'4 -■.ri .-.ji GooiJ/ioi^^^ ..J \j i =4 ^1 1 'd o ^ ^r;z:^„.-.A "^ loiuc. \ ' :' fi 'J'.[;' "4 CONVERTIBLE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, Sufficiently near correctness for all practical purposes. It must be borne in mind, however, that in those receipts which evidently call for a delicate adjustment of propor- tions, they will not answer. See WEIGHTS and MEASURES. Wheat flour, 1 pound is 1 quart. Indian meal, 1 pound 2 ounces are 1 quart Butter, when soft, 1 pound is 1 pint Loaf sugar, broken, 1 pound is 1 quart. White sugar, powdered, 1 pound 12 oz. are 1 quart. Best brown sugar, 1 pound 2 ounces are 1 quart Ten eggs are 1 pound. When "wine-glass" glass. COMPAEATIVE ME' A meter = A kilometer = A sq. meter = An are = A hectare = A hectare = A liter = A hectoliter = A hectoliter = A store = A stere = A gram = A kilogram = A kilogram = A tonneau = JVo. Cast Qass. Book- Sixty drops are 1 tea-spoonful. Four tea-spoonfuls are 1 table-spoonfoL Two dessert-spoonfuls are 1 table-spoonful. A table-spoonful is \ ounce. Eight table-spoonfuls are 1 gill. Thirty-two table-spoonfuls are 1 pint A common- sized sherry-glass holds ^ gill. A common-sized claret-glass holds 1 gill. A teacup holds from a gill to half a pint A common-sized tumbler holds | pint Ition, it means sherry- APPKOXIMATE). \ 1 meter. kilometers. I square meter. . square meter. ( are. ' hectare. I hectares, ) liter. . S liters. I I hectoliter. , /j I hectoliter, f]/ } stere. 1/ 5 stores. ' i gram. !J J kilogram. 9 kilogram. .4536 kilogram, .9071 tonneau. i! ML £4. /«7? From PROPORTIONA1-.. ^^^^^ Under \ year l-15th of a full dose. 1 " l-12th " 2 years l-8th " 3 " l-6th « 4 " l-5th " > 7 " l-3d " *.• v^xv x/xj? j; jijRENT AGES. From 7 to 14 years 1-2 of a full dose. i to 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 14 to 20 20 to 63 63 to 77 After 77 " 100 2-3d8 the full dose. Il-12th8 " 5-6th8 23da « ■ ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. If an artery is cut, red blood sptlrts. Compress it above the wound. If a vein is cut, dark blood flows. Compress it below. See BLEEDINQ. If choked, go upon all fours and cough. For slight bums, dip the part in cold water; if the skin is destroyed, cover with varnish. For apoplexy, raise the head and body ; for fainting lay the' person flat. EVEEYBODY OUGHT TO READ THE SPECIAL ARTICLES ON THESE POINTS, BEFORE THE OCCASION TO USE THEM ARISES. WHAT LEADINO JOURNALS SAY OF GOODHOLME'S DOMESTIC CYCLOPyiiDIA. " In fact, nothing that pertains to the hon\,e, whether directly or indirectly, is foreign to its purpose. Of course there are plenty of general topics, such as Clothing. Drainage, Floriculture, Heating, Venti- lation, etc., but the writers go straight to the mark, which is the ' practical information ' promised in the title of the work. The nearest approach to a disquisition is Mr. Geo. Fletcher Eabb's admirable article on Decoration as Applied to Walls, Floors and Furniture; but anybody who masters its condensed, unpretentious exposition of principles, will find it one of the most practical of all this Cyclopedia's guides to right living. Mr. Babb is one of half a dozen experts whose names are published in connection with the editor's, and are a guarantee of the soundness of their doctrine. In the Medical Department, for example, we have Drs. Austin Flint, Jr., Jacobi, and Lusk ; in the Culinary Department, Mrs. E. S. Miller and Giuseppe Rudmani are responsible; Col. Geo. E. Waring, Jr., deals. with Drainage, the Garden, the Dairy, etc., etc. Many single articles produced under these auspices are worth the price of the work, and there are very few households in which the compilation, as a whole, would not have a daily usefuln'ess." — Nation. - " Throughout its various departments there is evidence of great care, accuracy of statement and scientific precision, and it is no exaggeration to assert that, considering its scope and object, it'is the most valuably cyclopaedia in its kind that has hitherto appeared in the English language." — Bostott Gazette. " It aims to give a 'shortcut' to the knowledge which housekeepers are always wanting at a moment's notice, and to find which they know not where to go. That the book is highly successful in this aim appears both from the names on its title-page, and from or examination of the character of its contents. . . . This trustworthy and highly useful work limits itself to just the necessary informa- tion- which majcbe got within a small compass. The work supplies an actual need, and deserves a kind reception from the public." — X. Y. Times. " The information is copious and valuable." — N. Y. Tribune. "Turning the pages of the handsome volume at random, one finds such subjects as 'Alcohol,' 'Biscuit,' 'Cabe,' 'Canning Fniits,' 'Copper Ware,' 'Decoration,' 'Drugs,' 'Food,' 'Furnishing,' 'House,' 'Infant,' 'Mincemeat,' ' Parrots,' ' Potatoes,' 'Reed-Birds,' ' Sarsaparilla,' 'Snake Bites,' ' Tea,' ' Turkey,' ' Velvet,' ' Warming,' ' White Fish,' ' Wine,' etc. This will show the great value of the work. So far as we know, no similar publication has hitherto been issued in this country, and we are sure the book will meet a 'felt want.'" — Independent. < " The purpose h^s been to confine the work strictly to the field marked out by its title, and the first impression which one receives upon opening it is one of surprise, at the very large number of mat- ters about which practical information is wanted . . . tke work will be really invaluable." — A'. K Evening Post. • " A book for emergencie^. . . . That is to say, that from jelly-bags to compound fractures, the matter of the book is based on the best authorities, and that with it the operations of every house oan be carried on intelligently." — A'. V. World. . "We have carefully examined i*, and do not hesitate to say that a more practical and useful book for the house and family has never been published. Its information— covering a whole range of house- hold topics — is just what every household needs, and, as stated in the title of the work, has either been directly contributed, or thoroughly strutinized and amended, by as high authorities in the various departments as the country possesses. — "Rochester Democrat. "The work is so wide in its range, and thorough in its dealing with its manifold topics, that it would be harder to say what it did not contain than to tell what is found in it. It is, moreover, capitally indexed, so that its consultation is rendered very easy. The completeness of the Cylopaedia is equaled by its reliability." — Cincinnati Gazette, A DOMESTIC CYCLOPEDIA PRACTICAL INFORMATION Principally Written or Revised by the Following Authorities : CALVEET VAUX, Architect of tlie Central Park, and THOMAS WISEDELL, Architect: LOCA T/NG, BUILDING, AND REPAIRING. LEWIS LEEDS, SANITAEY ENGINEER : IVARMING AND VENTILA TION. COL. GEORGE E. WARING, of Ogden Farm: DRAINAGE, THE. GARDEN, THE DAIRY. GEORGE FLETCHER BASB, Architect : DECORA TION as affiled to Walls, Floors, and Furniture. MRS. ELIZABETH S. MILLER, Author of "In the Kitchen," and GTJISEPPE EUDMANI, late Cook in the Cooking School, St. Mark's Place, New York, and Chef de Cuisine, Newport : COOKING AND DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT. AUSTIN FLINT, Jr., M.D., Professor in Bellevue Medical College: dietetics and ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. ABRAHAM JACOBI, M.D., Professor in the College of Physicians and Surgeons: DISEASES and HYGIENE OF CHILDREN. WILLIAM T. LUSK, M.S., Professor in Bellevue Medical College, late Editor of the New York Medical Journal : GENERAL MEDICINE. S. G. FERRY, D.I),S.: THE TEETH. ELWYN WALLER, Ph.D., Superintendent of Laboratory in the Columbia College School of Mines, Chemist to the New York Board of Health; domestic chemistry- disinfecting, CLEANING, DYEING, Etc. LESLIE PELLCLARK, Veterinary Surgeon of Ogden Farm : THE horse. JOHNSON T. PLATT, Professor in the Yale Law School : BUSINESS FORMS AND LEGAL RULES. EDITED BY TODD S. GOODHOLME ct I L LUSTRA TED. 3^ ^o^i NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1S78 Copyright 1877, By Henry Holt. By traBBfer faem r»t. oacts Uk. AprU 1*14. New York: J. J. Little & Co., Printers, 10 to 20 Astor Place. HINTS TO THE READER. It is hoped that this book may reach many readers besides those used to handling boolcs of reference, and that they may find the following suggestions of use. Glance through the book, running your eye over each page, to get a general idea of what it contains. Many particulars worth knowing cannot be ascertained without doing this. The arrangement of the main topics in the book is always alphabetical, and that of the subdivisions of these topics is nearly always so ; but in a few of the latter cases, the alpha- betical arrangement has been subordinated to some other arrangement which seemed better fitted to the topic under treatment. For instance, under Horse, the diseases have been given alphabetically, but the general advice regarding selection and treatment has been given in the order in which the knowledge would naturally be used. In searching for a recipe or the like, look first for the general term (or noun), and not for the qualifying term. For e.xample : in looking for Quince Preserves, turn to "Preserves," not to "Quince ;" or for Oyster Sauce, turn to "Sauces," not to "Oyster." In some few cases, the recipe has come more naturally under the qualifying term. When an unusual or technical term is used, an explanation may sometimes be found under the word in its proper alphabetical place. In all cases of difficulty consult the Index. In consulting the medical portion of the book, after reading what is said about the disease, read what may be said about the medicine that may be recommended in its proper alphabetical place or under Drugs. Pains have been taken to give such information as might enable an intelligent person to act effectively in sickness, and not to give such details as would tempt the ignorant to commit the folly of attempting to dispense altogether with professional aid. Therefore in any case where directions are not as full as the reader could wish, it is probably because no advice could be given without specific knowledge of the patient's constitution. The general articles on Bathing, Drainage, E.xercise, Food, Diet, House, Ventilation, Warming, Water, and other hygienic subjects are it is hoped worthy of being carefully read and even studied by every one responsible for the health of a household. Those on Children, Infants, Fevers, the Sick-Room, Nursing, and Wet-Nursing, are in a simi- lar category. Special emergencies are treated of in their proper places, but these articles furnish some rules of health which should be familiar to every one. In cookery exact proportions are so important that we have generally given the recipes in terms of the standard tables of weights and measures. Where the necessary instru- ments are not at hand, consult the table of equivalent weights and measures printed on first inside cover page, or under Weights and Measures. As a rule, a list of the ingredients needed has been prefixed to each recipe, to save the necessity of reading all the directions before knowing if the ingredients are within reach, and to lessen the danger of overlooking any in getting them together. . In the matter of prices of articles mentioned in the book much difficulty has been found, on account of the recent great fluctuations, and when the difficulty was fully realized, the attempt to give prices was thereafter abandoned. Yet in such cases, for instance, as the price-lists under Furnishing, help may be had by ascertaining at the stores the current prices of a few articles, comparing them with the prices given in the book, and applying the average difference to the general estimates. For instance, if a iy HINTS TO THE READER. dozen articles in the stores are found to vary on an average twenty per cent, from the prices given in a list here, it may be safe to assume that the cost of the entire list would vary at the same rate. It will be readily understood, that most of the best authorities in housekeeping are per- sons not known to the public. For this reason, as well as from deference to their modest wishes, the names of some of the advisers who have most benefited this book are not published. All matters of household management that touch upon the domain of science, and justify the attention of those among the learned whose reputation guarantees their work, have been submitted to such authorities. A large portion of the book consists of matter originally prepared by them ; at the same time reference has been had to the fact that the learned seldom realize what portions of their knowledge can be understood and applied by the ignorant, so in many cases the matter has been compiled by laymen, some- times under special instruction, and then submitted for revision. It has been intended to acknowledge all recipes, etc., directly appropriated. If among so many advisers ( far more than those whose names appear) this has occasionally been neglected, the neglect must be attributed to inadvertence. Of the illustrations, many are original, but the others have come from too many sources to make detailed acknowledgment practicable ; some attempt at acknowledgment has been made in the articles themselves. The principal appropriation has been, by arrange- ment with the English publishers, from the great cook-book of Miss Acton. A few of those cuts seem to have been intended more for ornament than instruction, but as they came in the entire set, and as the world's approval of the whole was no longer open to question, it seemed best to use all. 1^^ Anybody encountering an important inaccuracy or omission in this work will confer a great favor by notifying the publishers, in order that it may be corrected in future editions. The directions and statements of fact in the book cannot fall far short of twenty-five thousand, and those that might have been property included are probably ten times as many. In such a mass, no test but practice can absolutely determine what practice requires. DOMESTIC CYCLOPEDIA. ■ In searching for a Recipe, or any other topic, you will be more apt to find it under the general term {or noun) than under the qualifying term. If you do not find it under one head, look for it under the other. For example : in looking for Quince Preserves, turn first to PRESERVES, not to Quince; or for Oyster Sauce, to SAUCE, not to Oyster. If in glancing through an article, you do not find what you want, see if there is not, at the end, a cross-reference to some kindred article. ABRASION.— A rubbing off of the outer surface of the skin. Wash gently to remove foreign matter, grease with a Httle sweet oil or pure lard, and cover for a day with a cloth. Do not apply salt water, camphor, or any irri- tating remedy. ABSCESS. — An accumulation of pus or purulent matter following inflammation of any tissue of the body. A superficial abscess is preceded by redness and swelling. Taken early it can often be dispersed. Rest the part, bathe it with warm lotions, and, if the skin be very tense, moisten it with a mixture of three parts of sweet oil and one of vinegar, or a wash of two drams of sugar of lead, one dram of powdered opium, and a pint of water, and cover with a piece of wax plaster. In great pain apply a soft poultice, renewed several times a day. When the abscess is ripe, open with a lancet. For so-called abscesses in the head, see Ear. ABSINTHE. — An alcoholic tincture of the leaves of the Absinthe, or wormwood, the roots of lingwood and aromatic cane, aniseed, leaves of dittany, origan, fennel, mint and balm mint, and a little essence of cumin. It is used largely by the French. Taken habi- tually in excess, it is apt to lead to softening of the brain and general paralysis. ACACIA. — The Flo^vering Acacia. A small tree very pretty in foliage, growing any- where and always flowering well. When in bloom, in June, it is covered with a profusion of pea-shaped pinkish white flowers clustered on short stems. Rose Acacia, smaller than the flowering, but more beautiful. It has clustered branches of pink pea-shaped flowers ; is easily grown, and requires no attention. It should be trained to a single stem, but its tendency to throw up suckers renders it troublesome in a small garden. ACCIDENTS.— Professor Wilder, of Cor- nell University, gives these short rules for action in case of accident : — For dust in the eyes, avoid rubbing ; dash cold water in them ; remove cinders, etc., with the round point of a lead pencil. Remove insects from the ear by tepid water ; never put a hard instrument into the ear. I If an artery is cut, compress it above the wound ; if a vein is cut, compress it below. If choked, go upon all fours and cough. For slight burns, dip the part in cold water; if the skin is destroyed, cover with varnish. For apoplexy, raise the head and body ; for fainting lay the person flat. For more detailed remedies in special cases see articles on each of the above and on Abrasion, Bandages, Bleeding, Bruises, Burns, Cuts, Dislocations, Drowning, Fractures, Frost-bite, Poisons, Scalds, and Sprains. ACCOUNT. (^-^^Bill.) ACIDS — Vegetable Acids exist in many substances used as food. They are sour to the taste, but may be so diluted with water that the sourness is not perceptible ; but if a piece of blue litmus paper (to be had at the druggists,) be dropped in, its color will be changed to red. The principal domestic acids are the follow- ing: Acetic Acid, represented by Vinegar. Citric Acid, giving their sourness to the lemon, orange, citron and cranberry, and, mixed with malic acid, existing also in the gooseberry, red-currant, strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. It is extracted from lemon juice, and sold in the form of crystals, which can be re-dissolved in water, flavored with a little essence of lemon and so used as an artificial lemon juice. Malic Acid, the peculiar acid of apples, but found in most American fruits, and in tomatoes. Oxalic Acid. Poison. {See Oxalic Acid.) Tannic Acid combines with iron and forms the basis of most writing inks. It is found inj the bark of many trees, and in gall nuts, has a^ weak acid taste, and is astringent and bitter. Tartaric Acid, found in a pure state in grapes, and some other fruits. It is a cheap substitute for citric acid, but inferior. It is one of the two ingredients composing the Soda or Seidlitz Powders. AERATED BREAD. — Not made in the household but at some bakeries. After the dough is mixed, tubes are introduced into it and are connected with a reservoir containing carbonic acid gas, and this is mechanically injected throughout the bread to lighten it. AGAVE AIR The so-called aerated bread is deficient in fla- vor, and is less agreeable and digestible than home-made bread, or any other which has been raised with yeast in the ordinary way. {See Bread.) AGAVE. — A plant known popularly as the American aloe or " Century-plant," the latter name being given it on account of a mistaken idea that it blooms only once in a century. In this latitude it reaches maturity at a period varying from lo to 70 years, and then blooms once ; as soon as the flowers fall the plant withers and dies. The aloe is applied to many uses. Pulque, the well known Mexican liquor is made by fermenting the sap dravvn from in- cisions in its stem, and from pulque is distilled a singularly fiery spirit known as Vino Mezcal. A coarse sort of thread known as the pita fla.\, is made from the fibres of its leaves ; and from an extract of the leaves balls are made which lather in water like soap. It grows in moder- ately rich soil, and needs protection in winter. AGUE. — Ague, or Intermittent Fever, or " chills and fever " as it is popularly called, is caused by a miasma believed to be due to de- caying organic matter. It is generated most abundantly in marshy ground, and is capable of being wafted along plains to a considerable distance from its source. There are three kinds : the Quotidian Ague, in which the parox- ysms come on every 24 hours ; the Tertian, in which they occur once in 48 hours ; and the Quartan, in which they occur once in every 72 hours. Each paroxysm consists of a cold stage, generally beginning with pain in the head and loins, weariness of the limbs, a sen- sation of coldness in the extremities, stretch- ing and yawning, to which succeed shivering and violent shakings ; of a hot stage, in which there is intense fever, the skin becomes red, and very hot to the touch — the pulse being quick, full, and hard, accompanied with great thirst; and, finally, of the sweating stac^e, in which perspiration comes on, first showing itself on the face and neck, and gradually ex- tending over the whole body. This latter always affords relief and marks the abatement of the paroxysm. Treatment.— Quinine is the only remedy with- in reach of domestic medicine, in a dose of 10 grains for an adult in the period immediately fol- lowing the sweating stage of the last paroxysm. It is desirable that sufficient quinine should be given to produce ringing of the ears. If this is not effected by the first dose it should be repeated in three or four hours. When the cold stage, or chill, appears, the patient should be put in bed, and covered sufficiently with bed-clothes. If the succeeding paroxysm is not prevented, the same course should be pursued. A third administration of quinine in large doses is rarely required. It is desirable to continue with the drug in doses of two grains three times a day for some weeks after the chills are broken. The bed-clothes should be removed as reaction sets in, and cooling drinks may be given if called for by the patient. Between the paroxysms the patient must be supported with food that is nourishing, but light and easy of digestion, such as veal or chicken broth, sago, rice, gruel with a little wine in it, light pud- dings, etc. A glass of light wine may also be taken now and then, and negus acidulated with lemon juice. As the chief object in treating ague is to brace and strengthen the system, the patient ought to take as much exercise between the paroxysms as he can bear, and not to give up to the indolence which is one of the accom- paniments of the disease. Change of air to a high and dry one is also excellent, and some- times it is the only method of cure. In severe cases of ague, other treatment is required, but they demand the skill of an experienced phy- sician. AIR. — The atmosphere in which we live is so thin and invisible, and so totally unlike other objects, that we are apt to forget that it is a real substance, possessed of weight and power of resistance, and that as one of the most es- sential of all foods, it plays an important part in the economy of life. We are immersed in this thin elastic fluid as a fish is in clear water, which to him is, no doubt, equally invisible, and it presses down upon the earth with a force proportionate to its weight. Upon every square inch of the earth's surface there rests about 1 5 lbs of air. Upon the body of a medium-sized man, having a surface of 2000 sq. inches, the atmosphere presses with a force equal to 30,000 pounds ; a force which would crush him to atoms were it not that there is air also within the system which exerts an equal outward pressure, and thus prevents injury. Air consists of two elements, oxygen and nitro- gen, and a pair of eompounds, Carbonic acid gas and vapor of water. Oxygen and nitrogen are by far the largest constituents, dry air contain- ing about 77 per cent, of nitrogen and nearly 23 of oxygen ; but these gases are not com- bined as oxygen and hydrogen combine to form water, but are simply mixed together; and although various influences tend to mix them so perfectly that the proportion in a given volume at different places is nearly the same, it is not absolutely so, and one of the gases may, with the greatest ease, be separated from the other. Such separation takes place, in fact, in breathing. We draw the air into our lungs, which divide it into its two component parts, retaining the oxygen, which then mixes with our blood and enters into our entire sys- tem, while the nitrogen passes out of the body as it entered it without undergoing any change. O.xygen is one of the prime essen- tials of life, alike in animals and plants, and any material reduction of the proportion which it bears to the other atmospheric gases means death to every living creature. Nitrogen, on the other hand, is a negative or inert substance, its chief use being to dilute or temper the other active ingredients to a proper degree of strength. Here, then, is the princi- ple by which the relation of air to animal life is made plain. Pure air, in its normal condi- ALABASTER ALCOHOL tion, contains about twenty parts of oxygen, seventy-nine of nitrogen, and one of aqueous vapor, and ^A^j of carbonic acid gas ; and any causes which decrease the proportion of oxygen injure by so much its health-sustaining qualities. By breathing, and the burning of fuel and lights, large quantities of oxygen are removed from the air, while at the same time carbonic acid gas in nearly equal bulk takes its place. In the case of fuel, if the combustion is perfect, the air that has been changed is carried up the chimney ; but not so in respiration and illumina- tion, the air spoiled by these processes remains in the room unless removed by special ventila- ting arrangements. {See Ventilation and Warming.) Air is also contaminated in a con- siderable degree, as has already been hinted, by the exhalations of the human being. "Streams of subtle and almost intangible putrescent mat- ter," says Professor Youmans, " are, all through life, exhaling from each living animal body into the air. The fluid thrown from the lungs and skin is not pure water. It not only holds in solution carbonic acid, but it contains also animal matter X]\t exact nature of which has not been determined." This source of contamina- tion becomes very obvious when in the morning, from the pure outer air, we enter an unventilated bedroom, where one or two people have slept the night before. Every one must have ex- perienced the sickening odor of such a room, and not only is the atmosphere vitiated, but two persons occupying a bed for eight hours impart to the sheets by insensible perspiration not less than a pound of watery vapor charged with latent animal poison. Gaseous exhala- tions of every sort also escape from the kitchen and from the cellar, if perishable substances be kept there, and are diffused through the house ; from the imperfect burning of gas-jets, also, there arise emanations most injurious to health. Stoves, furnaces, and steam pipes are fruitful sources of deterioration; and the in- troduction of water closets into our houses, and the close connection of the sewers with our water pipes are new elements of danger. In- deed it is scarcely too strong an expression to say that every thought and act of man, every vital change in his body, and everv process by which he regulates the condition of his daily life, is accompanied by the deterioration of the air upon which his health depends. The only rem.edy for all these evils lies in proper and adequate ventilation, in other words, in the providing of such artificial means as will insure the constant substitution of pure air for that whose oxygen has already been more or less consumed, and will prevent vitiated air from reaching the lungs. No subject in the entire range of hygiene and domestic economy is more important, and it is one which should engage the thoughtful attention of every head "of a household. At this point we have only dealt with the principles of the subject ; their practi- cal application is indicated in the articles on Drainage, Ventilation, and Warming. AT i AB ASTER. — A substance very similar to marble, but in its pure state more transpa- rent. There are two kinds. One is a carbonate of lime, and therefore of the same composition as marble, but has been formed in the manner of stalactites by water dripping in a cavern ; though very transparent, it is also hard, and consequently little used for sculpture. The other is a sulphate of lime, and the same substance as gypsum, from which plaster of Paris is made. Gypseous alabaster, being soft and easy to cut, and often very transparent and beautiful, is more employed in the manufacture of vases, clock-stands, statuary, and similar articles. Alabaster is apt to become yellow, especially if exposed to smoke, but mav be restored by washing with soap and water (cold) and after- wards polishing with shave-grass. Grease spots may be removed by rubbing the places with powder of French chalk. As alabaster is very fragile, articles made of it, if valuable, should be kept under glass. Broken parts may be joined together again by quicklime mixed with white of egg to a paste. AliBUMEN.— A sutsfance, familiarly rep- resented by the white of eggs, which exists abundantly in all animals, and in the juices, seeds, grain, and other parts of plants. It is by far the most important single element of food, since it contains nutritive matter in a com- pact and easily digestible form ; and being al- most without flavor may enter into the com- position of foods very diverse in other re.'pects, whilst it is adapted to every variety of taste. Its composition is the same in all other forms as in the blood and tissues of man and other animals ; therefore it is incorporated into the system with the greatest ease, though it is ne- cessary that it first be decomposed, so as to form new ccmbinations. White of eggs is almost pure albumen with four-fifths of water, and for this reason, an egg is in proportion to its weight the most nutritious article of food known to man. Though albumen exists naturally as an adhe- sive fluid, mixed with, and soluble in, water; yet when subjected to a temperature of 142°, it experiences a striking change in its properties ; as it is then converte^l into a solid no longer soluble in water, and if, after coagulation, it be gradually exposed to a higher temperature, it is reduced to a firm, transparent solid. Fluids, coffee in particular, are often clarified by means of albumen. When any kind of it, as white of eggs, is put into a muddy liquid, on boiling the liquid the albumen coagulates in a flaky man- ner, and, entangling with it the impurities, rises to the surface as scum, or sinks to the bottom, according to the weight of the fluid holding it. ALCOHOL.— The common and active prin- ciple in spirituous liquors, obtained from sugar by fermentation. When the produce of fermentation is distilled, the spirit, being ex- tremelv volatile, rises in vapor, and in passing through a long cool tube is condensed into a liquid, which, however, is not pure alcohol, for a quantity of water and other impurities rise with it. It is necessary that it should be re- distilled and pass through other processes ALE ALMONDS before it reaches that state in which it is called rectified spirit, or common spirit of wine, the purest form in which it is manufac- tured on a large scale, and the form in which it usually enters into alcoholic liquors. Few subjects have been more discussed and dis- puted about than whether alcohol and alcoholic beverages are entitled to rank as food or nutri- ment ; but the best opinion seems now to be that any such claim is inadmissible. They cannot, it is said, replace water in the system, because water is the appointed solvent within the living body, and the solvent powers of al- cohol are not the same as those of water ; what water dissolves, alcohol may not, and Tice versa. Alcoholic liquids coagulate and precipitate the pepsin dissolved in the watery gastric juice, and if not quickly aljsorbed by the stomach into the blood, they would in this way put a stop to digestion. It is argued further that alcohol contains no nitrogen, and cannot, therefore, be transformed into tissue or flesh. And the assumption that alcohol feeds respiration and supplies heat is met by the response that what heat it gives rise to, is immature and injurious, and that it acts in such a rapid way as to pro- duce excitement and irritation in the system. It causes temporary stimulation, but this is ex- tremely transient, and is followed by corre- sponding depression and retardation of the vital powers. This is a subject, however, which is dividing civilized nations into two hostile and opposing camps ; and since the various bever- ages into which alcohol enters — ardent spirits, wines, ale, beer, and the like — are in well-nigh universal use, it is enough to add that their only distinctive feature as compared to other foods lies in the possession of this element, and that their strength is estimated by the amount of it which they contain. Alcohol is also used as an illuminator, though not in its pure state {see Burning Fluid) ; its powerful solvent qualities make it extremely useful in medicine ; and it is much used by naturalists in preserving their "specimens," since it does not dissolve either albumen or muscular fibre. Its cleansing properties, especially where grease is_ to be removed, are well known to house- wives. ALE. — A liquor manufactured from malt, which is usually produced from the parched grain of germinating barley by a process explained in the article on Brewing. It can, however, be made from the dried germinating grain of wheat and other cereals ; any substance con- taining sugar being capable of yielding a wort or solution which may be fermented and con- verted into ale or beer. In several of the English pale ales the proportion of alcohol is as high as lo per cent., and the average is from J to 7 per cent. So that a pint of good ale contains the same amount of alcohol as a bottle of claret. These ales, with those of Scotland, are largely imported, and are general- ly much superior to the American product. Burton Ale, so called from the place where it is made, is one of the strongest and very pop- ular. It is of a somewhat thick, glutinous con- sistence, and sweetish to the taste ; and a small quantity of it produces intoxication in those who are not accustomed to it. The best English ales are Bass and Allsopp's. Scotch Ale, espe- cially the Edinburgh brands, has a pale flavor ex- tremely vinous and very like some of the light French wines. It is mild in its effect, pale in color, and the taste of the hops does not pre- dominate as in the India Pale Ale (manufac- tured especially for the Indian market) and All- sopp's. Scotch ales are also said to be less liable to adulteration than the English. Amer- ican Ales are very light, rarely containing more than 3 per cent, of alcohol, and resemble what is known in England as "table beer." They are for the most part pure, however, and when fresh make a very mild and agreeable beverage. The best are made in the limestone districts of the Northwest. ALKALIES. — A class of substances com- mon to the mineral and vegetable kingdoms, and embracing some of our most familiar'house- hold materials, such as soda, ammonia, and potash. They are distinguished by a very nauseous taste, called alkaline, which cannot be described but may be understood by tasting carbonate of soda; they change vegetable blues to green, and yellow ones to brown, and they neutralize and reverse the action of acids, re- storing the blue color to such vegetable so- lutions as have been rendered red by them. Combined with acids, they produce the sub- stances known as Salts. Potash and soda are called fixed alkalies because they are not evap- orated by heat ; ammonia is the volatile alkah. With fats the fixed alkalies produce soaps. {See Ammonia, Potash, Soda, Soap.) ALLOPATHY.— A term invented by Hah- nemann to designate the ordinary practice, as op- posed to Homeopathy. (See Homeopathy.) ALLSPICE. — So called because it is thought to combine the flavor of cinnamon, nut- meg, and cloves. It is the berry of a handsome tree that grows to the height of twenty feet in the West Indies and South America. The fruit is not allowed to ripen, but is gath- ered while yet green ; when dried in the sun it becomes black. It is less expensive than the Oriental spices, is agreeably aromatic, and is con- sidered the most mild and harmless of the com- mon spices ; hence it is much used in cookery. The best comes from Jamaica. The essential oil of allspice is of a deep reddish-brown color, and extremely pungent ; and a few drops is suffi- cient to give a flavor to gravy or to muUed- wine ALMONDS. — There are two kinds of al- monds, the sweet and the bitter, but they are con- sidered to be only different varieties of the same species. The Sweet Almondis, much used in dessert and confectionery. The Valentia variety is sweet, large, flat-pointed at one extremity, and compressed in the middle. The Italian almonds are less sweet and smaller. The Syrian or Jordan come from Malaga and are the best. Hard-shell almonds are generally ALPACA AMERICAN WINES better than the soft-shell kinds, if for no other reason, because they are better preserved. The brown skin of the almond easily conies off by pressing with the fingers, when they are put into boiling water; they are then dried till they are brittle, and being white in the interior are said to be blanched. Their skin sometimes disagrees with the stomach, and for this reason almonds should be blanched when brought to the table as dessert. The bitter almond is used in flavoring many preparations. It should, how- ever, be very aarefully used, as in process of distillation it produces a violent poison. Sauce (almond). — This is a Spanish dish. Blanch and pound sweet almonds ; then add enough Bechamel sauce to make it of the con- sistency of thickened gravy. When mutton chops are broiled pour this sauce over them and serve at once. Syrup (of almonds). — .5"^^ Orgeat. ALPACA. — A description of cloth woven from the wool of the Alpaca, or South Ameri- can sheep, extensively manufactured in Eng- land and used chiefly for clothing. It is also much used as a covering for umbrellas, being more durable and finer than cotton and less expensive than silk. English alpaca is con- sidered the best, and comes in double and single widths. AMARANTH. — Globe Amaranth, one of the hardy garden annuals. It requires to be brought forward in a hot-bed, but when grown makes a fine plant which blooms all summer. The soil for it should be moderately rich and moist. The flovvers are purplish-red, white, or orange ; and when dried form very pretty bou- quets for winter. They can generally be bought in pots at the florist's. ALTERATIVES.— This term is applied to medicines which are supposed to alter the nu- trition of the body without producing any phe- nomena. Thus, small doses of the mercurial preparations are regarded as alterative. AMBERGRIS. — A substance much used in the composition of perfumes. Its origin is not yet satisfactorily ascertained, but it is sup- posed to be a morbid secretion in the sperm- aceti whale, and is found usually on the sea- shore or floating on the sea. It is found occa- sionally in masses of fifty or one hundred ounces, but as a general thing the pieces are very much smaller. Ambergris is quite similar in appear- ance to amber; but it is opaque, fatty, and in- flammable, remarkably light, melts readily when subjected to heat, and is scarcely soluble in alcohol. There are several varieties : gray, black, and dark-brown ; the gray is the best, easiest to break, and lightest, and has the strongest odor. This odor is so powerful that if the box in which it is contained be left open for five minutes, it will perfume the whole cham- ber. AMERICAN WTNES. — Until a compara- tively recent periodAmerican wines were seldom found upon American tables, and even now Catawba is the only one that can be said to be in general use, yet there are several varieties of both white and fed wines which compare favorably with those of similar grade from any part of the world, and at the Paris Exposition of 1867 it is said by Dr. Edward Smith that none of the less expensive vintages met with greater acceptance than the sparkling wines of our Atlantic coast. It is usual in treating of the native wines to class them as wines of the At- lantic coast and wines of the Pacific coast, — or, as the latter are commonly called, California wines. The wines of the first division resemble those of Germany and France, containing more acid, more sprightliness, flavor, and bouquet; while the CaUfornia wines contain but little acid, a good deal of spirits, and little flavor or bou- cjuet, thus more nearly resembling the wines of Spain and Southern Europe. The cause of this difference is to be found partly in the soil, but chiefly in climatic influences : the heat of a southern or semi-tropical climate, like that of California, for instance, develops a large amount of sugar in the grape, and the acids are corre- spondingly diminished. {Sec Wine.) Of the White Wines, Catawba is far more ex- tensively used than any other. It varies greatly with the different locations in which the grape is grown, the wine of New York, northern Ohio, and northern Illinois containing less spirits, but a high flavor and a good deal of acid, while the wine of Missouri and further south is smoother, heavier, and less acid and astringent. It makes an excellent sparkling wine, equal to many im- ported, and in this form it is chiefly drunk. As a still wine it resembles the light Rhine and Mo- selle wines of Germany, though it has a peculiar and characteristic flavor. Next to the Catawba the most popular white wine is the Delaware. This wine is of a yellow color, fine flavor, and good body, closely resembling some of the finer Rhine wines ; the still wine is best, the spark- ling being somewhat flat and acid. Other good white wines, which we can only mention, are the lona, Isabella, Massasoit. Maxatawney, Herbemont, and Louisiana. The two latter are produced chiefly in the Southern and South- western States. Among the native Red Wines, Concord fills the same place as Catawba among the White. There is nearly as much of it made as of Catawba, and Mr. George Hussman says of it in the new edition of the American CyclopcFdia : "it is ef- fectually and truly the poor man's wine, as it can be produced very cheaply, and has a pe- culiarly enlivening and invigorating effect upon the system. For a light summer wine it has not its equal as yet, and it ought to supplant all the cheap French clarets, as it is better, more wholesome, and can be made cheaper." The wine if fermented in the barrels, varies from light red to dark red, has a strong flavor resem- bling strawberries, is slightly astringent, spright- ly, and invigorating. If the grapes are pressed as soon as mashed, the juice makes a yellow wine, which is now coming into use as a sub- stitute for Catawba. Norton's Virginia (common- ly called Virginia Port), is generally recognized as the best medicinal wine made in America. 6 AMERICAN WINES It is dark red, almost black, very heavy, astrin- gent, and of a strong aromatic flavor. It is un- surpassed as a tonic ; is a remedy for chronic diarrhoea, and summer complaints in children, and is said to act as a preventive of intermittent fevers and other malarious diseases. Its rep- utation extends to Europe, and it is generally regarded as one of the best red wines in the •world. Other good red wines are those made of the Cynthiana, Catawissa, Wilder, and Dcvereaux grapes. The Catawissa is a claret wine of very line flavor, and the Devereaux is an excellent dark red wine of the Burgundy class. Sctippcrnong is a wine made from a grape peculiar to the Southern States ; it is pale yellow in color, and has a strong flavor and heavy body. Of the California Wines, Hock is most con- sumed in the Atlantic States, where it is often sold as Rhine wine. It is a bright straw- color, of somewhat variable flavor, and though smoother, is far stronger and more apt to intoxicate than the Rhine wines, while at the same time it lacks their enlivening and ex- hilarating qualities. The California Port, made principally in Los Angeles, is dark red, strong and sweet, very probably made so by the ad- dition of alcohol and sugar. Angelica is a sweet wine, a favorite among ladies ; it is not a pure wine, and is stronger than is generally supposed, since alcohol, distilled from the grapes, is added to it. Madeira, Sherry, Claret, and Muscatel are all made, though in com- paratively small quantity and of inferior quality. The sparkling wines of the Sonoma Valley are scarcely if at all inferior to the Catawba of the Atlantic States, or to the best imported French and German sparkling wines. " There is one fact about California wine," says Mr. Charles Nordhoff in his work on California, "which entitles it to the preference of wine-drinkers — it is pure grape-juice. The grape grows so freely, bears so abundantly, and ripens so well, in this State, that it does not pay to adulterate the grape-juice. The wine-producer can better afford to sell the juice of his grapes than he could to manufac- ture any artificial compound. What may be done with the wine when it gets to the East I do not know, but here the wine-maker tells you openly this (white or red wine) is the pure juice of the grape ; this (port wine) has such a quan- tity of brandy added to it, to make it keep, and to make it port wine ; this (Angelica) has also brandy. The brandy is made in the vine- yard, from the grapes which yield the wine, and is added by the vineyardist. It is no secret at all ; and I am persuaded that he who wants pure grape-juice can buy it in California with- out the danger of being cheated by adultera- tions." Of course, as in the case with foreign wines, so with American, a great deal depends upon the locality in which the grapes are grown and the attention bestowed upon the manufacture of the wine. The mere fact that a certain wine is labelled " Catawba," or " Delaware," or ANESTHETICS " Concord," is no guarantee that it will corre- spond with what we have said about those wines in the preceding paragraphs. It may prove serviceable, therefore, if we add that " Longworth's Catawba," the " Brotherhood Wines," and the " Sonoma," are brands which have a high and deserved reputation. The Brotherhood Wines include Catawba, sweet, dry, and sparkling ; Delaware, sweet, and dry ; Concord, and several kinds of Port, including the Virginia. AMMONIA (Spirits of H&rtshorn).— An alkali which is the result of decomposition in animal and vegetable substances. It exists almost universally in the air, and can be obtained in many ways ; but the article of commerce usuaUy comes from the dis- tillation of coal in making gas. Ammonia has properties which are very injurious as food, but it is probably for household pur- poses the most useful of drugs. It is very powerful, and dissolves grease and dirt with the greatest ease. For washing paint, put a tablespoonful in a quart of moderately hot water, dip in a flannel cloth, and then wipe the woodwork ; no scrubbing will be neces- sary. For taking grease spots from any fabric, apply ammonia nearly pure, then lay white-blotting paper over them and iron lightly. In washing lace, put about twelve drops in a pint of warm suds. To clean silver, mix two teaspoonfuls of ammonia in a quart of hot suds ; put in the silverware and wash, using an old nail brush or tooth brush for the purpose. For cleaning hair brushes, etc., simply shake the brushes up and down in a mixture of one tablespoonful of ammonia to one pint of hot water ; when they are cleansed, rinse them in cold water and stand them in the wind or in a hot place to dry. For washing finger- marks from looking-glasses or windows put a few drops on a moist rag and make quick work of it. House plants will flourish surprisingly if a few drops of ammonia are added to each pint of water used in watering. A teaspoonful will add much to the refreshing effect of a bath. Nothing is better than ammonia water for cleaning the hair ; in every case rinse off the ammonia with clear water. For removing grease spots from clothing, a mixture of equal parts of ammonia and alcohol is better than alcohol alone : and for taking out the red stain produced by acids in blue and black cloth, nothing is so effective as ammonia. AN^aJSTECETICS. — Substances which pro- duce insensibility on the whole or part of the human body. They are much used in surgical operations, in midwifery, and in all cases where acute pain is to be mitigated or nervous excite- ment reduced. It is impossible to overrate the advantages of their judicious use in such cases; countless lives have been saved by them, and their discovery has enormously diminished the sum of human suffering. The injurious effects attributed to them are so few and far between as to count as nothing in comparison with the benefits they have conferred ; but their promis- ANCHOVY APPLE cuous use, and the administering of them l)y unskilled persons, are to be censured in the strongest terms. Fatal results under such cir- cumstances are extremely likely to follow; and, in case a mistake is made, certain. (See Chlo- ral, Chloroform, Ether, and Laughing Gas.) ANCHOVY.— A little fish, resembling the sardine, prepared for sale by salting and pickling, and used not so much for food as for a relish, and for sauces and season- ing. In choosing, select those which are small, fresh pickled, white outside and red within; their back should be rounded, not flattened. To serve as a relish, wash, wipe dry, and remove the back bone ; serve with tarragon or parsley, chopped fine, vinegar and oil. They may also be served with hard-boiled eggs, chopped or quartered. Butter (anchovy). — Strain essence of ancho- vy through a fine sieve and knead it with fresh butter, or salt butter that has been previously kneaded in cold water, and it is ready for use. f Both of these prepa- Essence of Anchovy. J rations can be pro- Paste (Anchovy). 1 cured at the grocery I stores. Sauce (anchovy). — Take six anchovies, a teacupful of drawn butter, and a wineglass of pale sherry. Soak the anchovies in cold water two hours ; pull them to pieces, and simmer for half an hour in just enough water to cover them ; strain the liquor into the drawn butter, boil a minute, add the wine ; heat gradually to a boil, and stew five minutes longer. Serve with boiled fish. Toast (anchovy). — Slice bread the day after baking, and toast it evenly and quickly ; remove the crust ; spread with a little butter and then with anchovy paste ; cut in triangles, or in nar- row strips, and serve hot. ANEMONE. — One of the most beautiful of our spring flowers, the common ■ varieties growing wild in cool wood-lands and pastures. The foliage is most ornamental, and the tintings of the blossoms exquisite. The colors vary ac- cording to the situation where it blooms ; in the shade, being deep, rosy or light pink-pur- ple in its many shades ; in the sun, pure white or delicately flushed with rose. The wild ane- mone bears a single flower, consisting of five petals ; but by cultivation the stamens have been converted into petals and a double variety pro- duced. This latter is the kind usually cultivated in gardens, and succeeds well if the exposure is not too sunny. The bulbs are tender in this latitude, and should be kegt in the house until spring, in a cool, dry place, and set out as soon as the ground is well thawed. They bloom af- ter the earlier bulbs are gone, and their flowers last a long time. ANIMAL FOOD. (See Food.) ANISE SEED.— A spice which comes from Egypt, and is much used for flavoring, espe- cially in confectionery; also as a condiment. A mild decoction, made by steeping the seed in hot water, is often given to infants to relieve colic and flatulence. ANTHRACITE.— The densest and stoniest form of coal and much the purest. Next to the diamond it approaches nearer than any other substance to pure carbon, and it emits very little smoke or gas in burning. East of the Alleghanies, it is substantially the only coal used for domestic purposes. From its great density, it is difiicult to kindle, the whole mass having to be raised together to the point of ignition ; but when once thoroughly fused, it burns with an intense heat for a long time, though less freely in a grate than in a furnace or close stove. Anthracite burns without flame or soot, although with sulphurous vapors which, when the draft is imperfect, are liable to accu- mulate in the room, to the serious detriment of the inmates. The Anthracite fire is objected to by some as producing headache and other bad symptoms ; but this is usually a matter of ventilation. ANTIDOTES. (See Poisons.) ANTS. — Ants may be driven away by scald- ing their haunts, and putting Scotch snuff wherever they are in the habit of going for food. Set the legs of cupboards and safes in pans of water, and they cannot get at them. APOPLEXY. — The bursting of a blood- vessel in the brain. It is accompanied with sudden loss of sense and motion, though the mechanical action of the heart and lungs still continues. A person attacked falls suddenly and lies without moving, breathing deeply, and sometimes in a peculiar manner, drawing in the cheeks and puffing them out again ; the eyes are set and staring, the pupil may be enlarged, contracted, or unaffected ; the face is often flush- ed and purplish; the pulse is full, strong, and slow and hard. If such symptoms occur in a man of mature life, the probability of its being apoplexy is very strong. In such a case a physician must be sent for immediately ; and all that can prudently be done till he arrives is to loosen the collar, raise the head, and drop cold water on the face. Though the disease often proves fatal, or results in paralysis (usually upon one side of the body), yet it is not always so, and sometimes entire recovery takes place. After an attack, when paralysis has not resulted, the diet should be carefully regulated ; animal food, and especially fermented liquors, should be entirely dispensed with ; the bowels must be kept open by laxative medicines ; gentle exercise assiduously taken ; and all sudden ex- ertions or movements carefully avoided. — The premonitory symptoms of apoplexy are giddi- ness, pain in the head, drowsiness, noise in the ears, loss of memory and muscular power, nightmare, and the like. When any or all of these occur, especially if the patient has had a previous attack, medical aid should be at once summoned. The above symptoms, however, while they may excite suspicion, are often expe- rienced by persons suffering from a variety of disorders. APPLE. — None of our fruits can be 8 APPLE APRICOT brought to such perfection, or may be pre- served with such ease through the winter. The best eating apples are the Spitzenberg, Bald- win, Winter Pippin, Red Astrakhan, Greening, Vandevere, Pound Sweet, Roxbury Russets, and Grindstones. Good cooking apples can generally be bought without specifying the kind. The hard, acid kind, are unwholesome if eaten raw ; but by the process of cooking the greatest part of the acid is decomposed and converted into sugar, a process which takes place naturally in the sweet kinds, as the fruit ripens. As more than half of the sub- stance of apples consists of water, and as the rest of the ingredients are not of the most nutritive kind, this fruit, like most fruits, is less of a nutrient than a luxury. When cooked they are slightly laxative, and therefore a use- ful adjunct to other food. The best way to keep apples is to pluck them about a week before they are ripe, so that the ripening or maturation of the fruit shall take place after they are gathered. Some dry, moderately cool spot, where the frost never penetrates should be chosen, and the apples laid on shelves in such a position that they will not come in contact with each other. Choice ones may be wrapped singly in paper and put into glazed jars with covers ; or packed in baskets with dry straw. The harder kinds of winter apples can be kept several months packed away in barrels and out of the frost. Baked Apples. — Cut out blossom end of sweet apples ; wash, but do not pare ; pack them in a large pudding dish, pour a cupful of water in the bottom, and cover closely with another dish or pan ; set in a moderately hot oven, and steam until tender all through. Pour the liquor over them while hot, and repeat as they cool. Eat with powdered sugar and cream. Baked Sweet Apples. — The " Pound Sweeting " is best for this purpose. Sour apples may sometimes be pared and cored for baking, but sweet apples never. Put them on pie plates with a little water and bake very slowly, until they are perfectly soft. Beurre (Apple.) (from Blot) — Peel and core the apples. Cut slices of stale bread about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and then cut them again of a round shape with a paste-cut- ter, and of the size of the apples. Spread some butter on each slice and place an apple upon it. Butter a bakepan, put in the apples and bread, fill the hole made in the middle of the apple by coring with sugar ; place on the top of the' su- gar a piece of butter the size of a hazel-nut, and set in a warm, but not quick oven. When about half done fill the hole again with sugar and a Eiece of cinnamon, place butter on top as efore, and finish the cooking. Serve warm. Butter (Apple.) — Boil down a kettleful of cider to two-thirds the original quantity. Pare, cut and core juicy apples, and put as many into the cider as it will cover. Boil slowly, stirring often, and when the apples are tender to breaking, take them out with a perforated skimmer, draining well against the sides of the kettle. Put in another supply of apples, as many as the cider will hold, and stew them soft. Take from fire, pour entire contents of kettle into tub or large crock with first lot of apples ; cover and let stand twelve hours ; re- turn to the kettle and boil down, stirring all the time, until the mass is of the consistency of soft soap, and brown in color. Spice or flavor to taste. Keep in stone jars in a cool, dry place. Dried Apples. — Use winter apples ripe, but firm, pare, quarter and core them ; divide the quarters lengthwise in two or three pieces ; spread them on plates or racks and dry in a slightly heated oven. A piece of coarse muslin or net stretched over a frame and hung from the ceiling, may also be used for drying. When the fruit is to be stewed, wash it lightly, cover with cold water, soak over night, and stew it in the same water. Fried Apples. — Use Spitzenbergs or Greenings, quarter and core, but do not pare them ; have hot drippings ready in the frying pan, and lay the apples in, the skin side down ; sprinkle with brown sugar, and when nearly cooked turn and brown thoroughly. Ice (Apple). — Boil dark green, unripe, sour apples, without peeling or coring. When soft, drain ; press through a sieve, add an equal quantity of cream, make very sweet, freeze. Syrup, Apple. (^See Syrup.) Stewed Apples. — (I) Pare, quarter and core sour apples and nearly cover with cold water ; cover the saucepan, and when the apples begin to boil, stir them ; re-cover and boil, stirring oc- casionally until perfectly soft. Sweeten to the taste, and pour in an earthen dish to cool. (II) Put a quart of hot water and three gills of crushed sugar in a milk pan ; when boiling, lay in as many Spitzenbergs or Greenings — pared, quartered and cored — as the syrup will half cover ; cover the pan and stew slowly until nearly done ; then uncover, and as the quar- ters soften, place them one by one, rounded side up in the dish in which they are to be served. Reduce the syrup one-third by boiling, and just before serving pour it over the apple. This is delicious with roast turkey or fresh pork, hot or cold. Tea (Apple). — Take two or three good pip- pins, slice thin, pour on a pint of boiling water, and let stand till cold. Then pour off the water, and sweeten and flavor to taste. ■Water (Apple). — A pleasant and nutritious drink for the sick. Roast two or three apples thoroughly ; put them into a pitcher, turn on a pint of boiling water and add a little sugar. See Compote, Jam, Jelly, Pies, Pre- serves, and Puddings. APRICOT. — A fruit native to Asia and Africa, where it forms an important item of food. Its cultivation in this country is con- fined mostly to the Southern States, though the fruit is found in the Northern markets. The young fruit makes an excellent jam. Ice (Apricot). — Take very ripe apricots ; pulp them through a sieve, and proceed as with apple ice, described above. ARBUTUS ARRACK 9 Jam (Apricot). — Wash the fruit thorough- ly, and then heat it slowly and moderately, after which stew it until it is perfectly tender; then rub this stewed fruit through a colander. Allow to every pound of the fruit a pound of granulated sugar; stir the sugar in thoroughly and boil the whole gently until it is very clear. Put it up in tumblers, with the tops covered with white paper, and use as a preserve or jelly. Jelly (Apricot). — Take two quarts of apricots, take out stones, cut in small pieces, and lay them in a stew-pan with a clove, well pounded, and the juice of half a lemon ; cover with water, set on a moderate fire, and boil slowly till well cooked. Turn into a thick towel, under which place a vessel to receive the juice, and when it is all squeezed out, put it in a stew-pan with three-quarters of a pound of sugar to every pound of juice ; boil to a jelly. This can be kept a long time by putting in pots or jars, covered with a piece of white paper dipped in brandy, and set in a cool closet. ARBUTUS (Trailing).— A small trailing plant, sometimes called Mayflower from the season of its blossoming, and also known as the Ground-Laurel. The leaves and stems are covered with reddish, bristling hairs ; and it bears a cluster of very fragrant white or pink flowers. It grows wild throughout New Eng- land, and reaches special perfection in the val- ley of the Connecticut ; but is seldom success- ful in garden culture, for want probably of proper attention. In England it is found in all the nurserymen's catalogues ; a fine variety has been originated called E. rabuticida, the flow- ers of which are a rich pink and larger than the common species. ARGAND LAMP.— Called from M. Argand, a native of Geneva, who invented it in 1780. Reflecting on the cause of the smoke and disa- greeable smell arising from the burning of the common oil-lamp, Argand correctly supposed that this was the result of imperfect com- bustion, and that this in turn arose from want of the access of sufficient ox- ygen. He therefore con- ceived the idea of admit- ting air into the centre of the flame, and for this purpose contrived a wick in the form of a hollow cylinder, through which a current of air passes up to the inside of the flame. This was found to succeed perfectly; the combustion was more complete, the smoke was greatly dimin- ished, and the brilliancy of the light increased. But to improve the effect still further, he added a glass chimney, open at Argand Lamp for Kero- sene Oil. Structure of the Ar- gand Burner, bottom and surrounding the flame at a short distance, by which another current of air was made to pass up outside of the burning wick. Thus every part of the thin circular flame is between two currents of air, which supply enough o.xygen to create a heat sufficient to consume the smoke and convert it into light. In the cut, the dark cir- cle in the centre of A, the place of the burner, repre- sents the interior of the hollow cylinder through which the air ascends ; the thin dark line outside being the wick, and the double external line being the glass. B represents a sectional view of the burner with the wick ; and the ar- rows show the direction of the current of air between the wick and the glass. The other great advantage of the Argand lamp is that while in the common lamp the wick is fed by capillary attraction (or suction), in it the reservoir of oil is placed above the level of the flame, thus insuring a steady and uniform light while the supply of oil lasts. A few improvements have since been made upon the original plan of construction ; but the principle remains the same, and has been in- troduced in some form into all the improved lamps. The Argand is so manifest an improve- ment upon the common style of lamps that it should supersede them entirely in household use. It not only gives a far better light, but it entirely does away with the disagreeable smell and impure air which result from the imper- fect combustion of the oil ; and it is also much easier to keep clean and in order. Never cut the wick, but simply scrape it with the edge of a piece of card-board or stiff paper. Argand Burner. — The principle of the Ar- gand lamp has been applied to the construction of a "burner" for gas. It has all the advan- tages over the ordinary gas-jets which the lamp has over the common lamp, and should be used whenever gaslight is made use of for work or study. ARNICA. — A perennial herbaceous plant, growing wild in the western States and throughout the cooler parts of Europe. The flowers, and in fact the whole plant, have a pungent, disagreeable odor, and an acrid, bitter taste. TincUcre of arnica, is a preparation of the flowers in alcohol. It is much used as a lotion, made by macerating the leaves and steeping, for sprains and bruises, for which it is an ex- cellent remedy. Apply with a sponge or piece of old cloth. It is also given sometimes for low fevers and nervous diseases. Taken internally, it produces rapidity of the pulse, headache, dizziness, spasms of the muscles, and occasion- ally vomiting and diarrhoea. ARRACK. — An East Indian name for all kinds of ardent spirits, though it is usually ap- 10 ARROWROOT ARTICHOKE plied to a very strong drink fermented from rice. In the arrack made in Batavia, molasses and tod- dy are mixed with the rice before it is fermented ; after fermentation the liquor is distilled, and the spirit thus produced is the best arrack of commerce. Other varieties come from Madras, Ceylon, and Goa. Arrack is very powerful, and in this country is never drunk in its raw state, but is used in punch ; also for medicine and culinary purposes. In the latter case it is flavored with anise seed and other aromatic herbs. ARROWROOT.— A well-known food, made from various tubers, but chiefly from the roots of the palm which grows plentifully in the Ber- mudas, West and East Indies, and other parts of the world. The roots are dug up when they are about a year old, and, after being washed, are beaten to a pulp, which is soaked in water till the starch has had time to settle, when the water is drained off. The white sediment of the starch is again washed with water, and, after being dried by the heat of the sun, forms the pure arrowroot. Much of the arrowroot sold in this country is made from potatoes ; and it may also be made from wheat, rice, or maize by the process described above. On many farms in which arrowroot is bought it might easily be made out of surplus grain. The best comes from Bermuda, but is liable to adulter- ation with less costly preparations of starch. In purchasing arrowroot it should be observed that when very smooth and floury it may be suspected of containing some portion of the starch of wheat or potatoes, of inferior nutri- tive value, though not necessarily injurious. A teaspoonful of genuine arrowroot will thicken a teacupful of hot water or milk ; while double the quantity of potato starch will be required to jelly the same quantity ot liquid ; and this is a good test. The nutritive value of arrowroot is small, since it consists almost exclusively of starch ; but it is very useful in the sick-room. The stomach will tolerate it which rejects nearly everything else. (Sec- Puddings.) Custard (Arrowroot) — A grateful dish for m- valids. Take two tablespoonfuls of best Ber- muda arrow-root, one quart of milk, and a pinch of salt. Scald the milk, sweeten it to taste, and then stir in the arrowroot, which must first be moistened with some of the milk. Let it boil up once. Flavor with lemon-peel, orange water, or rose water. Pour it into cups to cool. Gruel (Arrowroot.) — Make a thin paste of the arrowroot with warm water, and pour into boiling water, flavoring it with sugar, salt, and nutmeg. A little lemon juice may also be added. Infants (Arrowroot for). — Take a cupful of boilinw water, one of fresh milk with two teaspoonfuls of white sugar dissolved in it, two teaspoonfuls of arrowroot wet with cold water, and a pinch of salt. Stir the arrowroot paste into the salted boiling water ; stir and boil five minutes or until it is clear : add the sweetened milk, and boil slowly ten minutes, stirring all the time. If the child has fever or cannot digest the milk, substitute hot water for it. ARSENIC — Poison.— It is a white, slight- ly sweetish, insoluble powder. — Syytiptoms. — ■ Burning pain, tenderness, vomiting, and cramps in the stomach. Treatment. — Vomiting, if not present, to be induced by draughts of hot water, tickling the throat with a feather, or by giving ten grains of sulphate of zinc, dissolved in a little "water. Demulcent drinks, such as milk, the white of eggs stirred in equal parts of water, or flour and water, may be given freely to envelop the poison, and encourage vomiting. Antidotes. — Hydrated o.xide of iron, a table- spoonful for an adult — teaspoonful for a child — repeated every five minutes until symptoms are relieved. Iron rust may be used, but is inferior to the above. Good results have been obtained by swallowing about a pound of cas- tor oil and chalk, rubbed up to the consistence of cream. Should the patient survive, a long- continued bland diet will be necessary. ARTICHOKE — A garden vegetable resem- bling the thistle, a delicious and nutritious food. Plant the tuber in a well-prepared, rocky soil, about five feet apart, or plant seve- ral together in hills, at least six feet apart. They come to maturity the second year, and yield very abundantly. The part eaten is the flower head in an immature state; what is called the artichoke bottom is the fleshy receptacle which is surrounded by the bristles and seed- down, vulgarly called the choke. To cook. Clean them and take off the outer leaves, drop them into boiling water, with parsley, salt and pepper. They are cooked in about an hour, or when the leaves come off easily ; then take them from the fire and drain, taking care to put them upside down. After being thus cooked, they may also be fried or stewed. Jerusalem Artichoke — This plant is in no way allied to the artichoke, but is of the same genus as the sunflower and greatly resembles it. The term Jerusalem is probably a corrup- tion oi girasole, the Italian name for sunflower ; and it is called artichoke from some imagined agreement of its taste with that of the arti- choke. The root, which is the part that is eaten, consists of a cluster of tubers, in shape some- what like the potato ; and there are often thirty or forty together. It is extremely prolific, grows in almost any soil, requires no attention, and produces, under favorable conditions, as much as 2000 bushels per acre. They are whole- some and of agreeable taste, nutritious when they do not disagree, and, though not often seen on the table now, were once greatly pre- ferred to the potato. In cooking, prepare and serve them exactly Hke the potato. The large amount of farinaceous matter which they con- tain renders them a good and cheap food for horses, hogs, and cattle. And, lastly, they make an excellent pickle. They are good too, raw, sliced with a plain dressing of vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. A la Reine. — Wash and wipe the artichokes, cut off one end of each quite flat, and trim the other into a point ; boil them in milk and water, ASHES ASPHODEL 11 lift them the instant they are done, place them upright in the dish in which they are to be served, and cover them with nearly half a pint of cream thickened with a dessertspoonful of flour, mixed with an ounce and a half of Artichoke a la Reine. butter, and seasoned with a little mace and some salt. When cream cannot be procured, use new milk, and increase the proportion of flour and butter. ASHES — The solid refuse which remains after the burning of wood, coal, or other com- bustible materials. They are strongly alka- line, and those especially which come from wood can be put to many uses. Mixed with lime and sand (one part ashes, one of lime, and the other sand) they increase the strength of building -mortar, and prevent its cracking. Wood ashes also supply a valuable manure. The principal use to which they are put, however, is in the making of soaps. Water soaked through them gradually becomes a strong lye ; and this boiled down with oil, or grease of any kind, makes a good soap. It is from ashes, too, that the potash of commerce is derived. {See Lye.) ASPARAGUS — Though not very nutri- tious, asparagus is easily digested. In raising, the seed should be planted in dry and extremely rich soil, the quality of which must be kept up by powerful manures. Plant in the spring, in rows about a foot apart and six inches from each other in the row, and leave untouched except by thorough weeding during the first two years. Half the shoots may be cut in the third year, and should be cut an inch or two below the surface, and after that the full crop, as long as the bed lasts, which will be, under proper management, from ten to fifteen years. Every year in the autumn, the beds should be replenished with manure, dug in between the rows as deep as possible without injuring the roots ; and as a protection from frost, they should be covered in the winter with pulver- ized manure, straw, or barn-yard litter. The part of the plant which is eaten is the young shoot, when from four to six inches high. It makes excellent soup {see SouPS), but is generally eaten boiled. Ambushed Asparagus. — Cut off the ten- der tops of fifty heads of asparagus ; boil and drain them. Have ready as many stale biscuits or rolls as there are persons to be served, from which you have cut a neat top slice and scooped out the inside. Set them in the oven to crisp, laying the tops beside them, that all may dry together. Meanwhile put into a sauce- pan a sugarless custard made as follows — a pint, or less, of milk, and four well-whipped eggs; boil the milk first, then beat in the eggs; set over the fire and stir until it thickens, when add a tablespoonful of butter, and season with salt and pepper. Into this custard put the asparagus, minced fine. Do not let it boil, but remove from the fire as soon as the asparagus is fairly in. Fill the rolls with the mixture, put on the tops, fitting them carefully ; set in the oven three minutes, after which arrange on a dish. To be eaten hot. Boiled Asparagus. — Wash and tie evenly in small bundles : drop in boiling water slightly salted, and boil twenty minutes ; take up with a skimmer and place on buttered toast which has first been quickly dipped in the hot aspara- gus water. Pour over it a little melted butter, with pepper and salt, or some drawn butter. Boiled asparagus when cold makes a good salad, with a plain or mayonnaise dressing. Eggs and Asparagus.-Cut ietider asparagus into pieces half an inch long, and boil twenty minutes, then drain till dry and put into a sauce- pan containing a cupful of rich drawn butter ; heat together to a boil, season with pepper and salt, and pour into a buttered dish. Break half a dozen eggs over the surface, put a bit of but- ter upon each, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put in the oven until the eggs are set. Fried Asparagus. — Blanch the asparagus a couple of minutes, and then drain it ; dip each piece in batter and fry it in hot fat. When done, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot. This is nice and easy to prepare. Stewed Asparagus Professor Blot recom- mends this : Select young and tender shoots, cut them in pieces about half an inch long, and blanch for three minutes. Take off and drain ; and then put them in a saucepan on the fire with two or three tablespoonfuls of broth ; stir now and then for a couple of min- utes, add a teaspoonful of flour; stir again, and as soon as the whole is thoroughly mixed, add an ounce of butter, salt, pepper, and chop- ped parsley. When the butter is melted, 'serve. ASPHALTUM. — A bituminous substance, of about the consistency of resin, and some- times called mineral pitch. It exists in a nat- ural state in many parts of the world, and in France in sufficient quantities to be used exten- sively in building. Artificial asphaltum, chiefly used in the LInited States, is made generally from the refuse tar of the gas-house mixed with slaked lime and gravel, in the proportions of 25 parts of tar, 50 parts of slaked lime in fine powder, and 75 parts of gravel. These must be thoroughly incorporated by boiling. It makes excellent sidewalks, floors for stables, cattle-stalls, heneries, water-tight tanks, roofs, and the like, being not only cheap and ea.sy of preparation but impervious to vermin ; and gas-pipes covered with it are protected from corrosion. ASPHODEL. — A hardy perennial garden plant, easy of culture, and of very rapid in- crease. It may be raised from seed or by pro- pagation, by planting in the spring in a rich damp soil ; it grows about three feet high, dies down every winter, and sprouts up again in the spring. The flowers of one species of asphodel, 12 ASTER AZALEA the King's spear, are yellow, and grow numer- ously on a long spike, reaching nearly to the ground. There is another variety called white or blanched asphodel, which is very pretty. The plant of this latter is smaller than that of the yellow, which is the common variety. Both bloom about midsummer, and last six weeks. — Asphodel was planted in the neigh- borhood of sepulchres by the ancients, who had a superstition that the manes of the dead drew nourishment from its roots. ASTER. — A perennial plant very popular for garden culture, and offering an extraordinary variety. Full two hundred species are known to florists, and these include every variety of colors and shades. In culture, the seed should be sown in a hot-bed about the middle of April, and transplanted to the garden about a month later. They require a dry, rich soil, and mod- erate exposure to the sun ; and a very pretty effect is produced by planting in suitable beds, setting the plants one foot apart each way. The best varieties areChtnensis, Dwarf, Chry- santhemu?ii, German, Hedgehog, Palny, Flow- ered, Pyramidal, a.nA. Ranunculus j but choice is practically unlimited. The Chinese, who have given great attention to the culture of asters, raise them exclusively in pots. ASTHMA. — A spasmodic disease of the lungs characterized by quick, laborious breath- ing, which is generally performed with a pecu- liar kind of wheezing noise. Sometimes the difficulty of breathing is so great that the patient is obliged to keep in an erect posture, otherwise he is in danger of suffocation. A horizontal position is always aggravating to it, and for this reason more distress is usually felt at night by the asthmatic patient than at any other time. A paro.xysm of asthma usually hap- pens after exposure to the damp, violent emo- tional excitement, unusual e.xercise of any kind, or the taking of some food which the stomach cannot digest. Persons in the decline of life are more liable to asthma than the young. It seldom admits of cure, and on the other hand it rarely shortens life, except when proper precautions are neglected in case of paroxysms. Treatment. — The treatment of paroxysms consists in administering narcotics and anti- spasmodics, if possible as soon as the first symp- toms are felt. Ether, chloral and laudanum in small doses are the best ; and strong coffee some- times does good. Stramonium leaves, smoked as tobacco when a paroxysm is threatened, has an excellent effect in some cases, but should be used with caution when there is disease of the heart. In chronic asthma, associated with Bronchitis such things as promote expectoration should be used : as the syrup of squills, or gum-ammo- niac. A teaspoonful of the squills may be taken three times a day, and a couple of pills made of 2 grains each of assafoetida and gum- ammoniac at bedtime. Regular exercise, easy habits, and a light and uniform diet will be found very effective in ameliorating the acute- ness of the disease. ASTRAL on..— A refined and purified form of the kerosene oil. It is nearly odorless, burns more steadily, and has the great advan- tage over the common oil that it is entirely safe under all the usual conditions of domestic use. The frightful danger to which common kero- sene subjects all who use it, should banish it from the household ; and we know of no substi- tute which fulfils all the conditions of safety and economy so well as the "astral oil." ASTRINGENTS. — Those medicines which produce contractions of the fibres with which they come in contact. When given internally they contract the walls of the blood-vessels, and thus are useful in passive hemorrhages. When employed locally, the contraction they produce makes them useful in restraining dis- charges of blood and mucus. (a) Diluted sulphuric acid, 20 minims ; com- pound tincture of cardamom, 40 minims ; infusion of roses, i ounce. Mi.K, and give twice a day for discharges of blood or mucus. (b) Decoction of logwood, i % ounces ; com- pound tincture of camphor, 30 to 60 drops. Mix, and give after each loose motion, in diarrhcea with copious watery discharges. (c) Tincture of matico, 30 to 40 minims ; chalk mixture, I ounce. Mix, and give as directed at (b). (d) Gallic acid, 40 grains ; tincture cinna- mon, I ounce; syrup simple, 3 ounces. Tablespoonful every 3 hours for passive uterine hemorrhage. AVIARY. (See Bird Cage.) AZAIjEA. — One of the most beautiful of our native shrubs. It is hardy, and in some of its numerous species is found everywhere from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. The bush grows from four to ten feet high, is beautifully pro- portioned and leaved, and bears profuse umbel- led clusters of white, orange, purple, or varie- gated flowers, some of which are unsurpassed by any other of our plants. In cultivation the azalea loves shady spots, and a sandy, loamy soil. The two best varieties are Nudi-flora and Vis- cosa, the former bearing pink flowers and bloom- ing in May; the latter with white flowers and blooming in July. The best for in-door culture are, Charles Quint, Fielden, Minerva, Puncta- ta, and Narcissijlora. Plant these latter in pots in the spring, in rich loamy soil, and water them plentifully but not too often. Florists always have them. BABY BAKING 13 B. BABT. (Sfg Infant.) BACON. — That part of the hog which in- cludes the thin portion.s of the ribs and belly. This is preserved in several ways, generally by rubbing in salt and saltpetre and drying, and also quite frequently by smoking. In curing, rub a mixture of four pounds of salt and half a pound of saltpetre into every part of the pork and repeat the process at regular intervals for about three weeks, during which time the flesh should be kept in a cool place. Afterwards remove and dry. In England, the preparation of bacon is different. There, instead of the hair being scalded off the hog as with us, it is singed or burned off with straw and then rub- bed smooth with cold water and dressed. When cooled through, the parts designed for bacon have the spare ribs and other bones taken out, and are then covered with fine salt mi.xed with saltpetre, four pounds to half a pound; a pound of brown sugar is added to give flavor. The flitches, as the several parts are now called, are laid upon one another and resalted with the mi.xture daily for about three weeks, the top piece being transferred to the bc^tom each time. They are then hung up to drj' or slightly smoked, after which they are ready for use. Bacon has been called " the poor man's food," and in those portions of the country where fresh meat cannot be procured regularly it forms one of the staple articles of diet ; but when it has been properly cured and properly prepared for the table, it forms a dish worthy of the daintiest taste. Good bacon has a peculiarly rich and appetizing flavor, and when eaten with a due proportion of fresh vegetables, is one of the most wholesome and digestible of foods. In choosing bacon select that which has a thin rind, with firm fat which should be tinged red by the curing; the flesh should be of a clean red, without intermixture of yellow, and adher- ing firmly to the bone. To Cook. — Bacon is generally fried or boiled. There is a kind called breakfast bacon which, when cut into thin slices and fried, either by itself or with liver, is very palatable ; in the country it is generally boiled in " chunks " with some vegetable or vegetables. When bacon is found to be very salt, it should be soaked in cold water before cooking. BAIN-MARIE, or Water Bath.— A large vessel containing hot water, much used in English and French kitchens for warming food or for keeping it warm when cooked. It has the great advantage over the oven or open fire that its heat is nearly uniform and is not drying. The pot or kettle or sauce-pan con- taining the food should be set in the bain-marie, and as the fire is only in contact with the latter vessel, the inner one can never be heated to a temperature higher than 212° Fahr., and the Bain-Marie. amount of heat can be regulated very easily by pouring in cold water or increasing the fire. The water-bath can be bought at most house- furnishing shops, or in its absence a large sauce-pan may be made to serve the purpose. BAIZB. — A coarse, open, woollen cloth, woven like flannel, sometimes with a long nap on one side and sometimes without, according to the uses to which it is intended to be put. It is warm and soft, and is generally used for lining clothes and for table-covers and the like. It is usually dyed green. BAKING.- — The process of cooking in a close heated oven. The difference between baking and roasting is simply that in the one case the air within the oven is confined and unchanged while in the other it is carried off by a current and constantly replaced by fresh ; but this is a very important difference and affects both the quantity and flavor of the articles cooked. Baking, as applied to meats, is an economical method of cooking, but it parches and hardens the outside and leaves a flavor which a dehcate palate can always detect. Nearly all so-called "roast" meats, however, are simply baked, and it is a process not likely to be given up in our kitchens. The reader is earnestly recommended to read the article on Roasting. Meats and fish are much improved in the baking when covered with a piece of buttered paper. In baking bread and pastry the foregoing objections do not apply of course ; but it is a process whose success demands close attention. More food is " spoiled in the bake " probably than by all the other methods of cooking combined ; yet intelli- gence and careful atten- tion make it one of the most certain processes of the kitchen. One of the best modes of baking with which we are ac- quainted, is by means of a jar, resembling in form that shown above, well pasted down, and covered with a fold of thick paper, and then placed in a gentle oven. It should be borne Nottingham Jar. 14 BAKING POWDERS BANDAGES in mind that each oven has a temperature of its own, and that some dishes require more heat than others. Watch the object in process of baking from time to time, especially at the beginning, so as to turn it round if one side is cooking faster than the other, and also to regulate the temperature if necessary. Special directions will be given in the case of each article of food. BASING POWDERS.— These consist of carbonate of soda and tartaric acid, which evolve the necessary gas, when in contact with water, to make the bread light, leaving behind a residue of tartrate of soda. Many different kinds of baking powders are sold by grocers under various names, and the mcon- venience of keeping a supply of yeast always at hand has brought them into general use. Even when pure it is doubtful if they should be used for making all the bread of a family; but unfortunately many of the manufactured powders contain alum in considerable quanti- ties. The safest plan, therefore, is to make them at home. Take twenty teaspoonfuls of cream-tartar and ten of carbonate of soda; roll smooth and mix well together. Keep in a jar or bottle tightly corked, and use three teaspoonfuls to a quart of flour. BAIiM An herb, the leaves of which are usually brought in a dried state from the south of France and from Italy. In its matured state it has a mild aromatic smell, and an infusion of it makes a very useful drink in fevers. BALSAM.— One of the hardy annuals most often found in gardens, where it is popularly called " Lady's slipper." The seed should be sown in April in a hot-bed, or in the house, and transplanted to the garden in May. They will grow vigorously in any moderately rich soil, and when once started, will spring up fresh each year in great numbers. The plant is from one to two feet high, and the different varieties have white, red, pink, flesh-color, red and pur- ple, and variegated flowers, — blooming from June to October. There are also single and double varieties, the double being most effec- tive. Plant the slips at least two feet apart. BALSAMS. — A class of substances much used in medicine, but also entering into the composition of varnishes, etc. They are both solid and fluid ; and consist of resin of some kind, volatile oil, and cinnamic acid, without the last of which they are not balsams. The balsam of Peru, benzoin, and the bal- sam of Tolu are genuine balsams ; the once famous Copaiba balsam is not a balsam at all. Peruvian balsam is largely used as a stimulant application to sluggish ulcers. The compound tincture of benzoin is likewise used for the same purpose. The syrup of Tolu is an agreeable mixture much used in formulae for cough mixtures. The following preparation is strongly recommended for recent wounds and bruises : Take of powdered benzoin three ounces; balsam of Peru, two ounces; hepatic aloes, powdered, half an ounce; rectified spirits of wine, one quart. Digest them in a gentle heat for three days and then strain and bottle. This preparation is also administered internally to relieve coughs, asthma, and other complaints of the breast. The dose is from 20 to 60 drops, three times a day. BANANA — A variety of the plantain, found in the West Indies and South America, and throughout the tropical regions of both hemis- pheres. In the countries v/here it grows it is almost always the staple food, occupying the same place there as the cereals with us. No other product of the vegetable kingdom affords so much nutriment from a given space of ground as the banana, and no other food is so peculiarly adapted to support life in the tropics. It is estimated that a quarter of an acre planted in bananas will produce enough for a family of five the year round. It grows in thick clusters of 150 to 200 to the cluster. It is eaten raw, either alone or cut in slices with sugar and cream, or wine and orange juice. It is also roasted, fried or boiled, and "is made into fritters, preserves, and marmalades. It is dried in the sun and presen,-ed as figs ; meal is extracted from it by pounding and made into something resembling bread ; and the fermented juice affords an ex- cellent wine. With us it is brought to the table as dessert, and proves universally acceptable. The best kind, when they can be procured fresh, are the " lady-fingers " as they are called. They are^ound in our markets from March to October. BANDAGES. — Strips of linen, muslin, or flannel, of various widths and of any length, much used in medicine and surgery. The best material for bandages is stout, unbleached mus- lin ; but a strip of sheeting, or strip of an old petticoat or dress, will usually answer every purpose. As the manner in which the band- age is bound round the limb makes all the dif- ference in the comfort of the patient, the fol- lowing directions in relation to the use and application of bandages taken from Druitt's " System of Modern Surgery," a standard au- thority with physicians and surgeons, may be of service. "I. Bandages usually consist of strips of linen, calico or flannel, varying in breadth from one to three, five or more inches, and in length from one to six, eight or twelve yards. Some- times they are made of India-rubber web, or of a substance like stockings; but for most purposes, stout unbleached ^.alico, or thin fine calico, will answer. They are generally rolled up longitudinally for use, and hence have re- ceived the name of rollers. Bandages may often be made of handkerchiefs, or square pieces of linen. "II. The chief uses of bandages are, ist, to keep on dressings, to protect a diseased part from injury, and put some little restraint upon its motions ; 2dly, to afford a support to relax- ed muscles, ligaments, and vessels. Deprive any part of its normal support, and varicose veins and dropsical effusions are sure to oc- cur ; and conversely many chronic swellings of BANDAGES 15 the limbs and joints may often be cured by the proper applications of bandages alone. "III. The Roller. — In applying this to any limb, it should be held as represented in Fig. 2, and should be passed from one hand to the other as the limb is encircled with it. Begining at the extremity of the limb, it should be applied most tightly there Fig. 3- and a very little more loosely as it ascends. Very little of it should be unfolded at a time and each fold should overlap about a third of the previous one. When the limb Fig. I. increases in size the bandage must turn on itself after tlie manner depicted in Figs. 3 and " IV. Bandage for the Finger. — This is a simple strip of linen that may be wound round the finger a few times with the requisite tightness. It must be fastened neatly without pins or stitches, as shown in Fig. i, by merely splittingup the end of the bandage into two tails which may be turned opposite ways round the finder and be tied in a bow. " V. For the Hand. — A bandage about two inches wide may be passed like a figure of eight round the hand and wrist, excluding the thumb, Fig. 2, and may be finished by one or two circular turns around the wrist. " VI. For the Forearm. — After applying it Fig. 4- about the hand and wrist as just described, -carry it up the forearm, and in every turn fold the bandage sharply and smoothly back upon itself, in such a way that it may lie smoothly on the limb. (Fig. 3.) "VII. For the Foot. Let the roller be first passed round the flat of the foot — between the toe and heel — and then carried up round the ankle, and back again round the foot exactly as depicted in Fig. 4. 16 BANDAGES The bandage should always be brought up on the inner side of the instep as shown in Fig. 4, in order to support the arch of the foot. "VIII. For the Leg. — After the foot and ankle have been well en- veloped, let the bandage be carried up the leg, and be turned sharp on itself on the calf, in order that it may lie closely and the foldc not be separated. (Fig- 5) "IX. For the Knee. — To support the knee, in ordinary cases, a bandage may be passed round it in a figure-of-eight form, ex- cluding the patella, or knee-pan. (Fig. 6.) If that bone is to be covered the bandage must be passed lightly over it afterwards, several times, making turns when nee- Fig. 5 essary, to procure smoothness. When it is merely wished to keep on dressings or give slight support, the four tailed bandage shown in Fig. 7 may be used. A piece of linen a yard and a half long and eight or nine inches wide is split up in the middle at each end to within a few inches of the centre. The centre being then placed on the patella, or knee-pan, the four tails are brought under the knee, crossed, and tied two and two. Fig. 6. " X. For the Groin. — Having passed a roller round the lower part of the abdomen and se- cured it with a stitch, bring it in front of the af- Fig. T fected groin, then round the back of the thigh, next round the abdomen and so on in a figure- of-eight form with the folds crossing each other over the groin. Fig. 8. "XT. Forthe A3d\ia.(Ar?n pit or shoulder). In order to keep on dressings put the centre of a common handkerchief folded crosswise under the arm pit, cross it over the shoulder, and carry the ends one before and one behind the chest to tie under the opposite arm-pit. "XII. For the Head. — A roller having been carried horizontally round the forehead and back of the head and secured by a stitch, let it be car- ried from the side vertically over the head and under the chin. At the point of crossing on either side, let it be secured by a stitch. In bandaging the head care should always be taken to comb the hair so that it will lie smoothly and comfortably ; and likewise to arrange the bandages so that the pressure may tell exactly where it is required." Bandages should always be applied with an equable pressure throughout, and not too tight- ly. Any person possessed of the slightest in- genuity or neatness of hand, would, after a few hints from a good hospital nurse or a surgeon, learn the essentials of bandaging in a very short time. Bandages such as the above, may be rendered hard and strong by smearing their BANK BASIL 17 successive turns with gum, plaster of Paris, glue, paste, or white of egg, which speedily sets, serving the double purpose of bandage and splints. (Scr Fractures.) BANK. — It is well for the inexperienced to know that banks do not pay money to holders of checks and drafts unless some officer knows the holder to be the person he professes to be. They even often decline checks payable to bearer, unless they are satisfied that tlie holder came by them properly. Neither do banks take from unintroduced strangers deposits subject to check, though they will usually re- ceive cash from a stranger, giving him in turn for it a " Certificate of Deposit " payable to bearer or to the order of any person named. These certificates of deposit can be indorsed and passed from hand to hand or sent by mail, just as checks are. (See Check.) BANTING'S CURB.— The name given to a system of dietetics devised by William Bant- ing, a London merchant (though it is identical with that previously recommended by Brillat- Savarin), for the cure of corpulence. Its merits have been very energetically disputed, and it has lately as a whole fallen rather into disre- pute ; but Banting cured himself by it, and was evidently an enthusiastic believer in its efficacy. The method consists in the use of a large pro- portion of nitrogenous animal food, and absti- nence from all farinaceous, saccharine, or oily matters, which conduce to the production of fat in the human system. He especially forbids the use of bread, pastry, potatoes, milk, butter, beer; sweet wines, such as port wine, cham- pagne, and the like ; pork, herrings, eels, sal- mon and other fat fish and meats ; and recom- mends lean meat, poultry, game, fruit, dry toast, claret, dry sherry, madeira, all green vegetables, except parsnips, beets, turnips, and carrots ; permitting the moderate use of soft- boiled eggs and cheese. He rightly considered diet the principal agent in reducing corpulence ; and, unlike those who profess to be his follow- ers, left the quantity of food to the natural appetite. BARBERRY'. — A species of berry which grows wild in woods and shady places, and though not very abundant, can generally be found in market in September and October. The fruit is crimson in color, grows in clusters, and has small roundish seeds. It is extremely acid and sour, but makes a cooling and grateful drink ; and is used for pickles, sweetmeats, jellies, soups, and garnishing. The leaves of the plants are eaten as a salad and taste some- thing like sorrel. The jellies and sweetmeats made of barberries are considered very whole- some and strengthening to the stomach. (See Jam, Jelly, and Preserves.) BARLEY. — One of the cereals, next ih im- portance to wheat, over which it has the advan- tage that it can be grown over a greater range of climate, at less cost of labor, and with the certainty of much larger returns. On fairly good soil it frequently yields as much as 40 to I, and in California three or four successive crops are reapedf rom one sowing. Barley was one of the chief articles of food among the ancients, is still used largely on the continent of Europe, and to a considerable extent in Scotland and Northern England ; but with us it is rarely used except for feeding cattle and barn-yard stock, and for the manufacture of beer. Barley hulled and ground makes a coarse, heavy kind of bread, wholesome to eat, and not disagreeable in taste. Its nutritive value is not equal, however, to wheaten bread ; and de- spite its cheapness it is not very likely to be- come soon a staple article of our diet. The only forms in which it is used in cooking are the preparations described below. Pearl Barley, the kind kept in the stores, is the small round kernel which remains after the skin and outer portions of the kernel have been ground off. For this purpose, the Spring bar- ley is chosen ; it is steamed to soften the skin, dried, and passed through a mill of a peculiar kind to take off the husk, all except what lies in the deep furrow of the seed. It makes ex- cellent broth, is much approved as the farin- aceous ingredient in puddings, and when boiled with new milk and flavored with sugar, and oc- casionally spices, makes a delicate and deli- cious food more nutritious than rice. Patent Barley is the pearl barley ground to flour. Infants (Barley for). — Barley will of ten agree with infants when their stomachs reject milk. To prepare, take two tablespoonfuls of pearl barley, carefully washed, soak it half an hour in a little lukewarm water, then stir it without straining into two cupfuls of boiling water. Add a pinch of salt ; simmer an hour, stirring often; then strain, and sweeten with two teaspoonfuls of white sugar. This is an excellent substitute for milk during infantile diarrhoea. Sugar (Barley). — Properly speaking, barley sugar is sugar boiled in barley water till it is of such consistence that it will solidify when cold. When done flavor with lemon peel, pour into a greased dish, and as it cools cut into such shapes as may be desired. Ordinary sugar candy is also sometimes called barley sugar. (See Candy.) ■Water (Barley), is a very soothing and nu- tritious drink for the sick. To make, take two ounces of pearl barlev, put it in half a pint of boiling water, and let it simmer five minutes ; then pour off the water, add two quarts of boil- ing water, two ounces of sliced figs, and two of stoned raisins, and boil till it is reduced to a quart. Strain, and it is ready to drink. A simpler way is to take two and a half ounces of pearl barley and boil ten minutes in half a pint of water ; strain off this water, add two quarts of boiling water, and boil down to one quart. Then strain, and flavor it with sugar and slices of lemon or nutmeg. BASIL. — A highly aromatic herb, often used in cooking, with a flavor resembling cloves. It grows wild nearly everywhere, and there are two or three varieties. The common kind is sel- dom made use of, but there is a large species, 18 BASS BATH the leaves of which are used very generally in flavoring salads and soups, especially mock- turtle soup. BASS.^A family of fish, of which there are about a dozen varieties caught in American waters. The best salt-water bass are the Sea- bass, or blue-bass, tlie S/riped-bass, or rock-fish, and the Bar-fish. Of the fresh-water species, the best are tlie Black-bass, the White-bass of Lake Erie, and the Rock-bass. In the seacoast markets those who ask simply for bass will get the striped or streaked bass, and it is one of the most delicious of fish. They are to be had at all times of the year. For frying, those from one-half to one pound weight are best ; for broiling, select those weighing about three pounds and split them in half; for boi' ing, take those weighing from four to eight pounds. The very large fish are generally coarse and rather dry eating. Baked Bass. — Take a fish weighing si.x or eight pounds ; it should be cooked whole to look well. After cleaning, fill the body with a dressing made of bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, onion, and parsley, and a little salt pork chop ped fine, the whole mixed with one egg; sew it up and lay it in a large pan. Put one pint of water and a little salt into the pan, and bake an hour and a half, basting often with butter and fiour, — then dish, being careful to take the fish up whole. Shake into the gravy a little flour, a teaspoonful of butter, and two spoonfuls of to- mato or walnut catsup ; boil a moment, and pour it over the fish. Worcestershire is also a nice sauce for baked bass. Boiled Bass. — Take a fish weighing seven or eight pounds ; clean and scrape off the scales ; wash it in salt and water, — then place in fish kettle, with enough boiling water to cover it. Boil it half an hour, and serve hot with an- chovy, caper, matelote or tomato sauce. Frying and Broiling. — Proceed as in general directions given under Frying and Broiling BASTING. — This is the most important of all the requisites for roasting, and it is for want of its being properly done that roast meats are so constantly spoiled. In fat meats, such as beef, mutton, or pork, their own dripping, after it has run into the well of the pan, is the best thing for the purpose ; but in poultry, veal, and game, there is nothing coming out which will serve, and they must be basted either with plain butter, tnution, or beef dripping, water and salt, milk, melted butter, or sometimes with cider, ale, or wine. The process consists sim- ply in pouring the liquid, or spreading the fat, over the entire surface of the roasting meat. BATH. — The skin of the human being is not merely an outward covering for the body, but art organ the proper performance of whose work IS of vital importance to good health. Its seven million pores are not a useless part of the animal economy, but form the sluices through which the system throws off a portion of Its waste and deleterious matter ; this matter is removed in the form of an imperceptible watery vapor, mi.xed with a few saline and gaseous substances, and the quantity capable of being gotten rid of in this way, in the space of twenty-four hours, amounts in round num- bers to twenty ounces. The retention of this, by reason of the inability of the skin to per- form its functions, is of course productive of great injury to the system, throwing more than their due share of work on the other secretive organs. The only method of keeping the skin clear and in proper working order is bathino- wjth sufificient frequency. Bathing not only removes the matter which the skin has already discharged, but stimulates its activity and in- creases its efficiency. The temperature of the water is a highly important circumstance, and medical writers usually classify baths as cold, warm, and hot. Cold Bath. — The cold bath is taken in water which is cold as compared witli the normal heat of the body, or at a temperature of 33° to 65°. The effect of such a bath on a person in good health is, on first plunging in, a sensation of ex- treme cold (the duration of which depends on the temperature of the water and the condition of the bather), and is followed by a reaction which brings on a sensation of warmth and a feeling of lightness and vigor. By degrees, if the body continue to be immersed, the bather again begins to feel cold, chilliness, accompanied by shivering, comes on, the pulse grows feebler and slower, and the whole body becomes lan- guid and powerless. The time to leave the bath is during the period of warmth, before the second chilliness begins ; and immediately on stepping out the bather should rub himself dry with a coarse towel, and continue rubbing till the skin is in a glow. The ultimate effect of the cold bath has been differently described by different physicians, and some are strongly op- posed to its use at all ; but, where it agrees, it is tonic and bracing, it improves the digestion, stimulates the skin, and renders the circulation more active and vigorous. It also hardens the system and causes it to be much less sensitive to changes of temperature, being on this ac- count an excellent protection against taking cold on exposure. Its beneficial effect depends much on the strength of the reaction ; if, there- fore, on coming out of the cold bath, the person feels dull and chilly, or complains of headache, or a sensation of tightness across the chest, the cold bath disagrees, and should be discon- tinued or modified. But many persons experiencing these symp- toms seem to need just the sort of stimulus the cold bath gives. This they can get by applying cold water with a wash-rag to a square foot or two of the skin at a time, rubbing the space into a glow with a towel, and repeating the BATH 19 process until the whole body has been bathed, i The writer knows instanees inhere this method has cured people too sensitive to cold. The diseases for which cold baths are valu- able as a remedy are morbid irritability and sensibility, accompanied by general debility ; also for asthma, in the intervals between the paroxysms, when the system is in other respects in a proper condition for it. When there is a tendency to colds and rheumatism, the cold bath is an excellent preventive ; for this purpose it should be used continuously throughout the year. It is improper in the case of those who have a tendency to consumption, or who are constitutionally liable to bowel complaints ; and it should never be ventured on by any one suffering from chronic inilammation of the mu- cuous membranes of the bronchia and intestinal canal. The best time for taking a cold bath is in the early morning just after rising. But per- sons of feeble circulation in whom reaction does not readily follow, had better not take a cold bath before their breakfast is digested. {See Douche Bath.) Warm Bath. — This includes all baths rang- ing in temperature from 66° to 95°. Its effect is very different from that of the cold bath. There is no .shock, but the temperature is grate- ful to the bather ; the blood circulates more rapidly, and a gentle glow pervades the body ; the skin absorbs water, is softened, and throws off the scales of decomposed matter which may have accumulated on it ; pain is allayed, and nervous irritation is soothed. The warm bath is especially grateful and beneficial after exces- sive muscular exertion, or after the fatigue and excitement of travelling. It refreshes and tran- quillizes the system ; but on the other hajid it has none of the tonic influence of the cold bath, and its frequent use tends to relax and debili- tate, while rendering the system more sensible to changes of temperature. The best tempera- ture for the bath of a healthy person is what is called tepid^ and it is also the most agreeable. A distinctly warm bath taken just before going to bed will probably cure any tendency to wake- fulness, especially if the wakefulness come from over use of the brain. No bath whatever should be taken while digestion is going on — say in less than two hours after a meal. Hot Bath. — This has a temperature ranging from 98° (blood-heat) to 1 1 2°. It is a very power- ful stimulant, and should never be used by per- sons in a good state of health. Even in cases of disease, it should only be taken under a physi- cian's advice. As the object is to stimulate the vital actions, the bather should never remain long enough in the bath to produce exhaustion,— the average time is from ten to fifteen minutes. The best way to obtain the full beneficial effect of the hot bath is to commence with tepid water and gradually increase the temperature. The hot bath is chiefly used where it is desirable to produce abundant perspiration, when it should be followed by rolling the patient in blankets. ShO'wer Bath. — When cold water is used, the effect of this bath is similar to that of the ordi- nary cold bath, but the shock from the shower bath is greater than that from simple immersion, especially if the quantity of water be large, the temperature low, and the fall considerable. Its effects are also more speedy, and extend more to the internal organs than those of the com- mon bath. When the result is beneficial the glow is felt almost immediately, consequently when recourse is had to it, the bather should withdraw immediately after the shock; if its use is prolonged it quickly lowers, and at last destroys the sensibility, and is then highly in- jurious. For delicate persons, the tepid shower bath is preferable ; and salt added to the water is an improvement. When used for hygienic purposes the best time to take the shower bath is immediately after rijing in the morning. Sponge Bath. — Sponging the body off with water and a sponge or cloth is as effectual, though perhaps not as pleasant, as any other form of bathing, and may be resorted to when bathing conveniences are not at hand. It is frequently adopted in cases of fever, to cool the surface of the body ; but as its action is powerful it is rather venturesome to employ it except as directed by the physician. Sponging is also used successfully as a tonic to ward q& disease. It is found especially serviceable when a person is disposed to asthma or is suf- fering from a cough. For this purpose the chest may be sponged daily, and afterwards well rubbed and dried, so as to produce a glow on the surface. In some cases vinegar and water, or salt and water are preferable, and then much rubbing is not necessarj'. This is an excellent method for bathing very young children. In the country or in the city houses Sponging Bath. on high ground, in both of which places econo- my of water is apt to be an object, or in all cases where expedition is desirable, the follow- ing arrangement is recommended : Have a tin pan made six inches deep, half an inch shorter than the width of the bath tub at the top, and wide enough to extend a good distance be- yond the faucets. On the two short sides and on one of the long sides, let it have a rim an inch wide with the edge of the rim rolled over a substantial wire to give strength. Slide this pan under the faucets. It will be supported by the edges of three sides of the bath-tub coming under its rim. Supply it from the faucets and pour the water over the body from a large sponge. Thus very little water need be used 20 BATH BRICK BEAR-MEAT and its temperature can be easily regulated. With most people it will be best to begin with it jiretty warm and to let the cool-water faucet run so as to cool it gradually while it is being ap- pHed. If the outlet of the tub is stopped be- fore the bath is begun, the water thus poured over the body and collected in the tub, will be all that is needed for the feet. It is well to wash the face in cool water before beginning on the rest of the body. Sea Bathing. — Although the most important effects of bathing are produced by the tempera- ture of the water, there can be no doubt that the effect of simple fresh water is very differ- ent from that of the sea. Where the object is to bring on a reaction, and to stimulate and brace the system, sea bathing is greatly to be preferred. The manner of going into the bath, and the time of remaining in it, depend chiefly on the condition of the bather. Some plunge in at once in order to obtain the full advantage of the shock ; others are recommended to take at first one or two dips, to test the power of re- action, and gradually to immerse the entire body in water. In any case the head should be wet thoroughly before the feet become chilled. Moving about as much as possible while in the water is highly advantageous, and if the bather can swim, all the better. On coming out, the body should be quickly and well dried with a coarse towel, and the clothes put on without delay; though this precaution is not so neces- sary as when bathing in fresh water, as the par- ticles of salt remaining on the skin after the water has dried, stimulate it even more than rubbing. The most common error in the prac- tice of sea bathing, and one which should be carefully avoided, is remaining so long in the water that the heat of the body is lowered be- low the proper degree, and the consequence is a feeling of chilliness that is both disagreeable and injurious. The only time of the year adapt- ed for sea bathing on our coasts, north of Florida, is the summer and autumn months ; the best time of day depends on the locality and on the state of the tide, which should be taken at the full. Under no circumstances, however, should a bath be taken in less than three hours after a hearty meal. {See Russian, SiTz, Turkish, and Vapor Baths.) BATH BRICK.— A preparation of calcare- ous earth, sold in the shape of a brick. It is much better than sand for scouring knives and forks, brass and tin ware, and the like : the particles are not so hard, but are readily crushed into smaller pieces in the process of rubbing, and do not leave scratches, while they have sufficient hardness to remove a portion of the surface. In using, scrape off a portion with a knife, and apply with a damp cloth or cork; when it can be had, a corn cob makes the best of all scrubbers. BBANS. — The only beans used to any ex- tent in cooking are the string or " snap," the Lima, and the kidney. All these are easily raised; they will grow abundantly in the open fields along with corn. But to obtain them at their best they should be planted as soon as the frost is out of the ground, in a rich deep soil which they do not exhaust and in which they grow rapidly. Plant three at a time, in holes three inches deep : three feet apart for the dwarf, and four feet for the running vine. When the leaves above the seed leaves are fully out, hoe between the plants to loose the soil and remove the weeds ; after they get a foot high the weeds cannot hurt them. Snap or string beans, grown either as " pole beans " or as " bush beans," are plucked young and eaten in the pods. They are ready for the mar- ket in the South about the first of April and con- tinue with a succession of crops until Novem- ber. The Lima and kidney beans come in about the ist of May, and continue throughout the year, although during the winter months they are apt to be hard and dry. To Bry. — Lima beans pulled while young and tender and dried in the sun, may be put away and kept for use at any time. They should be thoroughly soaked before using. Kidney Beans. — Shell into cold water; boil until tender with a piece of fat bacon. Serve bacon and beans together. liima or Butter Beans. — Shell into cold water ; let them lie awhile, and then put into a pot with plenty of boiling water, and a little salt, and boil fast, until tender. Drain, and butter well when dished, peppering to taste. Pork and Beans. — Put a quart of dried white beans over the fire with two quarts of cold water; after boiling a few minutes drain and add the same quantity of boiling water. When the skins begin to crack, drain the beans and put them in a "bean pot " or in a deep baking dish ; place in the centre a pound of sweet pork, the rind carefully scored in small squares ; pour a quart of hot water over the whole and bake slowly, for three hours. Some persons think this dish improved by a spoonful or two of molasses added while baking. Salad of Snap Beans. — Boil as above till tender; put them in a crockery dish, a few at a time, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; then cover over and leave to stand three or four hours. Drain out the water; put the beans in a salad-dish with sweet oil, vinegar, and parsley chopped fine ; and serve cold. String Beans. — Prepare by breaking off both ends, and after "stringing" pare both edges with a sharp knife. Then cut the beans into pieces an inch long, soak in cold water with a little salt for twenty minutes ; drain them and put into a sauce-pan of boiling water, boil quickly about forty minutes, or until tender. Drain in cullender until water ceases to drip from them ; and dish with a large spoonful of butter. The taste of beans is greatly improved by boiling a bit of bacon with them ; though it is not necessary. BEAR-MEAT.— The flesh of the black bear is the only kind ever offered for sale in our markets, and this can generally be had in the late fall or winter months, some years in great plenty. It is very nutritious and heating BEAR-SKIN BEDS AND BEDDING 21 to tlie blood, digests easily, and has a decided but very savory taste. The flesh of a young bear, nearly grown and rather fat, is considered the best. It can be had cut into steaks, but is best roasted. Cook like beef or venison, and serve with some highly-spiced sauce. Bear-Hams. — These can be had at any time, preserved like pork, and make a very popular and excellent dish for exceptional occasions. Cook and serve like ordinary hams. BEAR-SKIN. — A very thick woollen cloth, with a long nap or pile, dyed various colors, and used for making overcoats, cloaks, and other heavy clothing. It should be shrunk thoroughly before cutting. BED-BUGS. (Si-n Bugs.) BEDROOMS. — Rooms devoted to sleeping purposes should above all things be light, cheerful, and thorouglily ventilated. A third of our lives is necessarily spent in these rooms, and where the current practice of reserving the parlor for "company" obtains, a great deal more. An ample supply of fresh air should be secured at all times and everywhere, but its necessity is peculiarly urgent in the case of bedrooms. We are much more susceptible to injurious influences when asleep than when awake, and these accumulate with startling rapidity in an unventilated chamber in which two or more persons spend the night. An excellent plan is to open the window above and below ; lowering the upper sash, with an opening over the door, is also very effective. But if the bedroom have no fireplace, it should be connected by tubes with the chimney-flue. At the same time the prevalent notion that a bedroom to be healthful must be cold is altogether mistaken. No room should be slept in in winter that has not had a fire in it at least three times a week, and it is all the more wholesome if it have one every day. Warmth is in itself necessary to any thorough ventilation ; and the temperature of a bedroom should not be suffered to fall below 40". (5£v Furniture.) BEDS AND BEDDING.— For beds an elastic material is required, with a variation in its heat-conducting powers according to the season of the year and the age of the individual. Thus, the infant and the aged, in both of whom vitality is low, require the slowest conductor that can be procured, especially in the winter season. For the middle-aged on the other hand, the same material which is desirable for the first and last periods of life, would be much too warm and relaxing. In the order of their conducting powers the various materials for beds stand as follows, beginning with the warmest or slowest conductor : i st, downs 2d, feathers; 3d, wool; 4th, wool-flock; 5th, hair; 6th, cotton-flock ; 7th, '■'■excelsior ;" 8th, sea-moss; 9th, paper-shavings ; and loth, straw. Hence it follows that the first two are peculiary fitted for the very young and the old ; while wool and hair, holding an intermediate position, are best adapted for healthy persons of middle age. Where a particularly cool mat- tress is required, as for those who perspire freely, or for warm weather, the sea-mo.ss and paper-shavings are the best materials ; and as the latter can be obtained everywhere, a mat- tress made of it is often a very grateful addition to the furniture of a bed. Feathers and down were formerly almost universally employed for beds in this country, but their place is now largely supplied by wool and hair, which are sufficiently soft for comfort and not hot enough to promote perspiration. Wool mattresses are very healthy and pleasant to lie upon, though at first they feel rather hard and unyielding to those accustomed to feathers ; by placing a spring mattress under thein they are rendered yielding enough for any one. The best of all materials for beds, however, is hair. It is more healthy than feathers, more comfortable than any of the cheaper materials, and is equally serviceable in summer and winter. Mattresses of it can be made thick or otherwise according as springs or other mattresses are used ; and though expensive, the same hair can be made over several times and so made to do many years' service. Straw mattresses are seldom used except for putting under hair or feather-beds ; where used for a top mattress the straw is generally mixed with moss or cotton. For the cheaper kinds of beds the mate- rial called " excelsior " is superior to any other. Springs add greatly to the comfort of a bed, and they can be had now in any style and at almost any price. Their cost is but little more than that of an under mattress, which can then be dispensed with. But the " spring mattress " should never be used ; it almost inevitably becomes the harbor of bed-bugs and other vermin which cannot be got at without destroy- ing the mattress. The " woven-wire mattress," a recent invention, is probably the most perfect apparatus of the kind ever devised, and though expensive, will stand many years of ordinary use. The only objection to it we have heard is that when used long by heavy people it is liable to " sag." Pillows are seldom made of any other material than feathers, though hair, sponge, or chipped cork, is occasionally used. Feather pillows should never be stuffed very full, as this gives them a hardness and inelasticity which is peculiarly disagreeable and also in- jurious. In buying them it is best to choose the feathers first and have them made up to suit ; select goose or chicken feathers of the softest and most downy kind. Hair pillows are cooler than feather, though not so soft and yielding. They are recommended for persons with a tendency to fulness m the head, and for all young children. It is necessary to make them lower than those made of feathers. An excellent pillow for invalids or feeble persons is sold at the drug stores in the shape of an india-rubber sack, which can be inflated with air to any desired degree of flexibility. Sheets were formerly almost universally made of linen, but experience has proved that cotton is much better. Linen in any shape, when brought into contact with the skin, con- 22 BEDSTEAD BEEF ducts away the heat of the body very rapidly. In winter in our dimate linen sheets are scarcely endurable on account of their cold- ness ; and, being comparatively impervious to air, and therefore confining perspiration, are inferior at all times to cotton. The best material for sheets is " Russian sheeting ; " it will last twice as long as any other, and though yellow at first will soon bleach. It is a mistake to make sheets exactly Figure of a Choice Animal for Beef. to fit the bed. They should be about a yard larger each way than the bed. Pillonr-Cases of linen are very pleasant to the head, and may be appropriately used with cotton sheets. They are a luxury at best, how- ever, rumpling easily and requiring more fre- quent change than cleanliness alone would call for. A popular method of arrangement is to rnake the pillow-cases of cotton and cover the pillows during the day, while they are not in use, with linen " shams " — simple squares of linen which may be very tastefully ornamented. Blankets are treated of in a separate article. (Sfn Blankets.) The materials of which beds and bedding are composed are peculiarly liable to attract moisture and become damp, and this is an- other reason why bedrooms should be thor- oughly ventilated. To sleep in a bed not perfectly dry is to invite disease ; therefore all bed-clothes should be carefully aired everyday. The bed itself should be turned over, and the sheets, blankets, and other cov- ering, spread out on chairs for at least an hour each morning. BEDSTEAD.— The diflerent woods of which bedsteads are made, and various other styles, are treated of in the article on Furniture. We have only to add here that there is perhaps no single article on which a large amount of money makes so little show, and that a comparatively plain bedstead, constructed on proper principles, has a much better effect than some of the most elaborate and costly of cur- rent styles. Iron Bedsteads are made to fold together in small space, and are extremely durable and easy to keep clean. For these rea- sons, they serve admirably for servants' rooms, or any rooms where ornament is not sought after ; though wooden cots are preferable, as they do not rust. Bureau Bedstead. — A bedstead so constructed as to fold up into the exact resemblance of a bu- reau or bookcase. It is designed for sitting-rooms, or bed-cham- bers used as sitting-rooms ; and though rather clumsy to handle subserves the purpose admir- ably. It is patented and held at rather high prices. Sofa Bedstead is constructed on the same principle as the one above-named, and is a sofa by day which can be converted into a very comfortable bed at night. The sofa bed harbors bugs. BEEF. — In nearly all parts of the world beef is popularly re- garded as the most nutritious kind of flesh, and although this opinion was formed without the aid of science, it is so far true that in the carcass of the ox or cow there is a larger proportion of flesh-forming material than in that of any other animal. It is of closer texture than any other kind of meat, so that if bulk merely be taken as the measure, there is more nutriment in a given quantity of beef ; and it is also fullest of red blood juices. Be- sides this, the flavor of beef is richer and fuller than that of any other meat, so that its use not only affords greater enjoyment, but a sense of BEEF 23 satisfaction is obtained from a smaller quantity. It is also among' the most digestible of meats, as it requires only about two hours and three quarters. The ox or cow which is designed for beef is usually divided by the butcher into parts as shown in the cut on the opposite page, and subdivided when retailed. The names which we have here given to the different pieces are those commonly in use in the city of New York and vicinity ; and although they differ somewhat in a few instances from those in use in various other cities, yet they will probably be sufficiently well understood by experienced butchers in all parts of the country. I. Porterhouse steak ; 2. Sirloin ; 3. Mid- dle ribs ; 4. Fore ribs ; 5. Lump ; 6. Mouse buttock ; 7. Chuck ribs ; 8. Round ; 9. Clod ; 10. Shoulder; 11. Brisket; 12. Thin flank; 13. Thick flank ; 14. Leg- ; 15. Shin ; 16. Neck, or sticking-piece. In choosing beef select that which has a loose grain with bright red, lean, and yellowish fat ; this will be ox beef. Good coiii-bcef has a little firmer flesh, whitish fat, and meat not quite so red. Inferior beef, that which comes from ill-fed cattle or cattle too old for food, may be known by a dark red color, a hard, skinny fat, and in old animals a horny gristle running through the meat of the ribs. A very good test of beef and one easily applied, is to press the lean meat with the finger ; when the dent made by the pressure rises up quickly, the meat is from an animal in its prime, but when it rises slowly or not at all, the animal was old and the meat is of in- ferior quality. One rule which housekeepers should bear in mind always is, that the best meat and the prime parts are cheapest in the end. There is a greater proportion of gristle, bone, and hard meat in the inferior joints ; they may serve as the basis of soups, stews, and the like, but it is false economy to buy them for roast- ing or boiling To Corn Beef. — Take the thick, lean parts and cut into pieces of five to ten pounds each ; those with a streak of lean and a streak of fat are the choicest. For each twenty pounds of beef take three pounds of common salt, an ounce of saltpetre, and two tablespoonfuls of brown sugar ; pour in enough water to cover the whole. Beef may also be corned by simply rubbing in salt that has been dried before a fire. For ten pounds of beef take a pound and a half of common salt, rub in thoroughly, and set the meat in a salting dish and keep in a cool place ; the brine that melts should be returned upon the meat every day, and if it is desired to have it red, add a little saltpetre. The length of time it is to remain in the salt depends upon how long it is to be kept, usually from three to ten weeks. To Smoke Beef. — In cool weather hang up the beef for three or four days, till it is tender, but take care that it does riot begin to spoil; then cure in pickle as in corned beef, adding a little pepper and allspice ; afterwards roll it tightly in a cloth and hang for a fortnight or three weeks in the chimney-place or over a smouldering wood fire. The lower part of the thigh is the best piece for this purpose ; and it will keep for a long time. A la Mode Beef. — I. Take a round of beef; remove the bone, and trim away all the gristle you can reach, and the rough outer edges. The meat should then be tied up round with a strong string or strip of muslin. Have ready a pound of fat salt pork, cut into strips about the size of the middle finger and long enough to reach through the round of beef. Put half a pint of vinegar into a sauce-pan over the fire ; season with three or four minced shallots or button onions, two teaspoonfuls of mustard, one of nutmeg, one of cloves, half a teaspoonful of allspice, half a teaspoonful of black pepper, a bunch of sweet herbs cut fine, and a tablespoonful of brown sugar. Let all simmer five minutes then boil up once, and pour while scalding hot upon the strips of pork, which should be laid in a deep dish. Let all stand together until cold. Remove the pork to a plate, and with the liquor remaining in the dish mix enough bread- crumbs to make a tolerably stiff force-meat. With a long thin-bladed knife, make numerous incisions in the beef, and into these, thrust in the strips of pork so far down that the upper ends are just level with the surface, also work into each cavity a little of the force-meat. Proceed thus until the beef is fairly riddled and plugged with the pork. Fill the hole from which the bone was taken with the dressing and bits of pork, and rub the upper side of the meat with the force-meat. Put into .a baking pan, with a little water to prevent burning ; turn a large pan over it to keep in the steam, and roast slowly for five or six hours — allowing half an hour to each pound of meat. Do not remove the cover except to baste (which must be done often) until fifteen minutes before you draw it from the oven. Set away, with the string or band still about it, and pour the gravy over the meat. When cold, lift from the gravy, cut and remove the string, and send the meat to the table cold, garnished with parsley or nasturtium blossoms. Carve in extremely thin slices. This dish will keep for a week in winter, and in summer too, if kept in the refrigerator. II. A simpler way of making d, la mode beef is this : Take a round of beef and cut numer- ous holes entirely through it ; roll strips of raw salt pork in a seasoning made of half a tea- spoonful each of thyme, cloves, salt and pep- per ; then draw these strips through the holes in the beef. Put half a dozen small onions into a sauce-pan with a quarter of a pound of butter and two tablespoonfuls of milk, and stew until soft (or the onions can be cooked separately); then put these onions with the beef into a pot, pour on just enough hot water to cover them, and let it boil slowly four or five hours. Just before taking up add a pint of 24 BEEF claret or port wine. This dish may be served either warm or cold. Baked Beef. — Our so-called roast meats are almost invariably baked. To bake beef, select as for roasting. Have about a quarter of an inch of cold water in the bake-pan, and dash a little boiUng water over the meat just before putting into the oven. If the meat is preferred rare, allow a quarter of an hour to each pound ; if well done, almost twenty min- utes. The thin portions of the meat should be covered with paper or it will be cooked to death ; Professor Blot also recommends that a sheet of buttered paper be placed over the top. This paper will keep the top of tlie meat moist, and prevents it burning or drying ; it should be basted often or it will scorch. Serve on a hot dish like roast beef. Boiled Beef. — If the meat be fresh put it into boiling water at the start ; if salt, put in cold water. Let it boil gently but steadily, and if there be occasion to add more water be careful that it is boiling water ; remove the scum as it rises, especially at the start. A tablespoonful of salt added brings the scum to the surface. The time allowed for boiling is a quarter of an hour to each pound of meat, and when once thoroughly done do not let it boil a moment longer. Bouilli (Beef). — Put six pounds of brisket or round (whole) into a pot, with three carrots, one turnip, an onion, and some celery, all cut small; cover with cold water and set onto boil ; as the scum rises remove it carefully. Keep it simmering for three or four hours, adding hot water as the water boils away ; then draw off most of the soup and set it aside to cool. To the soup more vegetables, pre- viously cut small and boiled by themselves, may be added ; or it may be served in a tureen with vermicelli. The meat, from which the bones should be removed, may then be served, garnished with the vegetables boiled with it. A sauce, made of the soup thickened with flour and butter and flavored with mustard and the vinegar of pickled walnuts, is sometimes served with the meat. Corned Beef, Boiled. — The brisket is the most economical piece for a family dinner, but the round is excellent. Wash the meat in three or four waters (cold) and scrape all the salt from the outside ; put into a pot and cover with cold water ; allow twenty minutes to each pound, and turn the meat three times while cooking. When done, drain very dry, and serve with drawn butter. Turnips or cabbage should be served with corn-beef; they may be boiled with it, or separately. Corned Beef, Boiled with Peas. — Take six or eight pounds of corned beef, wash in cold water; put it in a large pot filled with cold water, and add two quarts of dried peas. Let them boil till soft, and then season with sweet herbs; or it may be served with no other seasoning than a little pepper and the salt of the meat. 'Dried Beef (with Cream). — Chip the beef thin and fine, with a knife, or on the potato sheer; measure a pint, without pressing; cover with cold water ; heat slowly and if very salt let it simmer a moment ; drain off the water, add a gill of rich cream and season with pepper. Lacking cream, use milk with one ounce of butter and a teaspoonful of flour. Served on split crackers or toast it requires more dressing. Hash (Beef). — Chop cold roasfbeef or steak or boiled corned beef fine ; add half as much mashed potatoes (or potatoes cut into bits), a little melted butter, pepper, salt, and milk. Turn all into a frying-pan and stir together until it is heated through and smoking hot, but not until it browns ; put into a deep dish and if stiff enough shape as you would mashed potatoes into a hillock. Or, cease stirring for a few minutes, and let a brown crust form on the under side ; then turn out w'hole into a flat dish, the brown side uppermost. Or, mould the mixture into flat cakes : dip these in beaten eggs, and fry in hot drippings. Heart (of Beef). — Wash the heart well, and cut into half-inch squares ; stew them ten min- utes in enough water to cover them ; throw in a little salt to draw out the blood, and skim it off as it rises to the surface. Take out the meat and strain the liquor ; then return the meat to it with a sliced onion, a tablespoonful of catsup, some parsley, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a head of celery chopped fine, and a large lump of butter. Stew until the meat is tender, and then stir in a tablespoonful of browned flour. Boil up once, and serve hot. Kidneys (of Beef). — Cut the kidney in four pieces, trim off as carefully as possible the cartilage and fat that are inside. Trim and cut into thin slices ; place on the tire with enough cold water to cover ; as soon as they boil, remove them and carefully wash in plenty of cold water ; drain them free of water, put them in a sautoir with 2 oz butter, and 2 oz onion, cut fine ; brown well over a sharp fire, then add l oz of flour, shaking it well together, a gill and a half of gravy or broth, a glass of Madeira, and two tablespoonfuls chopped and blanched parsley. Boil a minute or two. Dish up on an oval cronstade, ar- range six or eight heart-shaped croutons. Iiiver (of Beef). — Cut in slices half an inch thick, pour boiling water over it, and boil it with half as much salt pork cut in thin .slices, and dipped in flour ; then cut up the liver and pork into small bits, put them into a frying-pan, with a little butter, pepper and salt, and stew three or four minutes. Serve hot. Pie (Beef). — Take cold roast beef or steak, cut into thin slices and put a layer into a pie- dish ; .shake over it a little flour, pepper and salt, and add a tomato or an onion cut very fine ; then another layer of beef and seasoning; and so on until the dish is filled. If you have any beef gravy, put it in ; if not, a little beef drip- pings, and water enough to make sufficient gravy. Have ready a dozen potatoes, boiled and mashed, half a cup of milk or cream, and a little butter and salt ; mix. Spread it over the pie BEEF 25 as a crust, an inch thick; then brush it over with egg, and b.ike half an hour. Pie (Beef steak with Oysters). — Cut three pounds of tentler Ijcef into little steaks ; brown quickly in a frying pan; place them in layers in a baking disli, leaving the centre open ; fill this with parboiled oysters, seasoned with salt and pepper; pour nearly all the fat from the frying pan ; stir in a heaped tablespoonful of flour ; add gradually a pint of thin gravy or broth and some of the oyster liquor ; season with mush- room catsup and Harvey sauce ; simmer until thickened, pour it over the beef; in half an hour cover with puff paste and bake an hour and a half. Pie (Beef, with Potato Crust). — Take cold roast or corned beef, cut in bits, season with pepper and .salt, and spread a layer in the bot- tom of a pie-dish ; over this put a layer of mashed potato, and stick bits of butter thickly all over it ; then another layer of meat; and so on till near the top of the dish. For the crust take a large cupful of mashed potato, two teaspoonfuls of melted butter, a well-beaten egg, two cups of milk, and beat all together until very light ; work in just enough flour to enable you to roll it out in a sheet, and, hav- ing added to the meat and potato in the dish a gravy made of warm water, butter, milk, and catsup, mi.\ed with cold gravy or drippings, cover the pie with a thick crust, cutting a slit in the top. Bake half an hour. The pie looks better brushed over with beaten egg before it goes to the oven. Pie (Beef Steak) Take a sirloin steak, beat until very tender, take off all the fat, cut strips, three inches long and one broad. Stew in enough water to cover, adding one medium- sized onion, grated, with salt and pepper to taste. Boil until half done, thickening the gra- vy with browned flour. Put in a deep dish, the sides of which have been lined with rich paste ; cover with the same, slit the top, and bake until a light brown. It may, if desired, be seasoned with tomato catsup, or Cliili sauce, and slices of hard-boiled egg added to the beef. Roast Beef. — The best pieces to roast are the sirloin and thick ribs. Rub a little salt on it and first turn the bony side to the fire till it gets heated : then present the other side. The meat should be pl.aced as close to the fire as possible without burning it, especially till the outer crust is formed ; the sooner this crust is achieved the better and more juicy will be the meat. Baste frequently, at first with salt and water, afterwards with the drippings. If the roasting-piece be thick, allow aljout twenty minutes to the pound — if thin, a little less ; in frosty weather the total time will have to be increased by half an hour. Roast beef may be served simply in its own drippings, with the fat skimmed off, and this is the best way ; but if " made gravy " is desired, pour off the drip- pings half an hour before the meat is done, and thicken with a little brown flour, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. It may also be served with fried potatoes placed all around the meat on the same dish, or in a separate one, with horse-radish, grated and mi.\ed with the drippings ; or with stuffed tomatoes, placed round the meat and covered with the drippings, with mustard used as a sauce, or with Yorkshire Pudding. Steak (Beef).— The tenderloin and fillet make the best steaks, but the sirloin of a very good animal will furnish them only a little inferior. Steaks almost equal to those from the sirloin may be obtained from the rump ; the ne.xt in favor are those cut from the hip. Generally speaking the best thickness for steaks is about three quarters of an inch. In preparing to cook do not pound or beat the steak with a steak-mallet, or stick it with a knife under the impression that you are making it tender ; for if by this, or any other means, you make it more tender than be- fore, you do so at the sacrifice of taste, juici- ness, and appearance. It is much to be preferred that when you buy your steak you obtain it tender in the first place by having it cut from a good animal. If the steak is not a tender cut, such as one taken from the round, for example, it is better to stew than to broil it. Steak (Beef) to Broil. — First be careful to see that the fire is quite clear, and at the same time not too great. Now open wide the draughts so the "smoke will be well carried off. Have the gridiron very clean and smooth, make it warm and rub it over with a piece of suet ; now lay on the steak, sprinkle a little salt on the fire to make it lively, and put the gridiron over it, keeping it close down on the range a few minutes to carbonize the surface of the steak, then turn it to carbonize the other surface. Now it is necessary to expose the steak to less heat, which may be done by turn- ing on their edges two bricks and placing the gridiron on them. The steak should be turned often and carefully without sticking a fork into it on any account (tongs are best for this purpose). Do not use salt or pepper while cooking, as it liberates the juice, which is thus lost in the fire. When the steak feels rather firm to the touch it is rare, and if it is so to be served, remove from the fire to a hot dish upon which an ounce of butter has been melted (with a teaspoonful of lemon juice if desired), and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the steak on its dish, and send to the table at once. Steak (Beef) with Bggs. — Cut the steak into pieces of convenient size, dip them in beaten eggs, rolled in bread-crumbs, and then broil. Serve either with potatoes or with to- mato catsup. Steak (Beef) with Onions. — Broil the steak, as above. Cut up six onions quite fine ; put them into a sauce-pan with a cup of hot water, a tablespoonful of flour, enough salt and pepper to season, and a tablespoonful of butter ; let it stew until the onions are quite soft, and then turn the whole over the steak quite hot. 26 BEEF Steak (Beef) with Oyster Sauce. — Broil the steak as above. Put the hquor of a quart of oysters into a sauce-pan, with two table- spoonfuls of butter mixed with a little flour, and let it come to a boil ; turn in the oysters ; let this boil up once, and then turn it over the steak, and serve hot. Stevsred Beef. — Beef may be stewed either whole or cut into small pieces ; the cheaper joints will answer very well. There are many receipts for stewing- ; this is excellent and economical. Take a leg or shin of beef, leaving all the meat on, and put into a pot with about a gallon of water, adding a tablespoonful of salt. Let it simmer very slowly for several hours, till the beef is soft and falls from the bone, and the wa- ter is reduced to about two quarts. Then pare some potatoes, quarter them, and throw in with two teaspoonfuls of black pepper, two of sweet marjoram, and two of thyme. Add some celery or celery sauce, if it is to be had, and more salt if needed. Stew until the potatoes are thorough- ly done. Finally throw in some dry bread, broken into small pieces ; and when this is soaked dish the whole and serve. n. A more elaborate dish may be made from five or six pounds of rump or ribs. Take a half-pound piece of salt pork, cut it into bits, and place in a sauce-pan with four sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, a clove of garlic, a sprig of sweet basil, two cloves, three carrots cut in pieces, salt, and pepper ; put the piece of beef on the whole, wet with a glass of broth and one of white wine ; season with six or eight small onions ; place in a moderately heated oven, and put paste around the cover to keep it air- tight. Simmer about six hours ; then dish the meat with the onions and carrots around it, strain the gravy on the whole, and serve. Almost any piece of beef maybe cooked in this way. Shin of Beef. — Put a shin of beef into a pot with eight quarts of cold water and a tablespoonful of salt ; just before it comes to a boil skim it carefully ; let it boil all day, and as the water boils away, add just enough (hot) from time to time to keep it from burning. When the meat is boiled to shreds, turn it out into a pan and pick out every piece of bone ; then put back into the pot, season well with pepper and salt, cloves, allspice, and a little sweet herbs, and let it simmer half an hour; empty into a deep dish and set it away. When cold it will be as hard as cheese, and will keep a week in summer (on ice), and a month in winter. Serve cold with baked potatoes. Tea (Beef). — Take half a pound of lean beef; cut into small pieces, add a pint of cold water and soak for two hours. Let the whole simmer for half an hour, then strain it. This prepara- tion is superior in nutritive properties to the various extracts of beef now sold. Tongue (Beef), Boiled. — A tongue, if salted or dried, must be soaked for some hours before cooking. Then put with cold water into a sauce-pan, and bring slowly to a boiling point ; clear off the scum from the surface, and remove the sauce-pan from the fire so far as to reduce the boiling to a gentle simmering. If dried, a tongue will require about four hours boiling, if simply salted, only three hours. While hot, the outer skin of the tongue must be peeled off, and it is then ready for serving. Boiled turnips are a good accompanying dish. Boiled tongue is also excellent when cold. Tongue (Beef), Roasted. — Parboil a tongue that has only been salted a few days ; roast in the usual way before a hot fire, basting with red wine ; spread butter over it when placed on dish. Serve with a rich gravy or some sweet sauce. Tongue (Beef), Stewed. — Simmer it two hours in water just sufficient to cover it ; then peel it and put back into the water, adding to it a half spoonful each of pepper, mace and cloves, tied up together m a piece of muslin. Cut three or four turnips and capers very small, slice three carrots, and add them also to the meat, with half a pint of beef gravy or drip- pings, a wineglass of white wine, and a bunch of sweet herbs. Stew all together slowly for an hour and a half longer ; and then take out the spices and sweet herbs, and thicken the gravy with browned flour and a bit of butter. Tongue (Beef), to Pickle. — Mix, in four gallons of water, a pound and a half of brown sugar and two ounces of saltpetre or saleratus ; if it is to last a month add six pounds of salt, if all summer, nine pounds. Boil all together gently till done, skim, and then let it cool. Put the meat in the vessel in which it is to stand, pour in sufficient of the pickle to cover it, and set it away for use. Once in two months the pickle should be drained off, boiled and skim- med, and have half a pound of salt and two ounces of sugar added to it. This pickle is excellent for preserving either beef, pork, tongues, or dried beef. Tripe (Beef), to prepare. — Scrape and wash several times in boiling water ; then soak it a week in salt and water, changing the water every day. Boil it eight or ten hours, till ten- der; and then pour spiced hot vinegar over it. Tripe can generally be had of the butchers al- ready prepared. Tripe (Beef), Broiled. — Cut in slices of con- venient size, dip them in lukewarm butter, roll in bread-crumbs, place on a gridiron, and set it on a moderate fire. Turn the tripe over as often as is necessary to broil it well, and serve with tomato sauce. Tripe (Beef), Pried. — The honeycomb is the best for this. Cut into convenient pieces, vvash them m salt and water (cold), and wipe dry; dip them in eggs and bread-crumbs, or Indian meal batter, and fry in hot fat. This dish is greatly improved if served with oyster sauce poured over it. Tripe (Beef), Stewed. — Professor Blot recommends this : Put in a stew-pan two ounces of salt pork cut in bits, three carrots cut in slices, eight small onions, four cloves, two bay- leaves, two cloves of garlic, a piece of nutmeg, four sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, a dozen BEE-KEEPING 27 stalks of chives, six pepper-corns, tlie fourtli part of an ox-foot cut in four pieces, salt, pepper, about two ounces of ham cut in bits, then three pounds of double tripe on the whole ; spread two ounces of fat bacon cut in thin slices over the top ; wet slightly with half white wine and half water, or water only if you choose ; put the cover on, and if not air-tight, put some paste around ; set in a slow oven for six hours, then take the tripe out, strain the sauce, skim off the fat when cool ; then put the tripe and sauce again in the pan, warm well, and serve in crockery plates, or bowls placed in chafing- dishes, as it is necessary to keep it warm while eating. It is good with water only, but better with the wine. BEE-KEEPING. — The apiary or place for keeping the bee-liives should be well-sheltered and with a southern, eastern, or south-eastern exposure so as to get the sunshine during the day; it should also be selected with reference to the natural food of bees and whether it is likely to be in sufficient abundance. Gardens, fruit-trees, or flowers, should be in the vicinity ; and there should be no large surfaces of water near, lest the bees, overcome by cold or fatigue, should be compelled to alight on them, or be driven down by the wind. Foul smells are annoying to bees, and therefore they should never be placed near barn-yards, stables, pig- styes or the like. The hives should be placed in a row on a raised platform elevated a few inches or a foot above the earth, and should be not less than two feet apart. It is considered best to have a separate platform for each hive, in order to prevent bees wandering into other hives than their own ; and each hive should be painted in a different color so as to help the bees in identifying them. When the hives have been once located they should not be removed more than a few feet : for the bees when first flying forth mark all the surrounding objects as guides for their return, and if any serious change is made they lose their way and fly off. There are many kinds of bee-hives, some held under patents and very ingeniously con- trived, but those most commonly used are simply tall square boxes, placed on a platform so as to leave a small shelf in front. The made with two compart- ments, — the lower for the residence of the bees, the upper to hold i the boxes in which the ^ bees deposit their hon- ^ ey after having filled the lower part. It is sometimes made larger at the top than at the bottom to keep the hon- (-\comb from slipping down ; and it is also fur- nished with inclined bot- tom boards to roll out the worms that fall upon them. The dividing hives are made with several apartments so as to enable the bee-keep- er to multiply the number of colonies without the trouble of swarming and hiving. The partitions are designed so as to separate the brood combs ; a part of the bees are divided off and placed by themselves to go chamber hive is Chambe ding Hives. on making honey and multiplying in every respect like a natural swarm. In practice, however, this is not found always to work, as occasionally in one apartment there will be no brood from which to raise a queen. Swarming hives are sometimes used ; they are made in sections, so that by closing all or a part of them the space which the bees occupy is lessened, they are crowded out, and their swarming hastened. Now, swarmers are so arranged as to allow the bees to go on accumulating honey and increasing in number, and in theory not swarm at all. A hive of bees is put into a bee house and empty hives con- nected with it so that as one becomes filled the bees may pass on to the adjoining one. Ordinary straw hives are best of all, however, on account of the protection they afford against the heat of summer and the 'cold of winter. Bees require a warm temperature. They appear to have the faculty of perceiving the ap- proach of cold weather or rain, and are seldom caught in a shower unless at a great distance from home. Cold is their great enemy, and in this climate the hives must be kept well shel- tered and warm during the winter. In order to protect the ordinary hives, c6ver them with a thatch of straw or heavy cloth about the end of October, or earlier if the season be inclement. This is very essential, and well-covered hives are always in a better condition the following spring than such as have not been covered. As the frost comes on, the aperture at which the bees enter should be narrowed so as to admit the passage of only one bee at a time. A very little air vfill suffice for them in winter, when 28 BEE-KEEPING BEER they are mostly in a semi-torpid state ; and it were better for them, during severe weather, if the hive were entirely under cover, as many are lost from being enticed to quit the hive by the sunshine of a clear day. The dead bees and other dirt, which the living at this season are not able to move for themselves, should be removed with a crooked wire. Great care must be taken not to let snow or ice close up entirely the apertures of the hives, as in that case the bees will inevitably be smothered. The feeding of bees in winter is an impor- tant branch of bee-keeping. To the hives whose stock of honey is sufficient for supply- ing it, no further attention need be given till the breeding season arrives ; this, in warm locations, will come about the end of May, and in those which are cold, a month later. The young bees, for a short time before they leave their cells and for sometime after, require to be fed regularly ; and if the honey in the hive be exhausted, and the weather such that the bees cannot go forth to collect food, they kill and throw out some of their larvae. To prevent such accidents it is advisable if it should rain for two successive days to feed all the bees indiscriminately during the breeding season. The way to decide whether the bees will need feeding is to examine the hives about the beginning of October, and if a large hive does not weigh thirty pounds, it will be necessary to allow them half a pound of honey or the same quantity of sugar made into syrup, every day until the required amount is stored. Brown sugar dissolved in water, and boiled to evapor- ate the water, is a good food for bees. The syrup should be boiled until it begins to be brittle when cooled. This or common sugar candy may be fed to the bees, in the hives or under them ; if fed to them in the liquid state it may be introduced into the hives in shallow dishes, a couple of small sticks being laid across the surface to enable the bees to eat without getting into it. The worst foe that the bee-keeper has to contend with is the bee moth, which remains in hiding during the day and may often be found around the hive, but hovers about during the evening trying to enter the hive and deposit its eggs. The best safeguard against this pest is to have the hive well-jointed and painted, the entrances not too large, the bees numerous and vigorous, and to examine the hive daily from the beginning of May until September or October. Many moths may be destroyed by catching them in shallow dishes containing sweetened water and a little vinegar. Hollow sticks, and similar things are often placed on the bottom board, where the worms hatched from the eggs may take refuge and be destroyed. These caterpillars at first are not thicker than a thread and are of a yellowish white color with a few brownish specks. They live in the wax, eating it, and fill the comb with webs, protecting themselves from the bees, meanwhile, by a silken sack which they spin and in which they lodge. It is necessary to look often under the bottom of the hive, and under the blocks or shells on which it rests. The honey may be taken from the " chamber" or "dividing" hives almost without molesting the bees ; but from the ordinary hives it is taken generally by suffocating the bees with sulphur, chloroform, or tobacco smoke. When sulphur is used, sniear linen rags with melted sulphur, place a few pieces under the hive, and burn them slowly. In a few minutes the bees will fall to the floor of the hive, where they may be removed and buried to prevent resuscita- tion. The combs, being thus cleared of bees, may be cut out at leisure. When the preserva- tion of the bee is desired, the following method of obtaining the honey is a good one : Having ascertained the weight of the hive and deter- mined on the amount of honey to be taken out, begin the operation as soon as it is dark by inverting the full hive and placing over it one of exactly the same size. A sheet must be tied round the whole to prevent the bees from molesting the operator. The hives being thus arranged, beat the sides of the lower hive gently with a stick ; the bees will then ascend into the upper hive, which may be known by a loud humming noise inside. The bees may also be driven up by smoking slightly with burning paper. When all the bees have ascended, the upper hive may be placed upon the pedestal from which the full hive was removed, when the latter is taken into the house and the honey- extracted. Particular care must be taken to cut only one comb at a time, and not to take too much. When a sufficient quantity has been obtained, the hive must be placed over the one containing the bees, which must be reversed, and both left in that position till morn- ing; it will then be found that the bees have taken possession of their former hive, and if the sea- son prove favorable they will be able to make a sufficient quantity of comb and honey to replace that which was lost. If the honey is taken early in the season, immediately after the first swarming, the whole of it may be cut out, and the bees will probably make enough honey for their winter store ; but in this case the hive cannot be expected to be full of honey, because the bees, in June and July, are chiefly occupied in breeding ; and thus one if not two swarms are lost. BEER. — Properly speaking beer includes all the liquors made from malted grain, and it is so applied in England ; but in this country the name "ale" is given to the heavier spiritu- ous kinds, and by beer is meant only the light fermented beverages, and decoctions from vari- ous roots. These are very numerous, and they are made differently in different parts of the country ; but the following recipes may be recommended : — Dandelion Beer. — Take .--"VJaXtr, 2 galls; dandelions, i peck; molasses, l quart; yeast, I pint. Put two gallons of water into a pot, and add a peck of dandelions ; boil them about 2 hours •, strain it into a jug or keg, and add i quart of BEER BEET 29 molasses and a pint of good yeast. Set it to ferment twelve hours ; then bottle it and tie down the cork, and it is ready for use. Ginger Beer.— (I.) /"ii/C-f .--Water, 9 galls; sugar, 10 lbs ; ginger-root, 1 1 oz ; lemon-juice, 9 oz ; honey, 5 lb ; yeast, 3 pints ; egg, white of, I ; essence of lemon, ^ oz. Take nine gallons of water, ten pounds of brown or white sugar, eleven ounces of bruised ginger-root, nine ounces of lemon-juice, half a pound of honey, and three pints of yeast ; boil the ginger half an hour in a gallon of the water, then add the rest of the water and the other ingredients, and set it aside. When cold, strain it and add the white of one egg beaten, and half an ounce of essence of lemon. Let it stand four days, then bottle, and it will keep many months. (II.) 7(i/Cv .--Water, l gall ; ginger, 2 oz ; mo- lasses, I pt ; yeast, i pt. (III.) (Simpler). — Take one gallon of warm water, two ounces of ginger, one pint of molas- ses, and half a pint of good yeast. Put this into a stone jug ; shake it up well ; set it to rise for twelve hours ; then cork it tight, or bottle, and it is ready for use. Iiager. {See Lager Beer.) Quick Beer. Take fourteen pounds of molasses and six ounces of hops, and boil them two hours in eleven gallons of water ; when cooked suffi- ciently, add one pint of good yeast. Let it work in a tub covered up for sixieen hours ; when the working is over, put it into a cask, and let it work there three or four days ; then bung it down, or pour it from the cask and bottle it. The beer will be fit to drink in a week, and will be as strong as porter. If a weaker beer for table use is desired, use more water in proportion to the other ingredients. Sassafras Beer. — 7«,46V-Boiling water, 2 qts ; cream-tartar, 2 tablespoonfuls ; oil of sassafras 10 drops; oil of wintergreen, 10 drops; oil of spruce, 10 drops ; cold water, 8 qts; yeast, I pt ; sugar. Pour two quarts of boiling water upon two large spoonfuls of cream-tartar, and add ten drops of oil of sassafras, ten drops of oil of spruce, ten drops of oil of wintergreen ; then add eight quarts of cold water and a pint of good yeast, and sweeten to taste. Let it stand twenty-four hours and then bottle it. This makes a delicious summer beverage. Spruce Beer. — Taie : -BoWmg water, iS gals; molasses or sugar, 12 lbs; essence of spruce, 140Z; yeast, i pt. A very wholesome effervescing beer made of molasses and the extract of the spruce fir. Brown Spruce beer is made thus : add to eighteen gallons of boiling water twelve pounds of molasses and fourteen ounces of spruce. Let the mixture cool, and when lukewarm, add one pint of yeast and set aside to ferment; in warm weather less yeast will suffice. While the fermentation is going on remove the yeast by skimming, and when the fermentation becomes languiid, which usually happens in two days, put the beer into stone bottles and tie the corks down with pack thread. White Spruce beer is made in the same way, except that white or brown sugar is used instead of molasses, and it has a very superior flavor. Spruce beer will counteract any ten- dency to the scurvy. Sugar Beer. — 7'«^v .--Hops, lyi lbs; boiling water, 11 galls; sugar, 14 lbs; yeast, I pt. Procure a ten-gallon cask, fit its head in, put a cock into the side one inch above the bottom, then make a hole in the top and stop it with a cork. Put a pound and a half of hops into any convenient vessel and pour over them eleven gallons of boiling water (if you have a large enough pot it is best to boil the hops and water five minutes); strain off the liquor and add to it fourteen pounds of sugar ; mix one pint of good yeast with this, and pour the whole into the cask through the hole in the top. It will soon ferment, and the yeast will appear through the hole in the head ; as this works out let it fall back again into the cask. In summer it will require about three weeks to complete the fermentation, and as this slackens towards the latter part, the cork should be kept in the hole most of the time to prevent the access of too much air; but the cork should be removed now and then to let the fixed air inside escape. When the fermenta- tion has stopped, and the sweet taste of the sugar is barely perceptible, drive the cork in tight, and in four days the beer will be fit for draught or for bottling. Care must be taken to ferment sufficiently, but not so long that the liquor becomes flat, as then it soon sours. White sugar makes beer of the purest flavor and palest color, but brown will answer. BEET. — The common beet is grown in several varieties for table use, differing from each other in size, shape, color, and sweetness. The large red kind is called the blood-beet, and is much cultivated, but the " small red " and the " long yellow " are the sweetest and most delicate and have the richest color when served. Beets must be grown in a rich, light, sandy soil which they can penetrate easily. Plant as soon as the frost is out of the ground in rows eighteen inches apart ; they can be obtained earlier in the season by raising the seeds in a hot bed till they are four or five inches high and then transplanting them to the garden. Mangel-Wurzel is a very large and coarse variety of the beet which is extremely prolific and easily cultivated, and makes excellent food for cattle and especially for milch cows.' The sea beet is a perennial and one of the most valuable plants known for greens. It thrives in gardens without any care at all, and is grown from seeds which it produces in great abun- dance. The season for beets begins about June 1st and continues throughout the year. Boiled Beets. — Set in a pan, cover them with cold water, place over a good fire and boil till tender. They will require one hour in summer and three in winter. Beets must not 30 BEGONIA BEVERAGES be bruised or have the skin broken before being cooked, or they will lose their color and most of their good qualities. A little salt add- ed to the water improves them. When done, rub off the skin, and split them lengthwise if young, or slice them round if large ; butter well in the dish, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Hot beets are not very healthy if eaten in any considerable quantity; they may be sliced when cold, and served in vine- gar. Pickled (or Canned) Beets.— Boil as above ; when done put them in jars and cover them with very salt water. When cool, put the jars in a boi'ler full of cold water ; set on the fire and boil from twenty to thirty minutes, then seal them immediately; set the jars away in a dark, cool closet, and use as required. Salad (Beet). — Boil in the usual way; when cold, peel and slice them; serve in vinegar, salt and pepper, and a little oil. Stewed Beets. — Boil young sweet beets till nearly done ; skin and slice them. Serve in a gravy made as follows : Put into a sauce- pan two tablespoonfuls of butter, two of vinegar, some salt and pepper, and add one shalot minced and a little parsley ; set on the fire and let it simmer twenty minutes, shaking the sauce- pan occasionally. BEGONIA. — A very pretty plant for house gardening. The two best species are B. incar- nata and fuchsoidia. The former is an ever- green shrub, with thick stems, and large, droop- ing clusters of pink flowers in winter; it shows to great advantage if well cared for, and is one of the best window plants. The latter is often called " coral drop," and resembles the former .somewhat in appearance, but produces in all .seasons its drooping coral flowers. Plant them ;n a compost made of equal quantities of loam and leaf mould, with a little sand mi.xed in. Put them in the warmest possible situation where they will get plenty of sun and light ; but water seldom and sparingly. BELLADONNA. — PoiSON — Symptoms: Delirium, drowsiness, feeble pulse, sometimes faintness and convulsions. Antidotes : Lime water, of which a half tumbler may be given at a time. An emetic is appropriate in cases in which the mistake is recognized soon after the poison has been swallowed. Belladonna, even when given in medical doses, may produce alarming symptoms in in- dividual cases, but these disappear spontane- ously on discontinuing the remedy. The name is given to the medicinal extract of the atropa belladonna^ which is much used in practice, in moderate doses. It is prescribed in certain spasmodic nervous affections, such as epilepsy and chorea; for the relief of pain, either of the cutaneous or visceral nerves ; for habitual constipation and incontinence of urine ; to check certain secretions, and to prevent sup- puration. As an anodyne it is inferior to opium ; and the claims made in its behalf as a preventative of scarlet fever are not proven. One of the most striking effects of a sufficient dose of belladonna is the dilation of the pupU of the eye ; it also produces a peculiar dryness of the tongue and throat and marked quickening of the pulse-beats. BENZINE.— A colorless liquid, lighter than petroleum, and obtained from that oil in process of refinement. It is sometimes used as a burn- ing fluid, but is extremely dangerous ; also as a substitute for turpentine in mi.xing paints, but its chief value in the household comes from its power of dissolving fats, wax and paraffine ; every kind of grease spot on clothes may be removed by it. In using, saturate a woolen rag and rub over the spot, renewing several times. Benzine must never be used near a fire or light of any kind ; for it is so inflammable as to take fire at a considerable distance. Keep it in a dark, cool place. BEVERAGES. — Besides wines and malt liquors, there are various beverages in more or I less general use. Several of these are de- I scribed under Beer, and others, such as lemon- 1 ade, orangeade, orgeat, and sherbet, are given in their proper places ; but there are others still, which cannot be classified and which therefore it will be most appropriate to group together here. Eau SucrS. — Sugar and water, a beverage made by dissolving enough sugar in water to sweeten ; it is much used in France, and is considered very wholesome and refreshing. It is customary to drink it just before bedtime. Lait Suor6. — Take : — Milk, sugar, and lemon. Milk well boiled with sugar and flavored with lemon. It should be drunk cold. Summer Beverage. — Take: — Ale, or porter, I bottle; water, lo qts ; brown sugar, i lb; ground ginger, 2 oz. I. An agreeable and cooling beverage for hot weather may be made by mixing a bottle of ale or porter with ten quarts of water, adding a pound of coarse brown sugar and two ounces of ground ginger. Bottle and cork tightly and set away for a few days. This is not exactly ginger beer, but if set on ice it is a cooling and pleasantly acid drink. n. Another cooling beverage mzyhs made by mixing half an ounce of cream of tartar in a quart of boiling water, and adding sugar and a bit of lemon peel. Strain when cold, and set away till wanted. ni. Still another excellent summer drink may be made by bruising any fruit, such as cherries, currants, strawberries, raspberries, and the like, and adding water and sugar to taste ; strain it after standing half an hour, and keep it in a cool place. By dissolving fruit jelly in water and letting it cool, a delicious beverage may be secured. Whey (acidulous). — Take .-Milk, I cup- ful ; citric acid or lemon juice, a few drops. A pleasant and wholesome beverage is made by adding to a cupful of milk a little solution of citric acid, or lemon juice, which will curdle the milk. Care must be taken not to add too much of the juice : an experiment or two will show the necessary quantity. Beverages for the Sick.-i. Tamarinds soaked BILBERRIES BILL OF EXCHANGE 31 in hot water and sweetened to taste make an admirable jjeverage for invalids. To be drunk cold. 2. JVitre IVIiey. This is sometimes given to the sick to promote perspiration. To make : dikite half a pint of new milk with an equal quantity of hot water ; boil together, and while boiling, pour in a dessertspoonful of the sweet spirits of nitre. Sweeten it and let the patient take it as warm as it can be drunk. BILBERRIES. — A small purplish red fruit somewhat similar to whortleberries, but gener- ally smaller. They grow upon a good-sized tree, are very abundant in various parts of the coun- try, and usually ripen about the latter part of August or first of September. Whortleberries of the smaller kinds are sometimes sold as bilbcn-ics^ but they differ in flavor, the latter being much more acid. BILIOUS FEVER.— A term applied to re- mittent fever, a disease due to malarial poison- ings. Symptoms — Resemble those of intermittent fever, except that there is no cessation of fever, but simply an abatement, or diminu- tion. Length of remission varies from 6 to 12 hours. The remission usually occurs in the morning. Disease may last fourteen or fifteen days, and end in an attack of sweating, or it may merge into low fever. Treatment. — Diminish tlie fever by giving cold drinks, sponging the body with cool water, mildly acting upon the bowels with cream of tartar water. During the remission give ten grains of quinine, and let the patient have nourishing broths, raw eggs, and stimulants if much depressed. To complete the cure the directions given for patients convalescent from intermittent fever, will be found appropriate. After this fever, proper care should be taken to prevent a relapse. For this purpose the patient should continue to take the Peruvian bark for some time after he is well. He should also confine himself to a simple diet, avoiding confections, trashy fruits, and all kinds of flat- ulent food. The treatment of remittent fever should always be confided to a physician. BILL. — This term is usually applied to what is legally called an account. It is a statement in writing of the items of goods sold to, or work done for, another person. It may be in the following form : New York, May 9, 1876. Mr. John Doe, 1876. To Richard Roe, Dr. April I, To binding 3 vols, in cloth, at 75c %z 25 April 1 5, To 2 packages of let- ter paper, at $2 Ji^ 400 ?6 25 An account like the foregoing, rendered to a debtor, is usually termed a bill. An open account is an account detailing the transactions between persons having mutual dealings, of which the balance has not been struck, or an account which has not been ac- cepted by both parties. A stated account is an account which has been accepted by both parties. Acceptance by tlie debtor need not be e.xpressed in words. If an account is not objected to within a reas- onable time after it is received, it is presumed in many cases that it has been accepted. {See Receipt and Law.) BILL OF EXCHANGE.— A bill of ex- change, or draft, as it is often called, is defined to be a written'order, or request, by one per- son to another, for the payment of money, at a specified time, absolutely, and at all events. The person who draws the bill is called the drawer. The person to whom it is addressed is called the drawee, and, after he has accepted it, tlie acceptor. The person to whom, or to whose order the bill is made payable is called the payee. When payable to the order of the payee, it is transferred by endorsement and de- livery, in the same manner as a promissory note, payable to order (see Promissory Note,) and the payee thereupon becomes the endorser, and the person to whom it is transferred, the endorsee, or holder. The following is a common form : $iooo.j"Jj. New York, May i, 1S76. " Thirty days after sight pay to the order of John Doe, the sum of one thousand dollars, for value received, and charge the same to the account of Richard Roe. To Messrs. Smith Brothers, " St. Louis, Missouri. Here Richard Roe is the drawer and Smith Brothers the drawees, and, after they have accepted it by writing the word "ac- cepted,'' and their signature across the face of the bill, with the date, the acceptors. John Doe is the payee, and, after endorsement, the endor- ser. So many days after sight means so many days after acceptance. When the bill is payable at sight, or a cer- tain number of days after sight, as in the form given, it must be presented to the drawer for his acceptance without unreasonable dela)', otherwise, in case of non-acceptance, the rem- edy against the drawer and endorser may be lost. When payable at a certain period after date, it need not be presented by the holder for acceptance until then, although it is advisa- ble to present it without delay, as thereby, if accepted, the additional security of the ac- ceptor is obtained, and, if not accepted, the drawer and endorsers become liable immedi- ately. When the drawee refuses to accept the bill, it should be protested {see Protest, under Law) for non-acceptance, and notice thereof given to the drawer and endorsers, in the same manner as in case of non-payment of a promis- sory note. {Which see.) Bills payable at sight, or a certain time after date, or after sight, are entitled to days of grace, but in nearly all of the States, bills payable on demand are not. Bills of exchange are governed by the same rules, with regard to negotiability, transfer, endorsement, presentment, and notice of non- payment, as promissory notes. {^See Promis- sory Note.) 32 BILL OF FARE BIRDS BILLOFFARE. (6"^^ Breakfast, LuNCH, Dinner, Supper, and Tea.) 1^^ Bills of fare are annexed for each sea- son, showing articles in market in New York. The New York market represents a fair aver- age for the most thickly populated parts of the country. Readers elsewhere will, of course, have to allow for local differences. The arti- cles in each group are in alphabetical order. I. SPRING. March, April, May. Sltell Fish. Gaine. Ducks and geese until May ist, pigeons, plover, snipe, squabsi after April. Vegetables. Asparagus, Jerusalem arti- chokes, lettuce, potatoes (sweet and wliite), radishes, spinach, sprouts, watercrcss- es, and all the vegetables of the Winter list. Fruit. The Winter list, with the addition of pie plant, pine- apple, strawberries. Nuts. The Winter list, with the addition of Brazil nuts. Clams, hard crabs, lobster, mussels, oysters, prawns, scal- lops, shrimps, terrapins, tur- tle. Fish. Bass (black, striped and sea), blue fish, cod, eels, had- dock, halibut, herrings, mack- erel, muscalonge, pickerel, pompan, prawns, salmon, shad (North River), sheepshead, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, turboi, trout (brook, lake and salmon. (May to July;. Meat. Beef, Iamb, mutton sweet- breads, veal. Pmdtry. Capons, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. II. SUMMER. June, July, August. Shell Fish Clams, soft crabs, lobster, turtle in August- Fish. Bass (black and sea), blue fish, eels, flounders, haddock, herring, mackerel, miisca- lonce, salmon, sheepshead, tiirbot, trout (brook, lake and salmon). Meai. Beef, lamb, mutton, veal. Poultry. Chickens, ducks. I Ga9?ie, Snipe, woodcock after Julv ' 3- V egetables. String beans, beets, cab- bage, cauliflower, carrots, com, cucumbers, egg plant, lettuce, macaroni, okra, on- ions, green peas, potatoes, rice, radishes, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips. Fruits. Apples, apricots, cherries, currants, gooseberries, grapes, lemons, oranges, peaclies, pears, pineapples, raspber- ries, strawberries, imported dried fruits. III. AUTUMN. September, October, November. SJtell Fish. Clams, soft crabs, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, tur- tle, terrapm. Fish. Black bass, blue fish, floun- ders, mackerel, muscalonge, perch, pickerel, pike, salmon, sheepshead, skates, smelts, soles, sturgeon, trout (brook, lake and salmon), white fish. Meat. Beef, lamb, mutton. Poultry. Capons, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys. Game. Brant, duck, goose Sep. to May, prairie chicken, ruff grouse Sep. to Jan., venison until Feb., quail and rabbits Oct. I to Jan. I, snipe, wood- cock July 3 to Feb. i. Vegetables. Artichokes, beans, (Lima and other sliell-beans) beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, com, cucum- bers, egg-plant, lettuce, maca- roni, okra, onions, potatoes (white and sweet), rice, squash, tomatoes, turnips. Fruits. Apples, bananas, blackber- ries, dates, figs, grapes, lem- ons, oranges, peaches, pears. plums, prunes, quinces, rai- sins. Nuts. Black walnuts, chestnuts, hazel nuts, shell barks. IV. WINTER. December, January, February. Shell Fish. Clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, tenjpins, turtle. Fisk, Bass (black and striped), blue fish, cod, eels, flounders, had- dock, muscalonge, perch, pick- erel, pike, salmon, skate, smelts, sturgeon, white fish. Meat, Beef, mutton, pork. Poultry. Capons, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys- Garne. Brant until May, duck, wild, until May, and wood duck un- til Jan., geese until May, prai- rie chicken, ruff grouse, snipe, venison until Feb., quail, rab- bits until Dec, woodcock un- til Feb. Vegetables. Artichokes, beets, dried beans, broccoli, cabbage, car- rots, celery, macaroni, onions, parsnips, potatoes (sweet and wliite), rice, salsify, turnips, winter squash, all canned fruit. Fruit. Apples, bananas, cranber- ries, dates, figs, ginger, lem- ons, oranges, pears, prunes, raisins. All kinds of canned fruits, and compotes of dried fruits. Nuts. Almonds, black walnuts, butternuts, cocoanuts, Eng- lish walnuts, filberts, pecan nuts, shell barks. BIHD'CAGE. — The sma^'^er bird-cages, such for instance as are used for canary birds, are usually made entirely of wire ; those of larger sizes, for mocking-birds, pa/rots, and the like, are made partly of wire and partly of wood. They should be kept scrupulously clean, neg- lect on this point occasioning the loss of many pet birds and the injury of others ; and in order to ensure this, they should be washed every day, and dipped occasionally in lime- water. Whatever the bird that is kept in con- finement, the bottom of the cage should always be covered with clean gravel and sand, and they should be put in fresh every few days. Sand not only affords a more natural and pleasant footing for the birds, but they also obtain from it certain substances which they seem to use medicinally, and without which it is impossible for them to remain healthy in confinement for any length of time. Most cages are now made with removable bottoms, which greatly facilitates the clean- ing of them and the introduction of food. When the paint begins to wear off a wire cage, it should at once be repainted, or it will soon rust away. BIRDS.—The flesh of birds differs from that of most four-footed animals, chiefly in the relative quantity of fat and in the quality of the juices. The fat of birds is generally found by itself, just under the skin, and in various parts of the interior of the body ; and as it has a flavor which is not agreeable, it enters but little into the food of man. The juices are deficient in red blood, and have a mor^ delicate flavor than that of adult animals, but do not differ greatly from those of young animals. The flesh of fowls differs little in structure from that of animals, and is quite as BISCUITS 33 rich In nitrogenous or flesh-forming elements, but is relatively poorer in fat and salts. It is regarded as a light food, better fitted for invalids than strong men, or as an adjunct to other kinds of flesh ; but this is due rather to its delicacy or absence of flavor, which leads man to prefer beef or mutton as a permanent diet, than to any real deficiency of nutriment as a food. It IS in reality one of the most nutritious of foods, and could enter with advantage more largely into the family diet. The flesh of all birds is sufficiently similar to en- able us to distinguish it readily from other kinds of meat; but there are also very appreciable dif- ferences according to the nature of the bird, its breed and feeding. The flesh of the domestic fowl differs very greatly, both in fulness and deli- cacy of flavor, in different specimens ; and the flesh of a graminivorous is easily distinguished from that of a carnivorous bird. The flesh of the former is always wholesome and agreeable, while that of the latter is almost invariably rank and disagreeable. The flavor of wild birds is fuller and stronger than that of the domesticated bird, and the flesh is richer in nitrogenous and generally poorer in fat-producing matter. The structure is also closer and firmer, so that in the fresh state it is regarded as hard and tough ; and it is desirable, and sometimes necessary, to allow decomposition to commence, in order to cause a separation and softening of the fibres. While a domestic fowl, therefore, is usually eaten quite fresh, a wild fowl is kept for many days or even weeks, before it is cooked. The ilesh of the male bird, whether domesticated or wild, generally has a fuller flavor than that of the female ; and the capon retains some of the strength of flavor of the male bird with much of the delicacy of the female. {See Poultry. For Pel Birds see their names.) BIRTH. {See Infant.) BISCITITS. — In making biscuit great care must be taken to get the exact proportions of the several ingredients, — too much or too little of soda or of lard inevitably spoils them. The flour used should be the best and at least i/iree months old ; it is almost impossible to Biake light biscuits with new flour. The flour should always be sifted. The oven too should be carefully looked after, for upon its being of the right temperature will depend much of the success of the baking. Flavored Biscuit. — Make biscuits as in di- rections for French, Hard, or Soda, and flavor with any kind of essence, or with orange or lemon peel grated. French Biscuit. — Take:-Y\o\a, 6 lbs ; butter, 6 oz ; milk, l y, pts ; sugar, i yi teaspoonfuls ; eggs, 6 ; yeast, % gi'l of distillery or \ pt. of home brewed. Take six pounds of flour ; six ounces of butter ; a pint and a half of new milk; a cup and a half of sugar ; six eggs and % gill of brewers or >< pt. home brewed yeast. Melt the butter in the milk ; beat the eggs and add them. Then add all the other ingredients, mix thoroughly, set it to rise, and when very light mould "into small biscuits, and bake till brown in a quick oven. Graham Biscuits. — Take i-Gxii^icm flour, 3 cupfuls ; white flour, i cupful ; milk, i y, cupfuls ; lard, 2 tablespoonfuls ; sugar, i tablespoonful ; soda, I teaspoonful ; cream-tartar, 2 teaspoon- fuls ; salt, Yi teaspoonful. Take three cups of Graham flour ; one cup of white flour ; one and a half cupfuls of milk ; two tablespoonfuls lard ; one tablespoonful of white sugar ; one teaspoonful soda ; two teaspoonfuls cream-tartar ; half a teaspoonful of salt. Rub the soda and cream-tartar into the flour and sift all together before they are wet; then add the salt and sugar; next the lard, rubbed rapidly and lightly into the pre- pared flour; and lastly pour in the milk. Knead the dough rapidly and with as few strokes as 34 BISCUITS BLACKBERRIES possible, since handling injures the biscuits. The dough should be very soft ; if the flour stiffens it too much add more milk. Roll out lightly, cut into cakes at least half an inch thick, and bake in a quick oven. These are good cold as well as hot. Hard or Plain Biscuits. — Take .--Flour, i qt ; butter, 4 tablespoonfuls ; salt, Yz teaspoonful. Take one quart of flour ; rub four tablespoon- fuls of butter into two-thirds of the flour ; add- ing half a teaspoonful of salt ; wet this latter with sweet milk till a dough is formed ; roll it out repeatedly, sprinkling on the reserved flour till all is used. Cut into round cakes, half an inch thick, and bake in a quick oven. Potato Biscuit. — 7<;/{-tf .--Potatoes, lo; milk 2 cupfuls ; white sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls ; y^ cupful home-made yeast ; melted butter, 4 table- spoonfuls ; flour ; salt. Take ten potatoes pared, boiled soft, and mashed fine ; add two cupfuls of lukewarm milk ; two tablespoonfuls of white sugar ; half a cup of yeast ; and enough flour to make a thin batter. Stir together and set it to rise till light, — four or five hours ; then add four tablespoon- fuls of melted butter, a little salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Let this rise four hours longer, roll out in a sheet about an inch thick, and cut into cakes ; set to rise one hour and bake in a moderately quick oven. Risen Biscuit. Take :-W\\Ss., 3 pts ; butter or lard, i teacupful ; home-made yeast, i teacup- ful ; white sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls ; salt, I tea- spoonful. Flour. Take three pints of warm milk; one level cupful of lard or butter melted ; one cupful of yeast ; two heaping tablespoonfuls of white sugar, one teaspoonful of salt. Flour. Mix over night, and set to rise ; in the morning roll it out into a sheet three quarters of an inch thick, cut into round cakes, set these closely together in a baking-pan, let them rise twenty minutes, and bake in a quick oven till brown. Short Biscuit. — Take:-^\o\xx, i qt; butter, yi lb ; milk ; water. Take one quart of flour ; a quarter of a pound of butter, melted in a little boiling water ; add cold milk enough to make a stiff dough; work into small biscuits, and bake them in a quick oven. Soda Biscuit. — Take .--Flour, 3 pts ; milk, i pt ; lard, 2 tablespoonfuls ; soda, i teaspoonful ; cream-tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls ; salt, yi teaspoon- ful. Take three pints of flour; one pint of sweet milk ; two tablespoonfuls of lard ; one tea- spoonful of soda ; two teaspoonfuls of cream- tartar ; half teaspoonful of salt. Mix and bake as directed for Graham biscuit. These are light and delicious. Serve hot. Sour-Milk Biscuit. — Take .--Flour, I qt ; sour milk, I pt ; soda, i teaspoonful. Take one quart of flour ; one pint of sour milk ; one teaspoonful of soda mixed with the milk until it froths. Stir it into the flour cold, mix it quickly, and bake twenty minutes in a hot oven. Yorkshire Risen Biscuits. — Ta^,? .--Milk, I qt ; flour, enough to make batter ; home-made yeast, i teacupful ; salt, % teaspoonful ; soda, %. teaspoonfuls ; eggs, 2 ; butter, i tablespoonful. Make a batter with flour and one quart of milk boiling hot ; when milk warm, add one teacupful of yeast, and half teaspoonful of salt. Set it in a moderately warm place and let it rise till very light ; then stir in a good half tea- spoonful of soda, two eggs, and a tablespoonful of melted butter. Add flour enough to make a dough stiff enough to mould ; make it into small round cakes, let it rise fifteen minutes, and bake in a slow oven. BISON. (See Buffalo.) BITTERS.— Formerly it was supposed that there was one peculiar principle common to all bitter plants ; but chemists are now of opinion that there are various bitter principles having different properties, and that the bitter taste proceeds from principles varying perhaps in each plant. The bitter is intense in quassia and Peruvian bark ; scarcely less so in hops, gentian, and broom ; and it is found in various degrees of strength in coffee, in squills, and in the bark of many of our trees. Many varieties of the bitter principle are deadly poisons, as strychnia, the bitter of Nux Vomica ; the Morphia of opium ; and the Nicoiin of tobacco. Bitters are used in medicine as tonics chiefly, and sometimes as aperients. Various kinds of "Bitters" are used in this country to stimulate the appetite, being usually taken with sherry- wine. They are used in the preparation of the peculiar American drinks called "cock-tails." Bitters in the American market are generally patented and made from secret formula;. They are alcoholic liquids, flavored with Angostura bark, orange peel, Angelica roots and seeds, or similar articles. Those most in use are the "Stoughton" and " Angostura." BITUMINOUS COAL.— A kmd of coal containing bitumen or pitch, and burning with much flame and smoke. It is much used in manufacturing processes, and is the material from which illuminating gas is distilled. Good bituminous coal burns freely and pleasantly in an open fire, with a cheerful, bright flame, producing carbonic acid in large quantity, a small proportion of sulphurous vapor, and other ordinary constituents of smoke. It is more healthy for household use than anthracite, inasmuch as it promotes ventilation better by free burning, and does not throw off the deadly carbonic oxide gas with which anthracite poisons the air. The one great objection to bituminous coal is that it is dirty and smoky ; but this can be obviated by a properly constructed heating apparatus. It is the kind of fuel that is in almost universal use in England and other European countries, and also in the Western States. It is less expensive than anthracite, but a good quality cannot always be procured where anthracite has the market. BLACKBERRIES.— This useful and deli- cious fruit grows wild in great abundance throughout the country, but of late several BLACKBERRIES BLACK FISH 35 varieties have begun to be regularly cultivated in the garden. The choicest of these are the Ldwtoii, Kittati)iny, W'ilson^s early, and Dor- chester. The Wilson's Early ripens ten days to two weeks earlier than any other variety ; the Dorchester follows closely after it, and is a much sweeter and finer-flavored fruit ; but the Lawton is the largest and best that cultivation has yet produced. The wild varieties are much smaller than these, have more seeds, and not nearly so rich a flavor ; yet even they make excellent jam, jelly, puddings and the like. Blackberries begin to ripen about the loth of July and last till the ist of September ; they are at their best, however, from about the micldle of July to the middle of August. Eaten at this time, cold, with sugar and cream, they are only inferior to strawberries in flavor, and quite as wholesome. {See Compotes, Jam, Jelly, Pies and Puddings.) To Dry. — Dry carefully in the sun, like ap- ples, and keep in a cool, dry place. This is a cheaper way than any other of preserving them, and they make excellent pies. Blackberry Cordial. — Put the berries in a kettle over the fire, with a very small quantity of water in the bottom of the kettle ; let them boil soft. Strain them through a bag, pressing them hard, until the juice is all separated from the seed. Put the juice on the fire again, and sweeten to the taste with white sugar; throw in a httle bag of stick cinnamon. Let it boil half an hour; take it off, and stir in enough brandy or whiskey to make it of the desired strength. Bottle when cold and seal with wax. Blackberry Jam. — To each pound of berries allow a pound of sugar. Mix them well togeth- er and let them stand half an hour ; then boil slowly, mashing them and stirring frequently. When they have boiled half an hour, take a little of the syrup up in a cup and set it in a dish of cold water; if it shows the consistency of stiff jelly, take the whole from the fire, if not, boil till it does. Blackberry Jelly. — The following is strongly recommended by " Marion Harland : " Put the berries in a stone jar ; set this in a kettle of tepid water, and put it upon the fire. Cover up tightly, and let it boil until the fruit is broken to pieces ; strain, pressing the bag (a coarse, stout one) hard, putting in but a few handfuls at a time, and between each squeezing turning it inside out to scald off the pulp and skins. To each pint of juice allow a pint of sugar. Set the juice on alone to boil, and while it is warming divide the sugar into several different portions, and put into shallow pie-dishes or pans that will fit into your ovens ; heat in these, opening the ovens now and then to stir it and prevent burning. Boil the juice exactly twenty minutes from the moment it begins fairly to boil. By this time the sugar will be so hot you cannot bear your hand in it. Should it melt around the edges do not be alarm- ed ; the burned parts will only form into lumps in the liquid and can easily be taken out. Throw the sugar into the boiling juice, stirring rapidly all the while ; it will hiss as it falls in and melt very quickly. Withdraw the spoon when you are sure the sugar is dissolved. Let tlie jelly just come to a boil, and take the kettle from the fire instantly. Roll your glasses or cups in hot water, and fill with the scalding liquor. The jelly will " form " at once. Set the cups in the sun, and as the contents shrink, fill up one from another. When fully settled, put brandied tissue-paper over the top of each glass, paste a thick paper over it, and keep in a dry place. Blackberry (Stewed, Nantucket.) — Take good ripe blackberries and put them in a pre- serving kettle without water ; heat slowly and stew until cooked. Allow a heaped spoonful of flour to every quart of fruit ; mix a little sugar with it , stir it in and stew until it thick- ens. Pour into moulds and place on ice. This is a delicious dessert, with cream and sugar. Blackberry Syrup. — Take: — Blackberry juice, I qt ; loaf sugar, ^ lb; nutmegs, cinna- mon, and allspice, % oz each ; cloves, i table- spoonful ; brandy, Yz pint. Take one quart of blackberry juice ; half a pound of loaf sugar ; quarter of an ounce each of nutmegs, cinnamon, and allspice ; a table- spoonful of cloves. Pulverize the spice, and boil all for fifteen or twenty minutes. When cold, add half a pint of brandy. This is excel- lent for summer complaint and cholera. Blackberry Vinegar. — Put the berries into a stone jar, and mash them thoroughly ; add enough cider-vinegar to cover it well ; stand in the sun all day and in the cellar all night, stir- ring well now and then ; strain, and put as many berries in the jar as were in it before, pour the strained vinegar over them, mash, and set in the sun all day ; strain a second time next day To each quart of this juice add one pint of water and mix ; then to each three pints of this mixed juice, add five and a half pounds of white sugar. Place over the fire and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let it come to a boil; remove the scum; and then take off and strain. Bottle while warm, and seal with wax. BIiACK FISH.^ — The name popularly given to tautog. It abounds all along the Atlantic coast from Long Island to Maine, and though somewhat dry in flavor, is a favorite for cook- ing. Some do not like it boiled, but it is one of the best of fishes for baking. It is generally found alive in market, weighs from one to five pounds, and is in season from June to Decem- ber. Those weighing about a pound are best for frying ; and for baking those weighing three or four pounds are the choicest. For cooking, See Bass and Blue Fish. 36 BLACKING BLANC-MANGE BLACKING Can generally be bought cheaper than it can be made at home. The following recipes, however, are excellent : Harness (Blacking for). — TaJte:-Munon suet, 2 oz ; beeswa.x, 6 oz ; sugar candy, 6 oz ; soft soap, 2 oz ; indigo, I oz ; turpentine, I gill. An excellent blacking for harness is made by melting two ounces of mutton suet with six ounces of beeswax ; add six ounces of sugar candy, two ounces of soft soap dissolved in water, and one ounce of indiga finely powdered ; when melted and well mixed, add to the whole a gill of turpentine. Apply with a sponge and polish with a dry brush. Shoes (Blacking for). — Taie .-Ivory black, 3 oz : molasses, 2 oz ; sulphuric acid, i oz ; gum arable, i oz ; sweet oil, i teaspoonful ; vinegar, ipt. Mix three ounces of ivory black: two ounces of molasses ; one ounce of sulphuric acid ; one ounce of gum arable dissolved in a little water ; a tablespoonful of sweet oil ; and a pint of vinegar. Stir together thoroughly. This will be liquid blacking. It may be made into a paste by putting in only a little more than half a pint of vinegar. Stoves (Blacking for). — Take .-Black lead, >2 lb ; eggs, whites of 3 ; sour beer or porter. Mix half a pound of black lead with the whites of three eggs, well beaten ; then dilute to a thin paste by stirring in sour beer or porter. Apply with cloth or brush, and rub with dry brush. BLACK LBAD. — A familiar substance, much used for giving a black, shiny appearance to grates, fenders, stoves, and other articles of cast-iron furniture. Notwithstanding its name, it has no connection with metal Uad; it is sim- ply a mineral substance dug out of the earth in many parts of the world, in lumps, and reduced to powder for household use. There are sev- eral qualities of black lead, but the highest in price is the cheapest ; the poorer kinds are much adulterated, and there is no known sub- stance the addition of which does not impair the quality. The test is to observe the bright- ness of the polish it will give with least trouble. BLACK PUDDING.— A kind of sausage very popular in Scotland, made of hogs' blood with groats and various kinds of herbs such as onions, shallots, thyme, sage, garlic, marjoram, and parsley, to which lumps of fat are added. The whole is inclosed in a piece of the intestine of the pig and boiled, but it is usual before eating it, to cook it further by frying it, with or without previously warming it by immersion in hot water. When quite fresh, black puddings are savory and agreeable : but as blood decom- poses rapidly, they are liable to become tainted before being cooked, and when still apparently fresh, and if kept long after being cooked, they lose their pleasant flavor and become sour and acid. The negroes of the Southern States make a preparation similar to this in " hog-killing " times. BLANCHING (French, Blanche).— To ren- der white ; also to remove hulls or skins from vegetables, etc., as almonds. It is accom- plished by putting them in cold water, bring- ing to a boil, and then plunging in cold water. BLANC-MANGE (Almond).— 7a^(? .-Milk, I qt ; gelatine, i oz ; almond, 3 oz ; rose-water, I tablespoonful, white sugar, }i of a cupful. Take one quart of milk ; one ounce of gela- tine ; three ounces of almond (with three or four bitter ones among them) blanched and pounded in a mortar, with a tablespoonful of rose-water ; three fourths of a cup of white Blanc-Mange Mould. sugar. Heat the milk to boiling; turn in the gelatine, which should have been previously soaked for an hour in a cup of the milk ; add the pounded almonds, and stir all together ten minutes before putting in the sugar. As soon as the gelatine has dissolved, remove from the fire ; strain through a thin muslin bag, pressing hard to get the flavor of tlie almonds ; wet a mould with cold water, pour the blanc-mange into it, and set in a colfl place till solid. Arroiwroot Blanc-Mange. — Take .--Arrow- root, 4 tablespoonfuls ; milk, i pt; sugar, and some flavoring essence. Wet four tablespoonfuls of best Jamaica arrowroot with a little cold water ; pour over it one pint of boiling milk, stirring all the time ; sweeten and flavor (with any sort of essence) to taste. Turn it into the sauce-pan ; stir con- stantly while it just comes to a boil ; then remove from the fire, turn into a mould, and set where it will cool. Serve cold with sugar and cream. Chocolate Blanc-Meinge — Takc:-'M{\k. i qt; gelatine, i oz ; eggs, 3 ; grated chocolate, 4 tablespoonfuls ; sugar, nearly a cupful ; vanilla, 2 tablespoonfuls. Take a quart of sweet milk; one ounce of gelatine, soaked in a cup of the milk an hour ; three eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately ; four heaping tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate ; not quite a cupful of sugar; and two teaspoonfuls of vanilla. Heat the milk to boiling ; pour in the gelatine and milk and stir until it is dissolved. Stir the sugar into the beaten yolks ; then beat the chocolate into this, and pour slowly upon the mixture the boiling milk, stirring steadily until all is in. Return the whole to the saucepan and heat gently, stirring carefully, till it almost boils. Then remove from the fire, turn into a bowl, and whip in lightly and briskly the beaten whites with the vanilla. Pour off into moulds, and set away to cool. Cornstarch Blanc-Mange. — Taie .--Corn- BLANKET BLEEDING 37 starch, 3 oz ; milk, one qt ; sugar, 2 tablespoon- fuls ; lemon peel. Put two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a few pieces of lemon peel and a quart of milk (having re- served one gill) over boiling water ; when a film covers it pour in the gill of milk in which the corn starch has been smoothly mixed ; stir until thick and leave it for five minutes to cook thoroughly. Pour into a mould wet with cold water. Serve cold with sugar and cream. Moss Blanc-Mange. — Take: Irish moss, I teacupful; milk, 3 qts; sugar; flavoring es- sence. Put a teacupful of Irish Moss into a dish and pour boiling water over it; leave it to stand about ten minutes. Then wash it out and throw it into cold water to rinse it. Put it into about three quarts of milk, and boil ten minutes or till it thickens. Add sugar, and flavor to taste. Strain through a very fine sieve or cloth into the moulds and set away to cool. Rice-Flour Blanc-Mange. — Take .--Ground rice, 4 tablespoonfuls ; milk, i qrt ; eggs, whites of three ; sugar ; lemon. Wet four tablespoonfuls of ground rice and a pinch of salt with a little milk, and stir into a quart of boiling milk. Sweeten to taste with refined sugar, and flavor to taste with lemon. Boil eight minutes, stirring all the time, then cool it, and add the whites of three eggs whipped to a froth. Replace it on the fire, and stir con- stantly till boiling hot ; then turn it into moulds and set away. "This is an excellent dish for the sick. WTieat-Flour Blanc-Mange. — Make same as cornstarch or rice-flour blanc-mange. BLANKET. — Bed blankets are of various sizes and qualities. In buying get them amply large, as nothing is more uncomfortable than scant bed-clothes ; the large blankets are best also, because they are generally made of better kinds of wool than the smaller ones. To be durable, blankets must have weight, a closeness of fabric, and a sufficient quantity of wool in them ; it is necessary therefore in choosing to look not merely at the nice appearance of the pile, but also to the weight and texture. Fine blankets are made stouter and heavier than coarse ones. Horse blankets are made of cheap wool and are woven very closely. BIiBACHING. — The process by which colors or discolorations are removed from fabrics and raw materials and their natural whiteness restored. Linen and Cotton. — When cotton and linen are discolored by washing, age, or lying out of use, the best way of restoring their whiteness is to spread them out on the grass and expose to the dews and winds. If a quicker process is desired, soak the cloth twelve hours in a lye made by dissolving one pound of soda in a gallon of boiling hot water ; then boil for half an hour in the same liquid. A mixture must now be made of chloride of lime with eight times its quantity of water, which must be well shaken in a stone jar now and then for three days ; then allow it to settle and, when it is drawn off clear, steep the cloth in it for thirty-six hours, and then wash out in the ordinary manner. Wool. — In bleaching wool it is necessary first to free it from its natural grease; this is done by scouring it with water mixed with stale wine. In using alkaline lyes for this purpose, great caution must be used ; for though wool is in- soluble in water it is capable of being dis- solved by a strong alkali. Sulpliurous acid, or the vapor produced by burning sulphur, is likewise employed for whitening wool. BLEEDING. — The ordinary cases of bleeding which come from cuts and similar accidents are treated of elsewhere (^see Cut.s); but it is very desirable that every one, even children, should understand that in all cases of severe bleeding the only thing which can be safely depended on Finger Pressure. is pressure. Pressure of any kind properly applied will do ; but if nothing else is at hand and the bleeding is rapid, press your finger on or into the bleeding place (as shown in the cut) and keep it there till you can have assistance. A " vessel-compressor," or " tourniquet," md^y be applied with much good, if the bleeding be anywhere below the middle of the thigh. It is hardly likely that in sudden emergencies the instrument specially made for the purpose will Stick Tourniquet. be at hand, but a substitute may be readily con- trived thus :— Tie tightly, at some little distance above the wound, a pocket-handkerchief or 38 BLISTERS BLOODROOT cravat once or twice passed round the limb ; then, obtaining a piece of tough stick, push it under the handkerchief, and, by turning the stick, twist the handkerchief more and more tightly, until the bleeding ceases. As soon as this result has been attained, fasten the stick by another handkerchief tied round stick and limb together. This rude tourniquet may save life not unfrequently, by enabling the injured person to be transported even for some distance, without fear of further bleeding. Lungs (Bleeding at the) — The escape of blood from the mouth, from the throat or lungs, is of little consequence when due to some acci- dental cause, but when of frequent occurrence it is an indication of lung or heart disease. Treatment. — Strict rest in bed with the head raised ; light diet and ice-cold drinks ; mustard to the chest ; alum, in doses of 20 grains for an adult, once in two hours. A teaspoonful of salt in water is a popular household remedy. Nose (Bleeding at the). ^This is rather beneficial than otherwise, if not too profuse. When it requires to be stopped, apply cold water, ice, or cold keys to the back of the neck; throw back the head and raise the arms. If this does not stop it, dissolve a little alum in water and squirt it up the nostril with a small syringe. Should this fail, send for the doctor. It is not desirable to plug the nose, as the bleeding finds its way to the top of the throat. Make a roll of paper an inch long, and as thick as a lead pencil, and crowd it, bent, under the upper lip. A chronic tendency to nose- bleed may be permanently cured by bathing the neck with cold water every morning. Stomach (Bleeding at the). — It is a start- ling sight to see a person vomiting blood, but this is not always dangerous. It may usually be checked by lying on the back and taking occasional small draughts of iced water or lemonade. If the vomiting is severe, give two teaspoonfuls of vinegar and one teaspoonful of Epsom salts in a wineglass of cold water, re- peating the dose every half hour till the bleed- ing stops. BLISTERS. —Those which are caused by burns or scalds are treated of in their proper places. (See Burns and Scalds.) Blisters are often produced purposely in medical prac- tice on the principle that morbid action in one part of the body may be relieved or removed by counter-irritation in another and neighboring part ; but it is not well to apply them except under a physician's advice. Many substances will produce a blister, such as mustard, iodine, and croton-oil ; but the powder of the dry can- tharis, or Spanish fly, operates rapidly and with certainty, and is now almost invaribly used. The plaster of Cantharides is usually employ- ed as a blister. It should be allowed to remain in contact with the skin about twelve hours. After its removal vesication is promoted by the application of a poultice. Cantharidal Collodion is often used and re- quires simply to be painted upon the skin. The raw surface produced in this manner af- fords a means of introducing medicinal substan- ces; morphine, for instance, sprinkled on this raw surface, is quickly absorbed, and patients may be thus relieved when direct remedies could not be employed, as in violent colic or cholera. {See Morphine.) To Dress a Blister. — Great care must be taken in dressing a blister; unless perfect cleanliness is observed, an unhealthy sore is liable to be the result. Spread thinly, on a linen cloth, an ointment composed of one third beeswa.x to two thirds of tallow ; lay this upon a linen cloth folded many times. With a sharp pair of scissors make an aperture in the lower part of the blister bag, with a little hole above to give it vent. Break the raised skin as little as possible. Lay on the cloth spread as direct- ed. The blister should be dressed as often as three times in a day, and the dressing removed each time. BLOOD (as Food). — Blood consists of two parts, coaguliim or clot, and the serum, and soon after it is drawn it separates into these spontaneously. The coagulum is the part that becomes solid and has the red color ; it is very analogous to flesh and possesses almost equal nutritive properties. The serum IS nearly identical in substance with whites of eggs, and like it coagulates by heat. The blood of animals is used as food, and is ex- tremely digestible and wholesome, — that of the hog and o.\ is used for making black puddings ; but there is a strong popular prejudice against it which has prevented its coming into general use. Dr. Edward Smith, in his book on " Food," observes that this prejudice is formed partlyontheprohibitionto the Jews as contained in the Old Testament, and partly on the common belief that blood may be diseased without show- ing any signs whereby the disease might be recog- nized. "As to the former," he says, "it may be scarcely necessary to add, that we eat a portion of blood in every kind of flesh, and that even when the animal is killed by cutting his throat after the Jewish fashion, it is not pos- sible to extract all the blood from the body, and that even the Jews must eat some of it. Moreover, blood contains nutritive elements of gi'eat value, and is inferior only to the flesh which is made from it. . . . If there be any ground for fear lest diseased germs should exist in the blood, it may be set aside by the consideration that a temperature of 212° (that of boiling) if freely applied, will suffice to destroy all known elements of disease, and that blood when fresh and so cooked may be eaten with impunity. I think it would be folly to ob- ject to the use of blood as a food under proper restrictions, one of which should be that the ani- mal from which it was taken should not be in a state of disease." {See Black Pudding.) BLOODROOT.— Poison ; Symptoms, thirst, faintness, dimness of vision ; Antidote: Emetic. — A perennial plant of the poppy family which grows throughout the United States, and flow- ers beautifully in March and April. When any part of the plant is broken a juice flows out I BLOUSE. BOILING 39 which is of a deep red color, hence its name. The root is much used in medicine. It is dried and pulverized, and adminstered while fresh, either in the powder or in pills prepared from it, the latter being preferable. A decoction is also made from it, in many parts of the coun- try; but it should be used sparingly in any form. It is an acrid narcotic and emetic, and over-doses have proved fatal in some cases. The diseases for which it has been found most useful are coughs, colds, croup, and fevers : but it is also good for typhoid, pneumonia, scar- latina, rheumatism, jaundice, dyspepsia, etc. BLOUSE. — {See Sacque.) BLUEFISH. — Abound along the North American coast, and are known as "snapping mackerel," or " blue mackerel," in Virginia, as " Grecnjish;" in Carolina, "Slapjack," and in Philadelphia as " Taihrs." In season from June ist to the end of Octo- ber : weight from two to six pounds. Excel- lent when fresh, they soon grow strong and rancid. Baked Bluefish.— Stuff the fish with a dress- ing made of about two cups of bread-crumbs, a little fat pork chopped fine, one egg, plenty of parsley, and pepper and salt, mixed well together; then sew the fish up. Fry a piece of pork to extract the gravy ; add half a teacup of hot water; lay the fish in, sprinkle it over with flour and put small lumps of butter over it ; bake one hour, basting often. Dish the fish ; add a little water and flour and butter to the gravy ; let it boil up once, and turn it over the fish ; garnish it with sHces of lemon, or grated horseradish. Boiled Bluefish. — Put the fish in a kettle, cover with cold water ; add five stalks of parsley, a middle sized onion sliced, salt, and three tablespoonfuls of vinegar. For a fish weigh- ing five pounds, boil half an hour, and for one of eight boil three quarters of an hour. Serve with drawn butter and eggs, or with lemon sauce, or with anchovy, caper, matelote, or to- mato. Broiled Bluefish. — Split in the back, and clean ; spread melted butter over it inside and out ; set the flesh side to the fire first, and when this is browned turn the other side ; a fish weighing three pounds will take half an hour to broil. When done rub a little more butter on, season with pepper and salt, and serve at once. Fried Bluefish. — Spht in the back, clean thoroughly, and wipe dry ; then dip the fish in milk, let it stand five minutes to dry, roll in flour, and fry. Another way is to wipe the fish dry, after cleaning, dip in beaten egg, roll in bread-crumbs, and fry. The latter is espe- cially nice. BOILING. — This consists in keeping the food for a suflicient time in water heated to the boiling point ; if the water does not quite boil, it is called simmering. Most meats, to be prop- perly boiled, should be put over the fire in boil- ing water ; but fowls and white meat generally require the water but a little warm, that the heat may penetrate graduallytothecentre. All cooks should understand that water is converted into steam by being heated to the boiling point (212°), and that heat employed in the effort to raise it above that point is simply wasted. Some imagine that by using much fire, and causing the water to bubble much, it is made hotter in Iron Boiler. proportion to the noise it makes ; but this only causes the water to evaporate, or boil away fas- ter, without making it any hotter, and as the cooking of the meat depends upon the temper- ature, and not on the quantity of water, the meat will not be done any sooner by boiling f.ist, but on the contrary will in many cases be hardened on the outside, and longer in cooking. By too rapid boiling also, the meat is not only rendered harder, but its savory juices are to a great extent evaporated and lost. The great art of boiling, therefore, for economy and good cooking, is to keep the water just under the boiling point ; and after it once boils, surpris- ingly little fuel will be required to do this. Cooks should also bear in mind that boiling meats for soup, and boiling them for solid food are en- tirely different processes ; and that they can- not have in the same pot a well cooked piece of meat, and a supply of nutritious broth. The process for obtaining one is in fact diametrically opposite to that required for the other. If tlie object be to make a good soup, the meat should be cut in pieces, put in plenty of cold water, raised gradually to the boiling point, and then boiled well and long. {See Soup Digestor, in article on Soup.) The solid residue after this is done will be about as nutritious as a piece of sponge. If on the other hand a well cooked piece of meat is desired, it should be put whole in the pot when the water is boiling, and kept just under the boiling point till done; the liquid after this process may be used as a basis for soup. In boiling vegetables, some require so/i water and others' hard{i. e., containing lime salts). Soft water has a greater solvent power than hard, and when the object is to extract the juice of vegetables, as in making tea or barley water, soft water must be used ; but when the juices are not to be extracted but preserved in the vegetable, then hard water 40 BOILS. BOOTS AND SHOES should be used with a little salt, and the vege- tables put in when it is boiling. Vegetables to be digestible should he boiled thoroughly ; and some recommend boiling them in two waters. In the case offish, as firmness after boiling is a desirable quality, hard water is decidedly the best, salt should, therefore, always be put into the water in which the fish are boiled and should not be put in until the water boils. (See Warren Cooker. Fish Kettle. BOILS. {See Absces,s.) BOLOGNA-SAUSAGE.— A large kind of sausage, made in a peculiar way, and so named because manufactured first at Bologna, Italy. They are made of dry, preserved meats ; and their nutritive value is much greater than that of fresh sausage, since they are composed of meat entirely. Their flavor is agreeable and varied with garlic and cloves; and their nutri- tive value is equal to three times their weight of fresh meat. They are eaten raw, but care should be taken lest they are made of diseased pork which would be liable to produce trichin- ous disease. BOMBAZET. — A thin, cheap woollen stuff, plain and twilled, with warp of single thread, pressed and finished without glazing. It is 21 or 22 inches wide. BOMBAZINE. — A mi.xed fabric, the warp being of silk and the woof of worsted. It can be had occasionally in colors; but it is generally black, and is used as an article of mourning for female dress. BONE. — Bone consists chiefly of an earthy base, called phosphate of lime and an organic ma- terial termed chondrin. Its numerous minute cells and interstices are filled with marrow. When bones are broken to pieces and boiled a long time in water, the gelatine, which is a modi- fication of chondrin produced by cooking,and the oily matter are extracted, thus making an excel- lent soup or gravy. The nutritive value of bones is not very great, still they may be utilized in the preparation of soup and thus give variety to the table. Hundreds of pounds of good food are thrown away every year, even in poor fami- lies, by neglecting to utilize the bones. In making soup from bones, break or rasp them into very small pieces, and boil all day over a slow fire. Strain before using. BONE-FELON. — A collection of matter forming beneath the periosteum (the covering of the bone) of a joint of a thumb or finger. As the periosteum resists its working its way outward, there are few things which cause so much suffering while it lasts, and if allowed to have its own way, it may end in the loss of the joint affected and thus deform the hand for life. Its coming is manifested by a peculiar keen throbbing, thrilling,, and persistent pain ; and, at this stage, progress may perhaps be arrested by soaking the part in a mixture made by dissolving a tablespoonful of saleratus in half a gill of vinegar. Let it be used as hot as can be borne, and repeat as often as the pain returns. Painting the part with tincture of Iodine, and then placing the finger for ten or fifteen minutes under a stream of cool water has been recommended. If matter has actually- collected, however, it 7itust be lanced at once down to the bone. This gives relief in an hour, which well repays for the suffering caused by the operation, which is really less than what is endured in a minute from the felon itself. If allowed to go on, the felon not unfrequently destroys the bone, before coming to the surface and thus causes from two to six weeks of intense suffering and a life-long deformity. In such a case warm poultices should be con- stantly applied, with a view of lessening the agony. BONED FOWL — Chop up and pound in a mortar i lb white veal, i lb fat pork, A box mushrooms, 2 tablespoonfuls parsley, \ nut- meg, white pepper and salt, i teaspoonful powdered thyme, and the raw yolks of 3 eggs. Cut I lb of fat salt pork into fillets half an inch square ; cut also the remains of a cold boiled tongue in fillets. Make an incision from the neck to the rump; cut the neck off short; draw the crop, pull the skin well back over the breasts, disjoint the wings, draw the skin back and down the breast; clear the whole body down to the legs, then bend them back to start them from the sockets, and cut the ligature ; when free keep pulling the skin down all round until the " pope's nose " is reached, cut through it and the carcase is out. Make layers of the prepared /irrr/V and fillets of tongue and pork, inserting rows of mushrooms until full; sew it up the back, roll it in a long towel, secure it at each end, place it in a stew-pan with the scraps and trimmings chopped fine, I carrot, 2 calls' feet, 2 onions, 4 cloves, I bay-leaf, 2 blades mace, a bouquet of parsley, garnished with 2 sprigs thyme, 3 green onions, the rind of i lemon, 2 glasses brandy, \ pint white wine, and white broth to cover; boil slowly 2 hours, and press between two dishes. Clarify the braise to garnish the dish. BONNY CLABBER. {Sec ClabbeR.) BOOKS. {See FURNITURE and LIBRARY.) BOOTS AND SHOES.— The shoe consists ofthesoleand theupperleather. Thepart which covers the upper is called the vamp, and the part which surrounds the heel is called the two i BORDEAUX WINES BRAIN FEVER 41 quarters ; these last are sewed together at the heel, and to the vamp at the middle of the foot on each side. Boo/s are simply shoes with a coverin"; extending up the legs, thourfi they are made usually of fewer pieces. The best boots and shoes, both for comfort and durability, have the uppers made of soft well-seasoned calf- skin and the soles of stout well-hammered iiea/s' leather. Various other kinds of leather, made from the skins of goats, horse.s, dogs, and seals, are used especially for ladies' shoes ; but they are lighter than calf-skin and not so effective in keeping out the wet. A coarse heavy kind of shoes, made with the uppers of canvas and the soles of wood have lately been introduced, but though superior to leather in point of durability and ventilation, they have met with little favor. There is probably no portion of our dress in which fashion has wrought such mischief as in the case of boots and shoes. None of our members are called upon to do more important work than the feet, yet instead of rendering their task as easy as possible they are fettered in close, hard, ill-fitting structures of which the fancy of the shoemaker and not the shape of the foot seems to have dictated the model. The mistaken idea that a very small foot is hand- some has crippled many ; whereas good taste demands that the foot should have a certain proportion to the rest of the body. But fashion not only compels the habitual wearing of shoes that are too small, but now and then devises ec- centricities which are even more directly and generally hurtful. The high-heeled shoes with the heels running forward under the instep, which ladies have been wearing the last few years, not only deform the feet, but distort the muscles of the entire leg, and destroy the equilibrium which the body should maintain on the spinal column. Boots and shoes alike should, while fitting snugly around the instep, be large enough to feel easy at all times and especially to allow the toes some libertv of action. The best method of securing this is to have lasts made especially for the foot, and all shoes made on them. The heel also should be broad and low, and the sole flexible. To make Boots and Shoes Waterproof. — Melt in an earthen vessel, over a slow fire, half a pint of linseed oil, one ounce of beeswax, half an ounce of rosin, and one ounce of oil of turpentine. If new boots and shoes are satu- rated with this mixture, and left to hang in a warm place for a week or ten days, they will not only be entirely waterproof but the leather will also be soft and pliable. T/ie soles may be rendered waterproof by applying a coat of gum-copal varnish to them, and repeating it until the pores of the leather are filled. BOUCHEE.— A small Pate (which see). BORDEAUX WINES. (See Claret.) BOUILLON. (See SoUPS.) BOX. — A comprehensive genus of plants, em- bracing numerous species which proceed in reg- ular succession from extremely small shrubs to trees thirty feet in height. Several varieties of the shrub are cultivated in our gardens. The leaves are thick and very green, and the flowers, which are quite small, grow in clusters all over the plant. The divarf box is the species most generally cultivated, and being hardy and ever- green it is unequalled for forming low hedges or borderings for garden-walls and flower-beds. If kept smoothly trimmed these hedges are very pretty, and once fairly started they will last for years without requiring attention. To raise, procure plenty of shoots from the florist and plant them in early spring close together in a rich, dry, and slightly sandy soil. If in growing, some of the bushes lag behind the others considerably, pull them up and substitute more vigorous plants. BRAIN FEVER.— A term often inexactly used to denote a variety of fevers in which brain symptoms predominate. It may with propriety be employed to denote the fever re- sulting from inflammation of the membranes covering the brain, or intense congestion of the brain itself. Exposure to a hot sun, is a well-established cause of brain fever. It may also result from hard drinking, Bright's Disease, and perhaps rheumatism. Acute congestion may likewise arise from excessive study, grief, anxiety, or anger, gormandizing, etc. The symptoms are a severe pain in the head, red- ness or suffusion of the eyes, violent flushing of the face, disturbed sleep, heat of the head and dryness of the skin, costiveness and sometimes retention of urine. When the disease has ad- vanced these symptoms are followed by delirium or stupor. Treatment. — As brain fever often proves fatal in a few days, it requires the most speedy treat- ment ; but a mistake is very dangerous, and a physician should be called immediately. When the symptoms first present themselves, the patient should be kept very quiet and only al- lowed to partake sparingly of farinaceous food, such as water-gruel, roasted or boiled fruits, jel- lies, preserves, etc. Bleeding from the nose af- fords great relief, and when it comes of its own accord it is by no means to be stopped, but pro- moted by applying cloths dipped in warm water to the part. Linen cloths wetted with vinegar and water, cold spirituous lotions, diluted ether, or iced water should be kept constantly on the temples and forehead, renewing them as often as they become dry. Cold applied to the top of the head by means of wet cloths or pounded ice is also excellent. The feet should be fre- quently placed in warm water; and to assist in diminishing the tendency of blood to the head it should be elevated by pillows. The bowels if confined should be kept open with purgatives, saline laxatives to be employed by preference, and bromide of potassium, in fifteen to thirty grain doses, may be administered every 3 to 4 hours. Besides the application of cold to the brain, the most important thing is to keep the sufferer quiet ; he must be soothed and humor- ed even in his whims, and great care taken that he is not disturbed or excited in any way. The symptoms of recovery are a reduction of the heat about the head, a return to consciousness 42 BRAISING BRAWN and power of sleep. An enfeeblement of the memory frequently persists for some weeks following the attack. BRAISING. — This is simply a more expen- sive mode of stewing meat. The following French receipt will explain the process : We would observe, however, that the layers of beef or veal in which the joint to be braised is im- bedded can afterwards be converted into an excellent soup, gravy, or glaze ; and that, con- sequently, there need be no waste, no unreason- able degree of expense attending it ; but it is a troublesome process, and quite as good a result may be obtained by simmering the meat in very strong gravy. Should the flavor of the bacon be considered an advantage, slices of it can be laid on the meat, and tied to it with a piece of tape. " To braise the inside (or small fillet, as it is called in France) of a sirloin of beef : Raise the fillet clean from the joint ; and with a sharp knife strip off all the skin, leaving the surface of the meat as smooth as possible ; have ready some strips of unsmoked bacon, half as thick as your little finger, roll them in a mixture of thyme finely minced, spices in powder, and a little pepper and salt. Lard the fillet quite through with these, and tie it round with tape in any shape you choose. Line the bottom of a stewpan (or braising pan) with slices of bacon ; English Braising- Pan. next put in a layer of beef or veal, four onions, two bay leaves, two carrots, and a bunch of sweet herbs, and place the fillet on them. Cover it with slices of bacon, put some trim- mings of meat all round it, and pour on to it half a pint of good beef broth or gravy. Let it stew as gently as possible for two hours and a half ; take it up, and keep it very hot ; strain, and reduce the gravy by quick boiling until it is'thick enough to glaze with ; brush "the meat over with it ; put the rest in the dish with the fillet, after the tape has been removed from it, and send it directly to table." Equal parts of Madeira and gravy are some- times used to moisten the meat. Copper Stew-Pan. No attempt should be made to braise a joint in any vessel that is not very nearly of its own size. Braising-pans are of various forms. The best is that represented in the accompany- ing illustration ; but a stew-pan of modern form, or any other vessel that will admit of coals being placed upon the lid, will answer the purpose. BRANDY. — Brandy is made by distillation from wine, and genuine brandy can be made in no other way ; it is, therefore, in its pure state the choicest and most agreeable of the class of ardent spirits. The best brandy is made from the wliite wines of the Cognac and Annagnac district of France ; but as looo gallons of wine makes only loo to 150 gallons of brandy, it may be imagined that some inferior wines are generally substituted for delicate and highly flavored wines. In point of fact, however, the greater part of the brandy consumed all over the world, is not made from wine at all, but is simply alcohol distilled and flavored with oil of Cognac. Fiery potato spirits are also frequently convert- ed into so-called brandy by distillation and "flavoring." Among the adulterations of brandy, hot and pungent substances, such as pepper, capsicum, ginger, etc., are added to give the ajjpearance of strength. They may be de- tected by evaporating a little of the suspected brandy nearly to dryness, when the acrid and burning taste will be sensibly increased if such substances have been used. The liquors manufactured in this country and known as apple brandy, peaeh brandy, blackberry brandy, and the like, are not bran- dies at all but a radically different spirit. BRANT. — A fine bird much sought after by gunners, and known variously as " horsefoot snipe," and " turnstone." It is very rich and savory, and may generally be found in the markets in April and May, and again in Sep- tember and October. It is scarcely suitable for eating purposes at other times of the year. For method of cooking see Snipe. BRASIER. (See Warming-Pan.) BRASS-WARE. — Before the invention of tinned iron, brass was the most popular sub- stance for making pots and kettles, sauce-pans, stew-pans, and similar utensils. It is less liable to rust or be acted upon by acids and other corrosive substances than copper, and is con- sequently easy to keep clean, and safer than the latter. It is far from desirable however as a material for cooking utensils, and since iron is both cheaper and better, it should for this purpose, at least, go entirely out of use. Into ornamentation of furniture of course, it enters appropriately enough. To Clean. — The best substance for clean- ing brass-ware is bath-brick, pulverized, and rubbed on vigorously with a coarse, damp rag. Whiting applied dry, is also good. BRAWN. — The prepared flesh of the wild boar or domestic hog, usually made of the head, cheeks, tongue, and ears. It is a peculiar kind of fat, and is very nutritious for those whose stomachs can dissolve it. BRAZIL NUT BREAD 43 To Make. — Take a pig's head weighing about six pounds ; one pound of lean beef ; one teaspoonful of salt; one half teaspoonful each of black pepper, cayenne pepper, and mace; a pincli of cloves ; and a small onion minced very line. Clean the head carefully, and stew with the beef in enough cold water to cover. When the bones will slip out easily, remove them, after draining off the liquor; chop the meat up fine while it is hot, put in the seasonings, and pour all into a mould that has been wetted inside. By having special moulds the brawn can be made into a great variety of fanciful shapes. BRAZIL-NUT. — These nuts, as their name implies, are a native of South America. They have a large, white kernel in a brown, rough, three-cornered shell, taste like the hazel-nut, and are extremely rich and oily. They are in- digestible and should be eaten rarely ; children, especially, should never be permitted to eat them. The fresh nuts arrive from March to May, but they are not good until they have dried several montlis. BREAD. — Bread is, in a peculiar sense, the " staff of life," and is one of the most important subjects in the whole range of domestic econ- omv. Badly cooked meats, or pastry, or vege- tables, may be endured with more or less of patience provided there is plenty of good whole- some bread to fall back upon, — they may even be dispensed with for a time ; but if the bread is bad, the health of the family cannot possibly be maintained. Bread-making is an art which should be thoroughly mastered by every house- keeper in her earliest experience as such ; and the young women should be taught it as they grow up,, even if they attempt no other branch of t!ie art of cookery. P'or the making of good bread three things are indispensable : the right kind of flour, good yeast, and careful baking. The flour should be the best that can be had, and above all things dry j' new flour cannot be made to answer, it should be at least three months old, and should also be elastic and odorless. New flour may sometimes be ripened for use by spreading enough for each baking in a large tray and exposing it to the hot sun for several hours, or by setting it near a fire for the same length of time ; but this is troublesome, and not always successful, and it is best to return the flour at once if it is found not to be per- fectly dry. (The following are good tests in buying flour; on squeezing a handful it should retain the print of the skin ; the grain should be perceptible in rubbing between the thumb and finger.) Good, strong yeast is also indispen- sable, for, without it, bread cannot be light and digestible. In the cities what is known as distillery yeast may usually be had of the baker, and occasionally good yeast cakes ; but home-brewed yeast is most reliable, and con^ sequently most satisfactory to use. (^See Ykast.) After the dough is mixed, — it should be made as soft as it can be conveniently handled, — it must be set for several hours in a warm (not too warm) place where it will be ex- posed to a steady, even temperature. Too much heat excites too rapid fermentation, and makes the bread sour; too little, on the other hand, arrests the process, and makes the bread heavy, lumpy, and soggy. Before being put into the oven the dough should be kneaded till it is elastic and flexible as india-rubber. The bak- ing is the part of the process in which bread is most frequently spoiled, and this should be carefully attended to. The ovens must be of just the right heat when the pans are first put in, and the heat must be kept uniform while the cooking is in progress, if a mistake is made in either case the baking is spoiled. As to the degree of heat, it depends somewhat on the substance of which the bread is made, but in no case should the oven be too hot. The best plan is to use a thermometer and decide the degree by experiment ; but in the absence of this, if the bared arm can be held in the oven for half a minute it is about right for the dough. To Make (Plain).