Chapter XVIII

Dear lady subscriber, if you are a housekeeper, or ever intend to be one, this chapter will more than repay you for what you have given for this book. It will tell you how to save a large percentage of your household expenses, and also how to have a great many of the articles you use in your daily household work of a superior quality—vastly better than the ones you are using at the present time.

It is a fact not generally known that a great many of the articles used in daily household work cost little more than one-tenth of the price the consumer pays for them. We propose to show the ladies of our great Continent how to have, in most instances, better articles than those they are in the habit of purchasing, and at a small percentage of the cost. To do this, we have, by our own personal investigation, gathered a number of valuable recipes together, and have paid for the privilege of using them. Remember, these are not common recipes, but a full explanation of the manufacture of different articles needed in every household; and they combine the embodied wisdom of practical and successful men and women of the past and present.

We give in this chapter a number of recipes which have never before been published, and which, once possessing, you will never wish to be without, as they are truly marvelous discoveries. The first three every mother should have; the remainder no housekeeper should be without.

No. 1 is

HEALING SALVE.

This salve heals all sores, chaps, cuts, bruises, sore lips, chafed limbs, roughness, etc. It is invaluable as a healing ointment and may be applied to the tenderest skin without injury, and yet it will heal the most painful sores. A three-ounce box will only cost you ten cents, and the directions are so plain that a child can follow them.

Recipe: Take one ounce of sweet oil, one-half ounce of camphor gum, and one-half ounce of mutton tallow. Melt all together over a slow fire, and stir continually until cold.

To use: Rub on part affected at night; wash off in the morning with warm water and castile soap.

No. 2 is

MAGNETIC CROUP CURE.

This is the best remedy for croup ever discovered. It will save parents much trouble and anxiety. With this remedy all that is necessary is (if you have any fear of croup on putting your child to bed) to take a piece of brown paper large enough to cover the throat and chest and spread it with the ointment and put across the throat and lungs; place over that several thicknesses of flannel so as to keep the stomach warm, and keep in place with a string or bandage. Put the child to bed, and you need have no fear of croup that night. This ointment is also excellent for cuts, bruises or sores. Twelve cents will make enough to last a year, even if you use it frequently.

Recipe: One-half pound of lard, quarter of a pound of raisins, quarter pound of fine cut chewing tobacco. In the morning place the tobacco in a tin can and cover it with water; set it on the stove and let it cook and boil all day, replacing the water when it is necessary; then squeeze all the juice from the tobacco. The next morning chop your raisins, put them in the tobacco water and cook well till noon; then again squeeze the raisins out of this water. Now to this water add the lard and let them simmer together until the water is evaporated. Now the croup remedy is ready for use. On putting the child to bed, if you fear an attack, take a piece of brown paper large enough to cover the throat and chest and spread it over with the ointment and put it across the throat and lungs. Place over that and tie several thicknesses of flannel; put the child to bed, cover up warmly, and you need have no fear of croup that night.

If taken with croup unexpectedly, on hearing the cough, spread a piece of brown paper with the ointment and lay it across the throat and chest; then heat flannel as hot as can be borne and lay over the paper; change in about ten minutes for another hot cloth. If no fire is on while waiting for it, heat cloths on a lamp chimney. As soon as you get the stomach covered and warm, give a teaspoonful of melted butter; repeat the dose in five minutes.

No. 3 is

WORM ELIXIR.

The best remedy for worms known. No mother should be without it. Also, if given occasionally it is a splendid preventive. Children will never be troubled with worms who are given a dose of this once a month, or fortnight.

Recipe: Take gum myrrh and aloes, of each one ounce; saffron, sage leaves, and tansy leaves, of each half an ounce; tincture in a pint of brandy two weeks, and give to children a teaspoonful once a week to once a month as a preventive. They will never be troubled with worms as long as you do this.

WORM VERMIFUGE.

Make a strong decoction of sage, two parts; wormseed, one part; strain, and add sugar enough to make into candy, and let the child eat of it. Infallible.

No. 4 is

BRILLIANT SELF-SHINING STOVE POLISH.

