Chapter VIII: Part II: Health and Beauty (2)

442. _Bread Poultice._--Mr. Abernethy directs a bread and water poultice to be made as follows:--Put half a pint of hot water into a pint basin; add to this as much of the crumb of bread as the water will cover, then place a plate over the basin, and let it remain about ten minutes; stir the bread about in the water, or, if necessary, chop it a little with the edge of a knife, and drain off the water, by holding the knife on the top of the basin, but do not press the bread as is usually done; then take it out lightly, spread it about one-third of an inch thick on some soft linen, and lay it upon the part. If it be a wound, you may place a bit of lint dipped in oil beneath the poultice. There is nothing better than the bread poultice for broken surfaces.

443. _Linseed Poultice._--Is made by simply mixing linseed meal into a paste with hot water.

444. _Management of Blisters._--Spread the plaster thinly on paper or linen, and rub over it a few drops of olive oil. In this way the blister acts speedily, and with less irritation than usual.

445. _Simple Ointment._--This is made by melting in a pipkin, by the side of the fire, without boiling, one part of yellow or white wax, and two parts of hog's lard or olive oil.

446. _Spermaceti Ointment._--This consists of a quarter of an ounce of white wax, three-quarters of an ounce of spermaceti, and three ounces of olive oil, melted as before. This is the common dressing for a blister.

447. _Elder-flower Ointment._--This is the mildest, blandest, and most cooling ointment which can be used; and it is very suitable for anointing the face or neck when sun-burnt. It is made of fresh elder-flowers, stripped from the stalks, two pounds of which are simmered in an equal quantity of hog's-lard till they become crisp; after which, the ointment, whilst fluid, is strained through a coarse sieve.

448. _Calamine Ointment, or Turner's Cerate._--This consists of half a pound of yellow wax and a pint of olive oil, which are to be melted together; this being done, half a pound of calamine powder is to be sifted in, and stirred till the whole be completely mixed.

449. _Sulphur Ointment._--This is made by rubbing well together three ounces of flowers of sulphur and half a pound of hog's lard. This ointment, if properly applied, is a certain cure for that nastiest of all nasty, and most easily-caught disease, the itch, which, although generally found among poor people, occasionally steals into the houses of the wealthy. The proper mode of managing it is, for the infected to rub himself well all over with the ointment, night and morning, for three days, during which time he must wear, without change, some old body-linen, stockings, and gloves, and lie in a pair of old sheets or blankets. Washing in the least degree is to be carefully avoided as the plague, for it will protract the cure. On the fourth day let him go into a warm bath, wash himself clean, and he will then be found quite well. Everything which had been worn during the cure should be burnt, sheets and all; but the blankets may be scoured.

PLASTERS, BLISTERS, OINTMENTS, &c.

450. The beneficial influence obtained from all such local applications depends upon the change of temperature they are capable of producing. Their results will vary with constitutions. Most patients, who suffer from chronic disease, point to a particular spot as the locality where they are most incommoded with "cold chills." This is the point for the application of the galbanum or other "warm plaster." A plaster of this kind to the loins has enabled me to cure a host of diseases that had previously resisted every other mode of treatment. The same application to the chest, when the patient complained of chilliness in that particular part, has materially aided me in the treatment of many cases of phthisis. In both instances, where _heat_ was the more general complaint, cold sponging has been allowed by an equally beneficial effect.

The ingredients of plasters, blisters, ointments, lotions, &c., what are they but combinations of the agents with which we combat fever? Their beneficial influence depends upon the change of motion and temperature which they produce by their electrical or chemical action on the nerves of the part to which they are directed. Cantharides will not blister the dead--they have very little effect even on a dying man!--_Dr. Dickson's Lectures._

451. _Liquid Opodeldoc._--Dissolve one ounce of camphor in a little spirits of wine, and two ounces of soft soap in a little water; put these into a bottle, add half a drachm of oil of rosemary and the same of oil of thyme; shake them well together; add three-quarters of a pint of spirits of wine, and a quarter of a pint of water; set it in a warm place, and shake it occasionally, for a few days. This is an excellent remedy for bruises, sprains, chilblains, &c.

452. _Extract of Arnica, for Bruises, Sprains, Burns, &c._--Take one ounce of arnica flowers, dried; that prepared by the Shakers is considered the best; and put them in a wide-mouthed bottle; pour just enough scalding water over them to moisten them, and afterwards about a pint or a pint and a half of spirits of wine. In case of a burn or bruise, &c., wet a cloth in the arnica and lay it on the part affected. Renew the application occasionally, and the pain will soon be removed.

453. _For a Sprain._--Mix equal parts of spirit of camphor, distilled vinegar, and turpentine, and rub the part affected.

Cold water applications are excellent for sprains; as, to bathe the part in cold water, to pour cold water upon it, or to put bandages wet in cold water around it.

Extract of arnica, applied to a sprain, will remove the pain in a short time.

454. _Contusions or Bruises._--In slight bruises, and those not likely to be followed by much inflammation, nothing more is usually necessary than to bathe the part in cold water, or with spirit, as eau de Cologne, brandy, &c., mixed with an equal proportion of vinegar and water. In more severe cases, however, and where the accident is near an important part, as the eye, or any of the joints, it becomes a desirable object to prevent the approach of inflammation. This is to be attempted by the application of leeches, repeating them according to circumstances; purgatives and a low diet may become necessary. In the last stage of a bruise, where there is merely a want of tone in the parts, and swellings from the effused blood, &c., friction should be employed, either simply, or with any common liniment, as opodeldoc. Wearing a bandage, pumping cold water on the part, succeeded by warm friction, also a saturated solution of common salt in water, have each been found beneficial. The roots of bryony and Solomon's seal, bruised and applied as a poultice, are efficacious in hastening the disappearance of the lividity of bruises.

455. _Lime Water._--Pour three quarts of water upon eight pounds of unslaked lime; let stand half an hour, when add three gallons of water, and pour it off.

It is useful in cases of derangement of the digestive organs.

456. _Walnut Water._--This is recommended as a remedy in subduing nausea and vomiting, if administered in doses of a wine-glassful every half-hour. It is distilled from green walnuts, angelica-seeds, and brandy.

457. _Uses of Borax._--Powdered borax, mixed with honey, or conserve of roses, is an excellent remedy for inside sores of the mouths of children.

If a little of the mixture be dissolved in warm water, it will form, when cold, an efficacious gargle for an ulcerated sore throat.

If a weak solution of borax in rose-water be constantly applied, by means of a fine linen cloth, over the redness which often affects the noses of delicate persons, it will relieve the sense of heat, and remove the redness. Many other spots on the face may be similarly removed.

It is likewise a very useful application to chilblains.

458. _The virtues of Sage._--This valuable herb was held in such high esteem among the ancients, that they have left us a Latin verse, which signifies--

_"Why should a man die whilst he has sage in his garden?"_

It is reckoned admirable as a cordial, and to sweeten and cleanse the blood. It is good in nervous cases, and is given in fevers, with a view to promote perspiration. With the addition of a little lemon-juice, it is very grateful and cooling.

459. _Sage Tea._--Wood sage, which grows naturally, is the finest kind; with a little alum it makes an excellent gargle for a sore throat. It may be made as tea, but is better if boiled.

460. _Senna Tea._--Macerate for an hour, in a covered vessel, one ounce and a half of senna, a drachm of ginger, sliced, and a pint of boiling water; the dose is from one-half to a wine-glassful. Or, mix two drachms of senna, with a little Bohea tea, in a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and add, when poured off clear, a little sugar and milk.

461. _Chamomile Tea._--Take of chamomile flowers one ounce, boiling water, one quart; simmer for ten minutes, and strain.

Chamomile tea is well known as an emetic, when taken in a tepid state. In some parts of England, a strong infusion of chamomile is frequently taken at bed-time, as hot as it can be swallowed, when it produces perspiration, and next morning acts as a purgative. It is also there considered as one of the best remedies for indigestion, colic, pains and obstructions of the bowels, especially when arising from cold. A cup of coffee taken hot on an empty stomach, will frequently be as efficacious as the chamomile, in either of the above cases.

A small cupful of the tea, cold, taken in the morning, fasting, is often serviceable for indigestion. Chamomiles are also employed in fomentations, their greatest use being to retain the heat of the application.

462. _Linseed Tea._--Pour two quarts of boiling water upon one ounce of linseed, and two drachms of liquorice-root, sliced; let it stand six hours.

463. _Mint Tea._--Mint, to be used as tea, should be cut when just beginning to flower, and should be dried in the shade. The young leaves are eaten in salads, and some eat them as the leaves of sage, with bread and butter.

464. _Nitre_ is a cheap and valuable medicine, both cooling and purifying to the blood. In the feverishness that attends a cold, from seven to ten grains of purified nitre, in a glass of water, may be taken two or three times a day, with safety and advantage. For old wounds, such as are commonly called "a bad leg," great benefit will be derived from taking a solution of nitre, prepared thus:--In one pint of boiling water, dissolve two ounces of saltpetre; of which take a table-spoonful twice a day. If it should occasion pain, a little hot ginger-tea will soon give relief.

465. _To make Verjuice._--The acid of the juice of the crab or wilding is called by the country people, verjuice, and is much used in recent sprains, and in other cases, as an astringent or repellant.

466. _Medicines in Travelling._--In case of change of food disagreeing with the stomach, dissolve a tea-spoonful of Epsom salts in half a pint of water, as warm as it can be drunk, and repeat the dose every half-hour, until it operates.

For diarrhœa, or acidity of stomach, mix one drachm of compound powder of kino, with half an ounce of compound powder of chalk; divide into six powders, and take one or two a day, in three table-spoonfuls of water, and a tea-spoonful of brandy.

467. _To prevent Sea-sickness._--Pass a broad belt round the body, and place within it, on the region of the stomach, a pad stuffed with wool or horse-hair; this, when tightly braced, restrains the involuntary motion of the stomach, occasioned by the lurching of the vessel. During sickness, very weak cold brandy and water will be found the best means of allaying the heat and irritation.

The frequent use of any sea-sickness preventive is, however, attended with danger.

468. _Valuable properties of Cherry-tree Gum._--The gum that exudes from the trunk and branches of the cherry-tree is equal to gum-Arabic. Hasselquist relates that, during a siege, more than an hundred men were kept alive for two months nearly, without any other sustenance than a little of this gum taken into the mouth sometimes, and suffered gradually to dissolve.

469. _How to get Sleep._--How to get sleep is to many persons a matter of high importance. Nervous persons who are troubled with wakefulness and excitability, usually have a strong tendency of blood on the brain, with cold extremities. The pressure of the blood on the brain keeps it in a stimulated or wakeful state, and the pulsations in the head are often painful. Let such rise and chafe the body and extremities with a brush or towel, or rub smartly with the hands to promote circulation and withdraw the excessive amount of blood from the brain, and you will sleep in a few moments. A cold bath, or a sponge bath and rubbing, or a good run, or a rapid walk in the open air, or going up or down stairs a few times, just before retiring, will aid in equalizing circulation, and promoting sleep. These rules are simple and easy of application in castle or cabin, and minister to the comfort of thousands who would freely expend money for an anodyne to promote "Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep."

470. _Remedy for Bad Breath._--Take from five to ten drops of muriatic acid, in an ale-glassful of barley-water, and add a little lemon-juice and lemon-peel to flavor; mix for a draught to be taken three times a day, for a month or six weeks at least, and, if effectual, it may be continued occasionally. Another medicine of this kind, which has often proved beneficial when the stomach has been wrong, and the bowels costive, is the following: Take one drachm of sulphate of magnesia, two drachms of tincture of calumba, one ounce and a half of infusion of roses; make a draught, to be taken every morning, or every other morning, an hour before breakfast, for at least a month.

471. _Corpulence._--Those who are afflicted with corpulence should not allow themselves above six hours' sleep in the twenty-four. They should take as much exercise as possible, and avoid cream, malt liquors and soups--at least until they have succeeded in reducing their bulk. Salt provisions are good, having a tendency to promote perspiration, and carry off fat. Soda water is also beneficial. _Recipe_: Take Castile soap, in the form of pills, or electuary, of from one to four drachms dissolved in a quarter of a pint of soft water, when going to bed. But let not our lovely girls abuse their constitutions by drinking vinegar for this purpose, for consumption has often been produced by that habit.

472. _Leanness._--This is not a disease; on the contrary, lean people are generally healthy, muscular, strong, and active, and remarkable for a keen appetite. But when there appears a diminution of strength--when the spirits sink, and the food does not freely digest--then leanness is the sign of lurking disease. Such patients should take a cup of milk warm from the cow every morning, or cold milk, with two raw fresh eggs beaten up with it. A pint of the best porter or stout at dinner, and the same at supper. Tea is better than coffee, and salad with strong supplies of oil, not much vinegar, are recommended.

473. _Cure for Stammering._--Impediments in the speech may be cured, where there is no malformation of the organs of articulation, by perseverance for three or four months in the simple remedy of reading aloud, with the teeth closed, for at least two hours in the course of each day.

POISONS AND ANTIDOTES.

474. _Acids._--These cause great heat, and sensation of burning pain, from the mouth down to the stomach. Remedies, magnesia, soda, pearlash, or soap, dissolved in water; then use stomach-pump or emetics.

475. _Alcohol._--First cleanse out the stomach by an emetic, then dash cold water on the head, and give ammonia (spirits of hartshorn.)

476. _Alkalies._--Best remedy is vinegar.

477. _Ammonia._--Remedy, lemon-juice or vinegar, afterwards milk and water or flaxseed tea.

478. _Arsenic._--Remedies, in the first place evacuate the stomach, then give the white of eggs, lime-water, or chalk and water, charcoal and the preparations of iron, particularly hydrate.

479. _Belladonna, or Night Henbane._--Give emetics, and then plenty of vinegar and water or lemonade.

480. _Charcoal._--In poisons by carbonic gas, remove the patient to open air, dash cold water on the head and body, and stimulate nostrils and lungs by hartshorn, at the same time rubbing the chest briskly.

481. _Corrosive Sublimate._--Give white of eggs freshly mixed with water, or give wheat flour and water, or soap and water freely.

482. _Creosote._--White of eggs and the emetics.

483. _Laudanum._--Same as opium.

484. _Lead. White Lead and Sugar of Lead._--Remedies, alum, cathartic, such as castor oil and Epsom salts, especially.

485. _Mushrooms, when poisonous._--Give emetics, and then plenty of vinegar and water, with dose of ether, if handy.

486. _Nitrate of Silver_, (_lunar caustic_).--Give a strong solution of common salt, and then emetics.

487. _Nitrate of Potash, or Saltpetre._--Give emetics, then copious draughts of flaxseed tea, milk and water, and other soothing drinks.

488. _Opium._--First give a strong emetic of mustard and water, then strong coffee and acid drinks, dash cold water on the head.

489. _Oxalic Acid._--Frequently mistaken for Epsom Salts. Remedies, chalk, magnesia, or soap and water freely, then emetics.

490. _Prussic Acid._--When there is time, administer chlorine, in the shape of soda or lime. Hot brandy and water. Hartshorn and turpentine also useful.

491. _Snake Bites, &c._--Apply immediately strong hartshorn, and take it internally; also, give sweet oil, and stimulants freely. Apply a ligature tight above the part bitten, and then apply a cupping-glass.

492. _Tartar Emetic._--Give large doses of tea made of galls, Peruvian bark, or white oak bark.

493. _Tobacco._--First an emetic, then astringent tea, then stimulants.

494. _Verdigris._--Plenty of white of egg and water.

495. _White Vitriol._--Give the patient plenty of milk and water.

In almost all cases of poisoning, emetics are highly useful, and of those, one of the very best, because most prompt and ready, is the common mustard flour or powder, a spoonful of which, stirred up in warm water, may be given every five or ten minutes, until free vomiting can be obtained.

Emetics and warm demulcent drinks, such as milk and water, flaxseed or slippery elm tea, chalk water, &c., should be administered without delay. The subsequent management of the case will of course be left to a physician.

496. _To prevent Death from the Bite of Venomous Animals._--From observations made by Dr. Bancroft, it is found, that in South America, where the most venomous serpents abound, a very tight ligature, instantly made after the bite, between the part bitten and the trunk of the body, will prevent immediate danger, and allow time for proper means of remedy, either by excision of the whole joint, just above the ligature, or by topical applications upon the part bitten.

For instance, if the bite should be upon the end of the finger, a tight ligature of small cord should immediately be made beyond the next joint of the finger.

If the bite is on any part of the hand, the ligature should be made above the wrist, by means of a garter or cord, lapped several times round the arm, and rendered as tight as possible, by a small stick thrust betwixt the folds of the cord or garter, and twisted round very hard, to prevent the circulation of the blood betwixt the part bitten and the other part of the body. Ligatures of the same kind, applied by any one present, or the man himself, will frequently save a person's life, where, by accident, an artery in any of the limbs is wounded, and no surgeon is at hand.

497. _Prevention of Hydrophobia._--As there has been hitherto no remedy discovered which can be said to possess a specific control over this dreadful malady, and therefore little hope can be entertained of a cure for it, our best endeavors should be directed to the _preventive_ treatment. This is to be commenced, then, by completely cutting out the whole wound as soon as possible after the bite of a suspected animal. After this, bleeding should be encouraged by immersion in warm water, or the application of a cupping-glass. Caustic should next be applied to every part of the wound, which is then to be covered with a poultice, and suffered to heal by granulation, or be kept open, and made to suppurate, by irritating ointments. The excision should never be omitted, even though the bitten part have healed, and let the interval since its occurrence be what it may. As for any of innumerable so-called specifics, there is not one that is worth a moment's trial.

498. _To alleviate the Pain occasioned by the Sting of Gnats._--The disagreeable itching occasioned by the sting of these insects, may be removed by volatile alkali, or immediately rubbing and washing the part affected with cold water.

At night, to rub with fuller's earth and water, lessens the inflammation.

499. _Simple and effectual cure for those who may accidentally have swallowed a Wasp._--Instantly, on the alarming accident taking place, put a tea-spoonful of common salt in your mouth, which will instantaneously not only kill the wasp, but at the same time heal the sting.

500. _For the Sting of a Wasp or Bee._--Spread over the part a plaster of salad oil and common salt; if oil be not at hand, the salt may be used, moistened with water or vinegar. Or, keep the part constantly moist with a rag dipped in sal-volatile and cold water, as strong as can be borne without raising the skin. Or, immediately after taking out the sting, get an onion and bruise it, and apply it to the stung place, and it will afford immediate relief. Or, a washerwoman's blue-bag, applied in the same manner, will have a like effect.

501. _Sting of a Nettle._--Rub the part affected with balm, rosemary, mint, or any other aromatic herb, and the smart will soon cease.

BATHS AND BATHING.

502. The best materials for constructing baths, are slabs of polished marble, bedded with water-tight cement, in a wooden case, and carefully united at the edges. But, as white or veined marble baths are apt to get yellow or discolored by frequent use, and cannot easily be cleaned, large Dutch tiles, or square pieces of white earthenware, are sometimes substituted; these, however, are with difficulty kept water-tight, so that marble is altogether preferable. Copper, or tinned iron plates, are also used; the former is more expensive at the outset, but far more durable than the latter, which is also liable to leakage at the joints, unless excellently made. Both copper and iron should be well covered, in and outside, with several coats of paint. Wooden tubs--square, oblong, or oval--are sometimes used for warm baths, and are cheap and convenient; but the wood contracts a mouldy smell, and there is great difficulty in preventing shrinkage in them, and keeping them water-tight.

The fittest place for baths, is the bed-room floor; they are sometimes placed in the basement story, which is cold and damp, and in all weather disagreeable.

Due attention should be paid to the warming and ventilation of the bath-room. A temperature of 70 degrees, by the thermometer, should be kept up in it; and ventilation is requisite, to prevent the moisture settling upon the walls and furniture.

An improvement in the construction of baths, is a slightly hollowed space at one end, to receive the head of the bather, so as to prevent that sensation of cramp which is often experienced from the ordinary, abrupt shape of a bath.

The hand is a very uncertain test for the heat of water, and should, therefore, not be relied on in preparing a bath; but a thermometer should be employed, which will denote the actual temperature, thus:--

Cold bath, from 32° to 75° of Fahrenheit.
Tepid " " 75 to 92 " "
Warm " " 92 to 98 " "
Hot " " 98 to 114 " "
Vapor " " 100 to 140 " "

503. _Hand Shower-Bath._--An excellent hand shower-bath for children, has been invented. It consists of a metal vessel, containing about a gallon, the bottom of which is pierced with holes, while the upper part is open, and provided with a handle. When intended to be used, the vessel is immersed in a pail of water, and it quickly fills from the lower part. The thumb is placed over the aperture at the apex, which prevents all escape of water. It may be held at a convenient distance over the child, and the moment the thumb is removed, there falls a refreshing shower, which may be stopped instantaneously, by placing the thumb over the upper opening.

504. _Simple Vapor Bath._--Wrap the patient in blankets, which fasten closely about the neck, leaving the head exposed: then place him in a chair, under which set a basin or deep dish, with half a pint of spirits of wine, or whisky, which should be ignited: close the blankets to the floor, and in a few minutes the patient will be in a profuse perspiration, and should be put to bed between warm blankets.

505. _Advantages of Bathing._--It is a fact officially recorded, that during the terrible visitations of cholera in France, out of nearly 16,228 subscribers to the public baths of Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseilles, only two deaths among them were ascribed to cholera. We doubt whether there exists a more effectual preventive of disease of every kind, and a greater promoter of good health at all times, than the practice of daily bathing.

506. _Uses of Hot Water._--The efficacy of hot water, on many occasions in life, cannot be too generally known. It is an excellent gargle for a bad sore throat, or quinsy. In bruises, hot water, by immersion and fomentation, will remove pain, and prevent discoloration and stiffness. It has the same effect after a blow. It should be applied as quickly as possible, and as hot as it can be borne. Insertion in hot water will also cure that troublesome and very painful ailment, the whitlow.

507. _Good effects of Bathing._--"I am often asked, what baths are safest--as if everything, by its fitness or unfitness, is not safe, or the reverse. The value of all baths depends upon their fitness; and that, in many instances, can only be known by trial. It depends upon constitution, more than upon the name of a disease, whether particular patients shall be benefited by one bath or another. Generally speaking, when the skin is hot and dry, a cold bath will do good; and when chilly, a hot bath. But the reverse sometimes happens. The cold stage of ague, may at once be cut short by a cold bath. I have seen a shivering hypochondriac dash into the cold plunge bath, and come out, in a minute or two, perfectly cured of all his aches and whimseys. But, in cases of this nature, everything depends upon the _glow_ or _reaction_ which the bath produces; and that has as much to do with surprise or shock as with the temperature of the bath. I have seen a person with a hot, dry skin, go into a warm bath, and come out just as refreshed as if he had taken a cold one. In that case, the perspiration which it excited, must have been the principal means of relief.

"So far as my own experience goes, I prefer the cold and tepid shower-baths, and the cold plunge-bath, to any other; but there are cases in which these disagree, and I, therefore, occasionally order the warm or vapor-bath instead."--_Dr. Dickson._

508. _Diet for Patients._--"I am every day asked by my patients, what diet they should take. I generally answer by the question, 'How old are you?' Suppose they say, _Forty_--'Forty!' I rejoin: 'you who have had forty years' experience of what agrees and disagrees with you--how can you ask me who have no experience of the kind in your case whatever?' Surely, gentlemen, a patient's experience of what agrees and disagrees with his own particular constitution, is far better than any theory of yours or mine. Why, bless my life! in many chronic diseases, the diet which a man can take to-day, would be rejected with disgust to-morrow; under such circumstances, would you still, according to common medical practice, tell a sick person to go on taking what he himself found worried him to death? Gentlemen, I hope better things of you.

"The only general caution you need give your patients on the subject of diet, is _moderation_; moderation in using the things which they find agree with themselves best. You may direct them to take their food in small quantities at a time, at short _periodic_ intervals--intervals of two or three hours, for example; and tell them to take the trouble to masticate it properly before they swallow it, so as not to give a weak stomach the _double_ work of mastication and digestion--these processes being, even in health, essentially distinct. Unless properly comminuted and mixed with the saliva, how can you expect the food to be anything but a source of inconvenience to persons whom the smallest trifle will frequently discompose?"--_Dr. Dickson's Lectures._

509. _Abstinence, or Starvation._--Beware of carrying this too far!--for "abstinence engenders maladies." So Shakspeare said, and so nature will tell you, in the teeth of all the doctors in Europe! Abstinence may produce almost every form of disease which has entered into the consideration of the physician.--_Ibid._

510. _The Blood is the Life--never be Bled!_--"He who loses a pint of blood, loses a pint of his life. Of what is the body composed? Is it not of blood, and blood only? What fills up the excavation of an ulcer or an abscess? What re-produces the bone of the leg or thigh, after it has been thrown off dead, in nearly all its length? what but the living BLOOD, under the vito-electrical influence of the brain and nerves! How does the slaughtered animal die? Of loss of blood solely. Is not the blood, then, in the impressive language of Scripture, 'the life of the flesh?' How remarkable, that while the value of the blood to the animal economy should be thus so distinctly and emphatically acknowledged, blood-letting is not even once alluded to, among the various modes of _cure_ mentioned in the sacred volume. We have 'balms,' 'balsams,' 'baths,' 'charms,' 'physics,'--'poultices,' even--but loss of blood, never! Had it been practised by the Jews, why this omission? Will the men who now so lavishly pour out the blood, dispute its importance in the animal economy? Will they deny that it forms the basis of the solids? that when the body has been wasted by long disease, it is by the blood only it can recover its healthy volume and appearance?"--_Dr. Dickson's Lectures._

THE TOILET.

511. Personal beauty is the gift of nature, but its preservation depends much on the care of its possessor. Beauty may also be cultivated and enhanced; even plainness may be improved, and the defects that sickness, accidents, and age impress on the human features and form, may be greatly remedied by simple means, and attention to a few important rules.

The first requisite for the preservation and improvement of personal beauty is _good temper_. The teachings of the New Testament, if you follow its precepts, will insure you this grace. The second requirement is _good health_. The most important rules for its preservation and recovery are given in this chapter. The third requisite comprises attention to neatness, and that general care of the person which the rules and receipts we here subjoin, will aid in making complete.

512. _Of the Hair._--It is a great mistake to plait the hair of children under eleven or twelve years of age. The process of plaiting more or less strains the hairs in their roots by pulling them tight; tends to deprive them of their requisite supply of nutriment; and checks their growth. The hair of girls should be cut rather short, and allowed to curl freely. When they are about eleven or twelve, the hair should be twisted into a coil, not too tight, nor tied at the end with thin thread, but with a piece of riband.

513. _Do not Shave the Head._--Shaving the head is always injurious to the hair, the bulbs being frequently destroyed by the process; and washing frequently with an alkaline preparation, such as soap and water, is decidedly objectionable, for that, as well as sea-water, is very apt to change the color of the hair.

514. _To purify and beautify the Hair._--An excellent means of keeping the hair sweet, clean, glossy, and curly, is to brush it with a rather hard brush dipped by the surface only in eau de Portugal ("Portugal water"). In order to have it fresh and of fine quality, take a pint of orange flower water, a pint of rose water, and half a pint of myrtle water. To these put a quarter of an ounce of distilled spirit of musk, and an ounce of spirit of ambergris. Shake the whole well together, and the water will be ready for use. Only a small quantity should be made at a time, as it does not keep long, except in moderate weather, being apt to spoil either with cold or heat.

515. _To promote the Growth of Hair._--Mix equal parts of olive oil and spirits of rosemary, and add a few drops of oil of nutmeg. If the hair be rubbed every night with a little of this liniment, and the proportion be very gradually augmented, it will answer every purpose of increasing the growth of hair, much more effectually than can be attained by any of the boasting empirical preparations which are imposed on the credulous purchaser.

516. _Curling Liquid for the Hair._--When the hair will not curl naturally, the curling irons should not be used; they only extract the moisture, and render the hair crisp and harsh. An excellent curling liquid is the following:--Put two pounds of common soap, cut small, into three pints of spirits of wine, with eight ounces of potash, and melt the whole, stirring it with a clean piece of wood. Add some essence of amber, vanilla, and nevoli, about a quarter of an ounce of each, to render the fluid agreeable. The liquids which are sold for the professed purpose of assisting in curling the hair, are chiefly composed of either oily or extractive substances.

517. _To prevent Hair from falling out._--Make a strong decoction of white-oak bark in water, and use it freely. It is best to make but little at a time, and have it fresh at least once a fortnight.

518. _To avoid Grey Hairs._--Those who would avoid that prominent mark of approaching old age, called grey hair, must be careful in the treatment of the hair in their youth. They must avoid constricting the skin, and strangling the hair at its roots, and everything that may throw into the blood an undue portion of lime. We say an _undue_ portion, because a certain quantity of lime is indispensable in our system for repairing the wear and tear of the bones, teeth, &c. The lime necessary for the repair of bone is manufactured by the stomach and liver, along with the blood, from various articles of our diet which contain it. The greatest supply is usually from the water which we drink, or which is employed in the various processes of cooking and preparing liquors. All animal food also contains some portion of lime, as well as some of the sorts of vegetable food. Ascertain, then, by chemical trial, whether the water used for your tea, coffee, soups, &c., contains a large proportion of lime; and, if it do, you must either have it chemically purified, or remove to some other place where the water is more free from lime. If water be hard, you may be certain that it contains too much lime to be safely used. Rain-water is the safest for tea and other liquids. Bread will always contain a portion of lime; you must, therefore, be careful in dealing with respectable bakers, who will not increase that unavoidable quantity by means of adulterating matter (such as whiting) which contains lime.

519. _To soften and cleanse the Hair._--Beat up an egg, rub it well into the hair, and then wash the head well. If the hair is very oily, add the juice of half a lemon. This receipt also answers much better for washing pet dogs than soap.

520. _To make a Curling Fluid for the Hair._--Melt a piece of white bees'-wax, about the size of a filbert kernel or large pea, in one ounce of olive oil; to this add one or two drops of attar of roses or any other perfume.

521. _Gen. Twiggs' Hair Dye._--Dissolve in a pint of rose-water, one ounce of lac sulphur, and half an ounce of sugar of lead. Wet the hair with this mixture thoroughly every night, shaking the bottle occasionally. Some persons prefer whisky to rose-water, in mixing the articles.

522. _To change Hair to a deep Brown._--A solution of silver caustic in water is the foundation of all the nostrums for this purpose. It must be well diluted before used.

523. _To dye the Hair Black._--Procure from the dyer's a quantity of walnut-water; and with this wash the hair, as the first part of the process. Then make an aromatic tincture of galls, by scenting the common tincture with any agreeable perfume; and with this wet the hair, which must next be moistened with a strong solution of sulphate of iron.

524. _A simple Hair-dye._--Boil in a pint of water a handful of rosemary; when cold, strain and bottle, but do not cork it. Renew it every few weeks. Wet the hair with it every night.

525. _To darken the Eye-brows._--Take an ounce of walnuts, an ounce of frankincense, an ounce of resin, and an ounce of mastick. Burn them all on clear, red-hot charcoal, and receive the fumes into a funnel, in which a very fine black powder, slightly perfumed and unctuous, will adhere. Mix this with a little oil of myrtle, in a leaden mortar, and apply it to the eye-brows. This paste has the property of resisting both heat and perspiration; but it must be occasionally renewed. The following method may also be used: Burn a clove in the flame of a wax-candle, dip it into the juice of elder-berries, and apply it to the eye-brows. The powder, also, which is used in the East for painting the eye-lashes, and which is composed of antimony and bismuth, may be safely and advantageously used. Or, a paste prepared from powdered black lead, with eau de Cologne, or oil of myrtle, or essence of bergamot, will suffice for the purpose. When the eye-brows become long and shaggy, they give a ferocious and repulsive expression to the countenance. The scissors should in that case be often used. Some of the longest hairs might also be removed with the tweezers.

526. _To know whether Hair Powder is adulterated with Lime._--Put a little crude sal-ammoniac, in powder, to the suspected hair powder, and add a little warm water to the mixture, and stir it about; if the powder has been adulterated with lime, a strong smell of volatile alkali will arise from this mixture.

527. _To perfume Hair Powder._--Take one drachm of musk, four ounces of lavender blossoms, one and a half drachm of civet, and half a drachm of ambergris; pound the whole together, and pass it through a sieve. Preserve this mixture in well-stopped bottles, and add more or less thereof, as agreeable, in your hair powder.

528. _To improve the Hair._--Powdered hartshorn, mixed with oil, being rubbed upon the head of persons who have lost their hair, will cause it to grow again. A very good oil for the hair is made by mixing one part of the liquid hartshorn with nine parts of pure castor-oil.

529. _An economical Hair Wash._--Dissolve in one quart of boiling water one ounce of borax and half an ounce of camphor; these ingredients fine. When cool, the solution will be ready for use. Damp the hair with it frequently. This wash not only cleanses and beautifies, but strengthens the hair, preserves the color, and prevents baldness.

530. _To remove Superfluous Hair._--This is very difficult, for if you pull the hair out by the roots from those places which it disfigures, there are thousands of roots ready to start through the skin the moment you make room for them. Old authors recommend depilatories in great variety. The principal of these methods consist in rubbing upon the part from which the hair is to be removed, leaven, parsley water, juice of acacia, the gum of ivy or of the cherry-tree, dissolved in spirits of wine, &c. Madame Elisi Voiart, in her "Encyclopédie des Dames," recommends a few drops of dulcified spirit of salt, (that is, muriatic acid distilled with rectified spirits of wine,) to be applied with a camel hair pencil.

OF THE COMPLEXION.

531. _Never Paint._--The use of white paint as a cosmetic affects the eyes, which it renders painful and watery. It changes the texture of the skin, on which it produces pimples; attacks the teeth, destroys the enamel, and loosens them. It heats the mouth and throat, infecting and corrupting the saliva. Lastly, it penetrates the pores of the skin, acting by degrees on the spongy substance of the lungs, and inducing disease. Powdered magnesia, or violet powder, is no further injurious than by stopping the pores of the skin; but this is quite injury enough to preclude its use. The best cosmetics are early hours, exercise, and temperance.

532. _To soften the Skin and improve the Complexion._--Mix in a cup of milk a little flowers of sulphur; let it stand for an hour or two; then, without disturbing the sulphur, rub the milk into the skin. It will keep it soft and clear. It should be used before washing.

533. _How to treat Freckles._--Most of us have observed the effect produced on white paper by holding it closely to the fire: it changes rapidly from white to brown, and becomes scorched. Chemists tell us that most combustible things, both in the animal and vegetable world, have carbon for their basis--_so has the skin_; and, if it be exposed to the heat, it becomes, like them, spotted or charred. The iron and oxygen in the blood also assist to produce this effect. Thus we have the cause of freckles. Those who, like Richard Cœur de Lion, and Mary Queen of Scots, have red hair (which is caused by a red-colored oil, more strongly impregnated with iron than others), are most liable to freckles.

The most effectual means of removing freckles, is the use of those chemicals which will dissolve the existing combination. The freckles are situated in the second or middle membrane of the skin; and, before any other application, it will be advisable to soften the surface by the use of some mild balsam or paste.

534. _For Freckles._--One ounce of bitter almonds, one ditto of barley flour, mix with a sufficient quantity of honey to make the whole into a smooth paste; with which the face, more particularly where the freckles are visible, is to be anointed at night, and the paste washed off in the morning. After a few days the skin will be prepared for a chemical remedy.

535. _Another._--To decompose the freckles, by laying hold of the iron, the following mixture may be applied: Take one drachm of muriatic acid, half a pint of rain-water, half a tea-spoonful of spirit of lavender; mix well together, and apply two or three times a day to the freckles, with a camel's hair brush. The acid seizes upon the iron, and the oxygen is disengaged.

536. _Purifying water for Freckled Skin._--Take one tea-spoonful of liquor of potassa, two ounces and a half of pure water, and ten drops of eau de Cologne. Mix, and apply three times a day with a camel's hair brush.

537. _Cosmetic Lotion for Freckles._--Take a tea-cupful of cold sour milk, scrape into it a quantity of horse-radish. Let this stand from six to twelve hours; and then, being well strained, let it be applied, as before directed, two or three times a day.

538. _Preventive Wash for Sunburn._--Take two drachms of borax, one drachm of Roman alum, one drachm of camphor, half an ounce of sugar-candy, and one pound of ox-gall; mix and stir well together, and repeat the stirring three or four times a day, until the mixture becomes transparent; then strain it through filtering paper, and it is fit for use.

539. _Grape Lotion for Sunburn._--Dip a bunch of green grapes in a basin of water; sprinkle it with powdered alum and salt, mixed together; wrap it in paper, and bake it under hot ashes; then express the remaining juice, and wash the face with the liquid.

540. _Lemon Cream for Sunburn and Freckles._--Put two spoonfuls of fresh cream into half a pint of new milk; squeeze into it the juice of a lemon, and half a glass of brandy, a little alum, and loaf sugar; boil the whole, skim it well, and, when cool, it will be fit for use.

541. _A French Receipt._--Take equal parts of the seeds of the melon, pompion, gourd, and cucumber, pounded and reduced to powder or meal; add to it fresh cream sufficient to dilute the flour; beat all up together, adding a sufficient quantity of milk, as it may be required, to make an ointment, and then apply it to the face. Leave it there for half an hour, and then wash it off with warm soft water. Pimpernel water is often used on the continent for the purpose of whitening the complexion. It is there in so high reputation, that it is said generally that it ought to be continually on the toilet of every lady who cares for the brightness of her skin.

542. _Moles._--The author of "The Art of Beauty," whose work appeared in 1824, has very judiciously observed: "The common brown mole appears to be much of the same nature as freckles, and to be situated in the middle layer of the skin, or membrane of color. Moles are sometimes so placed as to improve rather than injure a fine face. They contrast with the delicacy of a fair skin, and give a pleasing archness of expression to the countenance. They are, however, most frequently found on women of a dark complexion. The coloring matter, as in the case of freckles and sunburn, is probably some chemical combination of iron. Moles have evidently a superabundant vitality, and a tendency to increased action, in consequence, perhaps, of the stimulus of the iron; and hence they are often slightly elevated above the surface, and the natural down of the skin is changed into a tuft of hair. The same cosmetic applications may be tried as for freckles, with gentle friction, but they are seldom successful. But it will be found very dangerous to apply depilatories to eradicate the tufts of hair on moles, as cancer in the face is not unfrequently the consequence of such applications."

543. _Birth Marks._--Let them alone, or apply to some eminent surgeon to attempt their removal.

544. _Worm Pimple, with black points._--They are very common, and very unsightly, giving the skin an oily, greasy, and dirty appearance. Their origin is to be traced to the obstruction of the fountains or glands placed immediately under the skin, from which a minute pipe carries off the perspiration. This moisture, not getting free egress, thickens and closes the pores: it then catches the dust and other impurities, floating in the atmosphere, and soon becomes black. If squeezed violently between the nails, this thickened matter will be driven out, in the form of a yellowish white worm, with a black head, which is nothing more than the extraneous matter just mentioned. That there is any vitality in it, is an absurd, but popular and prevalent error. These pimples generally cluster on the sides of the nose and on the forehead, whilst the skin around them is greasy. They should be thoroughly pressed out of every pore, or there they will remain, and no cosmetic will dislodge them. When this is effectually done, the following safe and simple application may be tried: take one ounce of bitter almonds and one ounce of barley-flour; mix them with honey, until they form a smooth paste, and anoint the skin at night. Gentle friction, either with the hand or with a soft glove, is also good. When this state of the skin is induced by bilious disorders, indigestion, &c., sulphur, purgatives, and other remedies must be taken to remove it; but not without medical advice, as they often are the reverse of effectual.

545. _Another simple Remedy._--Bathe the pimples several times a day with lukewarm water and a sponge, rubbing the sponge over a piece of yellow soap. There is a truly healing power in soap, which is surprising when we learn to appreciate it, and which is quite distinct from mere cleanliness.

546. _Wash for Pimples._--Dissolve half a drachm of salt of tartar in three ounces of spirit of wine; apply with linen or a camel-hair pencil.

547. _A Paste for the Skin._--Boil the whites of four eggs in rose-water; add to it a small quantity of alum; beat the whole to the consistence of a paste. This will give great firmness to the skin.

548. _Cold Cream._--Take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds, and one drachm each of white wax and spermaceti, or half an ounce of white wax alone, which scrape very fine, and put them with the oil into an earthen dish, to melt slowly on the embers, and stir it till it becomes quite smooth. When it is cooling, add one ounce of rose-water, and put it into a gallipot, closely covered. It should be a very thick cream.

549. _Fard._--This paste is useful in removing sun-burnings, effects of wind on the face, and accidental cutaneous eruptions. It must be applied on going to bed. First, wash the face, and, when dry, rub the fard over it, and let it remain all night. Take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds, and the same quantity of spermaceti; melt them over a slow fire. When they are dissolved and mixed, take it from the fire, and stir into it one table-spoonful of fine honey. Continue stirring it till it is cold, and it is then fit for use.

550. _Court-plaster, or black Sticking-plaster._--Take half an ounce of benzoin, and six ounces of rectified spirit; dissolve and strain; then take one ounce of isinglass, and half a pint of hot water; dissolve and strain separately from the former. Mix the two, and set them aside to cool, when a jelly will be formed; and this is warmed and brushed ten or twelve times over a piece of black silk, stretched smooth. When this is done enough, and dry, finish it with a solution of four ounces of chian turpentine in six ounces of tincture of benzoin.

551. _An excellent Tooth-powder._--One of the best tooth-powders is made by mixing together one ounce and a half of prepared chalk, half an ounce of powder of bark, and a quarter of an ounce of camphor.

552. _Charcoal Tooth-powder._--Pound charcoal as fine as possible, in a mortar, or grind it in a mill; then well sift it, and apply a little of it to the teeth about twice a week, and it will not only render them beautifully white, but will also make the breath sweet, and the gums firm and comfortable.

If the charcoal is ground in a mortar, it is convenient to grind it in water, to prevent the dust from flying about. Indeed, the powder is more convenient for use, when kept in water.

553. _A safe Tooth-powder._--Cut a slice of thick bread into squares, and burn it till it becomes charcoal. Pound it, and sift it through a _fine_ muslin. It is then ready for use.

554. _Another Tooth-powder._--Mix hartshorn shavings, calcined and pulverized, three-fifths; myrrh, pulverized, two-fifths.

555. _A good Dentifrice._--Dissolve two ounces of borax in three pints of boiling water; before it is quite cold, add one tea-spoonful of tincture of myrrh, and one table-spoonful of spirits of camphor. Bottle the mixture for use. Add one wine-glassful of the solution to half a pint of tepid water, and use it daily. It preserves and beautifies the teeth, arrests decay, and induces a healthy action in the gums.

556. _Camphor Tooth-powder._--This excellent dentifrice is made by mixing prepared chalk, finely pulverized, and sifted through a fine muslin, with an equal quantity of pulverized camphor, prepared in the same way. It is a good preservative of the teeth.