Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/170

 burden to herself and every one around her.

Offensive Breath.—This generally comes from dirty teeth or disordered stomach. If the latter, a mild aperient will have the desired effect. If decayed teeth is the cause the mouth should be rinsed out frequently with clean water to which a few drops of chloride of lime have been added. Where offensive breath is constitutional, the only remedy is to keep a tiny piece of orris root always in the mouth, and to keep the teeth scrupulously clean.

Pimples on the Face.—In bad cases a lotion may be used, made by mixing milk of sulphur in elder flower water, till the whole is as thick as cream. Apply every night and wash off in the morning with warm water. At the same time a good dose of flowers of sulphur taken internally, about a teaspoonful two mornings running, then a dose of senna on the third will have good effect. There is a kind of pimple that comes about the nose, very unsightly and irritating, they are called black heads or worms. As a matter of fact they are the latter, and come from an accumulation of fatty matter in the ducts which carry off the secretions from the fat glands of the skin. Squeeze out the fatty matter very gently and wash the face with warm water and soap, then apply a lotion made of two drachms of ether, borax two drachms, water four ounces. Use it daily for a few weeks, and then instead of it use a lotion of sulphate of zinc half a drachm to a pint of water.

To Cure a Drunkard.—This recipe was sent to me with a very characteristic letter some months ago, and a request that I would put it in my new book. Put half an ounce of ground quassia into one pint of good strong vinegar. Let it stand for 24 hours, then bottle, and every time the liquor craving comes on take two teaspoonsful in a little water and drink it down. The thirst for spirits will gradually leave after a day or so, but have it close at hand so there need be no excuse to fly to the whisky again.

Pure Water.—In these colonies the drinking water is one of the most fruitful sources of disease, fevers, hydatids, and many other horrible illnesses being traced to it. Indeed, after long dry weather it is never quite safe to drink water unless it has been first boiled, or run through a good filter. The worst of boiled water it is not pleasant to drink, having a flat, half-stale taste, owing to the loss of the carbonate acid in it. But this can be restored and the water made as palatable as before with a little trouble. Have a quantity boiled at a time and when it is quite cold pour it backwards and forwards from a height ever so many times. A good plan is to stand on a table or high stool and having one bucket on the floor, pour from the full one holding it as high as you can, do this ten or a dozen times, and you will find the water the same as ever to drink. The carbonic acid having been restored by its passage through the air.

A very handy little filter may be made as follows:—Take a large flower pot and into the hole at the bottom, fit a piece of new sponge, not too tightly. Pound up some charcoal very fine,you can always find plenty round a burnt stump or log. Over the sponge put a layer of this, from an inch to two inches in depth. Cover this again with a layer of sand the same thickness, and on that put another layer of coarse gravel to the depth of nearly three inches. Place the flower pot on top of a large jar, and pour cold water in slowly and let it drain through.

To Cleanse Water.—Alum is one of the best clarifiers for impure water, four or five ounces to each 1000 gallons is the amount, it will clear in three or four hours. The best plan is to put it in over night, as the water is not so likely to be disturbed while clearing. For a small quantity, a bucketful or a tubful, half a teaspoonful of tartaric acid will answer the purpose. But when either alum or tartaric acid is used the water must on no account be in galvanised iron vessels, wooden casks are the best.