful that the starch is rubbed in until the right side is wet all over. When well saturated roll up tight in a clean cloth. They need not lay but a few minutes. Stretch them on a bosom-board, and with a damp cloth rub out all the wrinkles. Lay a fine cloth over and iron it twice. If a collar or cuff turn it over and do the same on the other side. Take off the cloth and iron perfectly dry. If the bosom has pleats raise them before ironing dry and dry under them. After the bosom is perfectly dry (for this polishing process you need a good, smooth, hard board about two by one and a half feet—the harder the better—a marble slab of that size is better still), put the bosom on the bare board, dip a clean white cloth in water, wring almost dry, rub lightly over the bosom, then rub it with a dry cloth, and polish with back of iron or with polishing iron. If any dirt gets on rub off with a damp cloth and polish again. The polishing is not necessarily done the same day they are ironed. If your time is limited, or your work interrupted by callers or other duties, lay them aside after having ironed them perfectly dry.

Liquid Washing Bluing.

Soluble Prussian blue1 ounce.

Oxalic acid 1/4 ounce.

Boiling water1 quart.

This makes the very best quality of bluing at a slight cost.

Family Washing Soaps.

We see no reason why every economical housewife should not profit by these simple methods of preparing cheap laundry soap, as they are the results of practical experience.

Best Soft Soap.

Take 4 pounds of white bar soap, cut it fine, and dissolve by heating in 4 gallons of soft water, after which add 1 pound of sal soda. Dissolve and mix thoroughly. If it is desired the soap can be made thicker by adding less water.

Hard Soap With Lard.

Sal soda and lard, each6 pounds.

Stone lime3 pounds.

Soft water4 gallons.

Dissolve the lime and soda in the water by boiling, stirring, and settling; pour off, then return to the kettle (brass or copper), add the lard and boil it until it becomes soap. Then pour into a dish or molds, and when cool cut it into bars and dry it.

White Hard Soap With Tallow.

Take 2 pounds each of fresh-slacked lime, sal soda, and tallow; dissolve the soda in 1 gallon of boiling soft water, stirring occasionally every few hours after which let it settle, pouring off the clear liquor and boiling the tallow therein until it is all dissolved; cool it in a flat box or pan, and cut into bars or cakes as desired. It may be perfumed with oil of sassafras or any other perfume desired, stirring it in when cool.

Cleaning Soiled Wall-paper.

The old form of this process was to use stale bread or bread baked to a proper consistency, but it seldom produces satisfactory results except in the hands of experts, and then it is an impossibility to keep from scratching the surface of the paper with the sharp points of the crust. A dough preparation known only to a few experts engaged in cleaning walls by contract, and who have been known to make from $5 to $25 per day, is now used, which is far superior in every way to anything yet discovered. The walls can be cleaned over and over again, each time appearing as bright as new paper.

Wheat flourThree parts.

Powdered prepared whitingOne part.

Mix the flour and whiting thoroughly, and add enough water to bring it to the consistency of ordinary dough. Use by taking a small piece—about twice the size of a hen’s egg. Press against the wall and remove the dirt by making long strokes. After making a stroke knead the dirt into the dough, and continue doing so until it is useless. A quart of the preparation used in this manner will clean the walls of a good-sized room.

When it is desired to keep the ingredients of the composition a secret a coloring matter may be added to assist in mystifying. When the walls are discolored by grease or marks where people have rested their heads, mix pipeclay to the consistency of cream, lay it on the spot and allow it to remain until the following day, when it may be easily removed with a penknife or brush.

Polishing Preparations.

Polishing Powder.—For polishing silver and nickel-plated ware, brass, copper, etc.:

Fossil silica2 ounces.

Rouge (or fine crocus martis) 1/2 ounce.

Prepared chalk 1/2 pound.

Rub the fossil silica to a fine powder and thoroughly mix with the chalk. This will not scratch the finest surface. Use by rubbing with a damp sponge or rag, and finish dry with chamois skin or dry rag.

Polishing Pastes.

Fossil silica1 ounce.

Petrolatum 1/2 pound.

Cotton-seed oil (or sweet oil)1 ounce.

Subcarbonate of iron3 ounces.

Essential oil of almonds30 minims.

Reduce the fossil silica to a very fine powder and mix it with the iron; melt the petrolatum, add the cotton-seed oil, stir in the powders, and while cooling add the flavoring oil and stir until ready to set, then run into boxes similar to ordinary blacking boxes. Apply with a soft rag dipped in the paste, and finish with a clean cloth. Prepared chalk or whiting can be used instead of fossil silica. The paste does its work faster than the polishing powder, and if the articles are very much corroded it is preferable.

Another excellent paste, which can be put in boxes or formed into balls and allowed to harden, is to take finely powdered rotten-stone, sift it thoroughly through muslin or a hair sieve, and knead with a sufficient quantity of soft soap to form a stiff paste. To 1/2 pound of this mass add 1 3/4 fluid ounces of oil of turpentine.

Cleaning Powder for Show Windows, Mirrors, Etc.

Moisten calcined magnesia with pure benzine. The mixture should be preserved in bottles with glass stoppers, as the benzine is very volatile. Use by placing a little of the mixture on a wad of cotton and apply to the glass.

Marble Cleaning.

Rub with muriatic acid diluted with water, care being taken that it is not too strong. Repeat the process till clean, then wash with clear water. When the marble is very dirty, as in the case of old tombstones, use the following:

Muriatic acid2 ounces.

Acetic acid1 ounce.

Verdigris1 drachm.

Mix, apply with a brush, and sponge off with clear water. Repeat until clean, then polish with pumice stone continually moistened with water as you proceed.

Furniture Varnish.

White wax5 ounces.

Potash7 1/2 ounces.

Boil lightly for fifteen minutes, allow to cool, and then skim off the wax which floats on the surface. Apply the wax to the furniture, and by rubbing it an hour afterward with a woolen cloth a beautiful luster will be the result.

French Furniture Polish.

This is the best article that can be made for restoring the luster and color of furniture:

Butter of antimony3 fluid ounces.

Linseed oil12 fluid ounces.

Alcohol6 fluid ounces.

Shellac2 ounces av.

Oil of turpentine10 fluid ounces.

Hydrochloric acid1 ounce.

Dissolve the shellac in the alcohol and add the linseed oil and turpentine; then add the hydrochloric acid and butter of antimony, which has been previously mixed, and thoroughly mix all together. Apply with a tuft of cotton, and finish by rubbing down hard with Canton flannel or a woolen rag.

Maple Syrup and Sugar.

[ARTIFICIAL.]

It is an astonishing fact that nine-tenths of the so-called maple sugar and maple syrup sold as the genuine articles are nothing more than clever imitations. The method of making the best quality of these imitations—and which really defies detection of a majority of dealers and consumers—is very cheap and simple, a gallon of the syrup costing about fifty cents and the sugar simply the cost of ordinary, cheap sugar. We were told by a Mr. Baldwin of Kentucky, a son of the reputed discoverer of the secret for producing the maple flavoring, that various manufacturers of imitation maple sugar and syrup in the large cities had paid his father thousands of dollars in royalties for his discovery.

Procure a quantity of the rough outside bark of what is known as scaly-bark hickory tree. Take about 3 or 4 pounds of the bark and boil in one-half gallon of water until it is reduced to a quart, then strain and add 5 pounds of common brown or yellow sugar; heat again until thoroughly dissolved and it is ready for use. To make imitation maple syrup simply boil the syrup until it is reduced back to sugar again, and when it is made properly the flavor and appearance of the genuine article is obtained.

Artificial Honey.

Clarified sugar10 pounds.

Pure honey (strained)3 pounds.

Soft water3 pints.

Cream tartar1 drachm.

Essence peppermint10 drops.

Dissolve the sugar in the water by the aid of gentle heat; take off the scum, and the honey and the cream tartar previously dissolved in a little water; bring to the boiling point, stir well, then let it cool.

Artificial Lemonade Syrup.

Loaf sugar2 pounds.

Citric acid2 ounces.

Concentrated essence of lemon2 drachms.

Essence of almonds20 drops.

Hot water2 pints.

Dissolve the citric acid in hot water, add the sugar, and lastly the lemon and almonds. Stir well, cover with a cloth, and leave until cold. Two table-spoonfuls to a tumbler of cold water will make an excellent drink as refreshing as the best lemonade.

Best Artificial Cider.

Water25 gallons.

Honey (or fine syrup)1 1/4 gallons.

Catechu (pure)6 drachms.

Alum1 1/4 ounces.

Yeast 1/2 pint.

Ferment for fifteen days in a warm place, then add:

Bitter almonds2 ounces.

Cloves2 ounces.

Whisky6 pints.

Burnt sugar, to color.

If acid should be in excess add honey or sugar; if too sweet add cider vinegar to suit the taste.

Genuine New Orleans Mead.

Sarsaparilla root (contused)8 ounces.

Licorice8 ounces.

Cassia bark (contused)8 ounces.

Cloves2 ounces.

Coriander seeds3 ounces.

Ginger8 ounces.

Boil for fifteen minutes in eight gallons of water and let stand till cold to settle down, then strain through a flannel rag, and add to it in the fountain:

Syrup12 pints.

Honey4 pints.

Tincture of ginger4 ounces.

Solution of citric acid4 ounces.

Add enough water to complete ten gallons, and charge with gas.—Prof. E. S. Wayne, in Kilner’s Formulary.

Baking Powders.

Pure baking powders are very simple in composition, care being used in preparing them and procuring pure ingredients. According to the advertised statements of the various leading manufacturers we are forced to make our own if we desire a pure and wholesome article. As the essential ingredients of the best baking powder are baking soda and cream of tartar we need only be careful in buying of honest grocers or druggists who will guarantee their purity. It is not difficult to procure pure soda, but the cream of tartar is frequently adulterated, and care must be used in its purchase.

It is very important that the materials used must be finely powdered, perfectly dry, and thoroughly mixed. For household purposes a patent sifter is the best to use in mixing. Run the articles through a number of times and free from all lumps. The ingredients can be dried by placing them in an oven for a short time before mixing.

Baking Powder No. 1.

Pure cream of tartar2 pounds.

Pure bicarbonate of soda1 pound.

Corn starch2 ounces.

This is the best that can be made. One to two tea-spoonfuls to a quart of flour.

Baking Powder No. 2.

A cheaper powder, but superior to the majority of powders you will buy, is prepared as follows:

Pure cream of tartar2 pounds.

Pure bicarbonate of soda2 pounds.

Tartaric acid6 ounces.

Corn starch1 pound.

Best flour4 pounds.

Use two tea-spoonfuls to a quart of flour. Do not be afraid of the tartaric acid, as it is harmless. It is best to keep your baking powder in a well-stopped jar or bottle. Flour, terra alba, alum, and chalk are the chief ingredients used in the adulteration of cream of tartar. To determine the admixture of flour rub a few grains of iodine with one ounce of the suspected cream of tartar; if so adulterated a blue tint to the mixture will be produced; or by dissolving a small quantity in water you can prove its presence by the stickiness. Chalk may be determined by its effervescing on the addition of diluted acids; alum by dissolving in hot water and allowing the solution to chrystallize; terra alba and other clays by their insolubility in a hot solution of caustic potassa.

Flavoring Extracts.

The profits to manufacturers and dealers on these household necessities are very large, and the prudent consumer will take advantage of the directions here given. Extracts of lemon and vanilla are most frequently used; nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, etc., are usually used dry by grating.

Best Lemon Extract.

Best deodorized alcohol1 pint.

Oil of lemon1 ounce.

Cut the peels of two lemons into fine pieces and add to the alcohol and oil of lemon. Let stand for a few days and filter through a felt bag or filtering paper.

Extract of Vanilla.

Extract of vanilla is prepared direct from the vanilla bean. Use care in the purchase of the beans, as there are several varieties. The Mexican vanilla beans have the finest flavor, and the longer the bean, as a rule, the better the extract. There are other excellent varieties of vanilla beans, but they have a somewhat ranker flavor than the Mexican. Unscrupulous jobbers and dealers have been known to soak the whole beans in spirits, practically stealing all their flavor, and then by drying them place them on the market. They can be detected by their light color and brittleness. Most of the vanilla extracts sold for flavoring purposes are adulterated with Tonka beans and other adulterants, some containing not a particle of vanilla.

The following will make a splendid article, and you know what you are getting without paying high prices for weak extracts put up in deceptive little panel bottles. Dishonest manufacturers never yield a point in their efforts to defraud. Not content with the liberty they take with the contents they employ the bottle-makers’ art to deceive us in the quantity of the precious stuff:

Vanilla beans1 ounce.

Sugar1 ounce.

Cologne spirits (deodorized alcohol)12 ounces.

Water4 ounces.

Slit the beans and cut them very fine, then mix them with sugar and bruise until moderately fine; then mix with spirits and water and put in a warm place; allow to stand for two weeks (longer the better) shaking every day, and when through filter. Manufacturers color with caramel or other coloring, but for home use this is unnecessary.

To Extract Essential Oils.

To extract essential oils from wood, bark, herbs, etc., put a quantity of the herb or other article into a bottle or jar and pour in a small quantity of ether. Keep in a cool place several hours, and then fill the bottle with cold water. The essential oil will rise to the surface, and may be easily separated.

How to Make Rubber Stamps.

The wording of the desired rubber stamp having been correctly set up in ordinary type, the same is locked up and placed upon a level support. Around it is put an iron frame, which will determine the shape and size of the matrix.

By means of a soft brush the type as well as all surrounding parts that are to be covered by the plaster of Paris are well oiled.

For the purpose of making the cast finely ground fresh plaster of Paris is needed; if of long standing, the same will lose its desirable properties. This plaster of Paris, of which a sufficient quantity should at one time be mixed to the consistency of pap, using clear water, is poured over the frame containing the type in a thin layer, so as to barely cover it. With a stout brush the mixture is driven into all spaces and interstices, until all details are thoroughly covered. After this the remaining pap of plaster of Paris is added until the frame is full to overflowing. The surface is smoothed down after the plaster has settled somewhat, and in a short while the matrix in the frame may be removed from the type.

After this it becomes necessary to bake the matrix in an oven for a period of from four to six hours. When thoroughly baked the matrix should be well brushed with a thin solution of shellac to impart a smooth surface, and at the same time greater strength.

The matrix at this stage represents a yellowish-white block, in which the lettering appears indented, but in proper place. The indentation corresponds to the height of the letter upon the piece of type or the marks upon a cut, while the remaining parts should be perfectly smooth and free from holes. This matrix, obtained by a coating from the type or cut, will serve as the mould for the final rubber stamp.

Pieces of caoutchouc are cut to the required size and laid upon the matrix. If pressure is now exerted the soft mass will adjust itself to fill all the spaces and reproduce the mould invertedly. Indentations become raised matter, and the whole will show as did primarily the type.

But as the caoutchouc has a tendency to return to its previous shape it becomes necessary to apply the process called vulcanizing. The object is to impart hardness to the rubber, and to prevent its losing the form into which it has been pressed.

To accomplish this the caoutchouc must be heated to a temperature of from 120 to 130 deg. C. As the substance is ordinarily softened by heat it is necessary to take some means to prevent it from sticking to the mould. For the purpose soapstone will answer, and the mould, as well as the piece of caoutchouc, should be well brushed or dusted with this substance.

The duration of the heating varies with the thickness of the rubber sheet. As a general thing from twenty to thirty minutes ought to be sufficient. It may be mentioned here that special apparatus can be purchased for pressing and vulcanizing. The proper vulcanization is of the greatest importance in determining the durability of the stamp.

