Household Hints.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 88, 26 June 1908, Page 4

Household Hints.

Chilblains are an irritating and cruel ill, and to prevent them is, perhaps, better than cure. They are chiefly due to sluggish circulation, and more often than not to an impoverished condition of the blood. Before anything is done, the sufferer should obtain a good tonic, one that will promote circulation, and a general good working of the system. Those who suffer from chilblains should never wear tight boots or shoes, and the softer they are the less they interfere with the circulation, for it is from the slow flow of blood in the legs and feet, if done occasionally during the day, or when there is a few moments to spare. For the foot exercise, bend the feet rapidly, without crossing the knees ; another way, being to lift the feet from the ground, keeping the ankle stiff; then bending them up and down; then round, and from side to side, as quickly as possible. When chilblains first make their appearance, it is a good practice to rub them gently with turpentine, for, in addition to keeping out moisture, it induces warmth. A great sufferer from chilblains tried the following recipe, after having used dozens, and found it was a cure: —Her method was simply to get one pennyworth of white copperas, and dissolve loz. of it in hot water. With this the chilblains were bathed, the treatment being used only when the parts were unbroken. Winter insomnia is a growing ill, and many a weary look in the face at this season is caused by it. Such insomnia often arises from want of work and exercise. Celery is said to be a sleep-promoter. It can be eaten either raw or cooked ; either way it is good. Poor sleepers should never go to bed with cold feet, and a good plan when once in bed is to sip slowly either a cup of strong beef tea, or milk, or even cocoa, as all three are very soothing. Ants in a house are very destructive creatures, and particularly when they discoyer the locality of the larder. To get rid of them they should be tracked to their home, and j this is easily done by following the J course of one which is carrying a particle of food. A kettleful of boiling water will speedily destroy the nest, but if water is not advisable, I the same result can be produced by putting powdered quicklime down the i hole.

Letting the skin breathe is important if one is inclined to worry. Pinching the flesh until it is rosy will open the pores, so will spraying with a needle-spray of hot water,- and so will the exertion of pounding the skin or of slapping it with the open hand. Never punish a child when he confesses he has done wrong. To do so is really to encourage him to tell lies. Many a child has got into a habit of telling untruths simply because he knew he would be punished if he confessed. Let him see and try to make him understand how it grieves you, but train him to look on you as a friend to whom he can tell all his childish misdeeds without fear of punishment to follow. To Keep the Pantry Dry.—A small box of unslaked lime kept in the pantry will absorb all impurities, and keep the air beautifully dry and sweet. The lime must be changed every two or three weeks. To Imitate Ground Glass.—Dissolve in a little hot water as much Epsom salts as the water will absorb, and when dry the result will be a very fair imitation of ground glass. To Keep Cut Flowers. —Cut flowers should be sprinkled, and given fresh w r ater each night; also they should be put, dish and all, into a pail in a cool room, and be covered over. This method will do wonders in preserving j their life. To Light a Fire Without Sticks. — Take a newspaper, tear it into sheets, roll up like a walking stick, then roll round the hand, and stick the end in to keep it in a round shape. Four of these rounds will light a fire beautifully, without any sticks, with small pieces of coal on top. To Save Coal. —Take any quantity of coal dust and small coal, and work it to a firm mass with a small quantity of clay—about half as much as coal. Form into balls the size of oranges, and, when dried, these will burn with intense heat, with the addition of a few lumps of coal. In towns where clay is not easily procurable, the dust may be worked into balls with just enough paraffin to make it hold together. These balls burn famously, and with great care may even be used for lighting a fire if coal is scarce.

To Induce Sleep.—Sometimes one wakens suddenly and apparently without cause in the middle of the night, and it seems impossible to go to sleep again. In such a case it is an excellent plan to heat a little water almost to the boiling-point over a small spirit-lamp kept in the room for the purpose. Sip the water slowly, and the result will be a grateful drowsiness, followed by sleep.

To Stiffen Felt Hats—Place a damp cloth over the brim, and iron with a hot iron until the cloth is quite dry ; the hat will then become as firm as when new.

Washing New Oilcloth. Before washing, take a piece of cloth, pour on some paraffin, and wipe the oilcloth all over, as it will keep its pattern and colours much longer when treated in this way.

Keeping Fire-irons Bright.—Emerypowder rubbed on them is best, but great care must be taken as to_ the direction of the rubbing, as if it is done up and downjjnyhow the steel will be scratched, i hey must always be rubbed one way.

To Remove Stains.—Wine-stains may be removed from table-linen bystraining the stained part over a bowl, covering it with salt, and pouring water through it till all trace of the stain is removed. The great point to observe in treating stains is to apply the remedy before the discoloured part has time to dry. Bruises.—lf you shut your finger in a door, or bruise it in any way, put it in water as hot as you can bear; in a few minutes change it for hqtter, and keep it in water at least fifteen minutes.