^Put eight quarts of flour (sifted) into the tray ; pour in a pint of home-made yeast, mix with a pint of warm water ; then work them together till a thick batter is made. Scatter a handful of flour over this batter, lay a warm towel over the whole, set it in a warm place to rise. This is called the sponge. When the sponge has risen so as to crack the flour on the top, which will take from three to five hours, scatter over it two table- spoonfuls of fine salt ; add, in small quantities at a time, about two quarts of warm milk or water ; knead the whole thoroughly, adding flour enough to make a soft dough ; then shape it into a round mass, and set it in a warm place ; when light, mould into loaves, and, when these are light, bake from thirty to sixty minutes ac- cording to the size. Barley Bread. — This is very popular in Scotland, Norway and all countries where wheat will not grow, but is seldom made in this country. It is wholesome, however, and nutritious, and very palatable when eaten warm with butter. Use no yeast ; but mix the barley-meal with warm water and a little salt to the consistency of a stiff dough. Bake in flat cakes either in the oven or before the fire. Boston Bro-wn Bread. — Take : Home-made yeast, iteacupful; flour, 3 teacupfuls; potatoes, 6 ; water, i qt ; lard, 2 tablespoonfuls : brown sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls; Indian meal, 2 qts ; rye flour, i qt ; soda, I teaspoonful ; salt, i table- spoonful. Make a sponge with one teacupful of yeast, six potatoes mashed fine with three cups of flour, one quart of warm water ; two table- spoonfuls of lard, and two tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Set to rise over night or for five or six hours. When light, sift into the bread-tray two quarts of Indian meal ; one quart of rye flour ; and one tablespoonful each of soda or saleratus and salt ; mix this up very soft with the risen sponge, adding warm water, if needed, and work in gradually half a teacupful of molasses, Knead well 44 BREAD and set to rise six or seven hours. Then work over again, divide into loaves, and set to rise again for one hour. Then bake four hours in a moderately heated oven. Brown Bread. —7>7/f-c.- Indian meal, I qt ; rye flour, i qt ; water, i pt ; home-made yeast, I teacupful ; salt, to taste. Take a quart of Indian meal, scald it with a pint of hot water, and when it becomes luke- warm, stir into it a quart of rye flour, a teacup- ful of yeast, the usual quantity of salt: and enough tepid water to make a rather stiff dough, set to rise as with other bread, and bake in two loaves an hour and a half. Corn ^vea.&.—Take : Indian meal, i qt. ; boiling water, i qt ; yeast, I teacupful ; salt. Mix a quart of Indian meal with a little cold water ; stir it into a quart of boiling water and let it boil an hour ; stir in a little salt, take it from the fire ; let it stand till luke-warm, then stir in half a teacupful of yeast and enough Indian meal to make it of the consistency of dough. Set to rise several hours, and when light, bake in two loaves an hour and a half. Graham Bread.— Take: Graham flour, 3 qts. ; warm water, i qt. ; home-made yeast, i gill ; sy"P' ' gi'I ; salt, I tablespoonful ; soda, i even teaspoonful. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, put it in well-buttered pans and leave it in a warm place to rise ; or let it rise slowly over night in the bowl in which it was mixed, and, unless very light in the morning, let it stand fifteen or twenty minutes in the pans before putting it in the oven. Bake about an hour and a half. H- — Thin a pint of light bread sponge with a pint of warm water ; add two tablespoonfuls of molasses, a teaspoonful of salt, and sufficient Graham flour to make a batter that can be stirred with a spoon ; put it in well-buttered pans, and when light, bake. A part of this may be baked in gem-pans for breakfast or tea. If wanted for tea and the bread is light in the morning, keep it in a cold place until half an hour before the time for baking. Indian Pone. — Take:-\x\A\2j\ meal, i qt ; lard, I tablespoonful; salt, i teaspoonful; water or milk. Take one quart of Indian meal ; mix it with enough hot water to make a moderately stiff dough, work in a tablespoonful of lard, and a teaspoonful of salt ; mould into thick oblong loaves (or pones), rounded on top ; and bake in a rather quick oven till brown. Eat hot with | butter. Milk instead of water is an improve- ment. Oatmeal Bread. — This is seldom made in this country, but it is very wholesome and not un- palatable. Make as directed for barley bread. When made thick, this bread in Scotland is called bannock ; the term cakes is applied to the thin loaves, which are first baked upon a hot plate or griddle till they are stiff enough to stand upon their edges, and then toasted on the hearth before the fire till they are crisp. In farm- houses they bake a considerable quantity at once, and keep them on a rack fixed to the ceiling to be eaten when needed. They may be kept a long time if the room is dry. Potato Bread. — Take .-Potatoes ; flour ; yeast ; lukewarm water. Boil good mealy potatoes soft, then peel and mash them fine. Sift flour upon them in the proportion of two-thirds of flour to one- third of potatoes ; add the yeast, and enough lukewarm water to bring the whole to the con- sistency of dough. Knead well. This bread will rise more quickly than common wheat bread, and it should be baked as soon as risen, for it turns sour very soon. Pumpkin Bread. — Take .-Pumpkin ; yeast; Indian meal ; salt. Take a ripe pumpkin, stew and strain ; add yeast, Indian meal enough to stiffen it, and a little salt ; set to rise, and bake in the usual way. This makes excellent bread. Rice Bread. — Take : Rice, i pt ; rice flour or wheat flour, 2 qts ; home made yeast, half a teacupful ; salt i teaspoonful ; milk. Boil a pint of rice till soft, and mix it with two quarts of rice flour or wheat flour. When cool add half a teacupful of yeast, a teaspoon- ful of salt, and enough milk to make a soft dough. When it has risen, bake in small but- tered pans. n. Take .--Rice flour, 3 pts ; wheat flour ; milk and water ; yeast, |■ L^j^y^ (Potatoes a la Printaniere. ) I Chicken croquettes. \ Clos I Canned sti ing beans {Haricots verts). ) Vougeot. Sorbet au kirchwasser. {Roast saddle of Southdovm mutton,) sauce soubise. \ Sautern^ ( Turnips au veloute. ) i Broiled quails aux croutons. Endive with plain dressing. (Cream, in mould of swan and cygnets.) J Macaroons, bonbons, chocolate wafers. \ Sherry. (Fruits, and nuts. J Vienna coffee (coffee with whipped cream piled on it). BREAM. — The variegated bream or dace, the only species known here, abounds in fresh inland waters from New England to Texas. It is a small, flat, perch-shaped fish, variously Bream. colored, and rarely over six inches in length. It is not very highly esteemed for eating purposes ; but is, nevertheless, sweet and daintily flavored, and makes an excellent dish fried. Bream may be found in the markets during the winter months. Prepared and cook- ed like mackerel. BREWING. — The process by which ale and beer are made. All malt liquors are manufac- tured from malt, which is usually produced from the parched grain of the germinating barley ; though it can be made from wheat and other seeds, and in fact from any substance contain- ing sugar. The first step in the process of brewing is to select barley with full, round, heavy and sweet grains, of uniform quality, and not a mixture of different crops. This grain is first steeped in cold water for a period of not less than forty hours, in order that it may soak up the utmost possible quantity of water ; if the water during this time exhibits any signs of fermentation it must be drawn off and replaced with cold water. After the steep- ing it is spread upon the floor of the malt house to a depth of about sixteen inches, which is called the couch. It is allowed to remain in this situation for twenty-six hours ; it is then turned by wooden shovels, and the depth of the couch is somewhat diminished. This pro- cess is repeated twice a day or oftener, and the depth of the barley is gradually diminished. In this state the barley absorbs oxygen from the air, and gives out carbonic acid, the tem- perature of the barley in the meantime being greatly increased, so that it shows a heat ten degrees above that of the surrounding atmos- phere. At the time this part of the process is going on, the barley gives out an agreeable odor, like that of apples, and becomes covered with moisture. The appearance of this mois- ture is called sweating. The interior of the grain by this time has undergone considerable change, its color has become whiter, and from being firm and dense it has become loose and crumbles to powder between the fingers. It is now taken to the kiln, and exposed to a heat of 90°, which is gradually increased to 140° or even higher. The tiny rootlets which had begun to sprout forth are then cleared away, and the grain has become ?nalt. Brewers use three kinds of malt, which are known as pale or amber malt, brown or plain malt, and roasted or black malt. The first only is fermentable, the second is employed to give flavor to beer, and the last is used as a coloring matter to BRICK BRIGHT'S DISEASE 47 give the dark color to porters and stouts. The two last malts are made by carrying the roasting process so far as to destroy the sugar ; whilst in the black malt it is charred by the heat to which it is exposed. After tlie malt has been prepared the brew- ing process proper is commenced, and this also consists of several distinct operations. The first is to grind the malt, and this is done either by millstones or iron rollers. The grist thus produced has now to be masheJ. For this purpose the malt is put into a mash-tub, and then hot water is let in upon it and run off by taps from the bottom of the tub. Successive quantities of hot water are in the same manner run through the malt, and the worts thus obtained are mi.\ed together and introduced into a large copper. The hops are then added and the liquor is boiled ; after boiling it is strained from the hops and let into vessels to cool. When brought down to the proper temperature, the liquor is passed into the fermenting tub. There a quantity of yeast is added, and when the fermentation has brought the quantity of sugar down to a certain point, the yeast is cleaned away ; this process is called cleaning. The beer is now run into vats or casks, which is called racking. It is still, however, thick and muddy, and a solution of gelatine or isinglass is added for the purpose oifining it. The beer is then bunged up, and is ready for use at various periods. Beer can be made to vary greatly in its quality according to the way in which this process of brewing has been carried on. Of course the stronger the wort, the more sugar and the more alcohol as the result of fermentation ; but the fermen- tation may be carried up to various points. By stopping it before the latter stage, the sweet ales are made, which become stronger by keeping. If the fermentation is not arrested but carried on till the sugar is exhausted, and a large quantity of hops is added, the pale bitter ales are produced. BRICK. — A building material made of clay in rectangular blocks, and baked in the sun or by fire. When they are well made, and properly burned, there ij no substance for building purposes equal to bricks in durability. All clays consist of two kinds of earth, alumina and silica, and when kneaded with water form a paste that is plastic or capable of being moulded into any form. In many parts of the country, good brick earth exists in a natural state, but frequently there is either too much or too little sand, and this has to be rectified either by adding " fat " or sticky clay or sand. The common process of brick-making is as follows : Brick earth, consisting of a clayey loam, is usually dug in September and exposed in heaps of a few feet in height to the action of the frost during the winter, which pulverizes and tempers it. The small stones are then separated by grinding it in water and running it through a grating. It is then mixed with water to the consistency of cream, and after standing till it has acquired a sufiicient past- iness, it is tempered by being run through a pug-mill, when it is ready to be moulded. Before the invention of the pug-mill, the mortar was thrown into a shallow pit in which it was trodden out by the feet of men and oxen. As the clay comes out of the pug-mill it is taken to the moulder's bench and separated into small pieces. Each of these pieces is then placed into the mould, pressed flat, and the top scraped off with a flat stick. The newly moulded bricks are then carried in a wheelbarrow to a place where, arranged on each other diagonally, with spaces between, they are dried in the air suffi- ciently to bear removal, and are then ready for burning. Should the weather be fine, a few days will suffice for this drying. In baking bricks they are arranged either in kihis or clamps. The former are permanent ovens on an im- mense scale, and are commonly used in England ; the open method of arranging the bricks so that they form their own ovens is the plan almost universally adopted in this country. The top and sides of these kilns or clamps are built of bricks that have been baked, and flues for the heat are carried through every part of the pile. From 20,000 to 1,000,000 bricks are baked in one kiln, and the average time for bak- ing is eight days. In purchasing bricks care should be taken to select those which have been well burned, and which look smooth and solid. If the baking has been imperfectly done, or the pro- portion of sand in the clay was too great, the bricks will crumble to pieces when exposed to the weather. A good test when hard bricks are desired, is to soak a piece in water ; if the baking has been thorough it will not dissolve into mud. BRIGHT'S DISEASE.— A term applied to a number of different affections of the kidneys, so called because they were first described by Dr. Bright. The causes of kidney diseases are any which cause congestion of the kidneys — in- dulgence in strong drink, exposure to wet and cold, scarlet fever, fever and ague or similar dis- eases, and pregnancy. The symptoms of Bright's disease depend upon whether the patient suf- fers from the acute or chronic form. In acute cases there are pains in the back and loins, at first slight and occasional, but gradually dull, heavy, and settled, accompanied with restless- ness and fever, and the usual functional disor- ders in other organs ; loss of appetite, vomiting and sometimes purging, and diminution or entire suppression of the urine. These symp- toms are succeeded by swelling of the face and extremities, and in extreme cases by gen- eral dropsy. Should the above symptoms fail to point out the disease, heat applied to the urine will at once indicate its character, as there is in Bright's disease always more or less al- bumen in the urine which solidifies on the application of heat. The symptoms other than those furnished by boiling the urine, unless dropsy exists, are as a rule so obscure in chronic cases as rarely to be recognized except 48 BRINE BROCCOLI by a practiced physician. Acute cases of Briglit's disease usually recover under suitable treatment. Chronic cases are indeed incurable, but with careful attention to the healtli, and judicious professional care and advice, life is often prolonged for many years. Medical aid must be had in all cases. BRINIi. — The solution of salt and saltpetre usually made use of in preserving meats. An excellent brine maybe made by mixing a pound and a half of sugar or molasses and two ounces of saltpetre (or saleratus) in four gallons of water ; if it is to last only a month or two, put in six pounds of salt, if longer nine pounds. Boil all together gently, skim, and then let it cool. Put the meat in the vessels in which it is to stand, and pour the brine on till it is covered. At least once in two months the brine should be boiled and skimmed, and have two ounces of sugar and half a pound of salt added. Even then it is doubtful if brine can be kept fit for use beyond a few months' time. It acquires poisonous properties from standing long in contact with the meat, and unless the scum which rises to the surface is kept carefully skimmed off, fatal effects may result from its use. BRISKET. — That portion of the breast of beef which lies next to the ribs. It is rather coarse in grain and in ilavor, but makes excel- lent soup or broth, and is a very good piece corned or salted. {See Beef.) BRISTOL-BOARD.— A kind of stiff strong pasteboard, made smooth by glazing, and much used for boxes, and such portions of needlework as require stiffening. It is also much the best material for the cutting of patterns which are much in use. BRISTOL-BRICK.— A sort of brick used for cleaning steel and all kinds of cutlery, man- ufactured for some years exclusively in Bristol, England. A small vein of sand suitable to the purpose was found near Liverpool, but was soon exhausted. Shortly afterwards the same kind of sand used in the Bristol bricks was discovered by accident at South Hampton, N. H. ; and since that time, bricks fully equal to the imported article have been manufactured extensively in this countrj'. In using, pulver- ize and rub with a wet cloth. BRITANITIA. — A composition of tin, anti- mony, copper and brass, which has entirely su- perseded pewter and tin in the manufacture of very many articles of household use. It is not easily acted upon by acids, and is [jerfectly safe to use for cooking and table purposes. It also takes a high polish, and does not readily tarnish ; when kept very bright it has great beauty, far excelling pewter, and approaching in lustre to silver. There are vari- ous qualities of Britannia ware, arising from the introduction of lead into some kinds of it; the best is firm and silvery looking, and will not easily bend. Coffee-pots, tea-pots, and similar utensils, made of the britannia metal should not be placed on the fire, as they are liable to melt on fires at high temperatures. — Most of the silver-plated goods now in such general use have britannia for their base. BROADCLOTH. — A fine quality of woollen cloth, about twenty-nine inches wide, and very closely woven, with a short smooth nap. It is manufactured chiefly for men's outer garments, though used also for ladies' cloaks, coats, and the like, and may be had in any of the darker colors. In cutting broadcloth, shrink it first by wetting in cold water and exposing to the sun, and be careful to cut so that the nap will smooth down- wards. BROCADE. — Brocade proper is a stout silken stuff, variegated with gold and silver, raised and enriched with flowers, foliage, and other orna- ments, and was very much used for women's dress during the 17th and i8th centuries. This fashion of dress was never in good taste and did not last long, and the name was then given to rich silk stuffs which were adorned with worked flowers without gold or silver. At present the term brocade is applied to various silks, as satins, taffetas, lute-strings, and even to woollen stuffs and grosgrains, if they are ornamented with flowers or other figures. BROCATBL. — A fabric of silk or wool, or of both combined, used for upholstering; it is usu- ally of rich designs, requiring the greatest care in its wearing ; and until very lately was woven exclusively on hand looms. The French bro- catel is the best, but is very costly. BROCCOLI. — A species of cabbage very closely resembling the cauliflower, from which it diiiers by no very precise characteristic save that in most varieties the head of the broccoli is purphsh, while that of the cauli- flower is white. The broccoli is very hardy and ]Drolific, and may be raised by sowing the seed in open beds early in the spring, or in summer, or autumn, and transplanting the plants once or twice. It has a woody stem, and may be propagated by cuttings as well as by seed. To do this take a portion of the old stem containing an eye or bud, dry it well in the sun, then stick it into the garden soil, and do not water till it shows signs of growing. Plant in rows like cabbage. Broccoli is gener- ally abundant in the market from September to November. Boiled Broccoli. — Clean and wash the head well in cold water, throw into boiling water with a little salt and a little flour, and boil till tender, which will take from ten to fifteen minutes, and then drain them. Serve hot with drawn butter. Eggs (Broccoli •with). — Boil two or three heads as above ; have ready two teacupfuls of butter drawn in the usual way, and beat into it, while hot, four well whipped eggs. Lay but- tered toast on the bottom of a hot dish and place on this the largest head of broccoli whole, as a centre-piece, arrange the smaller heads quartered about this, and pour the egg- sauce over the whole. Fried Broccoli. — Prepare as above, and boil about five minutes or until half done ; then dip them in batter and fry in hot fat. BROILING BRONZE 49 Dish them in a hot dish, sprinkle salt all over them, and serve at once hot. BROILING. — For steaks, chops, and in fact all kinds of meat, broiling is in every respect a better method of cooking than frying. It produces a much more palatable and whole- some dish, and has the further recommendation of being the most expeditious and simplest mode of cooking. Broiling is simply a quicker kind of roasting, the meat being placed o^'cr instead of before the fire. In orcier to do it well the fire should be glowing hot and free from smoke, and the meat should be turned often so as to expose all sides to the heat equally; for this purpose broiling tongs should be used, and not a fork which lets out the gravy. As the surface of the meat is set firm almost immediately, the internal juices are retained, and this accounts for the great juiciness and savoriness of meat well broiled. Of all methods of cooking, broiling is the best suited and most acceptable to invalids ; and it recommends itself to small families, and those who have to do their own cooking, as affording a means of dressing a small quantity of meat hot as delicately as the largest quantity. The time required for broiling will depend on the kind of meat, and the thickness of the shces into which it has been cut; but for the ordinary steak or chop fifteen minutes will usually suf- fice. Steaks or cutlets may be quickly cooked with a sheet or two of lighted paper only, in the apparatus shown below, and called a Conjuror. Lift off the cover and lay in the meat properly seasoned, with a small slice of butter under it, and insert the lighted paper in the aperture shown in the plate ; in from A Conjuror. eight to ten minutes the meat will be done, and found to be remarkably tender, and very palatable : it must be turned and moved occa- sionally during the process. This is an especially convenient mode of cooking for persons whose hours of dining are rendered un- certain by the nature of their avocations. BROKEN BONES. {See Fractures.) BROMA. (See Chocolate.) BRONCHITIS. An inflammatory disease of the bronchial tubes or air passages between the lungs and the throat. It is rarely a serious disease except in the young, aged and Jeeble. Its treatment had, however, better be left to the medical adviser. Bronchitis, when not 4 simply a companion of some other disease, is not unfrequently brought on by cold or sudden changes in the weather ; and the symptoms are at first those of a common cold in the head, accompanied by fever, and an occasional hacking cough. The cough increases in fre- quency, pain in the chest is experienced during the act of coughing; and the patient has a feeling of weariness and oppression. If the attack is severe, all these symptoms become more intense, and moderate fever is developed. The breathing in asthmatic persons produces a kind of wheezing noise, and as the disease progresses, the mucus raised in coughing becomes thick, yellowish and viscous. The cough is then said to become loose, and a feel- ing of comfort is experienced. In the course of a few days, if the disease has been arrested, the symptoms begin to decrease in severity, the expectorated matter becomes less abundant, the pain in the chest and difficulty of respira- tion pass off, and the disease ends in conva- lescence. Treatment. — In the earlier stages of catarrh the development of bronchitis may frequently be arrested by frequent use of a gargle made by dissolving a teaspoonful of com- mon saleratus or chlorate of potash in a tumljler of water. Should this fail, and bron- chitis become developed, a mustard plaster should be applied to the chest (not strong enough to draw a blister), the feet bathed in hot water, and warm emollient drinks, such as barley water or linseed tea, administered. Ten grains of Dover's powder taken at bedtime by an adult has a marked influence in shorten- ing the disease. If the obstruction becomes great and breathing difficult, an emetic may be given, and the bowels, if constipation exists, should be kept open during the whole course of the disease by mild laxatives. The diet of the patient while the bronchitis maintains its hold upon him should be low and farinaceous. Chronic Bronchitis, which is sometimes a sequel to the acute, and sometimes a disease of old age, shows fewer marks of inflammation but more of thickening and dilatation of the air tubes ; the cough is generally loose and the expectoration abundant and easy. Chronic bronchitis unattended by asthma or dilatation of the air cells gives httle difficulty in breath- ing, and does not tend directly to destroy life. The treatment should be conducted under the direction of an intelligent physician. BRONZE. — An alloy of copper and tin, to which lead, zinc, and silver are sometimes added to give greater brilliancy to the com- pound, or to render it more fusible. The zinc is generally added in the form of brass, and sometimes brass is used instead of tin ; the compound is then nothing more than brass with a very large proportion of copper. In former times bronze was extensively employed in the manufacture of domestic utensils and articles of furniture ; it is at present used to some extent for similar purposes, but the modern improvements in casting iron, which is 50 BROOM BRUSHES a much cheaper material, have superseded the use of bronze for most purposes. The chief use to which it is put now in household art is in the manufacture of statues, vases, can- delabra, candlesticks, lamps, brackets, door knobs, and other articles of ornament. For these it is one of the richest, most manage- able, and most durable of substances ; and there are many other articles of household ornament or utility to the manufacture of which it might be advantageously apphed. Bronze requires no "cleaning" in the ordinary meaning of the word, since the dark olive color which it acquires by age and exposure is considered one of its greatest beauties. Should it become greasy or spotted, however, it may be washed in warm water with plenty of good soap and gentle rubbing. BROOM. — A family of plants embracing several species of shrubs and small trees, with leaves in threes, and yellow or purplish-white flowers. The Spanish broom is hardy and rapid in growth, and will thrive in any dry and slightly sandy soil. Propagated by cuttings. Broom. — A new broom always gives trou- ble by sowing the carpet with fine bits that break from the ends of the corn. This may be prevented by holding it, for a few minutes, im- mersed nearly up to the point where it is sew- ed, in boiling suds. The corn will not become brittle so soon with age, if the broom is kept habitually moist. Too thick a handle makes tiresome sweeping ; a painted or varnished handle should never be used. Never sweep in a sick-room; take up the dust by going over the carpet with a damp sponge. BROTH. — In English and French cookery, especially in the latter, broth or bouillon forms the basis of nearly all soups and gravies, as well as of many other dishes ; and this is one reason of their superiority to similar prepara- tions in American cookery in which water or milk is used instead. Properly speaking, broth is made only from beef with such vegetables and spices as are necessary to flavor it ; but the term is also commonly apphed to a sim- ilar preparation of mutton and veal, and of barley. Barley Broth. — Take four ounces of Scotch barley, four ounces of onions, four •ounces of oatmeal or Indian meal, and two ounces of butter. After washing the barley well, soak it in cold water for twelve hours ; then set it on the tire in two quarts of water, adding the onions and a little salt, and boil gently for an hour and a quarter. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the meal till it be- comes a paste, and then add a little of the broth gradually till it is of a proper thickness to mix with the whole quantity ; stir well to- gether till it boils, and add a dram of pounded delery seed mixed with a little broth ; simmer gently a quarter of an hour longer, and serve. Beef Broth. {See SnuPS.) Mutton or Veal Broth. — To each pound of meat add a quart of cold water, bring it gently to a boil, skim it very clean, add salt in the same proportion as for liouilloii (see Soups), with spices and vegetables also, un- less unjlavorcd broth is desired, when a few pepper-corns, a blade or two of mace, and a bunch of sweet herbs will be sufficient ; though for some purposes, even these, with the excep- tion of the salt, had better be omitted. Sim- mer the broth for about four hours, unless the quanity be very small, when from two and a half to three will be sufficient. A httle rice boiled down with the meat will both thicken the broth and render it more nutritious. Strain it off when done, and let it stand till quite cold that the fat may be entirely cleared from it ; this is especially needful when it is to be served to an invalid. BRUISES.— In slight bruises, if there is much pain, warm applications, such as a bread poultice, or flannel dipped in very hot water and frequently renewed, will usually afford re- lief. A thin slice of raw meat bound on the part is said to remove the discoloration quicker than anything else. If inflammation sets in, an application of ice will deaden the pain. An ice-bag, if the spot will support it, or cold water is most grateful. A lotion of one tea- spoonful of arnica in si.x of water is a popular remedy for relieving pain and promoting the ab- sorption of the blood poured out by the rup- tured vessels ; arnica alone is apt to prove irritating to the parts in persons possessing very sensitive skins, if used too freely. The so called " Anodyne liniment," that which can be obtained from the apothecary, is very useful in ordinary bruises of a painful charac- ter. If the contusion is severe and inflamma- tion threatens, warm bread poultices or hot flannels may be applied. The patient must be kept quiet for some days, and avoid stimula- ting food or drinks. The change of color in the injured part from black, through many degrees of shade to a dingy yellow is due to alteration in the effused blood, and is an indication of slow recovery. In those cases when the wound is very severe, medical aid must be summoned at once, and the only treatment that can be ven- tured on without such aid is to support the irk- jured part, especially during removal, and ap- ply cold water dressing and stiff bandages. When the wound is on the head, and of such severity as to stun the person injured, place the patient in a recumbent posture, incline the head slightly backward, and those who are anxious to do something may try to bring about a reaction by causing him to inhale pungent salts, harts- horn, or any strong scent. Bathe the bruise with cold water and at the same time apply mustard poultices or hot lotions to the wrists and ankles. Perfect quiet after such a contu- sion is very important, as inflammation of the brain may possibly result from i't. BRUSHES are more used than people generally realize. When practicable, it is worth while to occasionally lay in an assort- ment ffom the factory, rather than buy them piecemeal from the druggist, grocer, etc. The most costly are generally cheapest, infe- BRUSSELLS SPROUTS BUCKWHEAT 61 rior ones not only being perishable but doing no work while they last. The bristles should always be set in one solid piece of wood or bone. Supplementary pieces glued on the back tend to come off. White bristles in toilet brushes are not as stiff or durable as unbleached brown or black. A crumb-brush used a few times is not fit to come on to the table. A metal crumb-scraper is much preferable. A brush used with water should afterwards be placed where it will dry moderately fast. Water will soften it, and great heat will make bristles brittle. (6>6' CLEANING. For tooth-brushes, see TEETH.) BRUSSELS SPROUTS.— A species of the cabbage family much esteemed on the Continent and in England but not much culti- vated here. It closely resembles Savory, is very tender, and considered by epicures to be the best of all the cabbage tribe. The sprouts are best after the frost has touched them, and are in season from September to January, and are eaten as greens. They should be drained carefully after boiling (like Broccoli), and eaten hot with bechamel sauce. {See Bechamel under Sauces.) BUCCANED MEAT. — Buccaning is a method of preserving meat practised in some parts of the West Indies, and the pirates who infested those islands in the seventeenth century received their name of " Buccaneers'' from their raiding upon the settlers' flocks and curing the meat in this way. The flesh is cut in pieces of the length of the arm and salted in the usual way ; next day the pieces are laid upon a grating or hurdle, made of sticks and called a bucan, and placed at some height above the ground ; a wood fire is made below and a thick smoke produced. The meat is thus partlv roasted and partly dried as well as smoked. Large quantities are cured in this way in the hunting region of Cuba, San Do- mingo, and Jamaica, and the flavor is said to be peculiarly rich and delicious. Occasionally it is brought to this country, and the process might be tried here with advantage. BUCKRAM. — A coarse kind of linen cloth, stiffened with glue, and originally having open holes or interstices between the threads. It is used chiefly for stiffening certain portions of men's coats and ladies' dresses, and as the groundwork for worsted work and some kinds of heavy embroidery. BUCKSKIN.— The skin of the deer tanned in a peculiar manner which renders it extremely soft and pliable. Buckskin has pol- ishing powers which render it much superior to cloth, and every housewife should have at least one piece for brightening silverware and jewelry, and another for polishing finely finish- ed furniture, such as pianos, etc. Nothing equals it for cleaning windows. cutlery, looking- glasse.s, and the hke, and the choicest metallic articles that are liable to rust should be laid away in it when not in use. In buying buck- skin see that it has no hard or lumpy spots in it, as these indicate that it is imperfectly tanned and comparatively worthless in consequence. Always use it dry — buckskin is ruined generally when it has been wetted. BUCKWHEAT. — Though it is hardly en- titled to rank among the cereals, buckwheat is extensively cultivated for human food in this country and on the continent and to a much less extent in England. It can be grown on poor sandy soils if plowed in as a green crop. It grows rapidly with little cultivation ; and it is excellent food for poultry. Cows are largely fed on buckwheat bran. It increases the quantity of their milk but makes it thin. Buck- wheat contains more sugar than barley even, and is used chiefly in the United .States for making the delicious dish called buckwheat cakes. These cakes are extremely palatable, easily digested, and though they do not contain all the elements of nutrition, their deficiencies are made up by eating with them molasses, or sugar, or butter, or cream. In buying buck- wheat flour, get only small quantities at a time and keep it in a tightly covered box or tub. It is sometimes infested with little black bugs, and an examination must occasionally be made for them. Buckwrheat Cakes. — I. Tirrfc .--Buckwheat flour, I qt ; milk or water, i pt; yeast, Yz teacup- ful ; salt, I teaspoonful. Mix a quart of buckwheat flour with a pint of lukewarm milk or water, and half a tea-cup- ful of home brewed veast, or i dessertspoonful of distillery veast, and set to rise over night. In the morning add half a teaspoonful of salt and if the batter is at all sour add a teaspoon- ful of saleratus dissolved in a little milk and strained, or a teaspoonful of soda. If the batter is too thick to pour out easily, add enough warm milk or water to thin it. Make the cakes large, and fry them in just enough tat to keep them from sticking to the griddle. If a cupful or so of the batter be left in the bottom of the vessel in which it is mixed, it will serve as a yeast for the next night instead of getting fresh yeast. In cold weather this plan will answer for a week or more without setting a new supply. n. Tc^i- .--Buckwheat flour, I qt ; Indian meal, l teacupful ; yeast, yi teacupful ; mo- lasses, 2 tablespoonfuls ; salt, r teaspoonful ; milk or water. Mix one quart of buckwheat flour, a tea- cupful of Indian meal, half a teacupful of yeast; two tablespoonfuls of molasses, and one teaspoonful of salt, in enough warm water or milk to make a thin batter. Beat thor- oughly, and set to rise over night in a warm place. If the batter is at all sour in the morn- ing, stir in a teaspoonful of soda or saleratus dissolved in a little hot water. These are the best kind of buckwheat cakes. Quick Cakes. — T^/f-f .--Buckwheat flour, 3 pts; warm water l pt; soda i teaspoonful; cream tartar, i teaspoonful. Take three pints of buckwheat flour ; one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a pint of warm water; mi.x thoroughly, and then add one 52 BUDDING. and a half teaspoonfuls of cream tartar dissolved in a few spoonfuls of liot water. Stir together, adding a little warm water, and fry immediately Use salt pork to grease the griddle. BITDDING. * — Budding consists in introdu- cing the bud of one tree, with a portion of bark and a little adhering wood, beneath the bark of another, and upon the face of the newly form- ing wood. It must be performed while the stock is in a state of vigorous growth. An in- cision is made lengthwise through the bark of the stock, and a small cut at right angles at the top, the whole somewhat resembling the letter T., Fig. I. Fig. I. Fig. 2. A bud is then taken from a shoot, of the present year's growth, by shaving off the bark an inch or an inch and a half in length, with a small part of the wood directly beneath the bud. Fig. 2. The edges of the bark, at the incision in the stock, are then raised a little, Fig. 3, and the bud pushed downwards under the bark. Fig. 4. Fig. 3. Fig. 4. A bandage of bass, corn husk, or other sub- stance, is wrapped round, covering all parts but the bud. The pressure should be just sufficient to keep the inserted portion closely to the stock, * The directions in this article on budding are selected from '* The American Fruit Cutturisi,^^ an excellent and compre* hensive work by John J. Thomas, published by Wm. Wood & Co., New York. but not such as to bruise or crush the bark. Fig. S- The shoots containing the buds should be cut when so mature as to be firm and hard in te.xture ; they are usually in the best condition after the terminal bud has formed. To prevent withering, the leaves must be immediately cut off, as they withdraw and exhale rapidly' the moisture from the shoot. About one- quarter of an inch of the foot- stalks of the leaves should re- main, to serve as handles to the buds while inserting them. Fig. 5- Fig. 6. After being thus divested of leaves, they may be safely kept and be sent hundreds of miles in damp moss, or enclosed separately in thin oil cloth. Fig. 6. When, by growth of the stock, the bandage cuts into it, usually in ten days or more, it ' must be removed. The bud remains dormant till the following spring, when the stock is cut off two inches or more above it, before the swelling of the bud. If cut closer, the end of the stock becomes too dry, and the bud often perishes. All other buds must be then remov- ed, and all the vigor of the stock or branch thrown into the remaining bud, which immedi- ately commences a rapid growth. To secure a straight and erect tree, the new shoot when a few inches long, is tied to the remaining stump of the stock. Fig. 7. BUFFALO BULBS 53 By another month, if the operation be well performed, no further support will be needed, and the stump may be wholly cut away and the wound allowed to heal by the rapid formation of new wood. See Grafting. BUFFALO. — The meat of the buffalo rank,s very his'h a.s food, but as it can be obtained only by hunting the buffalo on the plains of the far West, it is not often found in the Eastern markets. In the Western markets it appears more frequently, and durin!timony,hy water in abundance. BURNING FLUID.— A mixture of oil of turpentine and alcohol for illuminating pur- poses. Its simplicity, cleanliness, and great 56 BURNOUS BUTTER brilliancy of light have made it very popular when gas is not to be had ; but owing to the large proportion of expensive alcohol which must be used in making it, it is a very costly illumination, and the great danger wliich at- tends its use should banish it from the house- hold. Both alcohol and oil of turpentine are very volatile ; that is, when exposed to the air or not confined, they rapidly evaporate or rise into the gaseous state. The vapor thus thrown off is not only inflammable but explosive ; and being generated also inside the reservoir of the lamp while burning, the lamp itself is liable to explode at any time. The only lamp in which burning fiiiid may be used with safety is New- eWs lamp, made especially for this purpose on the principle of Davy's safety lamp, and mount- ed with fine wire gauze. Even then the can for holding the fluid should have a sheet of the gauze inserted under the lid, and another fixed in the spout. BURNOUS. — The burnous or Arab cloak is made by taking 3 yds. of yard-wide material, folding it in halves for the middle of the back (Fig. 2), fastening it at b for the back of the neck, from which point the curved line b a indicates the cutting out ; this is longer than is needful to meet around the neck, because Fig. I Burnous tnade up. the cloak is designed to fold loosely across the breast. The extra fulness in the back will then drape itself into a very long graceful hood, which requires a heavy tassel at d, (Fig. 2.) and may be sewed up from d to b, or left open and lined with silk. In Fig. i, the burnous is represented with a hood which can be drawn over the head ; this is made by cutting the cloak and hood apart following a diagonal AliddU of the back. ■a -a, I ««1 Middle of tile front. Fig. 2. from b to c, (Fig. 2.) The cloak has then a seam in -the back, and the hood is shaped according to taste. BUSH-BEAN. — The common low, garden- bean, growing on small bushes, and sometimes called kidney bean. For cultivation (see Bean). In cooking, shell into cold water and boil until tender. A small piece of fat bacon boiled with them is an improvement to them ; if this is used do not add any salt. BUTTER. — Butter is the oil of milk sep- arated by the process called "churning." It is the most popular and delicate of the class of animal fats, and its dietetic properties are nearly the same as those of vegetable oils, though it becomes rancid sooner than most other fats or oils. When fresh and pure it is very whole- some ; but it should be quite free from rancidity. If salted when quite fresh its wholesomeness is probably not at all impaired thereby ; but should it begin to turn rancid no amount of salting can correct it. The flavor of butter de- pends very much upon the food of the cows from which it is produced ; and for this reason cows whose milk is to be used for making but- ter should have liberal pasturage, and if fed should be given only simple, pure, and nutri- tious food. Good butter will not adhere to the knife when it is cut. The greatest fault of American butter is that it is too much salted — it has been estimated that every ten pounds of butter sold in the United States contains one pound of salt, or more than three times BUTTERCUP BUTTERMILK 57 what the average would be in England. It is also adulterated with mutton fat, lard, and the vegetable butters. All these, however, are harder than butter, and cannot be perfectly mixed with it, so that it is not very difficult to detect their presence by close examination. All butter bought at the stores should be worked over thoroughly before using, not only to purify it, but to preserve its freshness. To Make. — Butter is made either with the cream alone or with the milk and cream togeth- er ; the former plan is said to produce the best butter, and the latter the largest quantity. In both cases the process is pretty much the same, though the churning of cream alone is the method usually adopted in this country, and the cream should be sour before it is taken from the milk. The first requisite in the making of good butter is perfect cleanliness in all the utensils con- nected with the operation. All strongly-flavored substances must be kept from the neighborhood of the milk, the pans should be scalded just be- fore the milk is put into them, the cream should be kept in a stone jar or crock, and the churn should be scalded before using and then cooled with ice or spring water. In hot weather it is important to keep the milk, cream, and butter as cool as possible ; for this purpose those who have no ice-house or very cool milk-room should hang the cream down the well. In winter the temperature of the cream before the churning begins should be about 60° and the churn should be scalded, so as not to cool the cream. Any warming of the cream before churning should be very gradual. When the cream or milk is ready, churn steadily until the butter- flakes begin to show around the dasher on the top of the churn, then move slowly. The mo- tion should always be steady and regular, otherwise the butter is longer in coming. In warm weather, if the butter is slow in coming, pour a little cold water into the churn. When the butter has come, take it up on the dasher and put it into a wooden bowl or tray containing very cold water ; then pour off the cold water, squeezing and pressing the butter with a wooden ladle. Set the butter away in a cool place to harden, and then work it over and over until every drop of buttermilk has been extracted and the butter is yellow and solid ; throughout the process use the wooden ladle and do not touch the butter with the hands. When the buttermilk is all worked out it is time to add the salt ; on this no precise direction can be given as tastes differ so much ; a good plan is to notice the proportions which are most agreea- ble, and thereafter go by this measure. Mould the butter into rolls or " pats " of the desired size ; wrap each in a perfectly clean linen cloth ; and pack in a stone jar, sprinkling a little salt between the layers. Butter packed thus will keep sweet and fresh for several weeks. To Preserve. — If butter is to be kept a long time it should be worked with especial care and packed down hard in a perfectly clean stone jar or firkin ; if the firkin is used, it should be thoroughly seasoned and the bottom covered with salt and the sides rubbed with it. The butter may now be covered with a strong brine ; but a better way is to press a fine linen cloth closely to the surface, and cover this with a layer of fine salt, and a closely-fitting lid. When butter is taken out, the cloth and lid should be carefully replaced ; it is best to take out enough to last a week as it spoils the butter to let air in upon it every day. Butter may be kept for a year or more by mixing into it a preparation made of two parts of fine salt, one of sugar, and one of saltpetre, in the proportion of one ounce of the mixture to a pound of butter. Pack away so as to entirely exclude the air. Butter may be preserved without salt by mixing honey with it in the proportion of an ounce to a pound of butter. This has an agreeable taste, will keep for years, and might be useful on long journeys ; but as the portion of honey is considerable it might not agree with some constitutions. To Restore.^ — Rancid butter may be restored thus : Put fifteen drops of chloride of lime to a pint of cold water, and work the butter in it till every particle has come in contact with the water ; then work it over in pure cold water. BUTTER (Drawn). {See Butter under Sauces.) BUTTERMILK. — This is the residue of the milk and cream after the butter has been made, and contains about two-thirds of the whole original weight. When quite fresh it differs from whole milk chiefly in the absence of the butter or oily part; but it retains the sugar, caseine, and salts of milk. It is very nourish- ing, and being easier of digestion than whole milk, it is sometimes recommended for invalids ; and as it is extremely cooling, it forms a useful and pleasant beverage in warm weather. When kept for a day or two buttermilk acquires an acidity ; but the acid of buttermilk does not in- crease the acidity of the stomach, or cause flatulence, as vegetable acids commonly do, and it may therefore be safely used by dyspeptics. In this state it is refrigerant, and should not be drunk while the body is unusually warm. Where cream alone has been churned the but- termilk is particularly rich and agreeable. But- termilk cannot always be procured in the cities, but it is easily made in small quantities by shaking sour cream in a bottle, or beating it in a crock until " the butter comes." Do not keep buttermilk in glazed stoneware. FleetiiigB (Buttermilk.) — When butter- milk is added to boiling whey, and the two are well mixed, a soft curd is thrown down, which is excellent when eaten either hot or cold with bread. Thickened ButtermUk.— If buttermilk be put into a linen bag and all the whey strained off, what remains is then much thicker, and, eaten with sugar and cream, is excellent. ■Whey (Buttermilk.) — This is a nice drink for the sick. Put one quart of buttermilk in a pan on the fire ; when it boils up beat up the 58 BUTCHER-MEAT CABBAGE yolk of an egg and stir in ; add a half teacup- ful of cream or a tablespoonful of butter. Then beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth and stir it in. Sweeten to taste, and add spice if liked. BUTCHER-MEAT.— Each of the different kinds of animals slaughtered for human food is cut up differently in the shambles, and the various joints of each are called by different names ; it would not be easy, therefore, to treat them all under one head. For full details as to joints, etc., see separate subjects, as Beef, Mutton, Pork, Veal. BUTTERNUTS. — A species of the walnut, resembling, when young, the common black walnut, but longer and smaller. In the Eastern States they are known as oil-nuts, and in Ohio and neighboring States as ivhite wainuts. When ripe, butternuts are of an oval shape, not quite so large or rough as the black walnut, and are of a different flavor, with an agreeable taste, and rich in oil. When green and soft they are e.vcellent for pickling. They ripen in September. BUTTON-HOLES.— For cutting button- holes there is a special kind of scissors, made for the purpose, which are much better than the ordinary kind; it is best not to cut the hole to full size at first, but to lengthen it if it prove too small on trial. For broadcloth, cut the buttonhole with a chisel, on a board. The best stitch is made by turning the thread round the needle before it has been drawn entirely through ; this is better than to draw the needle through and then take up the loop. A stay thread should first be put along each side of the buttonhole, and a bar (or cross thread) at each end before working it ; in working the buttonhole keep the stay thread as far from the edge as possible. A small bar should be worked at each end to add to its durabihty. c CABBAG-E. — Properly speaking the cabbage embraces a very numerous tribe of vegetables used as food, such as the different kind of Kales, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, water-cress, etc!; but we shall restrict the name here to the common cabbage {Bras- sica). Even of this there are so many varieties that one or other is procurable at nearly every season of the year. In his book on Foods, Dr. Smith says that the cabbage " represents the least nutritious class of vegetable foods, and is perhaps less valuable for its direct nu- tritive elements than for its indirect and me- dicinal saline juices ; " but it is nevertheless a most agreeable and useful adjunct in its season. The young cabbages appear in the Southern markets in May or June, and are brought thence to the North ; the season in the Northern markets begins in July, and lasts till cold weather. When frost comes if the heads be cut off and put into a cellar, or buried under ground, they may be kept the entire winter. If left exposed, cabbages putrify very quickly, and in decomposing give out a very offensive odor, owing, it is supposed, to their containing a small portion of nitrogen in addition to the usual constituents of vegetables. Decayed cabbage leaves should therefore never be al- lowed to lie in the vicinity of dwellings ; and the water in which cabbage has been boiled should not be suffered to stand, but passed off at once into the drains. Care must be taken i to have cabbage thoroughly cooked, or it will derange the stomach and cause flatulence. To raise cabbage requires a deep and moderately rich garden soil. In order to have a regular succession, the seed should be sown at differ- ent times, from the beginning of spring till the autumn ; the early sown will run to seed the same year, the later sown will produce larger and firm- er heads and will not go to seed till the next season. Cabbage should be started first in a seed-bed ; when they are intended for early produce, they should be planted in the fall and protected by glass frames. In this manner strong plants may be had early in the spring, which, planted out in April, will produce fine cabbage in July or August. Set out in rows l8 inches apart, and the plants two feet from each other. Those which are raised on a large scale should be sown in a seed-bed in March, and planted where they are to remain in June. When they are picked out from the seed-bed very young, and allowed to grow to a good size in a piece of ground j^repared for that purpose, before being finally transplanted to the field, the success is more certain, and will repay the additional trouble. These come to perfection in the autumn, and may be cut as they are w-anted. Some kinds are so hardy that they will stand the severest frosts and remain cov- ered with snow for a considerable time with- out damage ; but the better sort for table pur- poses should be cut and packed away in the cellar, or buried underground, when cold weather comes on. Cabbages are subject to a peculiar disease called dubbing when planted repeatedly in the same ground ; the bottom of the stem enlarges and the heads never come to perfection. The only remedy for this disease is to change the cultivation, and for a time to plant no cabbage on the ground which pro- duced the clubbed plants. Boiled Cabbage. — Pick off the outer leaves, cut in quarters, and examine carefully for in- sects. Soak for an hour in cold water ; then put into a pot with plenty of boiling water, a teaspoonful of salt, and a level saltspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, which destroys the oil of cabbage. Allow it to boil twenty minutes, free it from the water, serve it with butter sauce, bechamel, allemande, or fines herbes sauce. CABBAGE ROSE CAKE 59 Boiled, with Bacon. — Proceed as described on the preceding page ; allow thie cabbage to boil ten minutes ; finish cooking it in the broth which the bacon made in cook- ing ; be careful to preserve its shape as much as possible while draining it from the pot ; dish it, lay the bacon on in slices, and serve. Fried Cabbage. — Take cold boiled cabbage, cut it up fine, add a little melted butter and salt and pepper to taste, with three or four tablespoonfuls of cream. Put it into a buttered frying-pan and stir until it is very hot ; then let it stand long enough to brown slighly at the bottom. Turn out into a dish, and serve hot. Piclilea Cabbage. — Cook as above, but not too much ; take it off as soon as it is done, and drain thoroughly ; drop it immediately into cold water and drain again. When dry, put it into jars and cover with boiling vinegar; season with rock salt, pepper, pepper-corns, and cloves. When perfectly cold, seal the jars up air tight, and set away in a cool, dry closet. Salad (Cabbage). — Choose a hard clean head of red cabbage, peel off the outer leaves, and cut it in four pieces. Then with a sharp knife cut across the grain in as thin slices as possi- ble ; put it into a crockery dish, cover with vinegar, sprinkle salt and pepper over it, and leave to stand several hours. Then throw away the vinegar, and dress with oil and vine- gar. {See Sour Krout.) Steived Cabbage. — Boil a large head of cabbage, drain, and cut it up very fine. Put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a sauce-pan on the fire, and when it has melted put in the cab- bage and stir for five minutes ; add salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of flour ; wet with a pint of broth and stew until the sauce is reduced. Serve hot. CABBAGE ROSE. A species of rose having a thick compacted flower with petals ar- ranged like the leaves of a cabbage. It is hardy, and very pretty. Its culture is like that of other hardy roses. {See Rose.) CACTUS. — The families of the cactus are numerous, and each has a great number of species. Those chiefly grown for parlor and garden plants come under the families of Cereus and Epiphyllum. Both should be plant- ed in pots with a soil consisting of two parts peat, one part broken potsherds, one part loam or old mortar rubbish, and one part manure ; mi.x these well together and see that the drainage is good. During the summer the plants should stand out of doors, in a sheltered place. In September remove to the house, all parts of the shoots having no bloom buds (which may easily be seen along the leaves) being first cut back to just beyond the buds. It is better to confine the plant to six or eight strong stems, and while these are in good health the growth of shoots from the root is not to be encouraged. Give the plants no water from September to February ; while in growth in summer, water moderately. The cactus blooms from May to August. The difference between the Cereus and the Epiphyllum is that the shoots of the latter have flat shoots and leaves without spines, while in the former the shoots are round and the leaves prickly. The best varie- ties of the Cereus are : C. Speciosissimus, crim- son and purple flowers (this is the best for general cultivation); C. Grandijlorus, flowers yellowish white (this is the "night-blooming cereus"); C Maynatdi, deep orange red flowers ; and C. Triangularis, immense cream- colored flowers. The best varieties of the Epiphyllum a.re: E. A iefiuanui, fine scarlet flowers ; E. Speciosmu, rosy pink flower ; E. A latum, white flowers: and E. Trincatum, and its varieties, with white, red, scarlet, rosy, and violet flowers. CAFh AIT LAIT.— Coffee and milk, for breakfast. Strain the coffee, while hot, off the grounds through a piece of fine muslin, into the coffee-pot ; add an equal quantity of boiling milk that has been boiled down one-half. Serve like plain coffee, with sugar. CAKB. — It is absolutely essential to the making of good cake that the materials should be good ; the flour must be white and dry, and carefully sifted before using ; the sugar white and free from lumps ; the eggs above suspicion ; the butter sweet and fresh ; and the milk whole or unskimmed. It is hardly less important that the measuring and weighing should be accurate throughout ; and that each step in the process of mixing should be rightly taken. Modem Cake Mould. The flour, as we have said, should be sifted before measuring, and if damp dried thoroughly. The eggs should be beaten separately, — the whites in a cool room till they are solid enough to slice. The milk may be used either sour or sweet, but the two must never be mixed ; sour milk makes spongy cake, sweet makes it more solid. Saleratus and soda should be thorouglily dissolved in hot water and strained before they are stirred into cake. Currants should be carefully rinsed, rubbed in a dry cloth to get out the stems, and then spread on platters and dried, before being used. Almonds should be blanched, by pouring boiling water CO CAKE on them ; drain and repeat the process and they will readily pop from the skin ; when blanched, dry and then pound them fine with a few drops of milk, to prevent their oiling. All kinds of cake that are made without yeast are better for being stirred till just before they are baked. When ready to mix, stir the butter to a cream, then add the sugar, and stir till white ; next beat the yolks of the eggs, strain them and add them to the sugar and butter ; meantime another per- son should beat the whites to a stiff froth and put them in; then add the spices and flour, and last of all the fruit, if any be used. Earthen- ware is best to mix in, and a wooden spoon should be used. Butter the cake-pans well ; the cake will be less liable to burn if the pans are lined with white buttered paper. The oven should be "quick" but not furiously hot; if it be slow the cake will not rise properly. The cake must not, while baking, be moved, or changed from one oven to another, and if it browns too rapidly on top, cover it over with a piece of white buttered paper. To find out when it is baked enough, half open the oven door, and try the centre of the loaf with a clean broom-straw. If the cake is baked the straw will come out dry, if not, a little of tlie batter will adhere to it, in which case the door of the oven must be closed immediately, or the cake will fall. Cake that is to be frosted should be cooked in pans with sides perpendicular, in- stead of slanting. It should be iced as soon as taken from the oven, to ensure its drying quickly and smoothly. As soon as the cake is cool, wrap it in a thick white cloth, and keep it in a covered earthen jar or tight tin box. Do not cut more at a time than is likely to be used. ( See Crullers, Doughnuts, Mac- CAROONS). Almoud Cake. — 7(Z/ti? .--Sugar, i lb ; butter, % lb ; flour, I lb ; eggs, 8 ; almonds, i coffee- cupful ; essence of bitter almonds, Yx teaspoon- ful ; brandy, i wineglassful. Stir one pound of powdered sugar and a quar- ter of a pound of butter to a cream ; beat up the eight eggs, the whites and yolks separately, and add the yolks to the butter and sugar ; stir to- gether very thoroughly, and then put in one pound of flour ; add a coffeecupful of sweet almonds blanched, and beat to a smooth paste, with half a teaspoonful of essence of bitter almonds ; along with the almonds stir in the whites of the eggs ; finally add a wineglass of brandy. Bake in a quick oven, and frost it as soon as it is done. Season the icing with rose- water. Almond Cheese Cake. — TTz/E-^. -Milk, i pt; eggs, 6; white sugar, 6 oz ; sweet almonds, Yz lb ; butter, % lb ; wine, Yz wineglassful ; rose- water, I teaspoonful. Boil a pint of new milk ; beat three eggs and stir them into the milk, while it is boiling. When it boils up, take it from the fire, add half a wineglass of wine (any cooking wine) ; sepa- rate the curd from the whey, and add to the curd three eggs and six ounces of powdered white sugar that have previously been beaten together; add a teaspoonful of rose-water, half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and pounded fine, and a quarter of a pound of melt- ed butter. Mix well together, and pour it into small pans that have been lined with pastry; ornament the top with Zante currants and al- monds cut in thin slices, and bake immediately in a rather quick oven. Bannock, or Indian Meal Cake. — Take :- Brown sugar, \Y lbs ; butter, I lb ; eggs, 6 ; cinnamon or ginger, i teaspoonful; Indian meal, i % lbs ; flour, Y lb. Stir a pound of butter and a pound and a quarter of brown sugar to a cream , beat six eggs, and mix them with the sugar and butter; add a teaspoonful of cinnamon or ginger; stir in a pound and a quarter of white Indian meal (sifted), and a quarter of a pound of wheat flour. Mix thoroughly, and bake in small cups, and let it remain in them till cold. Ber^vick Sponge Cake.— Tii;^^ .--Flour, 4 teacupfuls ; eggs, 6; powdered sugar, 3 teacup- fuls ; cream-tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls ; soda, 1 tea- spoonful ; cold water, i cupful ; lemon, the rind and juice of Yi- Beat six eggs two minutes ; add three cups of powdered sugar, beat six minutes ; two cups of flour with two teaspoonfuls of cream- tartar, beat one minute ; one cup of cold water with a teaspoonful of soda, beat one minute ; half the grated rind and juice of a lemon, two more cupfuls of flour and a small pinch of salt ; stir gently ; bake twenty minutes. Black Cake. • — Tahf^ .--Flour { browned), I lb ; brown sugar, r lb ; butter, a little more than I lb; eggs, 10; seeded raisins, 3 lbs; Zante cur- rants, 3 lbs ; citron, I lb ; wine, brandy, and milk, I wineglassful of each ; molasses, i table- spoonful ; saleratus, i teaspoonful ; cinnamon, I tablespoonful ; cloves, I teaspoonful ; mace, I tablespoonful, or i nutmeg. Take one pound of flour, brown it in a pan over the fire, stirring constantly, and let it cool before using ; one pound of brown sugar ; a lit- tle more than a pound of butter; ten eggs ; three pounds of seeded raisins ; three pounds of Zante currants ; one pound of citron ; a wineglass of wine, one of brandy, and one of milk ; a tea- spoonful of saleratus ; a tablespoonful of mo- lasses -, a tablespoonful of cinnamon ; a tea- spoonful of cloves ; and I tablespoonful of mace, or one nutmeg. Stir the sugar and butter together ; beat the eggs to a froth, and stir them in ; then add the flour, stirring it in gradually ; after this the molasses and spice. Dissolve the saleratus in the milk, strain it, and mix with the brandy and wine to curdle them ; stir the whole into the cake. Just be- fore putting the cake into the pans, stir in the fruit gradually, a handful of each alternately. When well mixed together, put the mixture into cake pans, and bake immediately in a mod- erately hot oven. If baked in three loaves it will take from one to two hours. Black cake should be kept three or four weeks before it is cut. Cara-way Cakes. — Take .--Flour, 2 qts ; white sugar, l qt ; butter, i teacupful ; caraway CAKE 61 seeds, y^ gill ; essence of lemon, I teaspoonful ; milk, to malZ/J(? .--.Sugar, i( lb; butter, Yi lb ; eggs, 7 ; flour, xy^, lbs ; brandy, i wine- glassful ; nutmeg, i ; cream, l^ pt. Take half a pound of butter and three quarters of a pound of sugar, and stir together till very white ; beat seven eggs, the whites and yolks separately, and stir them into the cake, then add a wineglass of brandy, a grated nutmeg, and a pound and a half of sifted flour ; just before putting it into the pans, add half a pint of sweet cream, and a pound of seeded raisins. Bake in a quick oven. II. 7;i,(v.--Butter, * lb; boiling -water, I pt; flour, ^ lb; eggs, 14; milk, i pt; sugar, 2 cup- fuls; flour, \ cupful; lemon, to taste. Put half a pound of butter into a pint of boiling water, and let them boil together; stir in three quarters of a pound of flour, then re- move from the fire. While hot beat in ten eggs thoroughly one by one. This is the crust. For the cream, take: one pint of milk, four eggs, one cupful of sugar, and half a cupful of flour; boil the milk, and while it is boiling add the sugar, eggs, and flour, and then flavor with lemon. Drop the crust on tins, and bake in a quick oven fifteen or twenty minutes ; when they are done open them at the sides and fill with the cream. in. 7}zX-t-.--White sugar, 2 cupfuls; butter, f cupful; milk, I cupful; eggs, 5; cream-tartar, I teaspoonful; soda, ^ teaspoonful; flour, 3 cupfuls ; cornstarch, 2 teaspoonfuls ; vanilla, I teaspoonful. Stir two cupfuls of fine white sugar and two thirds of a cupful of butter to a cream; then add a cupful of milk, four eggs, a teaspoonful of cream-tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, and three cupfuls of flour. Bake in thin layers as for jelly cake, and when cold spread between them the following cream : stir two teaspoonfuls of cornstarch, wet with a little cold milk, into half a pint of boiling milk ; beat half a cupful of sugar and one egg together and add to the milk, let it boil till quite thick, stirring constant- ly to prevent its burning; when cold flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla. If icing is used flavor it also with vanilla. IV. (Without Eggs) — Tii/f-i? .--Sugar, 3 cup- fuls; butter, I cupful; flour, 4 cupfuls; salera- tus, \y, teaspoonfuls ; ess. of lemon, I teaspoon- ful ; nutmeg, \ (grated) ; sour cream, 2 cupfuls. Stir three cups of sugar and one of butter together thoroughly ; add two cupfuls of sour cream, one and a half teaspoonfuls of saleratus dissolved in a little cold water, a teaspoonful of essence of lemon, and half a grated nutmeg; pour all this into the middle of four cupfuls of flour. Mix together quickly and thoroughly, and bake at once. Cream-Tartar Cake. — 7a/tf .--Flour, 3 pts; cream-tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls ; soda, i teaspoon- ful ; nutmeg j^ (grated); milk, IJ^ cupfuls; sugar, I pt. Mix two teaspoonfuls of cream-tartar thor- oughly with three pints of flour, and add half a grated nutmeg; dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in two tablespoonfuls of hot water, add it to one cupful and a half of milk, and stir in a pint of crushed sugar; use this to mix the flour into a soft dough. Roll the dough out, cut into round cakes -with a tumbler, and bake imme- diately in a quick oven for fifteen or twenty minutes. Cup Cake. — I. Take .--Sugar, 2 cupfuls ; but- ter, I cupful ; eggs, 4 ; flour, 3 cupfuls ; baking powder, i teaspoonful; ess. of almond, to taste. Beat one cup of butter and two of sugar to cream; then add four eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, and three cupfuls of flour; flavor with almond to taste, and at last, just before putting into the oven, add one teaspoon- ful of baking powder. Bake in a quick oven, either in cups or pans. II. 7a^^ .--Sugar, 3 teacupfuls ; butter, ij^ cupfuls ; eggs, 3 ; flour, 6 cupfuls ; ess. of CAKE 63 lemon, or rose-water, to taste ; saleratus, i teaspoonful ; milk, I cupful. Stir three teacupfuls of sugar and one and a half of butter to a cream ; beat three eggs to a froth, and stir them into the sugar and butter, together with three cupfuls of flour ; flavor to taste with essence of lemon or rose- water. Dissolve a teaspoonful of saleratus in a cupful of milk, strain it into the cake, and then add three more cupfuls of flour ; with three teaspoonfuls of cream-tartar. Mi.\ well, and bake immediately either in cups or pans. Currant Cake. — Tal\- .--Vlour, I lb; butter, yi lb ; sugar ')4 lb ; currants, yi lb ; eggs, 4 ; cinnamon, i teaspoonful; soda, }4 teaspoonful; yi a lemon. Mix together one pound of flour, half a pound of butter, three quarters of a pound of sugar, half a pound of currants (well washed), four eggs, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in hot water, half a lemon (squeezed and the rind grated). Line the bake-pans with buttered paper ; drop the mixture upon it; and bake quickly. Delicate Cake. — TIj/Iy' .--Butter, i cupful; sugar, 2 cupfuls ; milk, I cupful ; eggs, whites of 5 ; cream-tartar, i teaspoonful ; soda, /^ teaspoonful ; flour, 3 cupfuls. Stir one cupful of butter and two of sugar to a cream ; add one cupful of milk, the whites of five eggs, one teaspoonful of cream-tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, and three cupfuls of sifted flour. The yolks of the eggs can be used for other purposes. Diet Cake. — Boil one pound of crushed su- gar in one and a half gills of water to the crack (see candy) ; pour it on eight well-beaten eggs, whisking them well the while ; beat un- til the mixture is cold ; then add ten ounces of flour, and 4 oz almonds, blanched and cut into thin strips. Bake in a mould lined with paper, 35 minutes, in a moderate oven. Dover Cake. — Take .--White sugar, i lb; butter, yi lb ; eggs, 6 ; milk, I cupful ; soda, i teaspoonful; vinegar, i tablespoonful ; cinna- mon (powdered), i teaspoonful ; rose-water, i tablespoonful. Stir a pound of white sugar and half a pound of butter to a light cream ; add six eggs, beaten to a froth, one cupful of sweet milk, one tea^ spoonful of soda dissolved in a tablespoonful of vinegar, one tablespoonful of powdered cmnamon, and one pound of flour; flavor with one tablespoonful of rose-water. Bake in a quick oven and frost as soon as done ; flavor the frosting with lemon-juice. Fancy Cake. — Takf .--Sugar, yi Vo ; eggs, 4 ; flour, y< lb ; ess. of lemon, i teaspoonfuf. Beat lialf a pound of sugar and the yolks of four eggs together ; add half a pou-nd of flour, and beat up thoroughly ; then add a teaspoon- ful of essence of lemon, and the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Bake in small patties, and put a sugar plum on the top of each. French Cake. — 7(7 ,{v .--Sugar, t lb; butter, X lb; eggs, 12; flour, i^ lbs; milk, wine, and brandy, i gill each ; nutmeg (grated), \ ; raisins, J lb ; citron, -1 lb ; almonds (blanched and pounded fine), \ lb. Mix one pound of sugar and three quarters of a pound of butter to a white cream ; add 12 eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately ; then stir in a pound and a half of flour, and a gill each of milk, wine, and brandy; flavor with one half of a grated nutmeg. Just before bak- ing add three quarters of a pound of seeded rai- sins, a quarter of a pound of citron, and a quarter of a pound of almonds, blanched and ])Ounded fine. Bake in a moderately quick oven. Fruitcake — I. Take :-\^\\\\.e sugar, I lb; butter, \ lb ; eggs, 7 ; flour, i lb ; citron, i lb ; nutmeg, i teaspoonful ; cinnamon, i teaspoon- ful ; currants, \ lb ; raisins, \ lb; brandy, I wineglassful. Beat one pound of fine white sugar and three quarters of a pound of butter to a cream ; add the yolks of seven eggs, beaten to a froth ; then the whites of the eggs, whipped to a froth, and a quarter of a pound of citron, one teaspoonful of nutmeg, one of cinnamon, and one pound of flour; stir together, and add half a pound of currants, washed carefully and dredged, and half a pound of raisins, seeded and chopped ; finally a wineglass of brandy. Mix thoroughly, and bake in a moderately quick oven. II. (With Apples.) — Take :-\ix\^A apples, 3 cupfuls; molasses, 3 cupfuls; flour, 3 cupfuls; butter, I cupful; eggs, 3; cream-tartar, i tea- spoonful ; soda, ^ teaspoonful ; spice and raisins. Take three cups of dried apples ; three of molasses ; three of flour ; one of butter ; three eggs; one teaspoonful of cream-tartar: and half a teaspoonful of soda. Soak the dried apples in water until soft ; then chop them up fine and boil them with the molasses for half an hour ; let them cool, and then add the but- ter, eggs, and flour. Beat the eggs very high, and sift the cream-tartar and .soda in with the flour. Bake in a slow oven three hours. Gingerbread. — I. 7>?/-f .--Sugar, yi lb; but- ter, Yz lb ; flour, 2 lbs ; caraway seed, I oz ; ground ginger, i oz ; coriander seed, y, oz ; molasses, i ^-^ lbs. Rub together half a pound of fine sugar and half a ]30und of butter ; then add two i)ounds of flour, well dried by the fire, one ounce of caraway seed, one ounce of ground ginger, and half an ounce of coriander seed. Mix them with one and three quarter pounds of molasses, roll thin, and bake in a quick oven. n. (Fleming). — /"rt/ft' .--Butter and sugar, % lb. each; molasses,^ pt; eggs, 4; flour, IJ^ pts; ground ginger, i tablespoonful; cinnamon, I teaspoonful; soda or pearlash, i teaspoonful. Stir together a quarter of a pound of butter and a quarter of brown sugar ; add half a j^int of molasses. Beat four eggs to a froth, and stir them into the mixture alternately with rather less than a pint and a half of flour; add a heaping tablespoonful of ground ginger, and a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon. 6-i CAKE Stir all together well. Dissolve a level tea- spoonful of soda or pearlash in two tablespoon- fuls of warm water, and stir this in last. Put the mixture into a buttered tin pan, set it immediately into the oven which must be brisk but not too hot, and bake well. Test with a straw. m. (Hard.) — Tlj^c .--Molasses, i pt; butter,^ lb ; sour milk, I teacupful ; ground ginger, 2 tablespoonfuls; soda, i tablespoonful ; cloves, I tablespoonful ; lemon, rind of I ; flour. Mix one pint of molasses, half a pound of butter, one cupful of sour milk, two tablespoon- fuls of ginger, one tablespoonful of soda, one tablespoonful of cloves, the rind of one lemon (grated), and flour enough to make a stiff paste. Butter the tin sheets, roll the dough on them, sprinkle lightly with sugar as thin as possible, and bake in a quick oven. IV. (Soft.)— rrt/^-c.-- Butter, i teacupful, melted ; molasses, i pt ; ground ginger, i tablespoonful ; flour, i pt ; eggs, 2 ; saleratus, 2 teaspoonfuls ; sour milk, ;4 pt ; flour ; lemon peel. Mi.x a teacupful of melted butter with a pint of molasses, a tablespoonful of ground ginger, a pint of flour, and two beaten eggs ; a fresh lemon peel, cut into strips, may be added. Mix two teaspoonfuls of saleratus in half a pint of sour milk, stir it into the cake, and add flour enough to make soft sponge. Bake in deep pans, in a moderately quick oven, about half an hour. V. (Spiced.)— 7>7,(v .--Sugar,! lb ; butter. >< lb; eggS' 5 ; niilk, 3 tablespoonfuls ; cream-tartar, I teaspoonful ; soda, J< teaspoonful ; ground ginger, i tablespoonful ; flour, i lb ; cloves, nutnieg,and cinnamon, teaspoonful each. Stir one pound of sugar and half a pound of butter to a cream ; add five eggs beaten to a froth, three tablespoonfuls of sweet milk, one teaspoonful of cream-tartar, half a teaspoon- ful of soda dissolved in a little hot water, a heaping tablespoonful of ground ginger, and one teaspoonful each of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon ; mix together well and add one pound of flour. This amount will make two good sized loaves. VI. (Sponge.)— 7l7,f(? .--Molasses, i cupful; butter, i cuplul; ginger, I tablespoonful; sour milk, I cupful ; saleratus, li teaspoonfuls ; flour. Mix a cupful of molasses, half a cupful of butter, and one tablespoonful of ginger, and set it on the fire till well warmed ; then add one cupful of sour milk, one teaspoonful and a half of saleratus, and enough flour to make a stiff sponge. Bake at once in a rather quick oven. VII. Sugar — 7;^X•£■ .--Sugar, i lb ; butter, 6 oz ; eggs, 4 ; ground ginger, 3 teaspoonfuls ; flour, lilbs; saleratus, i teaspoonful; milk, i wineglassful. Mix a pound of sugar and six ounces of but- ter; beat four eggs to a froth and stir them into the butter and sugar, with three teaspoon- fuls of ground ginger; stir in gradually a pound and a half of flour ; dissolve a teaspoonful of saleratus in a wineglass of milk, and stir it in; roll out and bake immediately in a quick oven. Ginger Snaps. — L 7i7/{-f .--Butter and lard, }4 lb each ; brown sugar, j4 'b ; molasses, i pt ; ginger, 2 tablespoonfuls ; flour, I qt ; sale- ratus, 2 teaspoonfuls ; milk, i wineglassful. Take a quarter of a pound of butter and the same quantity of lard, melt them and mix with a quarter of a pound of brown sugar, a pint of molasses, two tablespoonfuls of ground ginger, and a quart of flour. Dissolve two teaspoon- fuls of saleratus in a wineglass of milk, strain it into the cake, and add sufficient flour to make a soft dough. Roll it out thin, cut into small cakes, and bake them in a quick oven. XL 7i7^(' .--Butter and lard, <4 cupful each ; sugar, I cupful ; molasses, i cupful ; water, }i cupful ; ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, I tablespoonful each ; soda, i teaspoonful ; flour. Mix half a cupful of butter with the same quantity of lard ; add one heaping cupful of sugar, one cupful of molasses, half a cupful of cold water, one tablespoonful each ground ginger and cinnamon, one teaspoonful of cloves, one of soda dissolved in hot water, and enough flour to make a pretty stiff dough. Roll out thin, and bake at once. Golden Cake. — Taie .--'White sugar, i lb; butter 3^ lb; eggs, yolks of 16; flour, 2 lbs; milk, I cupful ; lemon, i ; mace ; baking pow- der. Mix together one pound of fine white sugar, three quarters of a pound of butter, the yolks of sixteen eggs, the rind and juice of one lemon, one cupful of milk, and two pounds of flour, with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder ; sea- son to taste with mace. Bake about half an hour. Honey Cake. — 7"<7^tr .--Honey, I qt ; butter %" lb. ; sugar'i lb. ; soda I tablespoonful (slightly heaped); caraway seeds, yi a gill. Warm the quart of honey and the pound of sugar in a tin pan ; add the three quarters of a pound of butter, the tablespoonful of soda dissolved in a little warm water, the half gill of caraw-ay seeds, and flour to make it stiff enough to roll. Roll it thick, score and bake in a sheet or tin, and cut it in small cakes. Huckleberry Cake. — 7i7/f^ .--Sugar, I cup- ful; molasses, i cupful; milk, i cupful; butter, ^4 cupful ; cream-tartar, I >< teaspoonfuls ; soda, I teaspoonful ; flour; huckleberries, I pt; all- spice, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat together one cup of sugar, one of mo- lasses, one of milk, half a cup of butter, one teaspoonful and a half of cream-tartar, one tea- spoonful of soda dissolved in a little warm water ; stir in enough flour to make a soft sponge, and then add one pint of huckleberries, washed and dredged ; season to taste with all- spice, cinnamon, and cloves. Jelly Cake. — I. T^ji-f .--Sugar, i lb; butter, yi lb ; milk, i cupful ; eggs, 6 ; cream-tartar, i teaspoonful ; soda, ^ teaspoonful ; flour, i lb ; jelly. CAKE 65 Stir to a liglit cream one pound of sugar and half a pound of butter ; add one cupful of milk, six eggs beaten to a froth, one teaspoonful of cream-tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, and one pound of flour. Spread over buttered tins to the tliickness of a quarter of an inch, bake till brown, and when done pile them on a plate, and put a layer of jelly between. IL'/'aif .--Sugar, >< lb ; butter, 6 oz ; eggs, 8 ; flour, I lb ; lemon, i ; jelly. Stir together till white half a pound of rolled sugar and si.\ ounces of butter; beat eight eggs to a froth, stir them into the butter and sugar, and add a pound of flour ; add the juice and grated rind of a fresh lemon ; turn this mixture into scolloped tin plates that have been well buttered. Bake and arrange as in No. i. Lady Cake. — 7(7;iv .--Sugar, i lb; butter, 6 oz ; eggs, whites of 12; flour ){ lb ; lemon, or bitter almond. Stir together one pound of sugar and six ounces of butter ; add the whites of twelve eggs whipped to a froth, and three-quarters of a pound of flour ; flavor with bitter almond or with the juice and grated rind of one lemon. Bake in square shallow tins, and flavor the frosting with vanilla. Lemon Cake. — I. Taie .--Sugar, 3 cupfuls ; butter, one cupful ; milk, one cupful ; eggs, 5 ; saleratus, i teaspoonful ; flour, 4 cupfuls ; lemons, 2. Beat three cups of sugar and one of butter to a light cream ; add one cup of milk, five eggs beaten to a froth, one teaspoonful of sale- ratus, four cups of flour, and the juice and grated rind of two lemons. Beat together thoroughly and bake in a moderately quick oven. IL 7>?Xr .--Sugar, i lb ; butter, 3^ lb; eggs, 7; flour, I lb; lemons, 2; currants i>r,^2 lb. Stir a pound of sugar, and three-quarters of a pound of butter to a very light cream ; mix a wineglass of white wine, one of brandy, and one of milk, and stir them into the butter and sugar ; add a pound of flour, a teaspoonful of rose-water or essence of lemon, and a quarter of an ounce of mace. Beat eight eggs to a froth, the whites and yolks separatel)-, and add them to the paste ; stir the whole well together, and then add, just before baking, half a pound of seeded raisins, half a pound of Zante cur- rants, a quarter of a pound of citron, or al- monds, blanched and pounded fine in rose- water. The fruit should be stirred in grad- ually, a handful of each alternately. Put in pans lined with buttered white paper, and bake it from an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half, according to the heat of the oven. Quick Cake. — 7a^^ .--Raised bread-dough, lyi lbs ; butter, '/i\h ; sugar, ^ lb ; eggs, 4 ; wine or brandy, I wineglassful ; cinnamon, i teaspoonful ; nutmeg, i ; milk, i teaspoonful ; saleratus, >< teaspoonful ; raisins (seeded), I lb. Melt half a pound of butter, and when cool, work it into a pound and a half of raised bread- dough. Beat four eggs and three-quarters of a pound of rolled sugar together, and mix with the dough ; add a wineglass of wine or brandy, a teaspoonful of cinnamon, and a grated nut- meg. Dissolve half a teaspoonful of saleratus in a teaspoonful of milk, strain it over the dough, and work the whole with the hands for a quarter of an hour ; then add a pound of seeded raisins, and put it into cake-pans. Let it stand in them until light before putting it into the oven. Raised Cake (without eggs). — 7a^^ .--Su- gar, I coffeecupful ; butter, "^ cupful ; milk and CAKE Ui warm water, % pt. each ; home-made yeast, yi cupful ; flour ; raisins or currants , i cupful ; cinnamon, cloves, and grated nutmeg, i tea- spoonful each. Stir together a large coffeecupful of sugar and half a cupful of butter; add half a pint of sweet milk and half a pint of warm water. To this mixture stir in flour enough to make a thick dough, and half a cupful of yeast ; set it to rise over night. Next morning stir in a cupful of seeded raisins or currants, and a tea- spoonful each of cinnamon, cloves, and grated nutmeg. Put into baking-pans, let it rise until perfectly light, then bake three-quarters of an hour in a moderately quick oven. Republican Cake. — Take :-F\o\>x, % lb; butter ]X lb ; sugar, 6 oz ; cream, '^ teacupf ul ; eggs 3 ; baking-powder, i teaspoonful ; raisins, I teacupful ; white wine, yi wineglassful ; nut- meg, cloves, and cinnamon. Mix together half a pound of flour, a quarter of a pound of butter, six ounces of sugar, three eggs beaten to a froth, a teaspoonful of baking- powder, one teacupful of raisins, and halt a wineglass of white wine, and half a teacupful of cream ; season to taste with nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Bake at once in a moderately hot oven. Rice Cake. — Take .--GroxmA rice, lo oz; white sugar, 8 oz ; flour, 3 oz ; eggs, 6 ; nutmeg, Vz (grated). Mix ten ounces of ground rice, eight ounces of powdered white sugar, and three of wheat flour; sift the whole into the beaten yolks of six eggs ; add the whites of the eggs, whipped to a stiff froth, and half a grated nutmeg. Beat together very gently, put into deep pans, and bake about twenty minutes in a quick oven. If not watched they may burn. Royal Cake. — Take .--Sugar, i i{ lbs ; butter, I lb ; eggs, 4 ; milk, l % pts ; soda, % teaspoon- ful ; brandy, yi teacupful; flour, 2 3^ lbs; nut- meg, I; raisins and currants (mixed), I lb; citron, ]4 lb ; cloves, allspice, cinnamon, i tea- spoonful each. Stir together one pound and three-quarters of sugar, and one pound of butter ; add four eggs beaten to a froth, a pint and a half of milk, half a teaspoonful of soda, half a teacup- ful of brandy, two pounds and three-quarters of flour, one nutmeg, a teaspoonful each of cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, two pounds of raisins and currants mixed, and a quarter of a pound of citron. Bake in thick loaves in a moderately quick oven. Savory Cakes. — Take :-'VJh\tt sugar, i lb; eggs, 8 ; flour, i lb ; coriander seed, 2 table- spoonfuls ; lemon, i. Mix together a pound of powdered white sugar, and eight eggs, the whites and yolks beaten up separately; beat them well together for several minutes, then add the grated rind of a fresh lemon and half the juice, a pound of flour, and two tablespoonfuls of coriander seed. Drop this batter by the large spoonful upon buttered baking pans, sift white sugar over them and bake them immediately in a quick oven. Scotch Cake. — 7Vz,t(? .--Sugar, i lb; butter, ^i lb ; lemon, i ; brandy, i wineglassful ; eggs, 9; flour, I lb; raisins (seeded), i lb. .Stir a pound of sugar and three-quarters of a pound of butter to a very light cream ; add the juice and grated rind of a lemon, and a wineglass of brandy. Beat nine eggs the whites and yolks separately, to a froth and stir them into the cake ; then add a pound of flour, and, just before it is put into the bake-pans, a pound of seeded raisins. Bake in a moderate oven. Shre-wsbury Cake. — Take :-Wh\te sugar, 3/ lb ; butter, % lb ; eggs, 5 ; flour, i lb ; rose- water or grated lemon peel. Stir three-quarters of a pound of powdered white sugar and half a pound of butter to a cream ; add five eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately; then stir in a pound of flour dried by the fire, and flavor to taste with rose- water or grated lemon peel. Mi.x thoroughly, and bake at once. Silver Cake. — Take :-Wh\\.t sugar, i lb; butter, }^ lb; eggs, whites of, 10; flour, ^ lb; ess. bitter almonds, i teaspoonful. Beat to a cream one pound of fine white sugar, and half a pound of butter, ; add the whites of ten eggs, whipped to a stiff froth ; then add three-quarters of a pound of flour, flavor with one teaspoonful of the essence of bitter almonds. Flavor the icing with rose- water. Spice Cakes. — Take .--Butter, i teacupful ; sugar, I teacupful ; molasses, yi teacupful ; saleratus, r teaspoonful ; nutmeg, l (grated), ground ginger, cinnamon, caraway seed, cori- ander seed, I teaspoonful each. Melt a teacupful of butter, and mix it with a teacupful of sugar, and half a teacupful of mo- lasses ; add a teaspoonful of cinnamon, a tea- spoonful of ground ginger, a grated nutmeg, and a teaspoonful each of caraway and corian- der seed ; put in a teaspoonful of saleratus, dissolved in half a teacupful of warm water, stir in flour till stiff enough to roll out thin; cut into cakes and bake them in a slow oven. Sponge Cake. — Ta/J-^r .--Powdered sugar, 2 cupfuls ; flour, i yi cupfuls ; eggs, 7 ; lemon, the grated rind and juice of one. Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar until very light ; add the rind of the lemon and the whites beaten to a stiff froth ; sift in the flour and all the juice, stirring as gently as possible. IL (White.) — Take .--Svigsx, lyi cupful; flour, I cupful; eggs, whites of 10; cream-tartar, i teaspoonful. Take one and a half cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of flour, the whites of ten eggs, and one teaspoonful of cream-tartar. Beat the eggs to a froth and stir the sugar with them ; put the cream-tartar in the flour, and then stir the flour with the paste lightly and quickly'. Do not stir the cake after the flour is fairly in. Bake in a quick oven. in. Take :-'Lo!ii sugar, weight of 10 eggs; eggs, 12 ; lemon, i ; flour, weight of 6 eggs. 68# CAKE Take the weight of ten eggs in powdered loaf sugar, beat it to a froth with the yollcs of twelve eggs, and add the juice and grated rind of a fresh lemon ; whip the whites of twelve eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them with the sugar and yolks. Stir the whole constantly for fifteen minutes, and then sprinkle in the weight of six eggs in sifted flour. The moment the flour is well mixed in, turn the cake into pans lined with buttered paper, and bake immediately in a quick oven. It will bake in about twenty minutes. Strawberry Short Cake (I.) — Take .--Flour, I qt ; eggs, 4 : cream or melted butter, I teacup- ful ; mtlk ; salt, I teaspoonful ; strawberries ; white sugar. Mix a quart of flour with four beaten eggs, a teacupful of cream or melted butter, and a tea- spoonful of salt ; add enough milk to roll it out. Roll it out thin ; line a shallow baking-pan with part of it, put in a thick layer of nice, ripe straw- berries, and sprinkle in sufficient white sugar to sweeten them ; cover them with a thin layer of the crust; then add another layer of straw- berries and sugar, and cover the whole with another layer of the crust. Bake in a quick oven about twenty-five minutes. Strawberry Short Cake (II.)— T^z/tt'.-A soda biscuit crust made with flour, i qt ; soda, I teaspoonful ; cream-tartar, 2 y^ teaspoonfuls ; butter, 2 oz ; lard, I oz ; salt, i even teaspoonful ; sweet milk, 3 gills. This will make two cakes. If the cake is to be served on a platter, roll the crust the shape and size insid; the rim; if a dinner plate is to be used, m.^ke the cakes round. Roll the crust to the thickness of half an inch, prick and bake in a quick oven. Have the strawberries cut in two or three pieces, split the cakes, lay one half on the plate ; butter it and put over it a thick layer of straw- berries and sugar ; then replace the other half, upside down, if there is to be another layer of fruit. The two cakes may be served together or separately and the upper layer may be fruit or crust, as preferred. Leave in tlie oven from five to ten minutes, and serve smoking hot. Sugar Cake. — Tij/tf .--Raised dough, 3 tea- cupfuls ; saleratus, yi teaspoonful ; wine or milk, I wineglassful ; butter, Yy, teacupful ; sugar, 2 teacupfuls; eggs, 3; cinnamon, 2 tea- spoonfuls. Dissolve half a teaspoonful of saleratus in a wineglass of wine or milk, and strain it on three teacupfuls of raised dough. Work into this two thirds of a teacupful of lukewarm melted butter, two teacupfuls of coffee sugar, three eggs beaten up well, and two teaspoonfuls of cinna- mon. Work the whole with the hands for fifteen minutes ; then put it into cake-pans and let it stand until light before baking it. Raisins, stoned and chopped, dried currants and citron greatly improve this cake. Sugar Drops'. — Take .--White sugar, 24 tablespoonfuls ; butter, 1 2 tablespoonfuls ; eggs, 3; flour, I pt; nutmeg (grated), '^. Stir to a cream twenty-four tablepoonfuls of powdered white sugar and twelve teaspoon- fuls of butter ; add three eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately, a pint of flour, and half a grated nutmeg. Drop from tlie spoon on buttered tins, bake ten or fifteen minutes, and when done put a sugar plum on the top of each. Tea Cakes. — 7a^(? .--Sugar, ly, teacupfuls ; butter, Y2 teacupful ; nutmeg (grated), Y^ ; milk, I teacupful ; saleratus, Yz teaspoonful ; flour. Beat together one teacupful and a half of sugar, and half a teacupful of butter ; stir in half a teacupful of flour, and half a grated nut- meg. Dissolve half a teaspoonful of saleratus in a teacupful of milk, strain and mix it with the cake ; add flour till stiff enough to roll out. Roll it out half an inch thick, cut into cakes, and bake them on flat buttered tins in a quick oven. If the oven is not quick they will be spoiled. Washington Cake. — Tiz/'*? .--Sugar, 3 cup- fuls ; butter, 2 cupfuls ; eggs, 5 ; milk, i cup- ful ; cream-tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls ; soda, i tea- spoonful ; flour, 4 cupfuls ; currants, Y2 'b ; raisins, % lb ; citron, >^ teacupful ; nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir three cupfuls of sugar and two of but- ter to a cream ; then add five eggs, beaten to a froth, one cupful of milk, two teaspoonfuls of cream-tartar, one of soda, and four cupfuls of flour. Mix altogether thoroughly, and just before baking stir in half a pound of currants washed and dried, a quarter of a pound of raisins seeded and chopped fine, and half a teacupful of citron sliced; flavor to taste with nutmeg and cinnamon. Bake in a steady, moderately quick oven. Webster Cake. — Beat together three cupfuls of sugar and one cupful of butter ; add two eggs beaten to a froth, one teaspoonful of soda, one cupful of milk, five cupfuls of flour, and the rind and juice of a lemon. Mix in fruit and spice to taste. Bake in a moderately quick oven. Wedding Cake. — Ta.ii' .--Sugar, i lb; but- ter, I lb; eggs, 10; brandy, J4 pt ; wine, I wine-glassful; nutmegs, 3 ; cinnamon, i table- spoonful ; flour, I lb; currants, 2 lbs; seeded raisins, i lb ; citron, Yi 'fa- Stir one pound of sugar and one of butter to a light cream ; add ten eggs beaten thick and smooth, half a pint of brandy, a wineglass of wine, three grated nutmegs, a tablespoonful of mace, and a pound of flour. Mix thoroughly, and then add two pounds of currants washed and dried, one pound of seeded raisins, and half a pound of citron. Bake in a moderate oven from one to two hours. Try the cake with a straw, and Ije sure that it is done before removing it ; then turn the loaves upside down on a sieve, and immediately cover the bottom and sides with this icing ; beat the whites of three eggs until frothy only, not white ; beat in gradually one pound of powdered sugar ; flavor with vanilla, or fresh lemon juice. Put several large spoonfuls on the cake, and smooth it with a knife. It will dry quickly. White Cake. — Take :-^ix^-is, 2 cupfuls; butter, I cupful ; milk, i cupful ; eggs, whites of CALCELLARIyV CALLA six ; tartar, 2 teaspoonfuls ; soda, i teaspoon- ful ; flour, 2 cupfuls ; cornstarch I cupful. Beat together two cups of sugar and one of butter ; add one cupful of sweet milk, the white of six eggs whipped to a froth, two tea- spoonfuls of cream-tartar, one of soda, two cup- fuls of flour, and one of cornstarch. Mix together thoroughly, and bake in a rather quick oven. White Mountain Cake. — 7"a/v ;-Flour, I lb; sugar, i lb; butter, yi lb; niilk>, nose, anus, prepuce, scrotum, or tongue. When it e.xists on the scrotum it forms the so-called chimney-sweeper's cancer. Osteoid Cancer, a form of cancer occurring usually in bones, and more commonly in the lower end of the femur apparently than else- where. It is very rapid and painful in its growth. In this form of cancer the stroma is converted into a very dense fibrous tissue, and then into a peculiar bone, which is rough and porous, and very brittle, readily reducible to a chalky powder after maceration of specimen. It seems to be singularly interchangeable with encephaloid. Colloid Cancer, a form of the disease not regarded by some writers as in- cludable under the term cancer. In appearance it is jelly-like, about the consistence of thin glue or tapioca pudding, of rapid growth, and frequently attaining enormous bulk. It is most frequently found in the intestinal canal. 7 7/- lous Cancer, a vascular growth, composed of dehcate papilla, each containing a vascular loop, generally in connection with cancer or epithelium. Treatment. — All that can be done in the way of treatment is to check the disease as far as possible, and thus endeavor to alleviate suffer- ing and prolong life. Active treatment of can- cerous growths can only tend to one point, and that is removal in all cases on their earliest de- tection. In advanced stages of the disease, palliative treatment, both local and constitu- tional, must be resorted to, but death will sooner or later supervene, and all that can be done is to make the end as easy as possible. Medical advice is absolutely necessary. CANDLES. — Kerosene oil and the various kinds of lamps in the country, and gas in the city, have very nearly superseded the use of candles as illuminators ; yet they are cleaner than lamps, less troublesome, less dangerous, and more easily carried about. They also, when properly made, give a peculiarly pleasant and cheerful light at very small cost. Candles are made of various substances such as sper- maceti, stearine, tallow, wax and various com- binations of these ; but the last two are the only substances used in domestic manufactures, and they are made in twO ways — by dipping and by moulding. Dipped Candles. — To make dipped candles, pull the wicks out straight and smooth, cut into the right length, and then put them on broaches or rods about half an inch in diameter and three feet long. First dip the wicks in lime-water or vinegar and dry them ; then double them over the rods and twist them. Melt the tallow in a large kettle, and when it is melted, fill the kettle to the top with hot water and add wax and powdered alum to harden the candles. Keep the tallow hot over a portable furnace, and fill the kettle with hot water as fast as the tallow is used up. When the tallow is boiling hot take several rods at once and wet the wicks in it ; straighten and smooth them when cool. Then dip them as fast as they cool until they become of the proper size ; plunge them in obliquely and not perpendicularly, and when the bottoms are too large, hold them in the hot grease till a part melts off. Let them remain over night to cool ; then cut off the bottoms and keep in a dry, cool place. Mould Candles. — These are made in regu- lar candle-moulds or tin or pewter cylinders, of which the inside diameter is the size of the candles desired. To make, melt together ten ounces of good tallow (at least half should be mutton tallow), a quarter of a pound of white wax, a quarter of an ounce of camphor, and two ounces of powdered alum. Soak the wicks in lime-water and saltpetre, and when dry fi.x them in the moulds and pour in the melted tallow. Let them stand one night to cool ; then warm them, draw out carefully, and put them in a box in a dry, cool place. Candles made thus are extremely nice and will keep for two years ; they are better for being kept several months. When laid up for store, it is well to cover them with bran, as light turns them yellow. Rush Lights. — These are made by dipping rushes in tallow in the same way as for dipped candles. The rushes should first be stripped of nearly all the hard, outer covering, the pith alone being retained with just enough of the tough bark to keep it stiff. They require no snuffing as the burned wick falls off as the tallow consumes ; but small cotton wicks an- swer the same purpose and are less liable to go out. ARTaz Candles. — These are much superior both in appearance and in illuminating power to any others. They burn with a steady, mel- low light, emit no smell, and require no snuff- ing. They are made by pouring melted white wa.x down the wick till sufficient has adhered to it, then rolling the candle on a smooth board or marble slab till it is even, and then polishing it with a cloth. They may also be made like tallow candles in moulds. Exposure to the light whitens wax candles, but they should always be kept in a cool, dry place. CANDY.* — In order to understand the phil- osophy of candy-making, take a little crushed sugar in a clean brass or tinned kettle, with a little water, over a brisk fire, and note the changes which heat will cause. At first the lumps of sugar soften and break up, and as the heat increases entirely disappear, the result being a transparent solution, more or less thick according to the proportions of sugar and water. If heat be increased so that the syrup boils, * Most of this article, and of two or three short paragraphs on allied topics, are taken from an excellent little book. " How to Make Candy." Hartford, Ct.; Dustin, Gilman & Co. CANDY 73 the remaining liquid becomes more dense until it reaches a point where not enough water remains to hold the sugar in perfect solution. If it now be set aside and allowed to cool gradually, the excess of sugar will deposit itself in large transparent crystals on the sides and bottom of the vessel, and we shall have it in the form usually known as rock-candy. If instead of setting tlie solution aside for the crystals to form, we continue the boiling, nearly all the water will soon evaporate, and the sugar will manifest a tendency to assume a granular condition, especially upon the sides of the vessel. A few degrees more of heat beyond this point, and we have the sugar in a melted form, of a thick, pasty consistence, but clear and transparent still. If we dip a spoon into the mass and withdraw it, a long thread of melted sugar will follow, and if the portion be dropped into cold water, it will at once become hard and brittle. It is from sugar in this state that the greatest number of our candies are produced. But just here we must be very careful in the management of our heat. If that is now allowed to increase but a little, the mass becomes very dark colored, froths, acquires a bitter taste and is not fit for use. It is above 260° that the sugar is thus changed and the greatest skill is required to push the heat of the boiling sugar just as near the point of this change as possible without quite reaching it. The greater part of hard boiled candies are made at about 250° of heat. If made at a degree much less than this they soften or change in structure, while the nearer the heat can be carried to 260'^ the longer do they retain their hardness and transparency. At the present day hardly a kitchen will be found without some cooking utensil which may be conveniently used for making candy. A sauce-pan of tinned iron with a handle and flaring sides, and a lip to facilitate the pouring of the contents will be found best adapted for such use or a small brass kettle will do very well if kept quite clean and bright. General directions for Candies of any flavor from Boiled sugar : — Take three and one-half pounds of refined sugar, one and one-half pints of water, and one teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Mix in a vessel suiificiently large to allow for the expansion of the boiling candy. Boil over a brisk fire, taking care, however, that the sugar does not burn. The heat should be applied to the bottom only, and not to the sides of the vessel. After boiling for about fifteen minutes, a small portion of the melted sugar may be removed with a spoon and cooled by placing in a saucer surrounded by cold water. If when cooled it forms a viscid, tenacious mass, and if a portion taken between the thumb and finger forms a long adherent thread when the thumb and finger are separated, the process of boiling is nearly completed, and great care must be used in the further manage- ment of the heat, enough being supplied % keep up the boiling without allowing the sugar to be burned. It must now be tested every few minutes by dropping a small portion into some cold water standing conveniently near. When the portion so dropped becomes at once hard and brittle, snapping apart like a pipe- stem when bent, the process is completed, and the vessel should at once be lifted from the heat. Any desired flavoring or coloring " ex- tract" can now be stirred in according to taste. It is next poured into shallow earthen dishes, which have previously been slightly greased, and allowed to cool to a degree at which it can be handled without discom- fort. It is then to be "pulled," and after pulling rolled into " sticks " like those ordi- narily sold, or made into any other desired shape. Below are given some recipes for candies not included in these general directions. Chocolate Caramel. — (Sfc Caramel.) Cough Candy. — Boil three and one-half pounds of ordinary brown sugar with one and a half pints of water until it hardens when tested in the usual way. To this add, just prior to removal from the fire, a tincture pre- pared thus : To one-half ounce of strong alcohol add one dram of camphor gum, when dissolved and two drams oil of anise, four drams strong tincture of capsicum, one dram of benzoic acid. Another very popular form of cough candy is prepared by making a decoction, by boiling two ounces of bonesetand one half ounce of ground bloodroot in a pint and a half of water, and using this decoction with three and one-half pounds of brown sugar, in the same manner as directed for horehound candy. When about to be poured out in trays or worked, it may be flavored with oil of anise. Fig Paste. — (See Fig.) Ginger Candy. — Put into a preserving ket- tle one ounce of finely grated ginger, one pound of sifted loaf sugar, and enough water to dis- solve the sugar ; put the kettle on a slow fire till the sugar begins to boil ; add another pound of finely sifted sugar, stirring it in till it thick- ens ; then drop it in cakes on plates and dry them in a slow oven. They will be hard, brit- tle, white, and very palatable. Gum Drops. — Take one pound of gum arable, dissolve it in i ]4 pts. of water, strain and add one pound of refined sugar. Heat until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Any flavor may be obtained by using enough of the desired flavoring extract to suit the taste, and a little color may be added if wanted. These should be added while the mixture is warm. The mixture should be evaporated until of the consistence of honey, so thick that it will flow only very slowly from the lip or spout of the vessel containing it. Next fill a shallow box with fine starch, and having smoothed the surface, proceed with a stick, hav- ing a rounded end, of the size desired in the finished gum drop, to make indentations in the starch, as thickly together as can be done with- out disturbing the shape of one by the formation of another. Round buttons of wood may be fastened to a flat board, if desired, and the entire 74 CANDY set of indentations prepared at once by press- ing the board on the surface of the starch. The mixture of gum and sugar should now be placed in a vessel having a long lip or spout, and as the liquid is poured slowly out, a por- tion just sufficient to fill each indentation should be stroked off with a wire and allowed to drop therein. When the mould is filled it must ht set in a warm place for several days, until the drops are sufficiently hardened on the outside to bear handling without break- ing. Horehound Candy. — Prepare a strong decoction by boiling two ounces of the dried herb in a pint and a half of water for about half an hour. This decoction is then strained and added to three and one-half pounds of broivn sugar. Boil over a hot fire until it reaches the requisite degree of hardness, when it may be poured out in flat tin trays, previously well greased and marked into sticks or small squares with a knife, as it becomes cool enough to re- tain its shape. Jujube Paste. — Take of gum arable one pound ; dissolve in a pint and a half of water and add one pound of sugar. Evaporate to a very thick consistence, and when cooled a lit- tle, but while still warm enough to run, turn into shallow tin pans which have previously been oiled. Any flavor may be added before turning it out. Lemon Candy. — Into a bright tinned kettle, thoroughly cleansed to free it from grease or odor of vegetables if a kitchen utensil is employ- ed, put three and one-half pounds of sugar, one and one-half pints of water, and a full teaspoon- ful of cream of tartar. Place over a hot fire and stir until the lumps disappear. Boil briskly, until the candy becomes hard and brittle, when a little of it is thrown into cold water ; remove the vessel from the fire and pour the contents on a large earthen platter, previously greased with a little butter. After the candy has cooled sufficiently to be handled, and has reached the consistency of ordinary dough, add about a teaspoonful of finely-powdered tartaric acid, and the same quantity of extract of lemon, and work them into the mass. The acid should be very fine and free from lumps. The mass should be worked enough to distribute the acid and lemon extract evenly, but no more, as too much handling would tend to destroy its trans- parency. It may now be formed into sticks or drops or spread out flat in thin sheets, which will easily break as required when cold. Some makers add a few drops of tincture of saffron just before removing from the fire, which gives a bright yellow color, without diminishing its clearness. Molasses Candy (I). — Into a ketde holding at least four times the amount of molasses to be used, pour a convenient quantity of good Porto Rico molasses. Place over a slow fire and boil for a half hour, stirring all the time. Be very careful not to let the candy bum, especi- ally near the close of the boiling. When a little dropped in cold water becomes quickly hard and snaps apart like a pipe-stem, add a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, free from lumps, to every two quarts, stir quickly to mix, and pour on greased platters to cool. When the candy is sufficiently cool to handle without burning the hands, it is pulled back and forth, the hands being rubbed with a little butter to prevent the candy from sticking to them. Flour is sometimes used for this purpose, but it gives an unpleasant taste to the candy. The more the candy is worked, the lighter it will be in color. Frequently some flavor is added, as vanilla or lemon, but the natural flavor of the boiled molasses is generally preferred. Molasses Candy, (II) (White). — Take two pounds of refined sugar of the grade termed by the grocers " Coffee C," one pint of pure sugar-house syrup, and one pint best Porto Rico or New Orleans molasses. Boil together until it hardens, as before de- scribed, when dropped in cold water, add one teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, and work in the usual manner. This style of molasses candy is that made by the large confectioners, and is, in fact, a sugar candy flavored a little with molasses. Nut Candy. — If the meats of the nuts are covered with a thick skin, like those of almonds or peanuts, remove it ; with walnuts, pecan nuts, etc., this is not necessary. Pour over them the hot molasses candy made as above directed, stirring the meats that each one may be covered. A little less candy should be used than will suffice to entirely cover the mass of meats, though each separate one should be coated. Thus will be formed a large cake, which when nearly cold may be divided in squares or bars with a sharp knife. The meats of any nuts may be used in this man- ner. Sugar Candy. — Take three cupfuls of fine sugar half a cupful of vinegar, and two cup- fuls of water, and boil pretty fast till the water all boils away ; in fifteen or twenty minutes afterwards it will candy (test by dropping some in cold water and tryingif it will "string " when pulled). Then pour into a buttered dish, and when it cools sufficiently to be handled, pull in the same way as molasses candy. This makes a very white and pleasant candy ; but great care ?iiiisi be taken not to move or shake it while boiling. If this happens it will re-crystalize into sugar. Taffy (Plain). — Either kind of molasses candy, if poured from the kettle into tin trays without working, will produce a fine, plain taffy. It may be left in one sheet, the size of the tray in which it is poured, or, when slightly cooled, may be marked off in squares. Tafiy (Everton) Take three pounds of best brown sugar, and boil with one and one- half pints of water, until the candy hardens in cold water. Then add one-half pound of sweet- flavored fresh butter, which will soften the candy. Boil a few minutes until it again har- dens, and pour into trays. Flavor with lemon if desired. CANDYING FRUITS CANNING FRUITS Walnut Candy. — The meats of hickory nuts, English wahiuts, or black walnuts may be used, accordino; to preference in that regard. After removal from the shells in as large pieces as practicable, they are to be placed on the bot- toms of tins, previously greased, to the depth of about a half-inch. Ne.xt boil two pounds of brown sugar, a half-pint of water, and one gill of good molasses until a portion of the mass hardens when cooled. Pour the hot candy on the meats and allow it to remain until hard. Cheap Candy.— A great deal of candy has of late been offered at extremely low rates, from twenty to twenty-five cents per pound below the usual retail price. It is generally composed of many varieties, principally, ho\v- ever, of those which offer the largest opportuni- ties for adulteration. The bonbons and similar candies of this kind are composed of a mi.xture of terra alba and cheap sugar, the gum drops of cornstarch, and the stick candies of starch sugar. The nuts and fruits used in the cheaper varieties are of poor quality, worm- eaten, old or damaged. It will be much the better way, if economy is an object, to prepare the simpler varieties at home. CANDYING FROTTS.— Fruits of every kind may be candied by first boiling them in syrup, and then taking them out and drying them in a pan on the stove or before the fire ; then boil the syrup to a candy, dip the fruit into it once more and again set the fruit on the stove to dry; then put it into boxes or patented jars and keep in a dry place. If put into the patent jars the fruit will keep a long time. Grapes, currants, and the various kinds of berries may be candied by simply dipping them into the candy and drying them carefully. CANDY-TUFT. — A fine, hardy, freely-bloom- ing annual, with pretty bush, and white, red, and purple flowers. Plant the seed in open border or in beds, as soon as the frost is out of the ground ; they will bloom earlier if they are sown in the autumn, and the frost and snow will not injure them. They are in flower from June to September, and may be kept over to next season by cutting off the flowers, not al- lowing the seed-pods to form, and keeping them housed during the winter. CANNEIj coal. — A variety of bituminous coal which burns with such a brilliant white flame that it is used for affording light by the poorer people of the north of England ; hence its name, " cannel " being the local pronunciation for "candle." It does not soil the fingers, is heavier than other coal, and is peculiarly pleasant for burning in open grates. As it is apt to split and fly out when put into the fire, it is best to mix it with common coal in use. Cannel coal is brought from England and sold at about three times the price of anthracite ; there is an American variety which is nearly as good and costs less. It is mined in several places in Kentucky, and from the Leavenworth bed in Kansas. It is more variable than any other kind, often changing in the same bed from very coarse and earthy to the finest. CANNELONS.— Roll out very thin and evenly some fine puff-paste into a long strip of from three to four inches wide, moisten the surface with a feather dipped in white of egg, and cut it into bands of nearly two inches wide ; lay some apricot or peach marmalade equally along these, and fold the paste twice over it, close the ends carefully, and when all are ready, slide them gently into a pan of boiling lard; as soon as they begin to brown, raise the pan from the fire that they may not take too much color before the paste is done quite through. Five minutes will fry them. Drain them well, and dry them on a soft cloth before the fire ; dish them on a napkin, and place one layer crossing another, or merely pile them high in the centre. If well made, and served of a light brown and very dry, these cannelons are excellent : when lard is objected to, dripping may be used in- stead, but the paste will then be somewhat less light. Only lard of the purest quality will answer for the purpose. CANNING FRUITS. — Canned fruit of every kind, preserved by various patented pro- cesses, can be bought in the shops : but they may also be put up at home without difficulty. Tlie principle involved in preserving by canning is the entire expulsion of the air; this is usually effected by heat sufficient to cook the fruit. The best " cans " for family use are the patent glass jars with cover and india-rubber band, which may be had now of every size and at low prices ; those are best in which the rubber en- circles the outside of the jar's mouth without coming in contact with the fruit. For the smaller fruits, which break easily by handling when cooked, it is best to put them into the jars before cooking ; fill up with water, and set them in a wash-boiler containing water enough to come up about three-fourths of the height of the jars. The jars must not rest directly on the bottom of the boiler, as they are liable to break. Bring the water gradually to a boiling point and let it boil steadily but not violently from five to ten minutes. Then take the cans out, place them on a cloth or board, and shake them well to loosen the bubbles ; fill them up to the brim with boiling water, and adjust the cover. The amount of air under the cover should be so slight that it will be expelled by the steam from the hot fruit in the act of sealing. If there is no desire to preserve the fruit whole, the process may be much simplified by 76 CANTALOUPE CAPES cooking the fruit in tlie ordinary way and dip- ping it hot into the jars. In this case the jars must be prepared by heating them gradually with hot water, or they will break when the hot fruit is put in. Plenty of juice should be dip- ped in at first, so as to leave no vacancies for the air, then the jars may be sealed as soon as they are filled ; but if there are bubbles, let them out with a fork or spoon, fill with hot juice and seal. When cooled an hour or so, screw the covers tighter, if possible, or see that they are on firmly. Let the fruit stand m sight for a week or two, and if it does not ferment in that time put away in a dark, dry closet, and it will keep for years. If in cooling, the fruit set- tles, leaving a vacant space at the top, that is not necessarily air, and the jars must not be opened unless signs of fermentation are seen. Then open promptly, fill up with boiling water and reseal ; or, better still, eat it up, and use the jar for other fruit. CANTALOUPE. (See Musk-melon.) CANVAS. — The ordinary canvas is the coarsest cloth made of flax, and the rough, un- bleached varieties are made of hemp. It is used chiefly in manufacturing sails for ships, tents, and the like, but is also very useful in the household for making large bags or any- thing else for which exceptionally strong cloth is required. There is also a light kind of can- vas, woven with the warp and woof at intervals, which ladies use for tapestry and Berlin wool work. That which is flexible is best. CANVAS-BACK.— One of the family of sea ducks, and celebrated as the most delicious of all water fowl. They are in season from about the middle of November to January; and then, provided they have been killed in the neighborhood of Chesapeake Bay, where alone they can find the wild celery which is their pe- culiar food, they are very fat and tender, and with that delicious flavor so much admired. If taken at any other season and place, they are but little better than some of the common sea- ducks. The bill of the canvas-back is black, about three inches long, and nearly in a straight line with the head ; the head and neck are red, the tail is short, and the back partly white and partly black. In choosing, select those which are heavy ; if on feeling behind their legs they are found to be plump and full, they are fat and in good condition. For directions for cooking, see Duck. CAOUTCHOUC. (See India-Rubber.) CAPERS. — The unopened buds of a low, trailing bush which grows wild in Greece and the Levant, and is extensively cultivated in the south of Europe. They are pickled in salt and vinegar, and come to us from Italy, Sicily, and France ; the best are the Toulon capers. Capers are much used in cookery for making sauces. (See Sauce.) CAPES. — Under this head are included ber- thas, canezous, fichus, mantillas, chemisettes, etc. The measures required are : * i. That of * For explanation of Roman numerals, see Cutting and Fitting, the length desired ; 2. The size of neck (XV.) ; 3. The length of shoulder (XIV.); 4. The breadth of shoulders (XVI.) To prepare the pattern, draw the vertical line a b (Fig. i), Fig. I. which marks the middle of the front ; the third of the neck measure (XV.) is allowed for the distance between the points a and c ; at c apply one end of the measure of the shoulder length (XIV.) and mark at the other end the point ^, which is to be distant from the opposite point e, in the vertical line a b, by a space equal to one-fourth of the measure of the breadth of the shoulders (XVI.). The back is designed in the same way, with the exception that for the neck, one-sixth of the neck-measure is taken, instead of one-third (Fig. 2). Fig 2. The pattern represents the simple pelerine or cape suitable for a morning dress, or the wrapper of an invalid or an old lady, the inside lines being the length suitable for a bertha, which may also be cut out in the neck, and adapted to a low-necked dress. The outline of the pelerine and of the bertha may be varied on the lower edge, being cut round, square, pointed, longer in the back or front, or pro- longed in front in square tabs, as a mantilla. The fichu requires the fronts lengthened in such a manner as to cross on the breast, be fastened at the waist, or made long enough to CAPILLAIRE CAPS 77 meet in the back and be knotted together or fastened witli a pin. Capes of this description have a seam upon the shoulder, but the garment may also be cut after the pattern of the circular (see Circu- lar), in which case it is made in one piece ; either way, however, the material from which the cape is to be cut should be folded double lengthwise, and the middle of the back of the pattern laid upon the fold. CAPILLAIRE. — A kind of syrup which may be made thus : Put si.x pounds of loaf sugar and two of brown, and three eggs well-beaten, into three pints of water ; boil it up twice, skim it carefully, and then add half a gill of orange- water; strain it through a piece of tine muslin, and put it into bottles for use. A spoonful or two of this syrup put into a glass of warm or cold water will make a very agreeable drink. CAPON. — A young male fowl which has been castrated and fattened for the table. Caponed fowls are considered great delicacies, and always command the highest market price ; they are said to combine the strength of flavor of the male bird with much of the delicacy of the female, and never to get tough like the or- dinary fowl. The best fowls for the purpose are the large, square, heavy-bodied kinds that have a rapid growth. The signs of a capon are a small head^ comb quite pale, short and with- ered, the neck-feathers, if left on, longer than usual, and, if quite young, smooth legs and short, soft spurs. The body is larger, fatter, more plump and round than that of the common fowl. Capons are cooked and served in the same way as ordinary Chicken. CAPS. — To design a pattern for a cap the only measure required is taken around the head, in a straight line, meeting upon the forehead. This measure we now divide, and cut a square of paper of the dimensions of half the measure, as is seen underlying the various patterns outlined in Figs, i and 2. This we divide in the middle by the line a b, one-half representing the front, the other the crown of the cap. The front is to be cut out, following the inner line c d, more or less, according as the cap is to be worn more or less forward upon the head ; and between the points d b, to give room for the neck. At the point d, we may en- large at will, forming tabs to float or tie under the chin, or may cut the corners off, and attach ribbons. Also the front may be much less than half the cap, and in this case, the crown must be correspondingly more than half, that the proper proportion may be preserved. In Fig. r, many models are represented. No. I. By rounding the upper corner e of the crown, in accordance with the dotted line, which marks the outline of this first pattern, we have a very simple cap, which is left some- times quite square except the curves c d and d b. To make up this pattern the material is cut in two pieces, which are obtained by laying the pattern upon the material folded double, the straight way. The two halves are now united, following the dotted line. The front, c d, and neck, b d, are hemmed or faced with a narrow strip, and the lower edge of the crown is gath- Fig. ered, and a little bias strip, hemmed on the lower edge, is added as a frill. This cap, cut out and made plainly, is the simplest form of a night-cap. On the other hand, made in delicate material, trimmed with lace or ribbon ruches, with lengthened tabs, it is an extremely quamt and pretty morning cap. The same pattern made up in silk or velvet becomes the Alsatian cap, suitable for children or forfancy dress. It is, however, very much cut out in front, and is nearly all crown ; these caps are lined, and the gathering at the edge of the crown is concealed under two lengths of very broad ribbon, which cross on the top of the head and are tied in an enormous butterfly bow. No. 2. The crown in this pattern is enlarged to nearly twice the original size, and is rounded from^ to the point b. This cap is cut in one piece, the pattern being laid on the double fold of the material, straightway, the line c t; on the fold. The edges of the front are hemmed from c to rt'and to b ; the edge of the crown is gathered and secured or held by a drawing- string, which may be tightened or loosened at will. " The capeline is made after this pattern by enlarging the front on the top, and if it be desired to turn it back from the front, it must be still more enlarged. A very simple way of making a capeline and a cape in one piece is to take a square of the desired material, fold it bias, making two tri- angular pieces, then gather it along this diago- nal, and raise one-half over the head, the point coming upon the forehead, while the other is drawn around the neck as a pointed cape. No. 3. This pattern is the same as No. 2, except that it is cut bias, and the crown is smaller in the lower part. No. 4. This is a pattern much used for chil- dren's caps. It is cut in two pieces, and the front is half the breadth of the cap. The crown, cut the straight way of the material, follows the line from g, and is gathered into the front, 78 CARAMEL CARBUNCLE being much more full below than near the top. (Fig. 2.) The first of these patterns repre- sents the crown very large, and the front cor- respondingly reduced. The front may almost disappear and become only a sort of binding to retain the gathers of the crown. The latter is cut rounding, and the double line marked '■'■ gatheriiii^" in the pattern is left for the back of the neck, while the rest of the crown is gath- Cr- ward and the knife passed firmly across it near the middle, the fork being at the same time employed in raising up the lower end towards the knife, and thus breaking the back almost in the centre. The lower end of the back is then turned from the carver, that the bones on each side may be taken off ; the exact place in which these side bones are joined to the back- bone will be easily found by the point of the knife. The choicest parts of the fowl are the side-bones, wings, breast, and merrythought; 8i CARVING the legs, except of young fowls, are considered coarse. The thigh, when separated from the drumstick, is sometimes preferred by those who consider the white meat of a fowl insipid. Cod's Head and Shoulders. — This is the choicest portion of the cod, but very difficult to carve. The first piece should be taken off in the direction a d, by putting in the trowel at the back of the thick part of the fish; other slices may be cut in a similar direction. A Cod's Head and Shoulders, small portion of the sound should be given with each slice ; it will be found lying close to the backbone on raising the thin flake tf, and may be recognized by being transparent and of a darker color than other parts of the fish. There is also a part on the head, behind the eye, which is called the cheek, and much relished, as are also the palate, tongue, and jellied parts immediately around the jaws and bones of the head. Duck. — Ducks when they are large, should be cut in slices like a goose (which see); when small they should be disjointed like fowls. If they are dressed with seasoning, this should not be distributed on the plates without first ascertaining that it is agreeable to the person to be served, as its flavor is not always liked. Eels. — Cut into pieces through the bones ; the thicker portions are considered choicest. Fillet of Veal. — A fillet merely requires successive horizontal slices of meat to be taken off with a sharp knife, serving with each a small portion of fat and forcemeat. Goose. — This is considered the most trying task of the carver. Plant the fork firmly in the centre of the breast, turn the neck of the goose towards you, and cut the whole breast in slices on both sides of the bird. If more slices are required than the breast furnishes, turn the goose on one side and take off the leg by put- ting the fork into the small end of the leg bone, pressing it close to the body, and then, having Goose. passed the knife in the line e b, turn the leg back ; if a young bird it will easily separate. To take off the wing, put the fork into the small end of the pinion and press it close to the body; then put in the knife at c and divide the joint, taking it down in the direction c d. When the leg and wing of one side are separated, go to the other. Cutoff the apron in the X\Y\.i.f e g; then take off the merrythought in the line o i. The neck bones are ne.xt to be separated as in a chicken, and all other parts divided in the same way. Ham. — A ham may be carved in three ways. 1st, it may be commenced at the knuckle and gradually worked up to the other end; 2d, it may be cut in the middle and each side taken from until e.xhausted, taking care to carry the knife down to the bone in a perpendicular direction, as in b c ; or 3d, a hole may be scooped out in the middle {a\ and thin circular slices removed from around it. In any case, the slices ought to be thin and regular, which requires some practice ; for the third method great skill is demanded. Haunch of Mutton or Venison. — These are sent to table with the outside of the leg uppermost, and are both carved alike, be- ing cut down to the bone in the direction of the line (7, b, c, by which means the gravy escapes into the dish. The broad end should then be turned towards the carver, and deep cuts made Haunch of Mutton. from b to dj this gives w^th each slice a due proportion of fat, which lies chiefly on the left side of the line b, d. There is a delicious mine of kidney-fat in the loin of mutton under the flank, which is often too "high" in venison ; but if fresh enough is even more rich and palatable in that meat than in mutton. Knuckle of Veal. — A knuckle of veal cuts in neat slices in only one direction, name- ly, from a to b. The line d c divides two bones which it is necessary to separate in order to get at the best marrowy fat portion; also cut asunder the knucklebones. Leg of Mutton. — The first slice should be taken out as at a, between the knuckle b and CARVING 85 the thick end. Other slices may be cut in the same direction till the knife is stopped by the Knuckle of Veal. cramp bone c. The leg is then turned round and slices are taken lengthwise from the thick end towards the knuckle from c to d. The best slices from a leg of mutton are from the Leg of Mutton. upper end, though the parts about the knuckle are occasionally preferred. Loin of Veal. — The loin is divided into the L'/ua/!p-f>it/ 3.nd the kidncv-end. The latter should be cut across into portions, every other one of which contains a bone, the intermediate one being of meat only ; the fat on the under side and the kidney should be served with each portion. The chump-end is served in slices, the bone being all in one piece. Mackerel. — These are split at the tail, and the upper half raised at that part from the bones, after which the bone is removed from the lower half, and that in turn is served either in one piece or divided according to size. Most other small fish are carved in the same way, that is either by taking out the back bone and serving whole, or divicling with the knife into sections according to size. Partridge. — Cut up in the same way as a chicken. The choicest parts are the wings, breast, and merrythought ; but the bird being small the two latter are not often divided. The wing is considered the best, and the tip is reckoned the most delicate morsel of the whole. Pigeons, Quails, Woodcock, etc. — These are usually cut in half, either lengthwise down the back, or across just at the wings. The lower part is considered the best. All the smaller birds, if too large to serve whole, are cut up in the same way. Ribs of Beef. — Carve in the same man- ner as the sirloin ; this gives a due proportion of fat and lean to each slice, which should be thin and clean cut. Round of Beef. — This is cut in the same way as a fillet of veal (which see). A deep slice should be taken off before beginning to help. When helping the fat be careful not to break it, but cut it smooth. Saddle of Mutton is carved in three different ways: ist, in longitudinal slices along each side of the backbone, by which the lean and fat do not come in the same slice ; 2d, by transverse slices, taking in the bones, and Saddle of Mutton. which therefore must be thick and clumsy ; and 3d, by oblique slices, slightly curved, which is by far the best plan. The knife be- gins at the bone near the tail, and after cutting off the outside, takes a series of parallel slices all through the joint, as marked in accompany- ing cut. Salmon. — In carving salmon it is only necessary to avoid breaking the flakes, and this can best be done by carving lengthwise of the piece. The upper or thin part is considered choicest, but as some prefer the thickest por- tions it is well to ask each person which he prefers, and cut accordingly, making the slices rather thick. Or a thin slice of each may be served without inquiry. Shad. — Cut in slices crosswise of the fish, breaking the flakes as little as possible. The thicker portions are considered choicest, as they have fewer small bones. Shoulder of Mutton or Lamb. — This should be cut first in the hollow part, in the direction a, b, and the knife pressed deep to the bone. The best part of the fat lies on the blioulder of Mutton. outer edge, and is to be cut in thin slices in the direction /, c. When the hollow part in the line a, b is eaten, some very good slices may be cut on each side of the ridge of the backbone, in the direction c, d. The line be- tween these two dotted lines is that in the di- 86 CARVING CASTOR OIL rection of which the ridge of the backbone lies, and cannot be cut across. Shoulder of Veal. — This is carved like the shoulder of mutton by some ; but the best plan is to begin on the under side, and cut slices from the thick edge opposite the bone and parallel with it. When stuffed, a portion of the forcemeat must be served on each plate. Sirloin of Beef. — This is usually carved by cutting the upper side in slices parallel with the bone and commencing at the edge, the brown of which forms the first slice. On the sirloin of Beef. under side the knife is sometimes very unwise- ly cut into the grain, that is across the bone, by cutting through the middle down to the bone and removing the slices on each side. This part, however, tastes much better if cut on the same plan as the upper side, that is by commencing at the edge; but in this way the slices are smill and do not look so handsome. Sucking-Pig. — This requires very little carving, as the knife may be carried through any of its bones without much trouble. It is usual to divide it into sections, about two inches broad and including about three ribs in the middle, and a part only of the fore and hind quarters at each end. Turbot. — The turbot requires peculiar carving, because, unlike other fish, its skin and fins are considered great delicacies. It is only necessary to carry the blade of the knife down to the bone along the middle of the back and then to make similar deep and clean cuts at right angles to this each way to the fins, a portion of which should be separated and kept with each square of fish, so as to avoid the breaking of the fins into pieces afterwards, which is by no means sightly. Turkey. — The art of carving a turkey lies- in cutting the largest possible number of slices. The best way is to pass a short knife clear down to the bone, close to the wing, and then take a thin slice out from between this and the breast, continuing the same plan until the whole is e.xhausted, after which the other side may be carved in the same way. In serving, a portion of the stuffing should be placed in each plate, and if there are sausages or balls, a part of each of them. When both sides of the breast are used up without all being helped, the legs must be taken off by carrying the knife backwards between them and the bo3y, until it is stopped by the joint, when by means of the fork stuck in the leg it is severed from the body, the knife completing the removal by its edge. In dividing the leginto its two portions, the knife should be used against the inside of the joint, where it enters with much less diffi- culty than on the outside. If the bird is too small to be carved in this way, disjoint in the manner suggested for chickens. CASEIN. — The principal constituent of cheese. It is easily obtained by taking the curd from milk and washing it repeatedly in pure cold water; it is employed in making cheese cakes and other agreeable dishes. When dried the composition resembles albu- men and gelatin ; and is very wholesome and nutritious. CASHEW NUT. — This is a native of the West Indies, whence it is brought to our mar- kets. It resembles the walnut in appearance, and has an agreeable, slightly acid taste. The eatable kernel is contained within two shells, and between the shells there is a thick rust- colored liquid, extremely inflammable, and so caustic that it will blister the skin. For this reason, the shell should be burned off before the nut is eaten ; if it is incautiously crushed by the teeth or hands the caustic oil will blister the lips or skin wherever it touches. The kernel is of a very fine flavor, superior to that of the almond, and abounds in a delicious milky juice when fresh ; it may be eaten raw, roasted, or pickled. Some also grind it with cocoa in making chocolate, the flavor of which it is said to improve. CASHMERE. (.S^^^ Shawl.) CASSAVA. (S^^ Tapioca.) CASSIMERE.— This is commonly called kerseyi/iere. It is a twilled woollen cloth, light of texture and more pliable than plain cloth, and especially suitable for vests and light coats. It is either single or double milled, the latter being the stoutest. It is usually woven of the width of thirty-four or thirty-six inches, and is reduced by milling to twenty-seven inches. From their twilled structure.cassimeres are more durable than plain cloth of equal lightness. There are French, English and American cas- simeres ; French is the best. Cassimere should always be carefully shrunk before cutting. CAST. (_See Plaster.) CASTOR OIL. — A mild purgative obtained from the nuts of the castor-oil plant by subject- ing them to a high pressure. To make it, the fresh seeds are first bruised and then put into a cold press ; the oil is then pressed out and allowed to stand some time for the albumen, mucilage, and other matters to settle, after which it is strained off. That of good quality is a thickish fluid of a very pale yellow color, the best being almost limpid, with a slightly nau- seous odor and an oily taste. Bad oil is rancid and muddy yellow. Castor oil is a mild ca- thartic or laxative, operating without much griping or cramps, and generally within a few hours after it is taken. It is considered a suitable laxative in certain inflammatory states of the bowels, and is used to a considerable CAT CATAWBA WINE 87 extent in dysenteric affections when the pas- sages are bloody and attended with straining. Mixed with turpentine (half a teaspoonful of turpentine to one tablespoonful of the oil) it is very effective in expelling worms. The chief objection to castor oil is its nauseating taste ; if, however, it is put into half a cup of strong coffee and drunk off rapidly, it is rendered more endurable. An ounce of castor oil, mixed with fifteen to twenty drops of pure liquor potassae, an ounce of distilled water, and a drachm of spirit of pimento or of nutmeg, will make an emulsion which is equally effective and not unpleasant to take. The most agree- able way, however, to take castor oil is to place it in the foam of ale or porter, which pre- vents its adhering to the mouth and throat. The usual dose is about two tablespoonfuls for adults and from a teaspoonful upward for children. CAT. — There are many varieties of the do- mestic cat, among the most remarkable of which are the Maltese or Chartreuse cat, of a bluish gray color ; the Persian cat, with long white or gray hair ; the Angora cat, with very long silky hair, generally of a brownish white color; and the tortoise-shell or Spanish cat, the most beautiful of all. These are all fairly good mousers ; but for this purpose none of the pet breeds are equal to the common white, and yellow, and spotted kind. The cat is probably the cleanliest of animals, avoiding to step in any kind of filth, concealing its excrement in the earth with great care, and keeping its fur in very ne.at condition notwithstanding an in- vincible repugnance for water. It is very easy to raise, and is extremely prolific, producing from three to six at a litter. If a male is cas- trated while young (the best time is when he is about six weeks old) he will attain larger size and be more gentle and domestic ; it makes him unsociable, however, and intolerant of the presence of any other cat. If cats are al- lowed to run at large, especially if any open fields or woods are near at hand, they are never subject to disease. Those kept too closely confined frequently have fits, for which a bucket of cold water dashed over them is a good remedy, but which can only be cured by cutting off the end of the tail — an operation which causes only slight pain if skilfully done with a sharp knife or when the cat is in a fit. Although capable of showing considerable fondness for an individual, cats seem to have an affection for places rather than persons, and it is very hard to wean them from any home to which they have grown accustomed. The only way to induce them to remain in a new place is to carry them to it blindfolded, and to keep them shut in for several days until they have grown accustomed to the new sur- roundings and to seeing the familiar faces around. CATALEPSY. — A disease in which there is a sudden suspension of volition and of the action of the senses ; the limbs and body pre- serving the different positions given them, and even the face the expression which it had when the paroxysm commenced. The circulation and respiration are in most cases but little affected ; but occasionally they are greatly de- pressed and even imperceptible. This disease bears a great resemblance to the mesmeric state, and is so often feigned that many have doubted and denied its existence. There can be no serious doubt, however, that it is some- times though not often a real disease. The hysterical and melancholic are most disposed to it, and it occurs most often in young females of a nervous habit ; the paroxysm is generally brought on by some strong mental emotion, such as religious excitement, or by some dis- order of the digestive or secretive organs. The duration of the attack is variable ; sometimes it is over in a few minutes, sometimes it lasts twelve or fourteen hours, and cases are record- ed in which it has been prolonged to twenty and even thirty days. During all this time the un- varying motionless attitude and fixed expression give a strange and corpse-like look to the suf- ferer. In a case of catalepsy a physician must be summoned at once ; and the only treatment that can be ventured on in his absence is to loose all the clothes, to immerse the feet in a hot mustard foot-bath, and to make cold appli- cations to the head. In the intervals between the fits, means should be employed to improve the general health and to give tone to the ner- vous system. As a rule cataleptic patients re- cover from the attack much sooner when left entirely alone than when subjected to active treatment. CATAMENIA. (Sfe Menstruation.) CATAPLASM. — A plaster or poultice ap- plied externally to some part of the body. It is used generally either to check inflammation and allay pain, or to promote suppuration and at the same time lessen the pain which accom- panies it. For the former purpose it is applied cold ; and cotton-wool, steeped in water, and bound to the part with a tight bandage, is a sim- ple and effective application for the purpose. When intended to hasten the progress of in- flammation to suppuration, poultices should be as hot as the parts will bear. (See Poultices.) CATARRH. (See Colds and Influenza.) CATAVTBA 'WINE.— One of the best and most popular of the native American wines, considered by many to be superior to most of the French and German wines, at least such of them as are to be had in our markets. It is made from the Catawba grapes, which grow abundantly in the valley of the Ohio and in other parts of the country. It is a sweet wine, containing in its pure state from ten to twelve per cent, of alcohol, and is made either into still or sparkling wine ; the latter, which is most in demand, contains an addition of alco- hol and consequently is stronger. Catawba wine is mostly white, though some red wine is made. It is fit for use two years from the time the grapes are pressed, but reaches perfection, according to Mr. Longworth when about seven years old. The still wine should be drunk at m CATERPILLAR CATSUP a temperature about the same as that of the room. CATERPILLAR. — The common name ap- phed to the larvE of the lepidopterous insects, such as butterflies, moths, hawk-moths, etc. The varieties of caterpillars are practically innumerable, there being over six hundred in New England alone. Many of them feed on leaves, some species being restricted to a single kind of plant; some feed on flowers, some on seeds, some on roots, and some even on the woody portions of the stems ; others on wool, hides, furs, and other anifnal substan- ces, such as lard and fat. The common cater- pillar is very destructive to trees, stripping them of their foliage in an incredibly short time, and unless vigorously dealt with, they will ruin an orchard of fruit-trees in a single season. The surest protection is to plant tansy around the roots, and when this is not practicable, whitewash the trunk from the ground up to the height of six feet. When they build their nests in a tree (their nests are a silky web like that of the spider, but much more compact and closely woven), they must be cut down on a damp day and destroyed ; or else burned out by fixing cotton to the end of a long pole and dipping it in pitch. Care must be taken in the latter case not to injure the tree. Boring a hole in apple-trees infested with caterpillars and filling it with sulphur will often drive them away immediately. The caterpillars which infest flowers and garden- plants, can only be kept away by watering the plants frequently and copiously, and by e.x- amining them often during the Spring and Summer. Several drugs are recommended for driving them off, but these are nearly always injurious to the plants. CATFISH. — Found in the markets from February to May, and again in October and November. They weigh from a quarter to three-quarters of a pound each, and have large flat heads, a smooth slimy brown skin, with no scales on the back, and a whitish belly. The smaller fish are best, and all of them should be skinned before cooking. Pried Catfish. — Select small fish, skin them, clean, and remove the heads ; then sprinkle them with salt and lay them aside in a cool place for an hour or so. Fry them in lard or drippings over a brisk fire, and serve as soon as done. They may also be prepared by dipping them first into eggs beaten to a froth and then rolling them in powdered cracker ; fry as before. Stewed Catfish — Prepare as for frying, not omitting to let them stand in salt tor an hour. Put them into a sauce-pan over a moderate fire, pour in enough cold water to cover them, and stew slowly for half an hour or till they are done. Add one teaspoonful of butter, one of flour mixed to a paste with a little cold water, a minced onion, a little parsley chopped fine, and pepper. Let it boil a minute or so, then dish and serve with the gravy. CATHARTICS. — A class of medicines that act strongly on the bowels as purgatives. Their number is very large, and they may be divided into several classes : mechanical, including unbolted meal of various kinds, fruits, and mustard seed ; oily, as castor and croton oil : saline, as magnesia and its carbonate, sul- phate, and citrate, sulphate and phosphate of soda, etc. ; acid or bitter, as rhubarb, senna, colocynth, and aloes ; resinous, as jalap, gam- boge, scammony ; and mercurial, as calomel and blue pill. Their action varies greatly, from the mild and almost natural effect of magnesia and aloes, to the violent purging of jalap and gamboge. Cathartics are very commonly used in domestic medicine, and probably no class of drugs is so frequently abused ; a resort to them being so easy as to lead in many instances to the neglect of highly important hygienic rules. A due attention to diet, exercise, and bathing would be a far more effective remedy than any cathartics for a majority of the. difficulties for which the latter are used. In many cases, however, their use is necessary, and directions for them are given under the various diseases. Castor oil, epsom salts, magnesia, aloes, rhu- barb, and senna, are the only cathartics that should be used without medical advice; the most violent ones may produce serious results. No cathartics, however, either should or can be relied upon to cure constipation, to " work off a cold," or to relieve dyspepsia; in all such cases a cure can be looked for only in a due observance of hygienic laws. CATNIP or CATMINT, a plant which grows wild in the fields throughout the United States, the leaves of which are much employed as a domestic remedy. The leaves, which are the only part of the plant used, are aromatic, and pungent and somewhat bitter to the taste. Cats are very fond of them, and are said to use them medicinally. Catnip tea, the form in which catnip is administered, is an infusion made by pouring hot water on the leaves and allowing them to steep. It acts as a tonic and excitant, and possibly is an antispasmodic ; ina much diluted form, with a little sugar in it, it is often given to very young infants to soothe them and to expel the wind from their stomachs. Chewing the leaves is said to be good for the toothache. The leaves may be preser\'ed by dry- ing them in the sun and keeping them in a dry place. They are best when the plant is in bloom. CATSUP. — The catsups sold in stores are generally poor stuff, made of dubious ingre- dients, and the fruitful source of indigestion and other disorders of the stomach. At their best they seldom equal the home made ; and it is so easily made that every family should provide its own supplies. In making catsup never use a copper or brass kettle. CAUDLE CAULIFLOWER 89 Mushroom Catsup. — Take : - Mushrooms, salt, pepper and allspice. Select mushrooms full grown, and with large flaps ; put a layer of these at the bottom o£ a pan, and sprinkle them with salt : then an- other layer of mushrooms and salt ; and so on alternatmg the layers till the desired quantity is prepared : let them stand two or three hours ; then pound them in a mortar, or mash them with the hands, and let them remain two days (no longer), stirring theni up and pressing them well each day. Now pour them into a stone jar, and for each quart add an ounce and a half of whole black pepper, and half an ounce of allspice; cover the jar closely, set in a pan of boiling water, and boil it for two hours. Strain the juice off without pressing the mushrooms, into a clean stew-pan, and boil it very gently for half an hour. Skim it well, pour it into a clean jar, and let it stand till cold ; then strain it through a flannel bag, bottle it, seal uptight, and keep in a cool place. Examine it from time to time by putting a strong light behind the neck of the bottle, and if any scum appears about it, boil it up again with a few peppercorns. Tomato Catsup. — 7«/^i? .--Tomatoes, I gal.; salt, 4 tablespoonfuls ; black pepper, 4 table- spoonfuls ; mustard, 3 tablespoonfuls ; allspice, I tablespoonful ; cloves, i tablespoonful ; cay- enne pepper, i teaspoonful ; vinegar or white wine, I pt. Take one gallon of nice ripe tomatoe.s, cut them in half, sprinkle four even tablespoonfuls of salt over them and put them in the preserv- ing kettle with one pint of good vinegar ; let them simmer slowly for three hours, stirring often ; then strain to avoid the skin and seeds ; add four tablespoonfuls of ground black pepper, three of mustard, one of allspice, one of cloves, one teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, or two or three pods of red pepper ; boil until reduced to two quarts, then bottle and seal. Walnut Catsup.— 7<7,tt?. --Young walnuts, 10 dozen ; vinegar, 2j-^ pts ; salt, ^{ lb ; whole black pepper, i )i oz ; nutmegs, '/i oz ; 40 cloves ; ginger, }4 oz; mace, X °^- Bruise ten dozen young and tender walnuts, add to them three quarters of a pound of salt and a quart of good vinegar ; let them stand two weeks, stirring them every day : then strain them through a cloth and squeeze them, and set the juice aside ; add to the husks half a pint of vinegar, and let it stand over night : then strain and squeeze as before, and add the liquor thus obtained to that set aside the day before. Add one ounce and a quarter of whole black pepper, half an ounce of nutmegs bruised or sliced. 40 cloves, half an ounce of gin- ger, and a quarter of an ounce of mace ; boil it half an hour, then strain and bottle it for use. CAUDLE. — This is a preparation very use- ful in the sick-room. Ale Caudle. — To a quart of thick rice or water-gruel add a pint of ale and enough of allspice to flavor, and of sugar to sweeten it. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly ; then strain it, and put in a cool place till wanted. This is very nourishing and palatable. Flour Caudle. — Put into a pudding basin a pound of flour, cover the basin over, and set it in a kettle of boiling water ; keep it boiling two hours : the flour will then be converted into a hard ball with a brown crust, whicli must be removed : then grate the flour, and set away in a jar for use. To make into a cau- dle, rub a dessertspoonful of it into five table- spoonfuls of cold water; set over the fire five tablespoonfuls of new milk and two teaspoon- fuls of sugar, and ju-t when it boils add the flour and water. Stir the whole over a slow fire for twenty minutes : it is then ready for use. This caudle is good for young children whose bowels are too loose. Rice Caudle. — Mix one tablespoonful of ground rice in half a teacupful of cold water, and pour it into a quart of boiling water. Let it boil till it thickens, stirring all the time : when it begins to thicken, add a wine- glass of brandy, sweeten to taste, and flavor with grated nutmeg and lemon peel. Boil it a little longer until perfectly smooth, and then strain it. This is a strong and highly nutritious food. CAULIFLOWER.— A plant of the cabbage tribe, differing from broccoli only in being whiter and less hardy. It has a compact, rounded head of very delicate flavor, stand- ing on a stock eighteen inches to two feet in height, surrounded by long leaves. Two crops of the cauliflower may be raised in one season. For the early crop, seed should be sown in September in good rich soil, and in about four weeks transplanted to a cold frame, set two or three inches apart, and carefully protected by glass during the winter. In Feb- ruary, set them in another frame, eight to twelve inches apart, to prevent a spindling growth ; and transplant to the garden as early in spring as possible. Set them three feet from each other, and water them well and hoe them during dry weather. In transplanting lift a ball of earth with the roots to secure continuous growth. For the second crop, sow the seed in an open bed in May, and transplant to the garden in July. Those plants which do not head before frost may be removed to a dry cellar or shed, covered with litter, and allowed to head during early winter. Boiled Caiiiiflo-vver. — White cauliflowers are the best. Take off the outside leaves, cut the stalk off close to the head, and let them lie in salt and water for half an hour before cooking. Boil them fifteen or twenty minutes, according to size, adding a little salt to the water. Dish carefully to avoid breaking the leaves, and serve at once with drawn butter. Pickled Cauliflower. — Separate the stems, wash them carefully and sprinkle with salt, using half a pint for a peck. In twelve hours shake off the salt, lay the pieces in jars and pour over them boiling vinegar, which has boiled for five minutes, with these ingredients : — To one gallon of vinegar add half a pint of sugar, twelve blades of mace, twenty four white pep- 90 CAVIARE CEMENTS percorns ; of mustard and celery seed, a table- spoonful each, and some bits of red pepper pods. The jars or cans must be closed at once. Scalloped CaulifloTver. — Boil as above, and pack them, stems downward, in a buttered pudding dish. Make a sauce with a cupful of bread-crumbs beaten to a froth with two table- spoonfuls of melted butter and three of cream or milk, one well-beaten egg, and pepper and salt to taste. Pour this over the cauliflower, cover the dish tightly, and bake six minutes in a quick oven, browning them nicely. Serve hot in the dish they were cooked in. Stewred Cauliflower. — Common heads will do for this. Boil them till about half done ; drain them, place them in a stew-pan stems downwards, and set on a slow fire with a spoonful of fat. Stir gently so as not to break them, and in about five minutes add half a gill of broth (or half a teacupful of milk thickened with a tablespoonful of flour or rice), and sea- son with salt or pepper ; simmer till done, stirring now and then, dish them, turn the sauce over them, and serve hot. CAVIARE.— A kind of food made of the roes of large fish such as the sturgeon, cod, and salmon. It is made chiefly in Russia, whence it is exported to this country in kegs. It makes an excellent breakfast dish, served between slices of toast ; and is also good on bread with a drop or two of oil and vinegar. The caviare which is made up in thin cakes is of an inferior quality. CAYENNE. — A pepper made of the several varieties of the capsicum plant, which grows in the East and West Indies, in South Amer- ica, and to some extent in this country. It is the most powerful of the spices, has an acrid taste, produces a fiery sensation in the mouth if taken in any but the smallest quantities, and is said to promote the digestion of many kinds of food and especially of fish. It does not leave the irritating and weakening effect upon the stomach which black pepper produces if constantly used. The cayenne of commerce is in the form of a powder, and it is subject to gross adulterations. Red lead and vermilion are sometimes added to it to preserve its color which fades with age, and cases of poisoning have been traced to this cause ; ground rice, salt, and turmeric, are more harmless ad- ditions, — salt is nearly always added to in- crease the weight and prevent the powder from rising into the air too readily in the form of dust. Guinea cayenne is the hottest and strongest, but that which comes from the West Indies is best. Cayenne pepper makes an ex- cellent gargle (a teaspoonful steeped in a pint of water) in scarlet fever ; and it is also said to relieve the nausea of sea-sickness. Great care must be taken in handling not to let it get into the eyes, as it is not only very painful but dangerous. CELERY. — An umbelliferous plant which in its wild state is said to be poisonous, but which when brought under cultivation becomes an agreeable and wholesome vegetable. It requires a deep, rich, mellow soil. Some of the best celery is obtained from swamp land, and it is a semi-aquatic plant. Plant the seed in a well-prepared bed from the end of March to the beginning of May ; when the plants are two or three inches high, transplant them to another bed similarly prepared. Let them grow here until tliey are from six to ten inches high, and then transfer them to the final bed ; plant in rows three feet apart, and at regular intervals, in the row, of eight inches. As they advance in size and become a foot or so in height the earth must be heaped up about them frequently, and nearly to the leaves. This lat- ter process is called " blanching." The surface soil must not be too moist, but a wet subsoil is not so injurious as to most other plants. The season for celery begins about the middle of August, but it is always slightly bitter till frost has touched it ; it is found in the markets till about the first of April. In choosing for salad, select the solid, close, clean, and white stalks, with a large, close heart. For soups, inferior stalks, the leaves, and even the seeds, answer every purpose. Before sending to the table cut off the roots and scrape the stalks, rejecting any that are green and tough ; let the white, tender leaves nearest the heart remain. Keep it in cold water until it is sent to the table. Salad. — Clean the celery, and wipe it dry ; split the stalks and cut into pieces about an inch long, put info a salad dish with salt, vine- gar and a little mustard ; stir and let it stand an hour, then add pepper and oil, stir again, and serve. Or use Mayonnaise sauce. Sauce (for Poultry) Cut up four or five celery heads into small pieces, and boil them in half a pint of water till tender; mix two tea- spoonfuls of flour with half a teacupful of milk and add it to the celery, with half a teaspoon- ful of salt, and a teaspoonful of butter; boil it once and serve. CEMENTS.— It would require several pages merely to enumerate the different kinds of cement, and the different purposes to which they are applied; but we shall only include here such of those as will prove most useful in the household. Alabaster Cement Tafe .--Beeswax, I lb; rosin, I lb; alabaster (powdered), J lb. This is for mending broken alabaster orna- ments, and is extremely strong. Take a pound of white beeswax and one of rosin, melt them, and add three quarters of a pound of finely powdered alabaster. Stir the whole well to- gether ; then knead the mass in warm water in order to incorporate the alabaster with the other ingredients. The alabaster to be mend- ed must be perfectly dry and heated; the cement must also be heated. Cover the frac- tured parts with the cement, join them together, bind them tightly, and let them remain undis- turbed for a week. Bottle Cement. — 7tz,{'t' .--Sealing-wax, ^ lb; rosin, i lb; beeswax, 2 oz. This is for sealing the corks of bottles. Melt together a quarter of a pound of sealing CENTURY PLANT CHAMPAGNE 91 wax, a quarter of a pound of rosin, and a couple of ounces of beeswax; when it froths stir it with a tallow candle. As soon as it is melted, dip the mouths of the corked bottles into it, and set them away to cool. This is an excellent cement for excluding air from all such things as are injured by exposure. Cheese Cement. — Taic .--Chetse; quick- lime ; white of egg. This is very durable for mending coarse china or earthen-ware. Take some fresh cheese, pound it, and wash it through warm water till all the soluble matter is extracted; then strain dry and it will crumble. By drying it upon blotting paper, it may be kept a long time. For use, mix the cheese with quicklime (in the proportions of one ounce of cheese to half an ounce of quicklime), and add enough white of egg to make it into a paste. When ready it must be applied immediately, as it dries quickly, and cannot be melted a second time. China Cement. — Taie .-Gum-arabic ; plaster of Paris. A very white cement for mending fine china. Take a very thick solution of gum-arabic in water, and stir into it plaster of Paris till it is of the consistency of thick paste. Apply it with a brush to the fractured edges of the china, stick them together, and bind them. In three days the article cannot be broken in the same place. Diamond Cement. — Ta^t' .-Isinglass ; proof spirit ; resin, or gum ammoniac ; alcohol. This is very good for mending broken glass. It is made by steeping isinglass in water till it swells, and then dissolving it in proof spirit, to which must be added a little gum resin or gum, ammoniac dissolved in the smallest possible quantity of alcohol. It should be heated before it is applied. It will only partially resist moist- ure. Iron-ware Cement. — Taic-lTon. file dust; quicklime ; whites of eggs. Beat the whites of eggs to a froth ; then stir into them enough finely powdered quicklime to make a thin paste ; then add enough iron file dust to make a thick paste. Fill the cracks in iron-ware with this cement, and let it remain sev- eral weeks before using. Japanese Cement. — Mix rice flour with cold water to a smooth paste, and boil it gently for twenty minutes. It answers all the purposes of wheat flour paste, while it is much superior both in transparency and in smoothness. Wax Cement. — Taie .-Yellow wax ; turpen- tine ; Venetian red. Melt yellow wax, mix with its weight of tur- pentine, and add a httle Venitian red to color it. This, when cold, is as hard as soap, but it can be softened by the warmth of the hand. It is useful to stop up cracks ; and is better than the hard cement for covering the corks of bottles that are not going to be kept very long. CENTURY PLANT. (See Agave.) CESSPOOL. {See Drainage.) CHABLIS. — A sweetish white wine, similar to Burgundy, which is raised near the town of Chablis, in the south of France. It is very fine, and much esteemed by epicures as an accompaniment to oysters. The best brands are Bougiiereau, Mont du Millicii, Valmur, and Vaudesir. It should be drunk at a temperature a little lower than that of the room. CHALK. — Mineral substance, consisting principally of carbonate of lime derived from the shells of myriads of minute marine animals. It is of friable texture, and easily rubbed to a powder. In a powdered state it is sold as the prepared chalk, so useful for jjolishing brass, tin, and glass. French clialk is a pure variety of steatite or talc, used by tailors for marking their cloth : it is also mixed with cosmetics to give them body. Whiting or Spanish -white, is chalk finely ground and pu- rified by washing and separating the hard par- ticles. It is highly useful for cleaning the finer metals. Camphorated Chalk. {See TooTH POW- DERS.) CHAMOIS-SKIN.— The skin of the cham- ois, a species of goat or antelope which runs wild in the fastnesses of the Swiss Alps. The skin, when properly tanned, is extremely soft and pliable, more so than even that of the kid, and can be put to many uses in the household. It is unequalled for polishing smooth and highly finished surfaces, such as jewellery, silver-ware, glass, pianos, and other furniture. It is also excellent for packing away choice articles of jewellery or table-ware, as it is comparatively impervious to dampness. In selecting, choose that which is pliable and free from lumpy spots. If it is once wetted it becomes harsh and can afterwards be used only for the coarser kinds of cleaning ; when used as a duster it should be carefully shaken out each time or it will hold the coarser grains of dust and scratch the furniture. CHAMOMILE. {See Camomile.) CHAMPAGNE. — The most celebrated of the French wines, chiefly produced in the province of that name. It is generally under- stood in this country to be a brisk, efferves- cing, sparkling white wine of a peculiar flavor ; but this is only one of several varieties. There are both red and white champagnes, and both of them may be either sparkling or still : the spark- ling wines are called mousseux, and the still ncn-mousseu.v. The sparkling are most highly esteemed, on account of their delicate flavor, and the agreeable pungency which is given them by the carbonic acid they contain. There is a great difference in the quality of champagne wines, according to the particular vineyards at which they have been made. The finest are produced in the sloping grounds on the north bank of the river Marne; and they are mostly white wines. Dry champagnes {i.e., not sweet) are growing in favor, especially among those with whom sugar disagrees. There is no wine, with the possible exception of sherry, that is more extensively adulterated and imi- tated by artificial combinations than sparkling 92 CHAPPED HANDS CHARLOTTE DE RUSSE champagne. The sparkling of champagne is properly caused by the fermentation of rock candy introduced into still wine. Inferior wines have carbonic acid pumped in ; in either case the sparkle cannot be depended upon for more than two years. The red champagnes are not used much in this countrv; they seldom equal Burgundy which they much resemble. That of Clos dc St. Thierry is considered the best. In selecting champagne, many consider the briskness and effervescence as a test of their excellence ; but a good judge will prefer a liquor of moderate briskness, as much of the aroma evaporates with the froth. Champagne must be kept in an equable temperature, and cooled by ice, outside of the bottle, never in the wine. It intoxicates quickly and the ex- citement it produces is of a more vivacious and agreeable character than that which comes from any other wine, but its duration is shorter, and the reaction less. For this rea- son it is an admirable tonic for invalids and for all who are suffering from a low state of the system. The best brands are : Pomery and Greno, Roederer, Mumm, Due de Montebello, Krug, Giesler, and Heidsick. Veuve Clicquot is highly prized as one of the best of the sweet wines. Champague Frappee. — This is made by freezing the champagne in salt and ice until it has the consistence of snow. When served in this way it is very delicate and refreshing. CHAPPED HANDS.