The household (of the Detroit free press)

Beech leaves are a sovereign remedy for the most severe burns. Take the leaves of the beech tree, either green or dried, and boil them in water, hard or soft, thus making a tea as strong as it can be made. Boil for an hour. Take the tea lukewarm and wash the burn thoroughly, then cover the raw place with the leaves two or three thick, with smooth side down. Wrap well with soft cloths, and keep damp with the tea ; dress twice a day, and the worst burn will soon show improvement and heal much more rapidly than with any other treatment. One good feature of the wash is it causes no smarting or pain whatever, even as strong as the tea can be made. It may be applied to any perfectly raw surface, and will soon allay any smarting or burning. Bruises and sprains, which are liable to occur at any time, are much more quickly cured if treated immediately on their occurrence. The effect of a bruise is to rupture some of the smaller blood vessels, near the surface, and the blood being poured out under the skin, forms the black and blue spots, so-called. When such an accident occurs, a stream of cold water directed on to the part, and continued as long as it can be borne, and then renewed after a time, will often prevent swelling, and will contract the mouths of the ruptured blood vessels. Such a method may be applied by pouring water on to the part from a height, from a pitcher or coffee-pot. A rubber tube may be attached to a faucet, and the water thus conducted. The parts should be tightly bandaged afterward, and the bandages soaked with tincture of arnica, or tincture of marigold (Calendula). A sprain is always more serious than a bruise, the joints being the parts implicated. One may recover from a fractured limb sooner than from some forms of sprain. When such an accident occurs, place the limb in a basin or pail of water as hot as can be borne. Keep the temperature up by the addition of more hot water from time to time. Allow it to remain immersed in the bath from ten minutes to half an hour, according to circumstances. After removing, bandage evenly and tightly the whole extent of the limb, both below and above the joint implicated, commencing the bandaging at the extremity of the limb, below the injury, and making it tightest at that point, thus forcing the blood from the superficial veins towards the trunk. The limb should be kept in an elevated position for some hours afterwards. If the injury is to the lower extremity, the foot may be placed in a chair, and supported by a pillow. If the upper extremities are involved, a sling, made of a wide silk handkerchief, and tied around the neck, will give the necessary elevation and support. EARACHE AND NOSE BLEED. There is scarcely an ache to which children are subject that is so difficult to bear as the earache. The cases, if treated as follows, will often be relieved immediately: Take a bit of cotton and soak it in glycerine and sprinkle on it a little black pepper ; insert this into the ear and put a dry piece of cotton outside, to be kept in place, if necessary, by a light bandage tied over the head.