This is one of the greatest inventions of the age. It has been the result of a large amount of study on the part of the inventor to perfect a polish that would work easily and satisfactorily in a perfectly dry state, thereby obviating the disagreeable task of mixing and preparing. A good stove polish is an absolute necessity in every family. To be assured that this is the best you need give it only one trial. Now, remember, first, that this polish requires no water or mixing like the various cake and powder polishes; second, that it is self-shining and no labor is required; and third, that it has no equal in the world.

Below are the recipe and directions for preparing this polish. You can prepare enough in ten minutes to last a year. A box holding two ounces will cost but three cents.

Recipe: Get from the hardware store plumbago (blacklead), pulverize it finely and it is ready for use.

Directions for use: Use a damp woolen rag, dip in the polish and apply to the stove; then rub with a dry cloth, and a most beautiful polish will appear.

No. 5 is

WONDERFUL STARCH ENAMEL.

For polishing shirt bosoms, collars, cuffs, lace curtains, etc., putting on the same gloss and hard pearl finish as when bought at the store new. Every lady should use the wonderful enamel for the following reasons: It enables an ordinary ironer to compete with any laundry; it makes the clothes clear and white; it makes clothes iron smoothly, and prevents the iron sticking; it makes old linen look like new; and it saves a woman many hours' hard work each week. It is easily made, and five cents' worth will last an ordinary family six months.

Recipe: Melt half a pound of refined paraffine wax in a tin pan over a slow fire. When melted remove from the fire and add twenty drops of oil of citronella. Take a tin pan and oil with sweet oil, put the pan on a level table, and pour in enough of the hot wax to make a depth of an eighth of an inch. When cool, but not cold, cut in pieces about the size of an ordinary candy lozenge. Lay them aside to cool, but do not let them touch each other.

Directions for use: To a pint of boiling starch stir in one cake. Use starch while warm.

No. 6 is

ROYAL WASHING POWDER

—the laundress' assistant; warranted not to injure the finest fabric. No acid; no potash. In the wash room it saves time, labor, expense, muscle, temper, and hands. The clothes will come out cleaned and white, without wear or tear or rubbing on washboards, therefore will last twice as long. For housecleaning it is unequaled. One girl can wash more clothes, paint, walls, windows or floors in a day with perfect ease with this powder than she could in four days with hard labor, soap, and scrubbing brush, and the paint will look new and bright. It only requires to be tested to be appreciated. Packages of one pound will only cost seven cents.

Recipe: Mix any quantity of soda ash with an equal quantity of carbonate of soda crushed into coarse grains. Have a thin solution of glue or decoction of linseed oil ready, into which pour the soda until quite thick. Spread out in a warm apartment to dry. When dry shake up well and pack away for use. Use as other washing powders.

No. 7 is

MAGIC ANNIHILATOR.

Removes all kinds of grease and oil spots from every kind of wearing-apparel—such as coats, pants, vests, dress goods, carpets, etc.—without injury to the finest silks or laces. It will shampoo like a charm, raising the lather in proportion to the amount of dandruff and grease in the hair. A cloth wet with it will remove all grease from door knobs, window sills, etc., handled by kitchen domestics in their daily round of kitchen work. For cleaning silver, brass, and copper ware it cannot be beaten. It is certain death to bedbugs, for they will never stop after they have encountered the Magic Annihilator. It is useful for many other things. A quart bottle costs about ten cents.

Recipe: To make half a gallon, take aqua ammonia, one pint; soft water, one-half gallon; best white soap, one-half pound; saltpetre, one ounce. Shave the soap fine, add the water, boil until the soap is dissolved, then add the saltpetre, stirring until dissolved. Now strain, let the suds settle, skim off the dry suds, add the ammonia, and bottle and cork at once.

Directions for use: For grease spots, pour upon the article to be cleaned a sufficient quantity of the Magic Annihilator, rubbing well with a clean sponge and applying to both sides of the article. Upon carpets and coarse goods where the grease is hard and dry use a stiff brush and wash out with clear cold water. For shampooing, take a small quantity, with an equal quantity of water; apply to the hair with a stiff brush, brushing into the scalp, and wash out with clear water. For killing bedbugs, apply to the places they frequent.

No. 8 is

I X L BAKING POWDER.