All that remains to complete the stamps is the mounting of the rubber plate upon a suitable base or handle. This is best done either with zinc or with a solution of caoutchouc in benzine. The surface of the handle, as well as the back part of the stamps, having been covered with such a solution and well pressed together, after drying the entire stamp will be ready for use.—Amer. Lith. and Printer.

Vermin Exterminators.

Phosphorus or Luminous Paste.

This is an unequaled preparation for destroying rats, mice, cockroaches, etc. It attracts them by its luminous appearance and also by its odor, which is very attractive to all vermin. They eat it with great avidity.

Phosphorus 1/2 ounce.

Armenian bole1 ounce.

Arsenic1 ounce.

Oil of rhodium 1/2 drachm.

Tallow10 ounces.

Rye flour12 ounces.

Water12 ounces.

Cook the flour and water to a thin paste; add the phosphorus—previously melted in a little hot water—and mix; then add the rest and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Other Methods of Destroying Rats.—(1) Mix some fine plaster of Paris with an equal quantity of flour; put the mixture in the place infested by the vermin and a vessel full of water beside it. The rats will devour the mixture and then drink, whereupon the plaster, brought into contact with the water, will become solid and like a stone in their stomachs, which will cause their deaths. (2) When a house is infested with rats which refuse to nibble at toasted cheese or the usual baits, a few drops of oil of rhodium poured on or near the bait will attract them while the most tempting baits fail. (3) Cover the floor near their holes and place into their haunts a quantity of caustic potash. This they lick with their tongues, which makes their mouths sore, and they not only shun this locality, but appear to tell all the neighboring rats about it. (4) Instead of using chloride of lime or potash a quantity of tar can be smeared in and around their haunts and they will disappear. Tar and rats do not agree. If a live rat be caught, smeared with tar, and allowed to escape into the holes he will do the smearing process thoroughly.

Roach and Moth Exterminator.

Thymol2 parts.

Salicylic acid2 parts.

Alcohol200 parts.

Oil of lemon1 part.

This new, simple, and cheap preparation makes no stain and kills the vermin immediately. The odor is not unpleasant, and is quickly removed by airing the room. Use by sprinkling, or moistening blotting paper with the solution.

Moth Powder.

Lupulin1 drachm.

Scotch snuff2 ounces.

Camphor gum1 ounce.

Black pepper1 ounce.

Cedar sawdust4 ounces.

Mix thoroughly and strew among the furs and woolens.

Bedbug Poison.

Corrosive sublimate (in powder)2 ounces.

Alcohol1 pint.

Apply with a feather or stick into their hiding places. Label poison, and place all such compounds out of the reach of children.

Poison Fly Paper.

White arsenic1 ounce.

Sugar 1/2 pound.

Concentrated lye 1/4 ounce.

Water1 quart.

Dissolve the concentrated lye in the water, add the sugar and boil the solution, meanwhile gradually adding the arsenic. While still warm dip porous paper (cut into small squares) in the solution and dry them. For use place in plates or saucers partly filled with water where the flies can get at them.

Sticky Fly Paper.

Rosin8 ounces.

Lard or cotton-seed oil3 ounces.

Boil together, spread thinly on manilla paper, place another sheet on top, and when wanted pull them apart and it is ready for use. This is now usually preferred to the poison paper, as the flies are caught and held and do not die and drop into food, etc.

Mosquito and Fly Frightener.

Petrolatum1 ounce.

Paraffine 1/8 ounce.

Oil pennyroyal 1/3 ounce.

Oil of tar 2/3 ounce.

Carbolic acid 2/3 drachm.

Melt the solid ingredients together, and when partly cooled add the other ingredients. This is an elegant preparation to rub on the hands and face where flies, mosquitos, gnats, etc., are troublesome.

Inks.

Late improvements in the manufacture of inks are due to the discovery and cheapening of substances which can be used in preparing them. While good common writing inks are quite easily procured in the market, still they can be manufactured much cheaper by the consumer; and then again there are a variety of special purposes which require inks that are not on sale, and formulas for making them are very valuable. In this collection we give approved and tested formulas for everything in the ink line.

Fine Black Ink.

[FROM LOGWOOD.]

A good black ink can be made by boiling 3 pounds of logwood with sufficient water to leave a residue of 5 quarts. When cold add 3 drachms of yellow bichromate of potash and stir thoroughly. To prevent thickening add a few drops of solution of mercury salt. It flows freely from the pen. Its color at first is of a dark indigo-blue tint, changing soon into a permanent black. A beautiful gloss may be given to this or any other black ink by adding a strong solution of shellac and borax.

Fine Black Ink.

[FROM ANILINE.]

Black aniline crystals (negrosine)1 1/2 ounces.

Dextrine1 ounce.

Corrosive sublimate5 grains.

Water2 quarts.

Dissolve the negrosine in a quart of hot water; dissolve the corrosive sublimate and dextrine in the remaining quart, and pour all together. This is a splendid ink, flows freely from the pen, and will keep well.

In making ink use care in buying the best anilines and other ingredients. This is important.

Fine Red Ink.

Eosine aniline100 grains.

Water1 pint.

Simply dissolve the aniline in the water. No better bright, fiery red ink can be made.

Fine Violet Ink.

Violet aniline70 grains.

Alcohol 1/2 ounce.

Dextrine 1/2 ounce.

Hot water1 pint.

Dissolve the aniline in the alcohol and the dextrine in the hot water, and mix them.

Fine Blue Ink.

Water blue aniline1 drachm.

Dextrine 1/4 ounce.

Hot water1 pint.

One-fourth of an ounce of Prussian blue may be used instead of the water blue aniline.

Fine Green Ink.

Green aniline1 drachm.

Dextrine 1/4 ounce.

Hot water1 pint.

Aniline inks of any color can be made in a similar manner. Simply get the desired color of aniline. Maroon ink may be made by mixing equal quantities of black, blue, and red inks; yellow by adding 1 1/4 drachms of picric acid to 1 pint of hot water.

Copying Ink.

Take 1 pint of the violet-black ink and add 1 ounce each of sugar and gum Arabic. This is for what is called moist copying where a press is used. For what is termed dry copying mix about 1/3 pint of glycerine to a pint of any good black ink. The manuscript, if written on glazed paper, will not dry for hours, and will yield one or two fair, neat, dry copies by simple pressure of the hand. The writing should not be excessively fine nor the strokes uneven or heavy. The copies and the original are neater than when water is used.

Gaffard’s Indestructible Ink.

Lampblack1 part.

Potash water glass12 parts.

Aqua ammonia1 part.

Distilled water38 parts.

The potash water glass should be of the consistency of syrup.

Hektograph Ink.

(SEE PAGE 1.)

A good purple ink to use on the gelatine copying pad, or hektograph, is prepared as follows:

Methyl violet1 ounce.

Water8 ounces.

Glycerine1 ounce.

Alcohol 1/4 ounce.

Dissolve the methyl-violet in the water and add the glycerine. Gently warm the solution for an hour, and after cooling add the alcohol.

When black hektograph ink is desired, instead of the methyl-violet use double the amount of negrosine.

White Ink.

An excellent white ink, which can be used with a pen for writing on colored cards or paper, may be made as follows:

Flake white12 drachms.

Mucilage of gum Arabic6 drachms.

If too thick add water; if too thin, more mucilage. Shake well while using.

Rubber Stamp Ink.

Aniline (desired color) 1/2 ounce.

Glycerine2 ounces.

Ribbon Ink.

FOR TYPE-WRITERS, DATING STAMPS, ETC.

Aniline 1/2 ounce.

Alcohol4 ounces.

Glycerine7 ounces.

Water4 ounces.

Dissolve the aniline in the alcohol and add the other ingredients.

Marking Ink.

FOR PACKAGES AND BOXES.

Extract of Logwood8 ounces.

Bichromate of potash1 ounce.

Hydrochloric acid 3/4 ounce.

Dextrine4 ounces.

Water 1/2 gallon.

Boil the logwood with the water, add the acid and potash, and lastly the dextrine.

Indelible Ink.

FOR MARKING LINEN, ETC.

Dissolve 5 parts of lunar caustic in 10 parts of spirit of sal ammoniac. Add to the solution 7 parts of pure soda, 5 of gum Arabic, and 12 of water.

Ink for Writing on Metals.

VALUABLE IN MARKING TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS.

Muriatic acid1 ounce.

Nitric acid 1/2 ounce.

Cover the portion of metal you wish to write upon with melted beeswax and allow it to cool. Write the inscription plainly with any sharp-pointed instrument through the beeswax to the metal. Apply the acids with a feather or rag, carefully filling each letter, and let it remain from one to thirty minutes, according to the desired depth of the lettering, after which wash off the beeswax and acids and rub over with a little sweet oil to prevent further rust or tarnish.

Ink Powders.

As in the case of fluid inks there are many formulas for preparing ink powders. The following are the best:

Black.—Nut-galls, 1 ounce; copperas, 1/2 ounce; gum Arabic, 7 ounces. Add one clove to this quantity. Or, take negrosine, 1 ounce; dextrine, 3 ounces; mix.

Blue.—Water blue aniline, 1 ounce; dextrine, 5 ounces. Or, soluble Prussian blue, 1/2 ounce; dextrine, 1 ounce.

Green.—Aniline green, 44 parts; gelatine, 4 parts, and lunar caustic, 2 parts. Or, green aniline, 1 part; dextrine, 4 parts.

Red.—Eosine aniline, 1 ounce; dextrine, 1 ounce.

A tea-spoonful to a table-spoonful of the powder is dissolved in 1 pint of water, requiring from 1/2 to 1 hour to make the solution.

Disappearing Ink.

Boil some nut-galls in aqua fortis, and add to the infusion some gum Arabic and a little sulphuric acid. When written on paper this ink is perfectly legible, but will disappear from the paper in a few days.

Invisible Ink.

Invisible inks are those which when first written are not visible, but upon the application of heat or other means the characters are made to appear distinctly. The following are decidedly the best preparations for this purpose:

Oil of vitriol1 fluid ounce.

Soft water1 pint.

This makes a fluid which is perfectly invisible until heat is applied by holding over a lamp or by placing in an oven, when it changes to a permanent black. Write with a clean steel pen. All invisible inks will show on glazed paper, therefore unglazed paper should be used.

Another singular invisible ink is made as follows: Oxide of cobalt, 1/2 ounce; muriatic acid, sufficient to dissolve it; water, 4 ounces; mucilage of gum acacia, 1 drachm. Place in a stained bottle. Characters written with this solution are invisible, but on the application of heat they instantly appear in blue. On cooling they again become invisible.

Ink Erasing Fluid.

Hydrochloric acid 1/8 ounce.

Water1 pint.

Mix, bottle, and label No. 1.

Solution of chlorinated soda 2/3 pint.

Water1 pint.

Mix, bottle, and label No. 2.

To erase ink dip the end of a penholder or pencil in No. 1 and apply to the writing, and do the same with No. 2. Let remain a moment and blot off with clean blotting-paper. If the characters are not erased repeat as before.

Cements and Glue.

Armenian Glue.

The jewellers of Turkey, who are mostly Armenians, have a singular method of ornamenting watch cases, etc., with diamonds and other precious stones by simply gluing or cementing them on. The stone is set in gold or silver and the lower part of the metal made flat, or to correspond to that part to which it is to be fixed. It is then warmed gently and the glue applied, which is so very strong that the parts thus cemented never separate. For this glue, which will firmly unite bits of glass and even polished steel, and which may of course be applied to a vast variety of useful purposes, large number of formulas have been published. The following is the original recipe. Dissolve 5 or 6 bits of gum mastic, each the size of a large pea, in as much alcohol as will suffice to render them liquid; in another vessel dissolve as much isinglass, previously softened a little in water (though none of the water must be used), in good brandy or rum as will make a two-ounce vial of very strong glue, adding two small bits of galbanum or ammoniacum, which must be rubbed or ground until they are dissolved. Then mix the whole with a sufficient heat. Keep the glue in a vial closely corked, and when it is to be used set the vial in boiling water. To avoid cracking the vial by exposure to such sudden heat use a thin green glass vial and hold it in the steam for a few seconds before immersing it in the hot water.—Workshop Receipts.

Glutina Cement.

FOR GLASS, CHINA, WOOD, LEATHER, ETC.

Gelatine (Cooper’s or Cox’s)3 ounces.

Acetic acid2 ounces.

Carbolic acid5 grains.

Oil of cloves6 minims.

Water enough to make1 pint.

Soak the gelatine in half a pint of water for four hours. Place in a bottle and heat in a water bath; add the acids, dissolve, add the oil of cloves and sufficient hot water to make a pint, and strain.

To Cement Iron to Iron.

Powdered cast-iron bore chips60 parts.

Sal-ammoniac2 parts.

Flowers of sulphur1 part.

Mix, and stir the mixture into a stiff paste by adding water. Use while fresh.

Cementing Metal to Glass, Stone, Etc.

For attaching metal plates, such as metal letters, etc., to flat sheets of glass or windows, the following is excellent:

Copal varnish15 parts.

Drying oil5 parts.

Turpentine3 parts.

Melt in a water bath, and add 10 parts of slaked lime. The cement commonly used for fastening the tops on kerosene lamps is plaster of Paris, which is porous, quickly penetrated by the kerosene, and readily destroyed. A cement which does not have this defect is made by boiling 3 parts of resin and 1 of caustic soda in 5 of water. This composition forms a soap, which mix with half its weight of plaster of Paris. Use while fresh.

Pastes.

Paste for Wall-paper, Etc.

Dissolve 1/8 ounce of salicylic acid in half a gallon of warm water, and when cold stir in as much flour as will bring it to the consistency of cream, being particular to break up all the lumps; next place it on the fire and allow it to cook gently for a few minutes, stirring well meanwhile. This paste answers a variety of purposes. The salicylic acid is to keep it from spoiling. The addition of 1 ounce of powdered colocynth to the above amount will effectually banish all insects and worms from the walls where the paper is pasted.

Paste for Labeling on Tin.

Ordinary pastes will not adhere labels to tin. The following is a good one: Make a paste of gum tragacanth and add a little oil of wintergreen. Apply by removing the film of grease from the tin by a solution of caustic soda (10 parts of water to 1 of soda). Apply with a rag to the spot on which you wish to affix the label.

Paste to Fasten Cloth or Leather on Wooden Surfaces.

Wheat flour2 1/4 pounds.

Resin (powdered) 1/2 ounce.

Salicylic acid 1/8 ounce.

Rub together till a uniform paste is formed, transfer to a small kettle over a fire, heat, and stir until the lumps are all dissolved and the paste becomes stiff; transfer to another vessel and cover up. This paste is applied in a thin layer to the surface of the table or desk to be covered, the cloth or leather is then laid on and smoothed with a roller. If leather is to be fastened on it must be first dampened.

Whitewash and Paints.

Brilliant Stucco Whitewash.

This is a time-tried whitewash, either for inside or outside work, and has been known to retain its brilliancy for over thirty years. Nice unslaked lime, 1/2 bushel; slake it with boiling water; cover it during the process to keep in the steam. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or strainer, and add to it 1/4 bushel of salt, previously well dissolved in water; rice, 3 pounds—boiled to a thin paste and stirred in boiling hot; Spanish whiting, 1/2 pound; best glue, 1 pound, which has been previously dissolved by soaking it well, and then hanging it over a slow fire in a small kettle immersed in a larger one filled with water. Now add hot water, 5 gallons, to the mixture, stir well, and let it stand a few days covered from the dirt. It should be put on hot. For this purpose it is best to keep it in a kettle on a portable furnace, or use other means more convenient. It answers as well as oil paint for brick or stone, and is much cheaper.

