Original White House Cookbook

bread crumbs, pour over them boiling water and boil till soft, stirring well ; take from the fire and gradually stir in a little glycerine or sweet oil, so as to render the poultice pliable when applied. A Hop Poultice. — Boil one handful of dried hops in half a pint of water, until the half pint is reduced to a gill, then stir into it enough Indian meal to thicken it. A Mustard Poultice. — Into one gill of boiling water stir one tablespoonful of Indian meal ; spread the paste thus made upon a cloth and spread over the paste one teaspoonful of mustard fiour. If you wish a mild poultice, use a teaspoonful of mustard as it is prepared for the table, instead of the mustard fiour. Equal parts of ground mustard and flour made into a paste with warm water, and spread between two pieces of muslin, form the indispensable mustard plaster. A Ginger Poultice. — This is made like a mustard poultice, using ground ginger instead of mustard. A little vinegar is sometimes added to each of these poultices. A Stramonium Poultice. — Stir one tablespoonful of Indian meal into a gill of boiling water and add one tablespoonful of bruised stramonium seeds. Wormwood and Arnica are sometimes applied in poultices. Steep the herbs in half a pint of cold water and when all their virtue is extracted stir in a little bran or rye meal to thicken the liquid ; the herbs must not be removed from the liquid. This is a useful application for sprains and bruises. Linseed Poultice. — Take four ounces of powdered linseed and gradually sprinkle it into a half pint of hot water. A REMEDY FOR BOILS. An excellent remedy for boils is water of a temperature agreeable to the feelings of the patient. Apply wet linen to the part affected and frequently renew or moisten it. It is said to be the most effectual remedy known. Take inwardly some good blood purifier. CURE FOR RINGWORMS. Yellow dock, root or leaves, steeped in vinegar, will cure the worst case of ringworm. HEALTH-SUGGESTIONS. ★ ★ ★ HOW COLDS ABE CAUGHT. A GREAT many cannot see why it is they do not take a cold when exposed to cold winds and rain. The fact is, and ought to be more generally understood, that nearly every cold is contracted indoors, and is not directly due to the cold outside, but to the heat inside. A man will go to bed at night feeling as well as usual and get up in the morning with a royal cold. He goes peeking around in search of cracks aud keyholes and tiny drafts. Weather-strips are procured, and the house made as tight as a fruit can. In a few days more the whole family have colds. Let a man go home, tired or exhausted, eat a full supper of starchy and vegetable food, occupy his mind intently for a while, go to bed in a warm, close room, and if he doesn’t have a cold in the morning it will be a wonder. A drink of whisky or a glass or two of beer before supper will facilitate matters very much. People swallow more colds down their throats than they inhale or receive from contact with the air, no matter how cold or chilly it may be. Plain, light suppers are good to go to bed on, and are far more conducive to refreshing sleep than a glass of beer or a dose of chloral. In the estimation of a great many this statement is rank heresy, but in the light of science, common sense and experience it is gospel truth.