To Remove Stains from the Hands

Rub with chloride of lime, slightly moistening with water.

Source: The Kansas Home Cook-Book

To Keep the Hands from Perspiring

To keep the hands from perspiring, make a lotion consisting of a quarter of an ounce of powdered alum and one teaspoonful of spirits of ammonia in a pint of boiling water. When cool, bottle it, and use on the hands freely.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

To Soften The Hands

To soften the hands: One can have the hands in soap-suds with soft soap without injury to the skin if the hands are dipped in vinegar or lemon juice immediately after. The acids destroy the corrosive effects of the alkali, and make the hands soft and white. Indian meal and vinegar or lemon juice used on hands where roughened by cold or labor will heal and soften them. Rub the hands in this, then wash off thoroughly and rub in glycerine. Those who suffer from chapped hands will find this comforting.

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

To make a Paste to wash your hands withal

Take a Pound of bitter Almonds, blanch them and beat them very fine in a Mortar with four Ounces of Figgs, when it is come to a paste, put it into a Gallipot and keep it for your use; a little at a time will serve.

Source: The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet, Hannah Wolley

For a Felon

If you have the appearance of a felon coming, put some hardwood ashes in an old tin cup, pour over them warm water, immerse the end of the sore finger in the ashes, set the dish on some live coals or on top of the stove, keeping the finger in as long as you can, and soak it several times a day. If taken in time, it generally prevents a felon from coming if the finger is wet with it often.

Source: Audel’s Household Helps, Hints and Receipts

Definition: Felon

A felon is an infection within the flesh of the finger. It may be caused by bacteria having entered through a puncture wound.

Remedy for Chapped Hands

The simplest remedy is the camphor ball, to be obtained of all chemists. Powdered hemlock bark put into a piece of muslin and sprinkled on the chaps is highly recommended. Or, wash with oatmeal, and afterwards rub the hands over with dry oatmeal, so as to remove all dampness. It is a good thing to rub the hands and lips with glycerine before going to bed at night. A good oil is made by simmering: Sweet oil, one pint; Venice turpentine, three ounces; lard, half a pound; beeswax, three ounces. Simmer till the wax is melted. Rub on, or apply with a rag.

Source: The Ladies’ Book Of Useful Information

The Hands

One of the woman’s continuous tasks is trying to keep her hands clean, and one thing that militates against their good looks is careless washing. They are washed indiscriminately in hot or cold water, the soap not properly rinsed off, nor the drying complete. To keep them soft and white, wash in soft, tepid water, dry thoroughly, then rub in a little cold cream or compound of glycerin, or fine cornmeal. Use rubber gloves in dish washing, and if you must have your hands in soapy water for a long time, after washing them in pure water rub over with a few drops of lemon juice or cider vinegar. This kills the potash in the soap that has been used.

Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter