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For Woman’s Work.
A REQUIEM.
»- - .
The hand that swept the sounding Lyre,
With more than mortal skill;
The tender eyes, the heart of fire,
The gentle lips, are still.
For her no more the flowers bloom,
With beauty sweet aud rare ;
They fade in yonder moss-grown tomb,
Upon her form so fair.
The birds that sang in yonder lane,
In sweet and gentle tone;
Now sing, alas I a requiem—
Their faithful friend is gone.
“Aida.”
HainE J’fjijsitinn.
STAINBACK WILSON, M. D., ATLANTA, GA.
Note—Questions pertaining to health and disease
will be answered in this paper when it can be done
with propriety. When, from the nature of the case,
or other reasons, a private answer is desired, a full
description should be sent. Address as above,
writing my name in full, and enclose stamp.
Pressure of business prevents anything
original this month; but inlieu of this, I
give my readers some choice selections,
which I trust will be found useful.
Glad to know that this department is
appreciated, and is doing good.
All should feel free to use the question
feature, as per note at the head of depart
ment.
REMEDY FOR CHRONIC
MALARIA.
Many persons, supposed by their anx
ious friendsand neighbors, (and very often
by their physicians also), to be going into
a “decline” or to be victims of consump
tion, are in reality, suffering from chronic
malaria. They are dosed with drugs of
every nature and variety. Their symp
toms are treated, but not the cause of those
symptoms; and, after a variable length of
time, they die, the victims of insufficient
knowledge.
How can you distinguish cases of chronic
malaria? It is only necessary to ask the
patient, or any one acquainted with his
past history, if he ever suffered from chills
and fever. For, though it may be years
after, (years of apparently good health),
the patient is, nevertheless, suffering from
chronic malaria, if he suffered at any other
period of his life with an acute attack.
This is a very efficient plan of treatment:
Mix two drachms of tincture of capsicum,
two drachms of the tincture of nux vom
ica, one drachm of the sulphate of quinine,
one drachm of diluted sulphuric acid and
three ounces of water. The dose is a tea
spoonful in a wineglass of water four times
daily.
The persistent use of this valuable pre
scription will effectually rid the system of
the malarial poison, give tone to the stom
ach and bowels, and restore the natural
purity and vitality of the blood.—House
hold Companion.
SMALL EATERS LIVE LONG.
This article, selected from the Boston
Traveler, contains much that will interest
and instruct, and is on that account given
to our readers:
With regard to food, we find from Dr.
Humphrey’s report, that 90 per cent, of the
aged persons w’ere either moderate or small
eaters, and such moderation is quite in ac
cord with the teachings of physiology. In
old age the changes in the bodily tissues
gradually become less active, and less food
is required to make up for the daily waste.
The appetite and the power of digestion
are correspondingly diminished, and, al
though for the attainment of a great age a
considerable amount of digestive power is
absolutely necessary, its perfection, when
exercised upon proper articles of diet, is the
mostimportant characteristic. Indulgence
in the pleasures of the table is one of the
common errors of advanced life, and is not
infrequent in persons who, up to that pe
riod, were moderate or even small eaters.
Luxuries in the way of food are apt to
be regarded as rewards that have been fully
earned by a life of labor, and may, therefore,
be lawfully enjoyed. Hence, arise many of
the evils and troubles of old age, and nota
bly indigestion and gouty symptoms in va
rious forms, beside mental discomfort. No
hard and fast rules can be laid down, but
strict moderation should be the guiding
maxim. The diet suitable tor most aged
persons is that which contains much nutri
tive material in a small bulk, and
its quantity should be in proportion to the
appetite and power of digestion. Animal
food, well cooked, should betaken sparing
ly, except under special circumstances. Dr.
Parks advocates rice as a partial substi
tute for meat when the latter is found to
disagree with old persons. Its starch grains
are very digestible, and it supplies nitrogen
in moderate amount, well fitted to the worn
and slowly repaired tissues of the aged.
Its bulk, however, is sometimes a disad
vantage; in small quantities it is a valuable
addition to milk and stewed fruits. The
amount of food taken should be divided be
tween three or four meals at fairly regular
intervals. A sense of fullness or oppression
after eating ought not to be disregarded.
It indicates that the food taken has either
been too abundant or of improper quality.
For many elderly people the most suitable
time for the principal meal is between one
and two p. M. As the day advances the
digestive powers become less, and even a
moderately substantial meal taken in the
evening may seriously overtask them.
Undigested food is a potent cause of dis
turbed sleep, an evil often very trouble
some to old people, and one which ought
to be carefully guarded against.
CHEAP BUT WHOLESOME
LIVING.
Dr. Edward Smith says: “If you are
very poor, spend near ly all your money on
bread. Bread and milk porridge make the
best breakfast for husband, wife and chil
dren. Buttermilk is very good and cheap
food. Whey is food, and is a much better
drink than water or beer. Every member
of the family should, if possible, have two
pints of new milk, skim milk or buttermilk,
daily. With plenty of bread and milk
there will probably be health and strength,
j and no doctors’ bills. When you can buy
I Indian corn meal you will find it a stronger
I and cheaper food than flour. Potatoes are
' the best of all garden vegetables. Tea is a
very dear food. If you are very poor do
not buy tea, but spend your money in bread
and skim milk. When you cannot obtain
sufficient milk, and must drink tea, let it
be weak, and add as much milk as you can
to it; but it is then better to make broth
for breakfast and dinner. Hot food is both
more agreeable and digestible than cold
food. Children, and old and feeble people
need hot food more than strong adults.
When you are very poor and have not
enough to eat, do not drink cold fluids.”
CARE OF THE COMPLEXION.
The beauty of the complexion depends
much on the physical condition; therefore
it is of the utmost importance that the gen
eral health be kept in good order. Fresfy
air and exercise are better than cosmetics',
and are very essential in gaining a clear,
fresh complexion. Proper exercise is as
necessary to beauty of complexion as it is
to strength of body.
Water is serviceable to the skin in only
moderate amounts, and at a moderate tem
perature. Very cold or very warm baths,
when used in excess, diminish the elasticity
of the skin and its power of resistance to
external irritants. Hard water should
never be used on the skin. Distilled water
or rain water are best. Water may be dis
tilled by first boiling, then straining it. pour
ing from one vessel to another through a
coarse cloth. Rinse the strainer before us
ing a second time.
Use only the best and purest white soap;
highly scented soaps are not advisable.
Borax or oatmeal make a good substitute
for soap, as they soften and whiten the
skin, and are quite as cleansing in theirna
ture. Flannel makes the best wash cloth.
Never wash the face just before going
out into the fresh air, or just after coming
in. Nothing is more injurious to the skin.
Washing the face with oatmeal takes off
the greasy, sweaty look, and leaves the
skin like velvet. A few drops of ammonia
in the water with which the face is bathed
is also excellent for an oily skin, and gives
a fresh coloring by bringing the blood to
the surface. If the skin has already too
much color, borax should be used in place
of the ammonia.
When the face is constantly pale, bathe
it in cold water, rub briskly with a soft
towel, and apply daily the following prep
aration: Two ounces of glycerine, one
ounce of diluted liquid ammonia, and four
ounces of water. Rub well into the skin,
then wipe carefully. If any irritation is
felt, the glycerine should be increased.
The following lotion will be found the
most satisfactory and the least harmful of
any of the preparations for softening and
whitening the skin: Boil two table-spoon
fuls of fine oatmeal in sufficient soft water
to make a thin gruel, and strain carefully.
When cool, add a lemon with a dessert
spoonful of wine. Keep on the toilet table,
making a fresh supply once in about ten
days. Bathe the face with this every night
before retiring. Do not wipe entirely off,
but leave the skin a little damp. In the
morning, wash in tepid water and oatmeal,
in the proportion of a tablespoonful of oat
meal to a quart of water. Dry the face
thoroughly, and put on thinly a little gly
cerine and cold cream. Leave this on for a
few minutes, and then wash off in the oat-
meal and water, drying the face well. Now
take dry powdered oatmeal and rub over
the face, using a bit of flannel or linen
cloth. Your complexion will then look a
lovely white. The neck and hands may be
treated the same way.