Coloring matter, dissolved in alcohol, may be put in and made of any shade you like. Spanish brown stirred in will make red-pink, more or less deep, according to quantity. A delicate tinge of this is very pretty for inside walls. Finely pulverized common clay, well mixed with Spanish white, makes reddish stone color. Yellow ochre stirred in makes yellow wash, but chrome goes further, and makes a color generally esteemed prettier. In all these cases the darkness of the shade is of course determined by the quantity of the coloring used. It is difficult to make rules, because tastes differ. It would be best to try experiments on a shingle, and let it dry. Green must not be mixed with lime. The lime destroys the color, and the color has an effect on the whitewash which makes it crack and peel. When inside walls have been badly smoked and you wish to make them a clean, clear white, it is well to squeeze indigo plentifully through a bag into the water you use before it is stirred into the whole mixture; or blue vitriol pulverized and dissolved in boiling water and put into whitewash gives a beautiful blue tint. If a larger quantity than five gallons be wanted the same proportions should be observed.

Durable Paint for Tin Roofs.

Linseed Oil30 parts.

Oil of Turpentine10 parts.

Colcothar14 parts.

Red chalk46 parts.

The coloring substances are pulverized and the mixture ground. Should the mixture be too thick reduce it with equal parts of linseed oil and oil of turpentine. Give the roof two coats, allowing the first to dry before applying the second. See that the tin is free from rust, and the coats should not be laid on too thick nor too thin.

Paint for Roofs.

Pulverized slate (argillaceous schist)35 parts.

Pulverized mica slate (mica schist)30 parts.

Pulverized rosin35 parts.

Mix, and add one-half its volume of pure coal-tar and boil to a fluid mass.

This paint gives a very durable and pliant covering, which does not melt in the greatest heat of summer nor crack or break in the greatest cold. It resists moisture, and a roof painted with it need not be gone over again for four or five years.

Paint for Blackboards.

Common glue, 4 ounces; flour of emery, 3 ounces, and just lampblack enough to give an inky color to the preparation. Dissolve the glue in 3/4 quart of warm water, put in the lampblack and emery, stir till there are no lumps, then apply to the board with a woolen rag smoothly rolled. Three coats should be given.

Removing Smell of Paint.

Place a vessel of lighted charcoal in the room and place on it two or three handfuls of juniper berries; shut the windows, chimneys, and doors and twenty-four hours afterward the room may be opened, when it will be found that the sickly, unwholesome smell will be gone. Another very simple method is to plunge a handful of hay into a pail of water and let it stand in the newly-painted room.

Paint Remover.

To remove dry paint or hard putty make a saturated solution of caustic of potassa with water. Apply to the paint with a swab. After a short time it will be easily removed.

Staining Wood.

Ebonizing Wood.

Logwood chips8 ounces.

Copperas 1/2 ounce.

Lampblack 1/2 ounce.

Water, sufficient.

Boil the logwood for 30 minutes in a gallon of water, and then add the copperas and lampblack. Apply to the wood hot, giving a number of coats. In varnishing ebonized wood a little drop black must be added to the varnish or it will give a brown shade.

Staining Wood Rose Color.

A brilliant and uniform rose color can be imparted to wood and vegetable ivory by chemical precipitation, as follows: The first bath consists of 8 parts of potassium iodide to 100 parts of water. The second bath is prepared by mixing 2 1/2 parts of corrosive sublimate with 100 parts of water. Immerse the wood for a few hours in the first bath, then place it in the second, in which it will acquire a beautiful rose color. Varnish the wood after drying. Both baths can be repeatedly used without renewing them.

Imitation of Cedar.

Mix 2 parts by weight of catechu, 1 part of caustic soda, and 100 of water. The best wood to use is white wood, and after the article is finished it is boiled in the stain for several hours, rinsed, and dried. The length of time in boiling depends upon the depth of color desired. This is a very deep and natural stain.

Hard Coating for Wood.

To coat wood with a substance as hard as stone apply the following mixture while hot with a brush:

Lime40 parts.

Resin50 parts.

Linseed oil4 parts.

Metal and Glass Secrets.

Hardening Composition for Steel.

Spermaceti oil95 quarts.

Melted tallow20 pounds.

Neat’s foot oil4 1/2 quarts.

Pitch1 pound.

Rosin3 pounds.

Melt the rosin and pitch together, add the other ingredients, and heat all in an iron vessel until all moisture is driven out, and the heated mass ignites from a burning chip of wood held over it; the flame is at once extinguished by a close-fitting lid.

In using the method for saw blades, they are first heated in a suitable furnace and then placed vertically, teeth upward, in troughs filled with the mixture. After sufficient cooling they are taken out and wiped with a piece of leather so that only a slight film of fat remains. They are then placed flat over a coal fire until the coating of fat ignites, which may burn as freely as required for great hardness. Screws, or other articles which require a less degree of hardness, are dipped into the hot mixture and brought to a white heat.

Composition to Toughen Steel.

Resin2 pounds.

Tallow2 pounds.

Black pitch1 pound.

Melt together and dip the steel in the mixture when hot.

To Soften Iron or Steel.

Anoint the article all over with tallow, temper it in a gentle charcoal fire, and let it cool itself; or take a little clay, cover your iron with it, and temper in a charcoal fire.

Restoring Burnt Steel.

It is not generally known that burnt steel may be almost instantaneously restored by plunging it while hot in cold water and hammering it with light strokes on the anvil, turning it so as to hammer all over it, again dipping in the cold water, and repeating the hammering process as before. Try again if you do not succeed the first time.

Welding Cast-Steel.

Rock saltpeter 1/4 pound.

Oil vitriol 1/4 pound.

Water1 gallon.

Dissolve the saltpeter in the vitriol and add it to the water. After scarfing the steel get it hot; and quench in the preparation. Then weld the same as a piece of iron, hammering it very quickly with light blows. It answers the purpose much better than borax. Cork it in a bottle and it will keep for years.

Another:

Borax15 parts.

Sal-ammoniac2 parts.

Cyanide of potassium2 parts.

Dissolve all in water, and evaporate the water at a low temperature.

To Drill Hardened Steel.

Cover your steel with melted beeswax, and when cold make a hole in the wax with a fine-pointed needle or other article the size of the hole you require; put a drop of strong nitric acid upon it, and after an hour rinse off and apply again. It will gradually eat through.

To Drill Holes in Cast-Iron.

By means of carbolic acid a hole 1/4 of an inch in diameter has been drilled through 1/2 inch thickness of cast-iron with a carpenter’s brace.

To Solder Ferrules for Tool Handles.

Take your ferrule, lap round the “joining” a small piece of brass wire, then wet the ferrule, scatter on the joining ground borax, put it on the end of a wire, and hold it in the fire till the brass fuses. It will fill up the joining and form a perfect solder. It may afterward be turned in the lathe.

Soldering Without a Soldering Iron.

Cut a piece of a tin-foil the size of the surface to be soldered, then pass over the surface a solution of sal-ammoniac, place the tin-foil between the pieces, and heat over a lamp or fire until the foil melts. Instead of the solution of sal-ammoniac equal parts of water and hydrochloric acid saturated with zinc can be used just as well.

To Clean Gun-barrels from Lead.

Pour in a little mercury, agitate it over the interior surface of the barrel, and pour it out again. The mercury will amalgamate the lead and remove it.

To Resharpen Old Files.

Saleratus4 ounces.

Water1 quart.

Dissolve the saleratus in the water. Boil the old files or rasps in this solution for half an hour. Then take out, wash, and dry them. Next stand them in a jar, filling it up with rain water and sulphuric acid in the proportion of water, 1 quart; sulphuric acid, 4 ounces. Coarse files should remain in the bath twelve hours and fine ones two or three hours less. Take them out, wash them clean, dry quickly and thoroughly, and rub them with sweet oil to prevent rusting.

Another method, though not so effectual, is to pour a few drops of benzole upon the file and brush thoroughly with a scratch brush.

Mending Tinware by Candle Heat.

