To Destroy Moths in Carpets

Wring a coarse towel out of clean water, spread it smoothly over the carpet and iron with a hot iron changing the iron often; repeat on all parts of the carpet suspected of having moths. It is not necessary to press hard. The color of the carpet will not be injured and the moths will be destroyed by the steam from the hot iron.

Source: 76: A Cook Book

Hiccough

Generally caused by indigestion.

Nine to fifteen swallows of water without taking a breath, or one or two soda-mint tablets, will generally give relief. If persistent, cause vomiting by tickling throat with fingers, or by swallowing a cup of warm water in which 1/2 tsp. mustard is dissolved.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Razor-Strop Paste

Wet the strop with a little sweet oil, and apply a little flour of emery evenly over the surface.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Diarrhea

Usually caused by indigestion, impure water, etc. Home remedies are raw flour and water paste; a raw egg in a cup of hot tea; spiced syrup of rhubarb.

Give a dose of castor oil to clear the digestive tract of the irritating material. If there is much pain, keep abdomen warm with flannel and hot-water bag. If a small child, restrict diet to barley water and white of egg in water.

Give adults milk and other liquid foods. If persistent, see doctor.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Leanness

Leanness is caused generally by lack of power in the digestive organs to digest and assimilate the fat-producing elements of food. First restore digestion, take plenty of sleep, drink all the water the stomach will bear in the morning on rising, take moderate exercise in the open air, eat oatmeal, cracked wheat, graham mush, baked sweet apples, roasted and broiled beef, cultivate jolly people, and bathe daily.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Bleeding of Gums

Rinse mouth with alum water — 1 teaspoon powdered alum in a glass of ice water; or 1 tsp. tincture of myrrh in 1 tbsp. water.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Itching

For itching which affects the whole body, give a bath; apply sulphur ointment.

Sulphur ointment is made by rubbing 2 tbsp. flowers of sulphur into a dessertspoonful of lard.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Pearl Tooth Powder

Prepared chalk half a pound, powdered myrrh two ounces; camphor two drachms, orris root, powdered, two ounces; moisten the camphor with alcohol and mix well together.

Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette

Lice in Hair (Pediculosis)

Wash hair with kerosene, leaving it on over night; or use tincture of larkspur in the same way.

Perhaps the best remedy is fishberries.

Five cents worth of the berries may be boiled in 1 pint water for ten minutes.

Wash hair next day after using any of these remedies.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer

Earache

Caused sometimes by bad teeth, but generally by cold or hardened ear wax.

Hold ear over cloth wrung out of hot water, on which are several drops of alcohol. Syringe ear with warm bicarbonate of soda water — 1 tsp. to a cup; or peroxide of hydrogen water — 1 tbsp. to a cup of water.

One drop laudanum, or one drop arnica to three drops very warm olive oil, dropped into ear with a medicine dropper, often relieves pain; or cotton may be saturated with the warm olive oil and placed in the ear and covered with dry cotton. To prevent hardening of wax: keep ear anointed with ordinary red vaseline (unbleached vaseline). For watery discharge of ear, dust with dry boric acid.

Source: The Mary Frances First Aid Book, Jane Eayre Fryer