Masks of quilted cotton cloth dampened ’
with distilled water, and worn at night, are
very effective for beautifying the complex
ion. Boiling water is a good complexion
aid if persevered in, clearing and softening
the skin, and giving it the desired rosy
tint. This is, of course, through its effect on
digestion and general health. A tumbler
ful should be taken half an hour before
each meal, sipping it slowly with a spoon.
If found insipid, a slice of lemon may be
added.
An important point is thorough ventila
tion; bad air will soon spoil the fairest
skin. The air should be freely admitted to
our rooms. No one should sleep in a room
that is not well ventilated. It is better in
ventilating a sleeping apartment, to have
several small openings than one large one.
The very best cosmetic is sleep, and plen
ty of it, especially in the early part of the
night. Eight hours are not too much for
any one, and pale, thin, nervous persons
should have even more. There is no dan
ger of our taking too much sleep.
DIPHTHERIA.
When a physician makes a hasty visit to
a child, pronounces the case diphtheria,
and writes a prescription, and tells you
“the disease must run its course, and the
child must get much worse before it can
get better,” and makes no provision to
counteract the poison that is preying upon
the life of the child, you may take it for
granted that he is ignorant of the nature of
the disease, or that he takes no great inter
est in the welfare of his patient.
Diphtheria should not be left to run its
course. It must be checked in its progress
as soon as possible. Not a moment should
be lost in an endeavor to cheek the pro
gress of the disease. A thin slice of salted
pork should be tied around the neck. This
will keep the pores of the skin open, and
produce a slight irritation on the surface,
which will, to some extent, counteract the
internal inflammation. The most important
measure, however, is the application of the
Permanganate of Potassa. This can be had
at any drug store. No matter what system
of medical treatment you employ, this is
always important, and should not be neg
lected. Put as much as a grain of wheat
of the Permanganate of'potassa into a half
glass of water, and after scraping the mu
cous from the tongue, wash the mouth and
gargle the throat with this solution, and
this should be done every half hour in se
vere cases. When a child is too small to
gargle, the mouth should be carefully
washed with a soft cotton cloth, and the
patient should be allowed to swallow a lit
tle of this solution every time the mouth is
washed.
After the poison is removed from the
mouth, allow the child to drink sweet
cream, all it will take. This will have a
good effect upon the mouth and throat, and
gives nourishment and strength to the pa
tient.
In this disease the strength of the patient
must be kept up by nourishing diet and
fresh air. If these directions are carefully
followed, there is but little danger of this
disease terminating fatally; but if the pre
cautions are neglected, the case may be
come complicated from blood poison, and
the patient fall a victim to the disease, no
matter what system of medical treatment
can be employed.— Dr. Miller, in the
Alliance.
TREATMENT OF CHILBLAINS.
First bathe the parts every day in tepid
or cool water, next wear fine but thick cot
ton stockings,and change them often. Then,
if they are very bad, use a preparation
made as follows: About an ounce of tannin
is dissolvedin half a pint of water, seventy
four grains of iodine are dissolved in an
ounce and three-fourths of spirits of wine;
the two solutions are then mixed, and
enough water is added to make up the
whole to two and a half pints. The remedy
is applied once daily, the best time is after
bathing the parts in water and just before
going to bed. The mixture is gently warm
ed over a very slow fire; the affected part j
(«. g., the hand) is dipped in it while still
cold, and held there until the liquid on be- :
ing stirred feels uncomfortably hot. The
vessel used must be of earthenware or porce
lain, not of metal. Care should betaken
not to use too great a quantity, especially
when abrasions are present. Four or five
applications are sufficient.— Herald of
Health.
For frost bites, take a piece of ice, heat
an iron poker or shovel; melt the ice with
the iron, and let it drop on the frost bitten
parts.
DRESS MAD.
