Harper's Household Handbook: A guide to easy ways of doing woman's work

by Martha McCulloch-Williams

Arsenic: Arsenic in all its forms is best fought with raw eggs, especially the whites, and sweet milk or cream. Give a strong emetic afterward, then, when it has acted, more eggs or milk. This should suffice unless the poison has been freely absorbed.

Ptomaine Poisoning: Give an active emetic, followed by a cathartic; keep the patient warm, stimulate with brandy—a teaspoonful every hour; put mustard to wrists, ankles, back of neck, and pit of stomach—this particularly if there is severe pain, cramps, or continued retching. Pains in the head indicate the need of an ice cap.

Mercury Poisoning: Bichloride needs as antidote raw eggs and cream, or oil, with the same external treatment as for ptomaines. Strong emetics are inadvisable, but if the stomach frees itself naturally of the emollients much poison will come with them. Replace them in smaller quantities, but give nothing else until the doctor comes.

Bites and Stings: Stings from wasps, bees, and ants need treatment with fruit acids—bathe in vinegar or apply a slice of raw apple or peach or a crushed grape. Instant sucking removes part of the poison and relieves the pain to a degree. Always suck bites, as of spiders, unless there are abrasions of tongue and lips. After sucking bathe freely with fresh peroxide of hydrogen, boracic acid, or sugar-of-lead water. A leaf of green plantain, well bruised, bound on a bite or sting when nothing else is at hand keeps down inflammation and mitigates pain. In case of stings make sure the sting proper has not been left in the wound, since its presence might induce blood poisoning.