This is such a simple and cheap way of mending tinware that a person with just a bit of ingenuity can do his own work in this line. Take a vial about two-thirds full of muriatic acid and put into it little bits of sheet zinc as long as the acid will dissolve them. Then put in a crumb of sal-ammoniac and fill up with water and it is ready for use. Wet the cork in the vial and with it wet the edges of the place to be mended. Then put a piece of sheet zinc over the hole and hold a lighted candle or spirit lamp under the place, which melts the solder on the tin and causes the zinc to adhere without further trouble. Do not forget to wet the zinc also with the solution.

A Good Way to Sharpen Razors.

Put the razor blade for half an hour in water to which has been added one-twentieth of its weight of muriatic or sulphuric acid, and after a few hours “set” it on a hone. The acid acts as a whetstone by corroding the whole surface uniformly.

Razor-Strop Paste.

Moisten flour of emery with tallow or sweet oil.

Cutting Ovals and Different Shapes on Glass.

Scratch the glass around the shape you desire with the corner of a file or graver; then having bent a piece of wire the same shape heat it red-hot and lay it upon the scratch, and sink the glass into cold water just deep enough for the water to come almost on a level with its upper surface. It rarely fails to break perfectly true.

Etching on Glass.

Barium sulphate3 ounces.

Ammonia fluoride1 ounce.

Acid sulphuric, a sufficient quantity to decompose the ammonia fluoride and making the mixture of a semi-fluid consistency. It must be prepared in a leaden vessel. It can be used with a common pen, but must be kept in bottles coated inside with paraffine, beeswax, or gutta-percha, with rubber stoppers.

To Drill and Ornament Glass.

Any hard steel tool will cut glass with great facility when kept freely wet with camphor dissolved in turpentine. A drill-bow may be used, or even the hand alone. A hole bored may be readily enlarged by a round file. The ragged edges of glass vessels may also be thus easily smoothed by a flat file. Flat window glass can readily be sawed by a watch-spring saw by aid of this solution. In short, the most brittle glass can be wrought almost as easily as brass by the use of cutting-tools kept constantly moist with camphorized oil of turpentine.

Plating Without a Battery.

Silver-Plating Solution.

Nitrate of silver (crystals) 1/4 ounce.

Cyanuret potassa 1/2 ounce.

Prepared Spanish whiting1 ounce.

Pure rain water2 1/2 ounces.

Mix all together in a glass vessel, and it is ready for use. Thoroughly clean the article from all grease and dirt (see polishing preparations, page 12), and apply with a soft rag or brush and polish with a chamois skin.

Silvering Powder.

Chloride of silver1 ounce.

Pearlash3 ounces.

Common salt1 1/2 ounces.

Whiting1 ounce.

Powder and mix the articles thoroughly. This is excellent in silvering brass and copper articles. Clean the surface of the article, as in the preceding preparation, and apply the mixture by rubbing on with a cork or piece of soft leather moistened with water and dipped in the powder. Afterward the metal should be well washed in hot water and wiped dry.

Gold-Plating Solution.

Gold amalgam 1/2 ounce.

Nitro muriatic acid1 ounce.

Alcohol2 ounces.

Dissolve the amalgam in the acid and then add the alcohol. Thoroughly clean the article to be plated and apply the solution with a soft brush. Rinse and dry in sawdust or with tissue paper and polish with chamois skin.

Nickeling Iron Without Electricity.

To a solution of chloride of zinc 5 or 10 per cent strong add enough nickel salt to give the usual color of nickel bath. Cleanse the articles and put them in the solution for from 1/2 to 1 hour.

Gold and Silver Imitations.

Imitation Gold.

An American has discovered a beautiful alloy, which has been most successfully applied as a substitute for gold. It is composed of pure copper, 100 parts; pure tin, 17 parts; magnesia, 6 parts; tartar of commerce, 9 parts; sal-ammoniac, 3.6 parts, and quicklime, 1.6 parts. The copper is first melted, then the lime, magnesia, sal-ammoniac, and tartar are added, little at a time, and the whole is briskly stirred for about half an hour, so as to mix thoroughly, after which the tin is thrown on the surface in small grains, stirring until entirely fused. The crucible is now covered and the fusion kept up for about thirty-five minutes, when the dross is skimmed off, and the alloy found ready for use. It is quite maleable and ductile, and may be drawn, stamped, chased, beaten into powder, or into leaves, like gold leaf, in all of which conditions it is not distinguishable from gold even by good judges, except by its inferior weight.

Imitation Silver.

Combine by fusion 1 part pure copper, 24 parts block tin, 1 1/2 parts pure antimony, 1/4 part pure bismuth, and 2 parts clear glass. The glass may be omitted save in cases where it is an object to have the metal sonorous.

Care of Teeth, Mouth, and Breath.

The teeth, through negligence and ignorance, receive less attention among the majority of people than any other subject of a personal character. The care of children’s teeth is very important, and if parents do not post themselves in the matter frequent visits to a skilled dentist should in their case be imperatively enforced, as well as upon the older members of the family.

The first teeth of the infant are called the deciduous or milk teeth, and are twenty in number—ten in each jaw. These twenty teeth are as follows: Eight incisors, four in each jaw—the four being composed of two central and two lateral incisors—also four canine or cuspid teeth, two in each jaw, and eight molars, four in each jaw—the molars being called first and second molars, indicating their relative positions as well as the periods of their eruption (commonly called cutting). It is generally recognized among physicians that all diseases of children are more difficult to treat during dentition than before or after. It is well enough for parents to recognize this fact in administering medicines to their children. Although the time of eruptions of the teeth differ with different persons, yet the following table gives a close approximation:

ERUPTION OF THE TEETH.

Deciduous Teeth.Permanent Teeth.

(The lower generally precede the upper by two or three months.)First molars5 to 6 years

Central incisors6 to 8 years

Lateral incisors7 to 9 years

Central incisors5 to 8 monthsFirst bicuspids9 to 10 years

Lateral incisors7 to 10 monthsSecond bicuspids10 to 11 years

First molars12 to 16 monthsCanines11 to 12 years

Canines15 to 20 monthsSecond molars12 to 14 years

Second molars20 to 36 monthsThird molars17 to 21 years

It would be difficult indeed to condense in so short a space so much practical information from a reliable source as has been given in the following prize essay on the teeth, which was awarded by the Dental Society of Philadelphia:

1st. Cleanse your teeth once, or oftener, every day. Rinse the mouth after eating. Cleansing the teeth consists in removing every particle of foreign matter from around the teeth and gums.

2d. To cleanse use well-made brushes, soft quill, or wood toothpicks, an antacid styptic tooth wash, and precipitated chalk. If these means fail apply to a regular dentist.

3d. Avoid eating hot food. Thoroughly masticate the food, and well salivate it before swallowing.

4th. Parents ought to carefully attend to the child’s second dentition. Prevail upon your children to visit, at frequent intervals, a careful and skillful operator.

5th. Remember that four of the permanent double teeth come in at the age of six years. They are very liable to decay early, are very large, and should never be allowed to require extracting.

6th. Never allow any one to extract a tooth or dissuade you from having them filled unless absolutely necessary.

7th. Carelessness and procrastination are responsible for a large proportion of teeth that are lost.

The teeth were never intended to take the place of nut-crackers nor to rival scissors in cutting thread. The teeth must be taken care of or your health will suffer.

Remember, a clean tooth would not decay in a hundred years.

Best Tooth Powder.

Precipitated chalk4 ounces.

Powdered cuttle-bone2 ounces.

Powdered orris root1 1/2 ounces.

Powdered borax 1/2 ounce.

Oil of cloves5 minims.

Oil of wintergreen2 fluid drachms.

Mix the powder thoroughly, and with a small portion add the oils and mix them until in the form of a moist powder. Then add the rest of the mixed powders gradually until all are evenly distributed throughout. A solution of carmine can be added in with the oils, which will color it as desired.