The Modern Young Lady at Two Pe
riods of Her Life.
Behold her at eleven.
Her limbs unfettered by the long skirts
of conventionality, she runs, she romps,
she slides on the iee ponds, she rolls hoops,
she climbs fences, she leaps, she kicks, she
runs races and is as fleet of foot as the boys.
Her appetite is good, her cheeks rosy, and
her movements unconsciously graceful.
But all this must cease.
Behold her again at twenty. No more
does she run or jump or roll hoops, run races
or slide on the ice. It is not “proper” now
nor ladylike, and she couldn’t if she would,
for she is fettered by long skirts, tight
shoes and tighter stays. Iler movements
have no longer the freedom and uncon
scious grace of childhood, and when she
walks abroad she walks to be looked at,
which now. in her estimation, is the main
object of walking. She is already in deli
cate health, and has a doctor who prescribes
expensive advice and prescriptions for her,
and ascribes her complaints to anything
and everything but the real cause. That
is simply the fettering of her body with
fashionable clothes. Physically she is now
a prisoner. At eleven she was free. The
doctor advises travel, but he doesn’t advise
her to take off and keep off her fashionable
fetters. She wouldn’t do so if he did, and
he wouldn’t advise her if he knew it would
bring relief, for she would no longer be
lieve in a doctor who would make herdress
i like a guy; and being dressed like a “guy”
:is dressing different from the style pre
i scribed by a Paris modiste. Diana never
| coul’d hunt in a trailing skirt, narrow, tight,
high-heeled gaiters, and a pinched, corseted
waist, but Diana with a belted tunic and
1 unfettered limbs would be bounced oft
Broadway by the nearest policemen.
! Dressing for health and freedom of limb
' and body is one thing, and dressing for
fashion quite another. A man couldn’t
endure the pinching and encumbrances
; peculiar to feminine attire for an hour, and
i a pretty spectacle he’d make rushing about
in such, during business hours. Yet the
“weaker sex” wear double the encum
brances of the so-called stronger. To “dress”
at all after the style, usesup halfa woman’s
time and two-thirds of her strength.
CARE OF INFANTS.
The first two years of
li/l.in V , Hiid it i~ kU. tl
mortality. The things
the infant are pure air, ayW|
seasonable clothing and
Hence, the room occupied by the
should be well ventilated and kept at’
equable temperature. Its bed should be an
ordinary hair mattress, with cotton sheets
and woolen blankets. Its clothing should
be carefully adapted to the changing sea
sons, to protect it from extremes of heat
and cold. It should wear a soft flannel
wrapper next the skin, thin in summer,
heavier in winter. If during infancy, a
flannel band is also worn around the mid
dle of the body to protect the bowels, and
woolen stockings long enough to cover the
knees, they will secure almost entire ex
emption from attacks of colic and diarrhoea.
CHAPPED HANDS.
As both a precaution and cure for chap
ped hands we have usecj the following with
benefit: Wash the hands, and face also if
it is inclined to chap, with borax water,
and afterward rub with an ointment made
by melting mutton tallow (or suet), and
then gradually adding an equal quantity
of glycerine, stirring the two together un
til cool. For the hands, this mixture can
be best applied at night, using it freely,
and warming it in by the fire, after which
an old pair of gloves can be put on to keep
the bed clothes from being soiled, and also
make the skin of the hands softer. An ex
cellent glycerine ointment for chapped
hands is made by melting with a gentle
heat, two ounces of s./eet oil of almonds,
half an ounce of spermaceti, and one
drachm of white wax. When melted, re
move from the stove, and add gradually
one ounce of glycerine, and stir until the
mixture is cold. The ointment can be
scented with any perfume to suit the fancy.
Keep in wide-necked bottles.
HOW IT PAYS.
Dear Woman's Work:
I send an exchange, which you will
please insert in the subscribers column. I
have had two inserted before this, in your
valuable paper, from which I received
very many orders, and some nice letters.
Thanking all for past favors and desiring
their further patronage, I am, yours sin
cerely. Annie Lamkin.