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INDEX

• Acid poisoning, [197].
• Adaptation of old garments, [108].
• Antidotes, [196]-[198].
• Antique furniture, care of, [66];
  • restoring, [62]-[65].
• Ants, how to get rid of, [177].
• Aprons, laundry, [11].
• Arsenic, antidote for, [198].
• Asphalt spots, [122].
• Asphyxiation, [193].
• Bandages, [21]-[22].
• Basting clothes, [101].
• Bed bugs, to prevent, [170].
• Bed clothes, mending, [85].
• Beef, how to choose, [134].
• Bichloride of mercury, [165].
• Birds, care of, [185].
• Bisulphide of lime, [166].
• Bites and stings, [199].
• Blanket box, [175].
• Blazing fat, how to put out, [192].
• Bleaching, [2]-[3].
• Blood, to stanch, [22]-[23].
• Bluestone, [164].
• Books, mending, [80].
• Borax, [163].
• Bordeaux mixture, [165].
• Buckwheat flour, [131].
• Burlaps, [34].
• Burns, [194].
• Butter, how to choose, [133].
• Brass, care of, [67], [126].
• Breaks and dislocations, [194].
• Bric-à-brac, mending, [79].
• Brick dust, [46].
• Bronze, care of, [126].
• Brooms, [42].
• Broom bags, [42].
• Brushes, [42], [46].
• Cake, how to keep, [143].
• Calcimine, [39], [50].
• Canaries, care of, [186].
• Canning, [139].
• Carpets, cleaning, [29]-[30];
  • mending, [90].
• Cats, care of, [183].
• Cavies, care of, [184].
• Ceilings, [30], [38]-[39].
• Cement, [53]-[54].
• Charcoal, [163].
• Cheese, how to choose and keep, [134].
• Chimney blazes, how to put out, [192].
• China, mending, [75];
  • washing, [56].
• Chloride-of-lime water, [55].
• Chloroform poisoning, [196].
• Cleaning floors and rugs, [28]-[30].
• Cloth, washing, [105].
• Clothes drainer, [45].
• Coarse mending, [84].
• Coffee, how to choose and keep, [132].
• Collars, how to do up, [5]-[7].
• Contagion, [19]-[20].
• Copper, care of, [126].
• Copperas, [163].
• Copperas water, [55].
• Cornmeal, [130].
• Cottons, testing, [97].
• Cracks, filling, [27].
• Cretonne, [34].
• Cuffs, how to do up, [5]-[7].
• Curtains, how to do up, [8]-[9].
• Cutting out clothes, [99].
• Cuttings, to start plant, [158].
• Darning, [81], [88].
• Disinfection, [20].
• Disinfectants, [55], [163]-[178].
• Dogs, care of, [179].
• Dust cloths, [43].
• Dust swabs, [43].
• Dyeing, [103].
• Earth worms, [157].
• Eggs, how to test, [144].
• Emergencies, what to do in, [192]-[199].
• Enameled iron, [71].
• Fainting, [193].
• Ferns, [151].
• Fertilizers, [153].
• Fillers for new wood, [47].
• Fleas, how to prevent, [170].
• Flies, how to prevent, [168].
• Floors, [24]-[30].
• Floor pad, [41].
• Flour, how to test, [129].
• Flowers, how to keep and arrange cut flowers, [159].
• Foot pad, [41].
• French polish, [49].
• Frocks, how to wash, [4].
• Fruit, dried, [142].
• Fruit stains, [119].
• Fruit storage, [139].
• Furniture, mending, [74];
  • polish, [49].
• Furs, mending, [88];
  • cleaning, [93].
• Garden pests, [166].
• Gas leak, [192].
• Gasolene-cleaning, [104].
• Gelatine spots, [119].
• Gilt, to clean, [128];
  • frames, [69];
  • furniture, [68].
• Glass, annealing, [61];
  • mending, [79];
  • preserving in, [138];
  • washing, [58]-[61].
• Glazing, [37].
• Gloves, care of, [92].
• Glue, [50].
• Grass stains, what to do for, [123].
• Grease spots, what to do for, [113].
• Grits, how to test, [131].
• Gum arabic, [52].
• Hares, how to keep, [184].
• Hominy, how to test, [131].
• Ice, to keep in sickroom, [18].
• Ice-cream spots, [119].
• Ink stains, [121].
• Insects, [154], [163]-[178].
• Insecticides, [154], [163]-[178].
• Iodine poison, [197].
• Iron, rust, [123];
  • care of, [125].
• Irons, [13].
• Ironstone, [58].
• Ironing-boards, [43].
• Ironing-tables, [11].
• Javelle water, [54].
• Kerosene emulsion, [165].
• Knee pad, [41].
• Knives and forks, how to clean, [61].
• Lace and embroidery, how to wash, [10];
  • how to mend, [87];
  • how to freshen, [105].
• Lamps and candlesticks, mending, [80].
• Lard, how to test, [133].
• Larkspur, [167].
• Laundry cabinet, [45].
• Lead swab, [45].
• Lime water, [54].
• Linen, testing, [97].
• Mahogany stain, [48].
• Majolica, how to wash, [58].
• Materials, appliquéd, [102].
• Matted floors, [29].
• Matting, mending, [90].
• Meat, how to keep fresh. [138].
• Melons, keeping, [143].
• Mending, [74]-[91].
• Mercury poisoning, [198].
• Mildew, [123].
• Millinery, [109].
• Mission furniture, care of, [68].
• Mordants, [3]-[4].
• Mosquitoes, [168].
• Moths, [172].
• Mucilage, [52].
• Mustard plasters, [21].
• Mutton and lamb, [135].
• Narcotic poisoning, [196].
• Nursing, clothes for, [23].
• Oak furniture, care of, [68].
• Oak stains, [48].
• Oatmeal, [131].
• Oil stains, [47].
• Old garments, ways to use, [108].
• Ornaments for millinery, [112].
• Oxalic acid, [55].
• Pads, [41].
• Paint, to remove, [26], [118].
• Palms, how to care for, [151].
• Pantries, outdoor, [141].
• Paper dough, [53].
• Papering, [31]-[32], [38].
• Parrots, care of, [190].
• Paste for paper-hanging, [52].
• Perspiration marks, [124].
• Pets, care of, [179]-[191].
• Pewter, how to clean, [127].
• Piano polish, [49].
• Pine needles, [46].
• Plants, care of, [148];
  • for window boxes, [150].
• Plaster, [53].
• Poisons, [196]-[198].
• Polish, [49].
• Porch furniture, [71].
• Pork, how to choose, [136].
• Pots, [145].
• Potting, [146].
• Poultices, [21].
• Poultry, [137];
  • how to keep, [138].
• Precautions, [72].
• Pressing, [101].
• Ptomaine poisoning, [198].
• Putty, [54].
• Quicklime, [163].
• Roaches, how to get rid of, [158], [176].
• Road stains, [115].
• Roses, [151].
• Rugs, cleaning, [30];
  • mending, [90].
• Rust, [123].
• Salt fish, how to keep, [138].
• Salt meats, how to choose, [136].
• Sand, [53].
• Saving pieces of material, [107].
• Sawdust, [46].
• Scrubbing, [24].
• Shellac, [25].
• Shirts, how to do up, [5]-[6].
• Sickbed, [15].
• Sickroom, care of, [13]-[23].
• Silk, testing, [95];
  • washing, [105].
• Silk wall covering, [34].
• Silver tarnish, [127].
• Size, glue and vegetable, [50].
• Smoke stains, [124].
• Soap, [1]-[2].
• Soil for house plants, [145].
• Spots, how to get rid of, [113]-[119].
• Sprains and strains, [195].
• Sprinklers, [44].
• Stains, oil, [47];
  • mahogany, [48];
  • walnut, [48];
  • oak, [48];
  • road, [115];
  • fruit, [119];
  • wine, [120];
  • ink, [121];
  • grass, [123];
  • smoke, [124].
• Staining floors, [24]-[25].
• Starches, [7]-[8].
• Table linen, how to wash, [4]-[5].
• Tar spots, [122].
• Tea, how to choose, [132].
• Tile floors, how to clean, [29].
• Tool box, [44].
• Trimmings, care of, [106].
• Upholstered furniture, care of, [69].
• Varnish, to remove, [26];
  • spots, [118].
• Vegetable storage, [139].
• Velvet, freshening, [107].
• Vitriol, white, [164].
• Walls, [30]-[36].
• Wall mop, [46].
• Wall paper, [31]-[33].
• Walnut stain, [48].
• Washing, [1]-[12].
• Washing, china and glass, [56]-[61];
  • knives and forks, [61].
• Washing fluids, [2].
• Washing-soda, [163].
• Water, to soften, [1].
• Water bugs, [176].
• Water wagon, [42].
• Wax, dancing, [49].
• Wax board, [45].
• Wax finish, [48].
• Wax spots, [124].
• Waxing floors, [25].
• Whitewash, [39], [51].
• Whitewashed walls, [36].
• Wicker furniture, care of, [70].
• Windows, [30], [37].
• Window boxes, [146], [149].
• Wine stains, [120].
• Woolens, how to wash, [9].
• Woolens, testing, [96].

THE END

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• Transcriber’s Notes:
  • Some chapter headings had the word CHAPTER before the roman numeral, some didn’t.
  • Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
  • Typographical errors were silently corrected.
  • Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book.