Some prefer a preparation in the form of a paste, as follows:

Cherry Tooth Paste.

Precipitated chalk4 ounces.

Powdered areca nut1 ounce.

Powdered quillaya bark (or soap root) 1/2 ounce.

Powdered cuttle-bone1 ounce.

Powdered borax 1/2 ounce.

Powdered orris root4 ounces.

Tincture of myrrh 1/2 ounce.

Oils of nutmeg, cloves, and bitter almonds, each15 minims.

Oil of rose5 minims.

Honey, glycerine, and mucilage acacia equal quantities of each sufficient to make into a paste of the desired consistence. First mix the powders and color with carmine, and then add the other ingredients and thoroughly mix.

Mouth washes are a valuable addition to the toilet as they assist to harden and heal the gums, cleanse the mouth and purify the breath.

Antiseptic Tooth Wash.

Salicylic acid12 parts.

Alcohol (95 per cent)315 parts.

Distilled water60 parts.

Oil of wintergreen15 parts.

Essence of orange flowers15 parts.

Color with tincture of cochineal. A few drops of carbolic acid may be added to the above in the case of decayed teeth and foul breath.

When the breath is very offensive the following should be taken in addition to rinsing the mouth with the mouth wash:

Solution for the Breath.

Solution chloride soda1 ounce.

Liquor potassa1 ounce.

Phosphate soda 1/2 ounce.

Water8 ounces.

Mix and take one-half tea-spoonful in water after each meal.

When the services of a dentist are not at hand and the teeth are badly decayed and aching, the following mouth wash is recommended. It is used by holding a tea-spoonful in the mouth as long as possible and spitting out:

Spanish camomile root4 1/2 drachms.

Sal-ammoniac2 1/4 drachms.

Vinegar and lavender water, each2 1/2 fluid ounces.

Cut the camomile in pieces and rub fine with the sal-ammoniac; add the lavender water and vinegar by placing all in a glass flask and let it digest for twelve hours and filter.

The following preparation is one of the best for relieving toothache until a dentist can be consulted:

Toothache Drops.

Chloral hydrate1 drachm.

Camphor1 drachm.

Morphia sulphate2 drachms.

Oil peppermint2 drachms.

Rub the solids in a mortar until they liquefy, then add the oil of peppermint. Apply on cotton.

Removal of Freckles, Moles, Etc.

The following practical treatise on this much-abused subject is copied from the B. & C. Druggist, and although originally written in the interests of druggists it is of more value to persons affected with these blemishes; hence we reproduce the essay in its entirety with the formulas stripped of their technical terms and phrases:

At this time of the year there are few questions which are more frequently addressed to the “family chemist,” and fewer still to which he ordinarily gives so unsatisfactory a reply, as, “What shall I do to cure my freckles?”

Knowing as we do how greatly the popularity—i. e., the business prosperity—of the majority of our friends depends upon the votes and interest of their lady customers, we have been at some pains to lay before them such an amount of practical information upon the above subject as will enable them to retain the good will and material gratitude of their fair interrogators on the one hand, and to put a little extra profit in their own pockets on the other.

We do not propose to convert these pages into an elaborate treatise upon the skin; but for the benefit of those who are only just commencing business it will, perhaps, be as well to make a few observations which our more experienced friends may consider of the “leather and prunella” order. In the first place it will be generally admitted that upon the subject of our present notes there is no published information of a practical and reliable character, and that medical writers and practitioners either shun the question altogether or approach it in a perfunctory manner, and leave it very much where they found it. For our present purpose the cutaneous discoloration commonly designated by the term “freckles” may be considered under two heads—the so-called “summer” or temporary variety (ephelis), and the permanent kind (lentigo). Both are commonly stated to be simply morbid alterations of the skin-pigment, and to be situated solely in the rete mucosum, but this is not absolutely true, inasmuch as ephelis, properly so called, is generally due to a darkening of the under surface of the epidermis either in small ovoid patches (“summer freckles”) or extended over a large surface (“tan” or “sunburn”), while with lentigo the brownish discolorations are at a greater depth, and remain in situ after the covering epidermis has been completely removed. Strong sunshine, or any powerfully actinic light, and radiant heat from any source are apt to produce the first named, and to enhance the latter form of the skin’s chromatogenous function, the manifestations of which vary greatly according to individual idiosyncrasies.

Similarly the treatment which answers best for some persons is not so efficacious in other cases, but the old, old adage that “prevention is better than cure” applies here with considerable force, and as regards the rationale of remedial applications, it may be said in general terms that the application, in the right place, of active reducing, or deoxidizing, agents is as a rule successful in removing ephelis altogether, and in greatly toning down the shade of lentigo. Commencing with the mildest form we will give a good formula for a

SUNBURN LOTION

Citric acid1 drachm.

Sulphate of iron (pure)18 grains.

Elder-flower water3 ounces.

Camphor, sufficient quantity.

The sulphate of iron must be in clear green crystals, unless the “granulated” form, which is preferable, be available, and in either case the salt should be fresh and free from oxidized portions, or “rustiness;” it should be dissolved in half the elder-flower water (all of which is better, if not quite recently distilled, for being quickly raised to the boiling point and cooled out of contact of air before use), the citric acid being also in solution in the other half, and the two fluids mixed, filtered if necessary, and bottled immediately, a lump of camphor about the size of small peppercorn to be added to the contents of each bottle.

WASH FOR THE SKIN.

Hydokinine48 grains.

Glacial phosphoric acid30 grains.

Glycerine2 drachms.

Distilled water6 ounces.

Mix.

The two lotions are stated to give excellent results, especially the latter. They are to be applied to the skin of the face, etc., in the usual way, at least twice in the course of twenty-four hours, after it has been washed and dried carefully. If the skin be of the nature known as “greasy,” a preliminary wash with tepid water containing a few drops of stronger water of ammonia is advisable.

ALBADERMINE.

Under this empirical title a process of removing “tan” and the milder variety of “freckles,” a foreign surgeon has devised the following:

SOLUTION A.

Iodide potassa2 drachms.

Pure iodine6 grains.

Glycerine3 drachms.

Infusion of rose leaves4 ounces.

Dissolve the iodide of potassium in a small quantity of the infusion and a drachm of the glycerine; with this fluid moisten the iodine in a glass mortar and rub it down, gradually adding more liquid until complete solution has been obtained; then stir in the remainder of the ingredients, and bottle the mixture.

SOLUTION B.

Hyposulphate of soda1 1/2 ounces.

Rose water1 pint.

Dissolve and filter.

With a small camel’s hair pencil or piece of fine sponge apply a little of “Albadermine A” to the tanned or freckled surface, until a slight but tolerably uniform brownish-yellow skin has been produced. At the expiration of fifteen or twenty minutes moisten a piece of cambric, lint, or soft rag with “B” and lay it upon the affected part, removing, squeezing away the liquid, soaking it afresh, and again applying until the iodine stain has disappeared. Repeat the entire process thrice daily, but diminish the frequency of the application if tenderness be produced. In the course of from three or four days to as many weeks the freckles will either have disappeared entirely or their intensity will be very greatly diminished. “Summer freckles” yield very speedily to this treatment.

ANTI-FRECKLE LOTION.

Corrosive sublimate12 grains.

Hydrochloric acid (pure)3 drachms.

Kernels of bitter almonds1 1/2 ounces.

Glycerine1 ounce.

Tincture benzoin2 drachms.

Orange-flower water, sufficient quantity.

Dissolve the corrosive sublimate in three ounces of the orange-flower water, add the hydrochloric acid, and set aside. Blanch the bitter almonds and bruise them in a Wedgwood mortar, adding thereto the glycerine and using the pestle vigorously; a smooth paste is thus obtained. Then add gradually about nine ounces of the orange-flower water, stirring constantly, continuing this operation until a fine, creamy emulsion is the result. Subject this to violent agitation—preferably with the aid of a mechanical egg whisk—and allow the tincture of benzoin to fall into it the while drop by drop. Then add the mercurial solution, filter, and make up the whole to the measure of one imperial pint (20 ounces) with more orange-flower water.

