Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8, 25 February 1909, Page 313

Domestic

By MAUREEN

To Freshen Serge or Tweed. If a dark tweed of .serge skirt, is laid 011 a deal table and brushed vigorously with a stiff clothes' brush dipped in ammonia, much of the 'worn 3 appearance will be rem .°y ed ' .E. E( l ual Parts of pure alcohol, ammonia, and water will eliminate most stains, benzine being used for creasespots. . " fe To Prevent a Double Thread Knotting: Sewing with a double thread usually causes annoying knots. To avoid these, cut a thread from a reel, double it, and twist the twocut ends into- one. Thread both' ends through the eye of the needle, and then pass the needle point first, through the loop of the doulle thread. This forms a slip-knot at the eye of the needle, and serves to keep the threads straight, and is flab enough to pass through the finest fabric. To Wash Feather Pillows. Choose a brighb windy day, fill the wash-tub with hot suds, and plunge the pillows (with feathers) into them. Put them through several waters, shaking about briskly, then' hang on the line in the open air. When perfectly dry, shake well. They wilY be light, f resh, . and sweet; After they have been washed in- this way, "they - ought' to be hung out in the warm, fresh air every day for a week, but they must never be put directly in. the hot, sun, s-i the heat draws the oil out of the. feathers and gives them an unpleasant odor. To Prevent Convulsions While Teething. Though convulsions are very common in young children, they are dreaded in" every home, and people usually lose their heads in the excitement occasioned by the attack. Prevention is decidedly better than cure where convulsions are concerned, and it is an easy matter to ward off au attack. Should a child's head be hot, making it restless, take a large linen handkerchief, squeeze it out of cold water, fold three-cornerwise, lay it across the forehead, bringing ' the corners to meet round at the back .of the head, press it gently all over the head, put a dry one over, and change as soon as the wet one gets warm. Continue changing it until the little head gets nice and cool, and the restlessness vanishes. Chest Preservers. If delicate lungs render a -ehest- preserver necessary, choose one which can be washed frequently, and which is of such a character that emanation from the body can pass through it. Chamois leather and hare skins retain the impurities which the skin gives off in large quantities. A singlet of thick, flannel makes the best protector, and for delicate skins the flannel can be lined, with Japanese washing silk, which prevents the flannel from irritating yet adds to the warmth Avithout making" it less easily washed. Thrpat .Troubles. Children suffer from several kinds of sore throat. There is a red and congested throat tliat usually accompanies an attack of indigestion. "Theii there is the red throat that has a glistening appear anoe caused by thin layers of mucous covering it. This is usually a simple tonsilitis caused by a catarrhal condition. There is also an inflamed throat, sometimes swollen, where the tonsils are marked here and there with small white" spots or follicles; this is called follicular tonsilitis, and is a very uncomfortable condition. Another and' more serious throat is where diphtheritic conditions prevail. This is indicated by a red throat, considerably swollen, which bleeds- easily when swabbed. In diphtheria there is usually what :s called a membrane • which takes two forms — one a faint greyish streak resembling a thread of cobweb arosss the tonsil, and does not -rub off when swabbed; the other form where .there is a yellow, thick-looking patch on the tonsil. The tissue -directly about the spot is usually of a purpliafi color, and the throat bleeds very easily if touched. There is, too, almost always a nasal discharge, more or less colored with blood. Antiseptic mouth-washes are good for the sore throats mentioned, and a swabbing of tincture of iron — one part iron to two parts glycerine — is also good. But in most cases where those symptoms appear, consult a doctor.