Progress and Achievements of the Colored People / Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success

by Kelly Miller; Joseph R. Gay

WHAT TO PUT IN A REMEDY CUPBOARD

In every house there should be a remedy cupboard. We do not mean the ordinary medicine chest with innumerable bottles huddled together, but a well-stocked emergency cupboard, easy of access, and containing simple remedies for the many aches and pains of humanity. Such a medicine chest is considered by some as one of the most important pieces of furniture in the house. It should be more like a little cupboard than a chest. It may be made of a rather shallow box, fitted with shelves, and there should be a door which fastens with a lock and key. The key should be kept by the mother, so that no one can go to the chest without permission. It should be fastened rather high up against the wall. In this chest should be kept everything that experience has proven to be essential in the treatment of such emergency cases as most mothers have to deal with.

No household is conducted without an occasional accident or bruise; burns and ugly cuts are all of frequent occurrence where there are children. If there is a place where one can always find some soft medicated cotton, bandages of different widths, absorbent gauze and a bottle of some antiseptic solution, it will prevent the frantic running about when such articles are needed and save to the sufferer many throbs of pain. To be thoroughly satisfactory the emergency cupboard must be kept in perfect order and systematically arranged. For instance, in one compartment keep the every-day remedies for coughs and colds, such as quinine and listerine, croup kettle, atomizer and a compress and flannel bandages.

There should be prepared mustard plasters, rolls of court plaster, salves, liniments, lotions, laudanum, pills, porous plasters, castor oil, sulphur, salts, camphor, and in fact everything that is needed should be found here, and in this way many times the cost of the chest will be saved in doctors’ bills. Everything should be carefully labeled and so arranged that things can almost be found in the dark.