This preparation is recommended to us by an eminent dermatologist as being invariably efficacious in the treatment of ephelis, and always greatly ameliorating lentigo, even if it does not entirely decolorize the patches in the latter case. A general whitening of the skin is produced by this lotion without any irritation. It is as well, however, not to apply it to any abraded surfaces. It has been found far superior in practice to a preparation—which it somewhat resembles—sold at a high price in Paris under the name of Lait Antiphelique.

BISMUTH OINTMENT FOR FRECKLES.

Subnitrate of bismuth3 drachms.

Simple ointment2 ounces.

Apply to the face, etc., at night, and remove in the morning with a little cold cream previous to washing. This is from a private American source.

COPPER OLEATE FOR FRECKLES, ETC.

This is a much more effective and reliable ointment for the purpose than the preceding, which is really only suited for the milder form of sunburn, while the oleate of copper will remove the more persistent and obstinate lentigo. It is thus prepared:

Oleate of copper1 ounce.

Petrolatum3 ounces.

Mix.

This is to be applied in the same manner as the preceding, washing the surface of the skin, however (after the cold cream), about every third morning, with a little weak ammonia water, in order to prevent any inadvertent accumulation of copper.

Several of the preceding are well adapted for the treatment of very dark-colored and deep-seated examples of lentigo, of which, however, some seem capable of resisting all treatment of this kind. The only method of reaching these is by the complete removal of the epidermis of the part and of the upper portion of the cutis also. A Turkish bath is often useful as a preliminary for an effort of this kind, which, of course, needs the application of some disorganizing substance. Permanganate of potassium answers in this direction, but we find that a moderately strong solution of Mr. H. B. Condy’s new disinfectant—per­manga­nate of aluminum—is undoubtedly the best of the two for this purpose. It should be applied several times until the skin has acquired a uniform brown tint. At from one to twelve hours after this is noticed it should be removed by a warm and dilute solution (about 8 or 10 per cent) of hydrochloric acid, to which a little glycerine may be added to prevent too rapid drying. Still better, however, is nitric acid, which if “painted” upon a colored spot of this kind first renders it more distinctly yellow, then orange-brown. In a day or two this becomes a deeper brown, and more or less disorganized, cracking, either round the edge, or right across the center, so that it can be readily peeled away. Freckles removed in this manner seldom crop up again, in that particular place, at all events. In this connection it is a somewhat curious fact that whereas dilute nitric acid often caused soreness and irritation when applied in this manner, a stronger acid does nothing of the kind, but quietly and quickly “deadens” that portion of the outer covering it has been applied to, so that in a day or two it can be removed quite painlessly. What is known as “French nitric acid,” of from 1.330 to 1.350 specific gravity, is very appropriate for this purpose.

COCAINE AND NITRIC ACID FOR MOLES, ETC.

The removal of either deep-seated freckles or moles is, as before hinted, not always an easy task, but nitric acid is perhaps about as good an agent for the purpose as any other. The mole should be surrounded by a little “cell” or ring of wax, so that the acid can be applied direct without fear of disorganizing the adjacent skin. As, however, nitric acid by itself sometimes occasions a good deal of smarting, etc., when applied, it is better to avoid this by mixing cocaine with it. The mixture given below answers the purpose very well indeed:

Nitric acid1 drachm.

Cocaine6 grains.

This should be kept ready for use in a small bottle with a good-fitting stopper. The end of a glass rod dipped in and then cautiously applied to the surface of the mole or freckle, the process being repeated once or twice a day, and the unsightly spot has its vitality destroyed without pain, being then easily and effectually removed.

Preparation for Red Noses.

This formula was procured from a friend of the author residing at Little Rock, Ark. I can vouch for its efficacy in his case, as it removed the unnatural color in a few days, and he told me that others had tried it with equally gratifying results. It is translated from a formula of a young physician, a graduate of Jefferson Medical College:

Oxide of zinc 1/4 ounce.

Corrosive sublimate2 grains.

Sulphur (precip.) 1/2 ounce.

Glycerine 1/4 ounce.

Calamine3 drachms.

Rose water, sufficient to make 8 ounces.

Mix and apply with a small, soft sponge. The medical works say little about the red nose. The cause is usually attributed to drinking, but gluttony, tight lacing, nasal catarrh, chronic enlargement of the tonsils, exposure to strong sunlight, etc., all contribute to a reddening of the nasal organ.

Other Toilet Preparations.

The following formula, prescribed by the late Dr. Tilbury Fox, is a very soothing application, and is a great favorite with ladies who have flushed faces:

Calamine Face Lotion.

Levigated calamine120 grains.

Oxide of zinc60 grains.

Glycerine60 drops.

Rose water, sufficient to make 3 ounces.

Be sure and get the white calamine, and not the red. Apply with a small, soft sponge and allow to dry on, the excess of powder being lightly dusted off with a soft cloth.

Lotion for Chapped Hands, Face, and Lips.

Glycerine3 drachms.

Strained honey1 drachm.

Cologne1 drachm.

Oil of bitter almonds3 drops.

Alcohol4 ounces.

Water1 1/2 ounces.

Mix and apply with a soft sponge while the skin is damp, and wipe dry with a towel. This is the best preparation of its class.

Lip Salve.

For healing and softening the lips, preventing them from cracking, etc., the following is an elegant preparation:

Petrolatum2 ounces.

White wax, or paraffine 1/2 ounce.

Tannin 1/2 drachm.

Oils of lavender and bergamot, each 1/4 drachm.

Oil of rose geranium 1/2 drachm.

Melt the petrolatum and wax together and add the tannin while cooling; add the oils and stir until cold. When it is desired to color the lips add 20 grains of carmine. This is done by reducing the carmine to a fine powder in a mortar and rub with a small portion of the salve until it is thoroughly incorporated, and then mix the remainder gradually.

Pimple Lotion.

Carbolic acid 1/2 drachm.

Borax2 drachms.

Glycerine1 ounce.

Tannin1 drachm.

Alcohol1 1/2 ounces.

Rose water5 ounces.

Mix and dissolve. Apply night and morning.

Manicure Powder.

This is used for polishing and cleaning the nails:

Powdered pumice stone4 ounces.

Powdered French chalk 1/4 ounce.

Carmine (No. 40) in powder 1/4 drachm.

Bulk perfume (violet or rose) 1/8 ounce.

Manicure Salve.

This is for softening the nails, curing hang-nails, etc.:

Petrolatum1 ounce.

Powdered castile soap2 drachms.

Oil of bergamot15 drops.

Mix thoroughly and apply upon going to bed, wearing a pair of gloves.

Best Bay Rum.

Oil of bay leaves4 fluid drachms.

Oil of pimenta30 minims.

Oil of bergamot60 minims.

Acetic ether30 minims.

Concentrated lye4 drachms.

Deodorized alcohol7 pints.

Water9 pints.

Color sufficient with grass green.

Mix the oils and dissolve them in the alcohol; to this gradually add the lye, previously dissolved in the water, then add the acetic ether and coloring matter, and let stand a few days and filter through a glass funnel into a glass vessel.

Fine Rose Water.

Oil of rose15 drops.

White sugar 1/2 ounce.

Carbonate of magnesia2 drachms.

Water2 pints.

Alcohol2 ounces.

Add the oil to the alcohol, rub with magnesia and sugar, then add the water and filter.

Hoyt’s German Cologne.

Oil of bergamot1 ounce.

Oil of Neroli 1/4 ounce.

Oil of lemon1 ounce.

Oil of sandal wood 1/2 ounce.

Camphor20 grains.

Deodorized alcohol7 pints.

Rose water1 pint.

Mix, let stand 30 days, and then filter.

Hair Tonic.

Tincture red cinchona3 ounces.

Glycerine1 1/2 ounces.

Jamaica rum1 ounce.