An unsurpassed article. Can be relied on for strength and purity. So many of the baking powders sold contain injurious substances and are altogether unreliable. This powder can be relied on for strength and purity. It produces the most delightfully white, light and flaky biscuits. For cakes it is unsurpassed. Try it and be convinced. This powder is composed of the very best and purest substances, and therefore is perfectly wholesome. Any lady can prepare enough in a few minutes to last her six months. It will only cost a trifle—not one-quarter of what you would have to pay your grocer for the same amount.

Recipe: Take one pound of tartaric acid (in crystals), one and one-half pounds bicarbonate of soda, and one and one-half pounds of potato or corn starch. Each must be powdered separately, well dried by a slow fire, and well mixed through a sieve. Pack hard in a tin, or paper glazed on the outside. Buy the articles from a druggist.

Directions for use: For biscuits, pie crust, johnnycake, etc., use three teaspoonfuls to one quart of flour or meal; for cakes, two teaspoonfuls to a teacup of flour. Mix well with the flour.

No. 9 is

ELECTRIC POWDER.

This is one of the best articles on our list—something that every housekeeper needs. It is used for gold, silver, plated ware, German silver, copper, brass, tin, steel, window glass, or any material where a brilliant luster is required. To make two ounces costs but three cents, and it is the best article of its kind known.

Recipe: To one pound best quality whiting add one-half pound cream tartar and three ounces calcined magnesia. Mix thoroughly together and store away for use.

Directions for use: Use the polish dry, with a piece of canton flannel moistened with water or alcohol, and finish with the polish dry.

No. 10 is

FRENCH POLISH OR DRESSING FOR LEATHER.

This is a grand article. All that is necessary is to have your boots clean and apply this dressing with a sponge. The boots appear like the very best French leather. Much hard work is saved, as no brushing is required. To make a quart vessel full will only cost about twenty cents.

Recipe: Mix half a pint of the best vinegar with a quarter pint of soft water; stir into it one ounce of glue (broken up), two ounces log-wood chips, one-sixteenth ounce of finely-powdered indigo, one-sixteenth ounce of the best soft soap, one-sixteenth ounce of isinglass. Put the mixture over the fire, let it boil ten minutes or more; then strain, bottle and cork. When cold it is fit for use. Apply with a sponge.

No. 11 is

ARTIFICIAL HONEY.

Equal to bee honey, and often mistaken by the best judges to be genuine. It is palatable and luxurious. All persons are more or less aware that honey should be used in every household, and it would be so if every family could have it at a very moderate price. As a health-establishing nutriment in the chamber of the invalid, and as a delicious luxury for the well, honey cannot be too highly recommended. Any one using this honey regularly will find that he is strengthened and refreshed by it. He will have greater energy and if at all inclined to dyspepsia will find himself greatly helped. This honey costs but eight cents per pound to prepare, and our directions are so simple a child ten years old can follow them.

Recipe: Take two ounces of slippery elm bark and put into three quarts of warm water and let it stand four hours; strain and add eight pounds of white sugar; boil four minutes; then add one pound of bee honey while hot. Flavor with a drop of the oil of peppermint and a drop of the oil of rose.

Any lady will readily see what a saving the possession of the above recipes may cause in her household expense. Thus, you can get a ten cent box of stove polish for three cents, a twenty-five cent package of washing powder for seven cents, a twenty-five cent box of starch enamel for five cents, etc. Any of the articles contained in the list will take but a short time to prepare a large supply.

POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES.

The first thing to do in a case of poisoning is to cause the ejection of the poison by vomiting. To do this, place mustard mixed with salt on the tongue and give large quantities of lukewarm water; or, tickle the throat with a feather. These failing, instantly resort to active emetics, like tartar emetic, sulphate of copper or sulphate of zinc. After vomiting has taken place with these, aid it, if possible, by copious draughts of warm water until the poison is entirely removed. Of course, if vomiting cannot be induced the stomach pump must be employed, especially if arsenic or narcotics have been taken. The following table may be useful for emergencies:—

POISONS.ANTIDOTES.

Acids,Alkalies: Soap and milk, chalk or soda.

Alkalies,Vegetable acids, vinegar, oil in abundance.

Alcohol,Common salt, moderately.

Arsenic,Send for the doctor and his stomach pump.

Antimony,Oak bark, strong green tea.

Baryta or lime,Epsom salts, oils, magnesia.

