Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/149

 split or curled up at the ends it could not breathe freely and so died eventually. Some heads require grease, others do not having sufficient naturally to nourish the hair, and I have given several recipes for hair washes and hair tonics, all of which are good and can be used in safety, but nothing will improve or make the hair grow if it is not well brushed, say for ten minutes each night and morning.

I have heard it said that dyeing the hair injures it. This is only true when injurious dyes are used, for I have known ladies who dyed their hair as a constant thing for years, yet theirs was not injured. It all depends upon the dye. Many young girls who have fair hair keep it a golden shade by using a small quantity of peroxide of hydrogen when washing it. This does not hurt the hair and the effect is very good. Using soda for the same purpose is very bad, as it bleaches the hair by exhausting the colouring matter.

Good Wash for the Hair.—Mix half an ounce of sesquicarbonate of ammonia with a wineglassful (small) of spirits of rosemary with a cup of rose water. Put into a bottle and shake till well mixed.

Pomade for the Hair.—Get from the butcher a quarter of a pound of fresh marrow, or better still take it from the bones yourself. Render it down in the oven. Let it stand till about half cold and then with a fork or egg-beater beat in one tablespoonful of glycerine and ten or fifteen drops of liquid ammonia. Beat all well together, fill your toilet jar and keep covered.

Hair Lotion.—Procure from a chemist half an ounce of bitter apple and steep it in about a cupful of good Jamaica rum for two or three days. strain carefully through muslin, bottle, and apply to the roots of the hair every second night.

To Keep the Hair in Curl.—Curl in the usual way, either with patent pins or otherwise, and when it is taken out powder with powdered Peruvian bark and comb out to get the bark well mixed with the hair. This is a very old wrinkle and it does not affect the colour of the hair at all.

A Good Hair Wash.—A very good wash when there is much is one  ounce of glycerine, nearly a cupful of rosemary water and one teaspoonful of ammonia. Rub into the roots of the hair over night and wash next day in warm water with borax in it.

For Scurf in the Head.—Mix one teaspoonful of Coutt's acetic acid in six teaspoonsful of water and apply several times to the roots of the hair. A never failing remedy.

Good Tonic for the Hair.—When the hair becomes weak and falls out it is often owing to dryness of the skin, or want of nourishment at the roots of the hair. The following is a simple and also a very good wash for the purpose of strengthening the hair at these times. Boil one handful of rosemary leaves and box leaves in one quart of water till it is one pint. Strain, and when cold, add a wineglassful of rum, and the same quantity of glycerine. Pour into bottles and keep well corked. Use occasionally.

Peroxide of hydrogen gives a golden shade to the hair.

To identify oneself with any particular scent. It must be rubbed in all over the body. This is easily done by mixing the scent with a little oil and after the bath rub every part of