Bismuth,White of eggs, sweet milk.

Copper,White of eggs, strong coffee.

Gases,Cold douche, followed by friction.

Iodine,Starch, wheat flour in water.

Creosote,White of eggs, sweet milk.

Lead,Strong lemonade, Epsom salts.

Opium and other narcotics,Emetics, cold douche, and heat.

Phosphorus,Magnesia in copious draughts.

Zinc,White of eggs, sweet milk.

Mad-dog bite,Apply fire in some form to the wound, thoroughly and immediately.

Bite of insect,Ammonia, applied freely.

Bite of serpent,Same as for mad dog, followed by whisky to intoxication.

The foregoing are the more common and more important poisons and their antidotes.—Buckeye.

TURKISH LOTION.

The New and Wonderful Discovery for Beautifying the Skin.

Gives to a woman of forty the fresh, bright complexion of a girl. No more wrinkles, crow's-feet or sallowness.

Turkish Lotion completely cures freckles, pimples, blackheads, moles and superfluous hair, tan, greasy skin, blotches, redness, sore or chapped lips, chapped and red, rough hands; and, best of all, completely eradicates and prevents wrinkles, crow's-feet, and sallowness.

Turkish Lotion creates a perfect complexion.

After using Turkish Lotion for a short time a lady's skin will be as exquisitely soft and velvety, as clear and pure, as that of a little child. It is not an artificial cosmetic, but a cleansing, refining, whitening tonic. It feeds and nourishes the skin, preventing and banishing wrinkles, crow's-feet, and sallowness. It is perfectly harmless and composed of the purest ingredients.

Turkish Lotion is invaluable to every lady. It conceals the evidences of age. By its use a lady of middle-age will have the charming, fresh look of a girl. Every womanly woman desires to appear fresh and youthful as long as possible, thereby making herself the wonder of her own sex and the admiration of the opposite. By using this lotion according to directions every lady may have a fresh, rosy tinted complexion of exquisite pearly fairness, free from wrinkles, crow's-feet, and sallowness.

One application will make the most stubbornly red and rough hands beautifully soft and white.

Turkish Lotion is not a paint or powder, but a new and great discovery—a cleansing, healing, whitening tonic that causes the cheek to glow with healthy action of the skin, and the neck, arms and hands to assume an exquisite pearly whiteness. By its use all redness and roughness is prevented and the skin is beautified and rendered soft, smooth, and white, thereby imparting a delicate, refined loveliness impossible to describe. Any lady using Turkish Lotion will present a fresh, youthful, natural appearance, with a pearly, rose-tinted complexion that is positively bewitching. It is without doubt the best face lotion ever discovered, being as it is a medicated lotion possessing healing qualities. Many ladies are troubled during cold weather with sore lips, rough, parched skin, and chapped hands upon the slightest exposure. By moistening at night with this wash the parts affected, all soreness and roughness will be completely cured and the face and hands will be as delicately soft and smooth as those of a little child.

No one need suffer any longer from any defect of the skin.

Recipe for Turkish Lotion: To one fluid ounce of tincture of gum benzoin add seven fluid ounces of distilled rose-water and one-half ounce of glycerine.

Directions for use: Bathe face, neck, and hands with Turkish Lotion at night, letting it dry on. Wash off in the morning with a very little pure white castile soap and soft water. If the water is hard, add a very little dissolved borax. This will prevent and cure greasy skin, freckles, tan, wrinkles, pimples, blackheads, crow's-feet, blotches, sunburn, chapped hands, sore lips, rough skin, etc.

To Cure Sallowness: Use as above directed, and ask your druggist for some good iron tablets. Take as directed. In a short time your complexion will be beautifully white and rose-tinted.

To Remove Hairy Moles and Superfluous Hair: Procure prepared pumice stone from your druggist; cut the hair as close as possible to the skin, dip the pumice in cold water and rub on the part on which the hairs grow, commencing gently at first (as it may cause slight irritation of the skin), then gradually increase the friction. After using the pumice stone, anoint freely each time with Turkish Lotion. Do this twice daily, and it will surely remove superfluous hair.

Always, after using Turkish Lotion, rub gently with the hands until the skin becomes dry. This will remove and prevent wrinkles and lines.