— An excellent appli- cation for chapped hands or lips may be made as follows : First dissolve one drachm of borax in one ounce of rose-water, and add it to half an ounce of glycerine ; melt one drachm of sperm- aceti in the same quantity of olive oil, and ten drachms of pure lard ; add the solution to that, little by little, stirring all the time, and continue to stir until it is nearly cold. Warm it slightly before applying ; it will restore the skin to its softness and smoothness without jjarching it as pure glycerine does. A simple remedy is this : Take common starch, and grind it with a knife until it is reduced to the smoothest powder, put it in a clean tin box, so as to have it continually at hand for use. Then, every time that the hands are taken from the suds or dish-water, rinse them thoroughly in clear water wipe them, and while they are yet damp rub a pinch of the starch thoroughly over them, covering the whole surface. If care is taken to wipe the hands perfectly dry after washing, chapping is not likely to occur. CHARCOAL.— That part of wood which re- mains after the other elements, oxygen and hydrogen, have been extracted by partial com- bustion. Next to the diamond, charcoal is the purest form of carbon known to us. As it ig- nites very readily it is very useful in starting fires of other fuel, and as it gives out no smoke or flame in burning it can be used under cir- cumstances where no other fuel would be en- durable. It is also useful in the kitchen when a sudden accession of heat is required, or when a steady fire is wanted for a limited time. In this country, however, charcoal is not much used for domestic purposes ; it is more expen- sive than wood or coal, it requires constant attention, and its use, especially in close rooms, is highly dangerous. In burning, it throws off large quantities of carbonic acid gas ; and, as this gas is invisible and odorless, suffocation from it is peculiarly liable to ensue. Many fatal accidents have resulted from burning charcoal in close rooms, or in stoves where draughts are imperfect. The first sensation when it has become dangerous is a slight sense of weakness ; the limbs feel jjowerless and the head heavy. A slight giddiness, accompanied by a distinct feeling of flush or glow on the face and neck, succeeds. Soon after, the per- son becomes drowsy, wishes to sit down, but commonly falls insensible to the floor, snoring heavily as in apoplexy. When any of these symptoms are felt, the person sho.uld at once seek the open air. The proper treatment for a person suffocated by charcoal, is to remove him immediatsly to the open air ; then drop cold water over his head and chest, and if breathing has ceased, imitate respiration by breathing strongly into his mouth and expelling the air by pressing gently on his chest. When he has recovered sufficiently to swallow, ad- minister hot coffee, or brandy and water. A strong stimulus, such as hartshorn, applied to the feet is also very good. CHARLOTTE De 'B.TSSS'Z.— {Chocolate). Take .--Cream i pt ; powdered sugar, }i^ teacup- ful ; chocolate (grated), 3 tablespoonfuls ; gela- tine, 5^ oz. ; eggs 4 ; vanilla, i teaspoonful ; sponge cake. Heat a pint of cream slowly to the boiling point; add half a cupful of powdered sugar, three tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate stirred into a little milk, and half an ounce of gelatine, soaked in 2 tablespoonfuls of cold water : when these are dissolved, add the mixture by spoon- fuls to the beaten yolks of four eggs. Set the whole into a sauce-pan of boiling water, and stir until it becomes very hot, but do not let it boil; then remove, flavor with a teaspoonful of vanilla, and whip it to a high froth, adding at the last the beaten whites of the four eggs. Line a mould with sponge cake, fill with the mixture, and set upon the ice until ready to be served. n. Whip stiff one and a half pints of cream and put it aside until it is set; now run off the thin cream that has settled to the bottom of the vessel; add to it half an ounce of gela- tin which has been steeped in cold water for two hours, five ounces of sugar, and a half inch of vanilla bean. Set it on a slow fire until it is thoroughly dissolved; then remove the vanilla bean, and whip into the mixture two raw yolks of eggs; when it is about to set, gently incorporate it with the whipped cream. Pour it into a mould carefully lined with lady-fingers or thin pieces of sponge-cake, and set it in a cold place to become firm, when it will be ready for use. CHECK (BANK) CHEESE 93 CHUCK (BANK.) — A check is a written order addressed to a banlt^ pt. Simmer five ounces of sugar with half a pint of water for ten minutes ; throw into the syrup thus made a pound of cherries weighed after they are stalked, and let them stew gently for twenty minutes. It is a great improvement to stone the cherries, but a larger quantity will be required for a dish. Currant Compote. — Made same as Berry Compote. Fig Compote. — Take .--Sugar, 4 oz ; rind and juice of I lemon ; water, I pt ; dried figs, I lb ; wme, 2 wineglassfuls. Put into a porcelain lined pot, four ounces of fine white sugar, the rind of a large and fresh lemon (or orange-juice and rind), and a pint of cold water. When the sugar is dissolved, add a pound of nice dried figs, and place the pot over a moderate fire where the figs may heat and swell slowly and be very gently stewed. When they are quite tender, which will be in about two hours, add two wine- glassfuls of wine, and the strained juice of the lemon ; arrange them in a glass dish and serve them cold. This dish is very fine. Orange Compote. — 7a^t» .--Oranges ; sugar, and water. Peel some large sweet oranges, cut them into slices crosswise, and remove the seed. Make some syrup as directed above, but do not pour it over the oranges until it is cold. This compote requires no boiling. Peach Compote. — 7fl.f<; .-- Peaches (quite ripe), I doz; white sugar, 10 oz; water, i pt; lemon-juice. Pare a dozen ripe peaches, put them into a syrup made of ten ounces of white sugar boiled in a pint of water for ten minutes, and stew them very gently for ten minutes, stir- ring often. Dish the fruit ; reduce the syrup by quick boiling almost to a candy, pour it over the peaches, and serve them hot for a second- course dish, or cold for dessert. The peaches should be quite ripe, and will be found delicious dressed thus. If desired, a Uttle lemon-juice may be added to the syrup. Plum Compote. — Ta.^^ .--Plums ; sugar, 10 oz ; water, i pt. Select ripe plums, prick them with a needle, and put them into cold water while boil- ing a pan of water into which they must be put as soon as the water boils. When they rise to the surface of the hot water, take them out and put them again into cold water. Make a syrup of ten ounces of sugar to a pint of water, and boil them up in it. Put them into a basin and let them cool, and then boil them up once more ; skim them well and let them cool for use. CONGER-EEL. — A kind of eel, sometimes called the " American Conger," much larger than the common variety, being from three to four feet long with the tail ending in a sharp point. They are in season from November to April, but they are rather scarce in the markets and are not much esteemed as food. Cooked same as Eel. , CONSOMME. — ConsommS, is concentrated or very strong broth or soup. It may be eaten either by itself or will serve as a sauce or gravy for other meats according to the way in which it is made. To make, put five pounds of lean fresh beef into a soup-kettle, add three quarts of cold water and a tablespoonful of salt, and set it on a brisk fire. When the water boils, place the kettle on a moderate fire and skim off the scum which rises to the surface ; then add one carrot, one small turnip, one onion, two cloves, two cloves of garlic, and a stalk of celery. Let it simmer slowly from seven to eight hours, and it is then ready for serving. A consoinm^ of poultry may be made by roasting a couple of fowls until they are about one-third done, and then putting them in a soup- kettle with three poundsof lean beef, and three quarts of cold water and salt. Boil up as directed above, and add the same vegetables and seasonings. After it has simmered for three hours, take the fowls out of the kettle, and let the rest simmer three hours longer. Ladle out the vegetables, strain the liquor that remains, and that liquor is the best consojiiine that can be made. It is, of course, highly nutritious and very strengthening to invalids when their stomach can stand it. CONSTIPATION. —This is one of the most common of ailments and one of the most difficult to deal with, for though it is the fruit- ful source of many diseases it is itself less a disease than an indication of functional de- rangement. Of course the retention of e.xcre- mentitious matter in the intestines produces serious disturbance of the whole system, which, however, is, as a rule, readily cured by medi- cal treatment, and the adoption of suitable hygienic habits. Dr. Andrew Combe, in his treatise on physiology, says : " In the natural and healthy state, under a proper system of diet, and with sufficient exercise, the bowels are relieved regularly, once every day," and he adds that ^^ habit is powerful in modifying the result, and in sustaining healthy action when once fairly established. Hence the obvious advantage of observing as much regularity in relieving the system as in taking our meals." From the earliest age, people should accustom themselves to going to the water closet at a fixed period of each day ; and one who persists in this long enough to make it a habit will sel- dom suffer from constipation. This habit may be supplemented by a glass of cold water every morning before breakfast, which is to some persons a laxative ; and alternate contraction and expansion of the muscles of the abdomen may be tried. Such exercise continued ten minutes a day, and persevered in for a week or two, may cure ordinary cases of constipation, provided proper food is taken. For this pur- pose bread made of unbolted flour and fruit [especially cooked fruit), should enter largely CONSUMPTION 119 into the diet. Two Compound Rhubarb pills may be taken at bedtime for a few nijjhts, but exercise, diet and regular habits should be the main agents in effecting recovery. For ob- stinate constipation use injections containing a little salt, or soap-suds, or better still, get the advice of a physician. CONSUMPTION. — The technical name for this disease is Phthisis, or wasting. By it is meant that form of lung disease where first of all there is a deposit of new material in the substance of the lung. After a time this softens and breaks down ; it is expectorated and leaves cavities behind. This process is accompanied by fever of a peculiar kind, and general wast- ing of the body ; whence the name. The de- posit in the lungs is by no means always of the same character, though that was taken for granted up to a very recent period. The pro- cesses which lead to this deposit are two in number — one is inflammation of the lung substance, and the other is a deposit of a new growth called tubercle. Most frequently the two processes are associated, for the deposit of the new growth sets up inflammation and its consequences. When the substance of the lung becomes inflamed, we have to deal with a very different set of phenomena than when the air passages alone are so affected. The disease may assume a very acute form, such as cannot be mistaken, or it may steal on insidiously, especially if it spreads from the air tubes to the lung substance. The consequence of such an inflammation is the choking up of the little cavities of which the lung consists in a portion of its substance, and the material thus deposit- ed may either remain there for a length of time, or at once proceed to soften and break down. In this process the damaged material of the lung too may take part. It may soften as well as the newly-deposited substance, and breaking down and being expectorated, leave behind a cavity in the substance of the lung. This pro- cess may go on quickly or slowly, sometimes very slowly, especially if other changes go on at the same time, such as indurate the texture of the lung, as what has been called fibroid phthisis, a very slow form of the malady. But again there may be a deposit of new substance, the process being by no means inflammatory, and this new growth which is laid down in the substance of the lung is called tubercle. Once deposited, its history is the same, or nearly so, as that of the inflammatory material laid down in the lung cavities. It softens and breaks down, the injured texture of the lung doing so also, and so a cavity is formed. There is yet another mode and kind of deposit ; that due to syphilis. This is, perhaps, if a diagnosis can be made, the most hopeful variety of the disease. To both the former varieties of dis- ease there may be a strong hereditary proclivity ; if so, this is a circumstance which tells most unfavorably on behalf of the patient, for there are few diseases in which a hereditary character is more prominent than that which commonly goes by the name of pulmonary consumption. It is of the very first importance that this dis- ease should be diagnosed in the earliest stages, for it is then that certain of its forms may be treated with tolerable confidence of success, and all can be dealt with to most advantage. That form which promises most by timely treatment is the inflammatory form, especially that which comes on in a patient who has long been in depressed health from whatever cause. It commonly begins with a slight cough, which, however, persists, and will not go away, and the patient gets gradually thinner. The res- piration indicates feebleness, being wavy in character, or even jerking. Besides this, there are certain sounds only to be appreciated by a skilled ear. If with all this, there is a bad fami- ly history, the case is one demanding prompt ac- tion. This may be taken with good hope of suc- cess. Fever is a most important element in such cases. If it keeps high, the chances do not im- prove ; if It gradually diminishes and totally disappears, the patient may be said to have re- gained his health. Take now a case of tuber- cular consumption. It may arise from the for- mer, or it may be developed from the products of some long standing disease of other organs, or one lung may infect the other. This form is not so common as the other. Its origin is very insidious ; but having begun it goes on. There is considerable uneasiness. At night the tem- perature is high ; and there are troublesome night sweats. There is a persistent cough, and very likely pain in one side. The appetite is very capricious, and very likely there is diar- rhoea. With such cases, too, a huskiness, or even loss of voice, is by no means uncommon. This rarely occurs in any other variety of con- sumption, and so may be looked upon as proof positive of the existence of this form, if any consumption be present. For the public, however, it is of less conse- quence to know-what variety of consumption the patient labors under, than to know that he has got some form of the disease, or is likely to have it, if the malady he labors under is not arrested. Accordingly, an abstract of the com- monest signs is now given ; for we desire to impress the public very earnestly that it is in its earliest stages that consumption is remedi- able. The earliest symptoms are very probably connected with digestion ; the appetite becomes capricious ; there are pains in the chest, with some cough often dry and hacking, with a small quantity of frothy expectoration. There is de- bility, flushing of the face on the slightest ex- ertion ; at other times the countenance is pale, except there be a hectic patch of red in the middle of the cheek. The eyes look unusually white and pearly ; there is some fever at night, and a tendency to night sweats. Very likely there is some spitting of blood; This occurs in a very considerable portion of cases, and is of- ten the earliest symptom calling for attention. Provided it is clear that the blood does not come from the gums or throat, any bleeding by the mouth, especially in a young person, de- mands attention. As the disease advances 120 CONSUMPTION emaciation increases, so that the joints become enlarged by shrinking of the limbs. The club- bed appearance of the ends of the fingers in consumptives is probably due to circulatory disturbances. The night sweats, fever and diarrhoea are the means of reducing the bodily strength and substance ; while in some instan- cies, excessive expectoration aids materially in this process. The capricious appetite and the imperfect digestion leave the bodily supply very deficient, but the spirits of the patient are good, and it is often distressing to see one doomed to an early death talking of the future in a tone of assured confidence. A trouble- some complication sometimes seen is fistulse in the lower bowel, which, if not relieved, taxes the patient's strength sadly. On the other hand, there is always a risk that if an operation be attempted the wound will not heal, and so the latter risk is worse than the first. Usually if the disease be not arrested the patient dies of ex- haustion ; sometimes he is suffocated or bleeds to death, consciousness continuing to the last. But this result is by no means inevitable ; and the dread of the disease as being universally and un- erringly fatal, which was wont to prevail, has been shown to be without just foundation. Un- doubtedly, if a patient with a bad family history is seen for the first time when the disease is well advanced, we have little ground for hope. True, also, that the tubercular form of the dis- order is less amenable to treatment than is the inflammatory. Yet due care being exercised, there are few cases which cannot be benefited ; a goodly number which can be cured complete- ly, or, at all events, the lungs so healed that each may be enabled to lead a long life in moderate comfort. Treatment. — The first and greatest point of all is the selection of the conditions under which the patient is to live. Unfortunately, in too many instances, this is not possible ; but where it is possible, and the disease is in an early stage, much may be done. On the con- tinent of Europe, there may be found in differ- ent health resorts, people who have all their lives had bad chests, but who by wandering from health resort to health resort, according to the season of the year, are able to maintain life comfortably. If such a thing is not possi- ble, we must try next to select the most favor- able conditions possible. The first great point in selecting an abode is the avoidance of damp ; it should be situated on a dry 'and porous soil. This is even of greater importance than tem- perature, though that too is important, inasmuch as fresh air is a necessity, and daily exercise in the open air even in winter is a thing very greatly to be desired. Such patients must take the greatest possible care of themselves — no risks must be run. They must live plainly ; but their food must be nutritious. They must avoid excitement, but cheerful society is of the greatest possible value. They must not fatigue themselves, but daily exercise is incumbent. They must not be exposed to too great heat ; but cold is even more to be dreaded. Hence the rule, which is a good one, always to keep indoors between sunset and sunrise. They must try to keep the skin open ; but they must avoid perspiration. Hence baths must be regu- lated in temperature for the individual — tepid, cool, or cold, as the case may be. The bowels must be kept open, but if they are loose, the diarrhoea must be checked. Finally, such patients are on no account to go without flannels ; whilst the outer clothing should be changed, if desirable, to suit the different peri- ods of the day and year. At all times it must be warm, so as to avoid risks from cold. For those in the very early stage of phthisis nothing perhaps does so much good as a sea voyage in a mild climate— to the West Indies for instance ; though many prefer the longer voyage to Aus- tralia or New Zealand ; often these do great good, but they must be undertaken early, or the result will be the reverse of favorable. Change of climate in females is apt to provoke derange- ment of the menstrual function. This should be seen to, as any excessive flow would be very weakening. This, moreover, has to be borne in mind, that in consumption this func- tion almost entirely ceases, and generally does so altogether. Patients, the subjects of con- sumption, have often, early in the disease, a rooted objection to fat as an aiticle of food. This IS the more important, as of all substances it is to them the most necessary. If, therefore, they refuse to take fat as food, we must en- deavor to give it as medicine. The form of fat which is most easily digested is cod liver oil. If this be given, it need have no disagreeable taste, beyond a shght fishy flavor which to many is agreeable. It is to be given to the patient cautiously. Often one will say, " I can- not take cod liver oil ; it always makes me sick. I have tried it again and again always with the same results." You inquire, and find they have been endeavoring to take one or two tablespoon- fuls at a time. As a matter of course they get upset : but if they reduce the quantity to a tea- spoonful, or even a few drops, they gradually get accustomed to it, and take almost any quantity. Cod liver oil is, however, food, rath- er than medicine, and the best time for taking it is just after a meal. The fish oil used in this way should be entirely devoid of color ; every trace of color is an ivipiirity. Next to cod liver oil as a remedy comes iron. This, too, is best dealt with as a food ; that is to say, given along with the meals. The best preparation is the reduced iron, which can be taken in soup. If this is not attainable, the freshly prepared carbonate should be given. Next to these remedies, to be taken along with or after food, to add to the value of food, comes anything which will aid digestion. Pepsine, as procured from the pig's stomach, is for this purpose exceedingly useful, enabling the food to be digested with ease and comfort, when otherwise it would only pass in- to the intestines, there to putrefy and ferment, and so set up diarrhoea. Four or five grains may be taken for a dose just after a meat meal. If that does not suit, meat digested beforehand CONTUSIONS COOKER 121 might be tried. When cod Hver oil cannot be talcen, other kinds of oil may be tried. Of these the best are cream and salad oil. When no oil can be taken, rubbing it into the skin does good ; but it creates a horrid smell, which is very trying to the patient. Syrup of the iodide of iron may be given along with the oil, and often does good. Iodide of potassium seldom does, except the disease be syphilitic in its origin. If prescribed at all, it had better be given in decoction of bark. But of bark, the best preparations are the compound tincture and the liquid e.\tract, given in doses of a drachm or so three or four times a day. It is often well to combine some acid with the bark ; the best is the dilute nitro- muriatic acid, in doses not exceeding twenty minims. If the perspirations be very trouble- some, it is customary to give dilute sulphuric acid ; but any acid does good. On the other hand, it is very frequently good to give alkalies instead of acids. These certainly, combined with bitters, very greatly strengthen the appetite and aid digestion. Lienor potassas is common- ly given in doses of 5, 10, or 15 minims, some- times with bark, sometimes with gentian or other bitters. Certain remedies called hypo- phosphites have been highly extolled as rem- edies in the earlier stages of the disease ; but their value is uncertain, though they often seem to do good. Counter-irritation is good if employed judiciously, so as not to weak- en the patient. It is of most benefit where the pleura is concerned, and the patient cannot lie in certain positions on account of pain. It must, however, be employed cautiously ; the best form is some liniment, such as croton oil and turpentine mixed. Flying blisters, kept on for only a few hours speedily create counter- irritation, without causing it to such an extent as to prove injurious. Of the complications to be dealt with one or two yet remain to be noticed. First comes the bleeding. This it must always be remembered is a serious matter, for it may cause death. When it comes on, absolute rest must be en- joined, cold applied to the chest, ice taken in- ternally, and gallic acid with sulphuric acid freely imbibed. Oil of turpentine is also useful, though perhaps less directly. Night-sweats have been alluded to ; mineral acids, unless forbidden, are best for them. Diarrhoea must be dealt with cautiously. It must not, however, be allowed to weaken the patient ; chalk, opium, and acids are the best remedies. If the throat is bad, nitrate of silver is the best application. For the cough, a little opium, or belladonna may be given ; but it is better treated on general principles. CONTUSIONS. {See Bruises.) CONVALESCENCE.— The period of recov- ery from sickness is a most important one, and demands in many instances as much care as the sickness itself. The body is weak, susceptible to impressions, and disposed to morbid actions ; and many times a relapse is brought on by causes which would not affect the body at all when it is in a healthy condition. Of course after the disease has been subdued the ap- petite returns, and it is in the matter of diet tliat most harm is done during convalescence. As to the food to be given, the advice of the physician should always be acted upon, as tlie directions vary with the disease. It should be nutritious and easily digested, and in many cases, quite unstimulating; and it should be given often and in small quantities at a time. Too rich food or too much of it will overload tlie stomach and result in indigestion ; and thus, in the eagerness to recover the lost strength, mistakes are made whose consequences are sometimes serious. Convalescents may take light nourishment with advantage early in the morning, as soon as they awake ; an egg, for instance, dropped into a glass of sherry wine, or a drink of milk which is usually well-borne by the most delicate stomachs. If the patient is so weak as still to require watching, a little w'arm beef-tea or chicken broth should be ready to give in case of his waking during the night. An orange to suck, or lemonade to sip, though unnutritious, are refreshing and antifebrile ; and whatever tends to give tone to the system assists toward recovery. Care must be taken not to allow efforts to be made in the matter of exercise too early; nor, in fact, must convalescents be pushed forward too rapidly, or tried beyond their strength in any way — beyond their strength of digestion, of sitting up, or of attending to business. [See Diet, and Sick-room.) CONVOLVCTLUS.— The botanic name for the pretty dwarf Morning Glory, with blue, white-eyed flowers, which grows wild in the fields throughout the country, and is one of the favorite vines for garden culture. It is a hardy annual, easy to cultivate, and a profuse bloomer, and is in flower from June to September. Sow the seeds in May, scratching them lightly into the soil. COOKER ("Warren's Patent). — This uten- sil, the appearance of which is shown in the ac- companying cuts, is the invention of Capt The Warren Cooker. Frederick P. Warren, of the British navy. It was first designed for the preparation of 122 COOKER COOKERY food for soldiers and sailors ; but it worked so admirably that it was introduced into the regu- lar trade in England, where it achieved a com- plete success. Its introduction into this country dates from 1870, and we can say, after more than a year's constant use of one, that it accomplishes all that is claimed for it. The principle of the Cooker is that a tightly- closed vessel containing the meat to be cooked is surrounded by steam, except at its bottom, which rests in boiling water, and at a small portion of the upper part of its sides, which is exposed to the air. The meat rests on a false bottom, which prevents its coming in contact with that portion of the vessel that is in con- tact with the water at 213°. The exposure of the portion of the sides that is not steam- jacketed causes a loss of heat that reduces the temperature of the closed vessel to about 210°, or 2 degrees less than that of boiling water. As Liebig has demonstrated, this is the best cooking heat. While the full heat of boiling water coagulates the albumen of the meat in such a way as to render it hard, tough, Warren Cooker (Sectional View.) and stringy, this lower temperature cooks it completely, and, so far from making it tough, seems to render it more tender. The result is that the meat is cooked much more effectu- ally and temptingly, and at a loss of weight only about half of that produced by the ordi- nary modes of cooking ; while those nourish- ing juices, which by the ordinary modes would have been thrown off in vapor, are condensed and thrown back upon the meat, and nothing is wasted. The cooker is divided into com- partments so that meat and several kinds of vegetables can be cooked at the same time ; and its working is so simple that the cook's chances of spoiling food are reduced to a minimum. It is literally true in fact that the cooker will cook the staple dishes of an entire dinner with less demand upon the attention than is usually made by the boiling of pota- toes. COOKERY. With the exception of a few fruits and vegetables, every substance used as food by man requires cooking in some foim be- fore its nutritious elements can be properly assimilated. It is not enough to have good raw material, and an abundance of it, but it is also necessary to render it agreeable to the taste and fit for human sustenance. Now as wholesome food is probably the most necessary condition of health, the art of preparing it should be reckoned one of the most important in the whole range of occupations ; yet it is not an exaggeration to say that there is more ignor- ance displayed in our kitchens than in any other department of human industry. Of carpenters, bricklayers, masons, coachmen, or gardeners, we demand knowledge and practical skill in their special work ; but of the cook, the results of whose experiments must affect us more intimately than any other whatever, we hardly make a pretense of exacting an ac- quaintance with even the rudiments of the art. In fact it is just these rudiments that are most neglected. It is not very difficult to obtain cooks who can make good cakes, pies, pud- dings, and fancy dishes, and when skill in this is lacking it can usually be supplied by the mistress of the house ; but the notion is cur- rent that such apparently simple processes as roasting, boiling, and baking come by nature and are too unimportant to require study or practice. Many persons, too, associate the idea of great wealth with culinar\- perfection, though nothing could be more mistaken. Baked bread, and roasted, broiled, and stewed meats and vegetables must always and under all conditions form the staple articles of our diet ; and skill in preparing these is not only compatible with limited means, but is import- ant just in proportion to the smallness of the amount that can be spent on luxurious dain- ties. Careme, the most famous of French cooks, when he had fixed upon his career, took a long series of lessons in roasting from the best cooks of Paris : he found it necessary to give months to the mastery of this single process, deeming it, as he said, " the founda- tion of the whole culinary art ; " and knowl- edge of these simple processes should be either exacted of, or imparted to, every one who undertakes even the plainest family cook- ing. Nor is it necessary that cooks should study chemistry in order to become proficients in their art. On the contrary, the principles of science applicable to cookery are few and simple, and cooks have only to exercise their senses diligently, and give heed to the results they indicate, and they will soon master all the essentials of good, plain cooking. A thorough practical knowledge of the processes described in our articles on Boiling, Broil- COOKIES COPPER-WARE 123 iNG, Frying, Roasting, and Stewing, will form a really good cook far sooner and more completely than any mere array of receipts can do, however minutely they may be ex- plained ; and we commend them to the careful study of every one who is responsible for the management of the kitchen. Mastery of these and of the details given in the articles on the Kitchen, will render it unnecessary for us to add more here to the specific directions given throughout the volume — except perhaps a few words on seasoning. Seasoning is the rock on which inexperi- enced cooks are most frequently wrecked, and it is a branch of the subject most difficult to give instructions about, since tastes differ so widely, and the amount of seasoning often depends on considerations of individual health. The effect of seasonings, added in reasonable quantity, is to increase the digestibility of food. They effect that object either by stimulating the action of the gastric juices, or by giving an impetus to all the bodily functions in such a way that its effects, general in themselves, become in their turn a cause of increased ac- tivity in the functions of the stomach. The absence of seasoning has for its effect the prolonged retention in the stomach of many relaxing and obstructive substances which have little power of themselves to solicit the action of that organ. Immoderate use of seasonings has for its results, first, the pro- duction of an artificial appetite, which tempts to the loading of the stomach with more food than it can properly digest, and consequently produces either acute or chronic irritation ; and, second, it is sure to bring on in the end languor and debility of the digestive organs, and derangement of all the related functions. The cook's practice must be guided by the habits and tastes of her employer; at the out- set, it is best to be light-handed with the spice — many stomachs are deranged for days by an over-dose of pepper or cayenne. When once, either by experiment or inquiry, the proper proportions have been hit upon, they should be carefully maintained thereafter, as any material variation in the amount or degree of seasonings is not only ungrateful to the palate, but injurious to the health. COOKIES.— Take a teacupful of butter, two teacupfuls of sugar, half a teacupful of milk, four eggs, two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and half a grated nutmeg (or flavor with lemon). Mix these all well together, and add flour enough to make a batter just stiff enough to be worked with well-floured hands ; roll out, cut into round cakes, and bake in a quick oven. Sugar Cookies. — Take one egg, one teacup- ful of butter, two teacupfuls of sugar, six table- spoonfuls of milk, one dessert-spoonful of bitter almonds, one teaspoonful of cream-tartar, half a teaspoonful of saleratus and flour. Roll out, cut into cakes, and sift sugar over before baking. COOLERS. — The methods employed in do- mestic economy for producing artificial cold may be reduced to three : i, the application of some body naturally colder than that to be cool- ed ; 2, by evaporation ; 3, by the solution of certain saline substances. Sometimes two of these methods are combined to increase the effect. The first method is almost universally practiced where ice can be had, and for this purpose water-coolers, and wine-coolers, and cream-freezers, are especially manufactured. When ice is used to cool wine, it will not be very effectual if applied, as is frequently done, only to the bottom of the bottle ; for the cold- est part of the liquid being already at the bot- tom cannot ascend, nor can the upper part, which is the warmest, change places to be cool- ed, so that the cooling will be very imperfect. To cool the wine effectually, the whole bottle should be plunged into the ice ; but before this is done it is best to decant it, as, if there is any sediment in the wine, it will mix with it as if the bottle had been shaken, owing to the up and down currents that always take place in the cooling. When ice cannot be procured, well water supplies a useful substitute to a cer- tain degree. A well of forty to fifty feet deep always preserves the mean temperature of the country, and consequently is colder than the summer heat of any place ; hence if a bucket, of water be drawn, and a bottle of wine or other liquor immediately placed in it, it may be cooled considerably. One of the most general and useful modes of cooling is by evaporation. Any substance which is wetted with water, and kept in the air, will be cooled by the evaporation of the water, and all the more rapidly if placed in the wind. A bottle of wine, or an earthenware jug of water or any other liquid may be cooled surprisingly by wrapping it in a wet cloth and placing it in a shady place. It is best to suspend it either under a tree or in a passage, so as to expose it to the briskest current of air that can be ob- tained , and as fast as the water evaporates the cloth should be resprinkled. The third method of freezing and cooling is by the solution of chemicals, as follows : I lb of muriate of am- monia, finely powdered and intimately mixed with 2 lbs of nitrate of potash, also powdered. This mixture is to be known as No. i. No. 2 is made by crushing 3 lbs of sal-soda. To use, take an equal quantity in bulk of No. I and No. 2, stir well together ; then introduce into the freezer, and add as much cold water as will dissolve the mixtures. For example, if i pint of No. I is used, and I pint of No. 2, it will take i pint of water to dissolve them; and if the materials employed are cold, the tem- perature will fall to 35 degrees below freezing point. The two powders, Nos. I and 2, must be kept separate in close-covered vessels ; if the crushed sal-soda is exposed to the air, it loses the water it contains and is much weak- ened, while, if the other mixture is exposed, it absorbs moisture from the air, and is dissolved. COPPER-WARE.— Chemists and physicians have repeatedly pointed out the dangers arising from the use of copper vessels in culi- nary operations ; but on account of the njelleai- 124 CORDIALS bility and hardness of the metal, it still enters largely into the manufacture of kitchen utensils. There are many reasons why these utensils should be banished from the household ; they not only frequently impart a peculiar and disa- greeable taste to food prepared in them, but are highly dangerous unless they receive an amount of attention which they are not at all likely to receive under the present management of our kitchens. If copper is put away damp or in a damp place, it rusts and is converted into a carbonate of copper, which is a violent poison. It is also acted upon by fat and oil of every description, this same carbonate of cop- per being found : therefore when copper vessels have been used for preparing food, fat should never be suffered to remain in them. Many cases of poisoning have occurred from soup, or other food into which fat entered largely, having been left for some time in copper boilers. It is also easily acted upon by acetic acid or vine- gar, and a green substance is formed, well known by the name of verdigris. This is an acetate of copper, the poisonous nature of which is generally known ; it is a powerful emetic, pro- ducing vomiting as soon as it is swallowed, without e.xciting nausea. Tinning on the inside prevents copper ves- sels from having the injurious effects upon the food prepared in them which they would other- wise have ; but the tin is very likely to get rub- bed off before attention is attracted to it. All copper vessels should be examined every time they are used ; the inside and the covers should be kept well tinned, and no food should be allowed to remain in them any longer than is necessary for preparing it for the table. CORDIALS. — For those of commerce see under their respective names, or under LIQ- UEURS. Anise-seed Cordial. — Take: — Oil of anise- seed, Yi oz; refined sugar, 2 lbs; rectified spir- its, 4 gals. ; alum, 14 oz. Mix the several in- gredients ; bottle and seal. Blackberry Cordial. — Take .--Blackberries ; sugar ; cinnamon ; brandy, or whiskey. Place blackberries in a kettle over the fire, with a very small quantity of water in the bot- tom of the kettle. Let them boil until quite soft, and then strain them through a bag until the juice is all extracted. Put the juice on the fire again, sweeten to the taste with white sugar, and throw in a little bag of stick cinnamon. After it has boiled about half an hour, take it off, and stir in brandy or whiskey enough to make it as strong as desired ; then bottle it, and seal the bottles with wax. This makes a very pleasant and invigorating drink. Caraway Cordial. — Take :-0\\ of caraway, J^ oz ; sugar, 2 lbs ; rectified spirits, 4 gals ; oil of cinnamon, 5 drops ; oil of orange, I drop ; oil of lemon, 1 drop ; alum, ^ oz. Put three eighths of an ounce of oil of cara- way, and two pounds of sugar into four gallons of rectified spirits ; add five drops of oil of cinna- mon, one drop of the essential oil of orange, and one of the essential oil of lemons ; fine with half an ounce of alum. Cinnamon Cordial. — Take :-0\\ of cinna- mon, I pwt ; sugar, 4 lbs ; rectified spirits. ^ lb ; orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom seed, yi oz each ; water, i gall t, alum. Dissolve one pennyweight of oil of cinnamon with four pounds of sugar in three quarters of a pound of rectified spirits ; add half an ounce each of orange peel, lemon peel and cardamom seeds ; put one gallon of water to the whole. Fine with alum, and if you wish it colored, add some burnt sugar. Citron Cordial. — Take .--ILss. of lemon and ess. of orange, % oz each ; sugar, 2 lbs ; lemon peel and orange peel, 2 oz each ; rectified spirits, 3 galls ; dried figs, 3 lbs. Beat up a quarter of an ounce of essence of lemon, and as much of that of orange, with two pounds of refined sugar ; add to this two ounces each of dried lemon and orange peel ; infuse this in three gallons of rectified spirits that has stood upon three pounds of dried figs for a week. If it is too strong, add some water. Gin Bitters. — Take .--Ess. of lemon, and ess. of orange, % oz each ; oil of wormwood, I drachm ; orange peel, yi lb ; sugar, 3 lbs ; gin, S galls. Mix half an ounce each of the essence of lemon and orange, one drachm of oil of worm- wood, and half a pound of dried orange peel, with three pounds of refined sugar; add this to five gallons of the best gin, and let the whole remain together two weeks, when it will be ready for use. Dilute with water to the taste. Ginger Cordial. — Take .-Whiskey, I gall; ginger, ^ lb ; currants, 4 lbs ; bitter almonds, 2 oz ; lemons, 3 ; sugar, 5 lbs. To a gallon of^ good whiskey, add half a pound of bruised ginger, four pounds of red or white currants, two ounces of bitter almonds, the juice of three lemons and the rind of one. Let it stand ten days ; then strain it twice, add five pounds of white sugar, and bottle it for use. Quince Cordial. — 7a/{r^ .--Quinces ; French brandy; sugar; bitter almonds, or peach ker- nels ; cloves. Take ripe quinces, wipe off the fur, and grate them fine. Press out the juices of the pulp through a strong cloth, and to each quart of the juice put two thirds of a quart of French brandy, a pound and a half of white sugar, a hundred bitter almonds, or peach kernels, and a dozen cloves. Put it in a stone pot, cover it tightly, and keep it a week in a warm place ; then skim and bottle it, and let it remain a year before using it. Peach Cordial. — Take .--Peaches ; French brandy ; sugar. Select ripe, juicy peaches, wash and wipe them to get off the down, and gash them to the stone. Put to each peck of peaches a gallon of French brandy, and cover them up tighdy. Let the whole remain two months, then drain the brandy off the peaches, add enough cold water to render it of about the strength of good CORDUROY CORN 125 white wine, and to every tlirce gallons of it put four pounds of wliite sugar. Stir up well ; let it stand a couple of days, stirring it well each day ; then turn it into a wine-cask, close tightly and draw as wanted. CORDUROY.— .'\ thick cotton stuff, ribbed or corded, the projecting part having a pile like velvet. It is very strong and durable, and much used for men's clothing. The best kinds are twilled. CORIANDER.— This annual plant, of East- ern origin, is cultivated in this country for its seeds, which are highly aromatic and pungent, and form one of the less agreeable spices : they are employed in cooking for flavoring cakes, etc., by the confectioner for incrusting with sugar, and by the druggist in medicine. Its leaves are also sometimes used in soups and salads. CORN. — The "corn" of America is In- dian corn, or maize, and its use here is more extensive than in any other part of the world. Ground into meal after it arrives at maturity, it makes excellent bread and enters into a multi- tude of dishes ; but these are treated of in their appropriate places, and we shall confine ourselves here to the green corn prepared and eaten as a vegetable. There are many varieties of this, of which the sweet corn is considered best for boil- ing ; and of this quality there are several kinds, caused from peculiar cul- ture, soil, or climate. To raise, it should be planted in good garden soil as soon as the frost is well out of the ground, and at intervals, until July 1st; putting three or four grains in hills, three feet apart each way. It is necessary to keep the ground free from weeds by frequent hoeing. Green corn appears in the southern markets about the ist of June, whence it is brought north; in the Middle States it is ready for use by the middle of July in favorable sea- sons ; and in the New England States about the I St of August. By a succession of crops it continues to be soft and good until the mid- dle of October, and sometimes later. Green corn, as found in the markets, has generally been plucked too young; it should at least have attained its full size of kernel, and is never unwholesome if used then. It also soon dete- riorates after it is gathered. If possible it should be eaten the same day it is picked ; by the second day it inevitably loses much of its flavor, and, moreover, becomes difficult of di- gestion. If any is to be kept over twenty-four hours, it is better to shave it off and cook it ; that is, if there be ice to keep it on, for when cooked it sours readily. Boiled. — Boiling on the cob is the simplest way of cooking corn, and, all things considered, the best. Strip off the outer husk of the ears Indian Corn. till the inmost covering is reached ; turn this back and carefully pick off every thread of silk ; then put tliem into a boiler with only enough hot water to cover them, in which atablcspoon- ful of salt has been dissolved, and cover the boiler closely ; cook from ten to fifteen mmutes for young and tender corn, while twenty min- utes ought to cook sufficiently any sweet corn that is fit to be eaten green. Serve in a covered dish, or cover closely with a napkin. Some prefer to have the corn cut from the cob while hot and seasoned with butter, pepper, and salt, before it is sent to the table. Dried. — Corn for drying should be picked early in the morning, husked and cooked at once, shaved thin with a sharp knife, and dried as rapidly as possible, either in the oven, in a drying-rack or chamber, or, better still, under a hot-bed sash. If properly managed, it can often be thoroughly dried in a single fair day, and this is very desirable, as no fruit or vegeta- ble deteriorates so much by exposure as green corn. Grated green corn can also be dried, but it requires even greater care, as it is best not to scald it before drying. Dried corn pack- ed away in a dry place, can be kept through the winter ; and when subsequently soaked out in milk-warm water it can be used for most pur- poses as well as when freshly grated. Fritters. — Grate the corn, or having scored every row of grains lengthwise, cut off the mere outer part, then push out the cream and kernel with tlie back of the blade. To the corn cut from twelve large^ears, add two well-beaten eggs, three even tablespoonfuls of flour, and salt to the taste. Mix well and drop in hot lard a fourth of an inch deep. When browned on one side, turn the other. Muffins, etc. — Very nice muffins can be made with one part grated corn, one part water, and two parts of wheat-flour or oatmeal ; or it may be baked in a covered spider. Griddle cakes, biscuit, and other dishes, can be readily con- trived by an intelligent cook. Roasted. — Green corn can be roasted by placing it, properly husked and silked, on a gridiron over a bed of coals, and turning it fre- quently. A better way is to open the husks, pick off all the silk, replace the husks closely, and then bury the ears thus protected in hot wood ashes. In either case care must be taken not to scorch it, as the scorched portions are indigestible. Ste-wed. — To a quart of corn, cut as for Frit- ters, add half a pint of rich milk, and stew until cooked in a covered tin pail placed in a kettle two-thirds full of boiling water. Cover the ket- tle and allow about two hours, removing the covers occasionally to stir the corn. Ten minutes before serving add salt, white pepper, and two or three ounces of butter. n. (With Tomatoes.) — Cut the corn from the cob and put it with an equal quantity of toma- toes that have been sliced and peeled ; stew these together for half an hour ; then season to taste with salt and pepper — a very little sugar may also be added ii the sweetish flavor is 126 CORNS liked : stir in a liberal piece of butter ; simmer I the whole together a quarter of an hour longer. Serve in a covered dish. (See Succotash.) CORNICE.— (6"(?^ Curtains.) CORNS — are always caused by the pressure of tight boots and shoes, the friction of loose and unyielding ones, or badly fitting stockings. The preliminary to any permanent cure must be the removal of the cause ; no foot can be kept free from corns unless a proper shoe is worn, without the ridiculous high heels which are a prolific source of other troubles besides this minor one. This being attended to, the corn can be easily eradicated. All that is ne- cessary is to soften it by soaking the foot in warm water, and then remove it with the finger- nail, or a needle, blunt knife, or file of steel, or pumice-stone. When the corn is of long stand- ing, however, it is sometimes necessary to resort to severe measures. In such a case soak it in warm water and pare it down carefully with a sharp knife ; then soap the cut surface slightly, take a bit of lunar caustic, and gently touch the soaped and cut surface once or twice ; after a little time, wipe off the soap, and apply a small bit of diachylon plaster, spread either on linen or leather. In a few hours the tenderness will subside, and the surface, where touched by the caustic, will be brown or blackish and the pres- sure of the shoe can be very well borne. Be careful not to apply the caustic beyond the horny spot. In very obstinate corns a surgeon should be sought. The operation for removing corns is painless, bloodless, and brief; and it will be effectual if the exciting causes be after- wards avoided. The fenestrated corn plasters sold by the apothecaries are to be recommend- ed. Cook's Infallible Corn Remedy has proved of great service to the writer and many of his friends. For soft corns, between the toes, dissolve a piece of ammoniac, of the size of a bean, in an ounce of warm water, and apply hot. CORPULENCE. {See Banting and Diet.) CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE PoiSON.— Symptoms: Intense pain in the bowels and stomach, with vomiting and diarrhoea. Treat- ment: Mix the whites of twelve eggs in two quartsof water, and give in the largest possible draughts every three minutes till the vomiting occurs. Flour and water will answer, though not so sure as the above; and warm water, swallowed copiously, will help when nothing else is in reach. Tincture of Peruvian bark is agood remedy. Also milk, eithersweetorsour. A bi-chloride of mercury, often used in medicine for cutaneous and other diseases, and in the household for destroying vermin. Taken internally it is a violent poison, corrod- ing the parts with which it comes in contact. CORSETS. — As usually worn, corsets have no support from the shoulders, and conse- quently the entire weight of the dress, petticoats, etc., resting upon or above them, presses upon the hips and abdomen, and this in such a way as to disuse and weaken some of the most im- portantsupportingmusclesoftheabdomen.and COUGH impede abdominal breathing. Of course such an unnatural mode of dressing is injurious at best — curvature of the spine being a common result ; but when too tightly laced, as they gen- erally are, they compress the lungs and heart, thus impeding the vital functions of respiration and circulation, and producing debility and not infrequently the moat terrible organic diseases. Corsets should always be made to pass over and derive support from the shoulders ; and the metal plate or busk up the front should be dispensed with entirely. It is a great improve- ment also to use a silk cord, instead of cotton or linen, for lacing them. COSMETICS. — This term is usually applied to substances used for the purpose of beautify- ing the skin. They may be divided into two kinds : those which are injurious and even dangerous by reason of some of the ingredients of which they are really composed ; and those which, though harmless in themselves, are high- ly injurious when applied to the skin, because they arrest that insensible perspiration through the pores by which the temperature of the body- is preserved and a large part of its refuse mat- ter thrown off. Under the first class fall near- ly all those French preparations, so often used in the toilet, such as Pearl-white, beriise, Rouge, and the like ; these are never composed of the harmless materials which are claimed to be em- ployed, and in Rouge arsenic has repeatedly been detected. The least objectionable article used as a cosmetic is the mi.xture of hydrated o.xide of bismuth with the subnitrate of the same metal, known as the magister of bismuth. Applied to the skin, its only injurious effects appear to be the interruption of the insensible perspiration referred to above, which after long- continued use produces a tendency to clammi- ness ; a slight nausea, too, is sometimes experi- enced in consequence of its use, accompanied with spasms and flatulence. It has the disa- greeable quality, however, of turning black on the face when exposed to sulphuretted hydro- gen, a gas frequently met with in badly-ventila- ted rooms, and, indeed, everywhere that gas or sewers exist. The perfume of onion also has a tendency to turn it black. There is nothing, it must be borne in mind, that can really beauti- fy the skin except bathing, exercise, and a reg- ular compliance with the laws of health. COSTIVENESS. (See Constipation.) COTTON. (See Clothing.) COUGH. — A cough is merely the symptom of some other disease, and gives warning of danger. It should never be doctored as such, but its treatment must depend on the disease by which it is caused. When it is aggravated by a constant titillation in the throat relief may be had by dissolving a bit of hoarhound or lemon candy in the mouth and swallowing the saliva. A pinch of salt dissolved on the tongue is also good. When the cough is simply the accompaniment of a cold, the fol- lowing is a good remedy : — Mix eight lea- spoonfuls of molasses, forty of vinegar, two of antimonial wine, and four drops of laud- COUNTERPANE. COW 127 anum ; take two teaspoonfuls at night and one in the morning. When a child has a cough as an accompani- ment of a cold, quite small doses of syrup of ipecacuanha are usually very good. To a child only a month or two old, the syrup of tolu may be given in doses of one-fourth of a teaspoonful, in a teaspoonful of water, every three or four hours. When the child is older, say three but under si.K months, use the syrup of ipecacuanha, but of this only three to five drops in a teaspoonful of water, once in three or four hours. From the sixth to the twelfth month, five to twelve drops may be given ; and during the second year from a fourth to a half teaspoonful. When these doses cause vomiting, let a longer interval elapse between them. For children that are over two years old, nothing is better than the old-fashioned " brown mi.xture," which is made thus : — Take of powdered gum arable, two drachms ; extract of liquorice, two drachms ; boiling water, four ounces (one gill). Dissolve the gum arable and liquorice in the water, and add of wine of antimony, two drachms (two teaspoonfuls), and of laudanum, twenty drops. The medicine should be thoroughly shaken up before the dose is poured out. Half a teaspoonful may be given every three hours to a child under four years, and may be increased to one tea- spoonful, given with the same interval. For an older child, a correspondingly larger dose may be given ; the proper quantity may be judged of from the fact that the dose for an adult is one tablespoonful. This mixture will not keep well in a warm place, and small quan- tities should therefore be made at once. COUGH-CANDY. (See Candy.) COUNTERPANE. (To deau.)— White cot- ton counterpanes should be washed in a large quantity of strong suds twice over, scalded, and then rinsed in clear cold water ; on no account wrung, but carried to the drying ground in a washing-tub and spread out over the line. Before they are thoroughly dry, they should be folded quite smooth and flat, and left in that state for ten or twelve hours, after which they should be opened and aired, to get rid of the musty smell. COW. — In the following observations we confine ourselves to treating of cows intended for the domestic dairy. Cows may be bought at any of the markets or fairs throughout the country, and cost from 60 to 125 dollars. It is important in selecting one that she should be a good milker, and in healthy condition, though if a rich milker she may be very lean. Indeed, this is a good sign, if the cow is evi- dently vigorous and is in'fuU milk— Vindicates that she secretes fat with the milk rather than in the flesh. By way of suggestion on these points we quote from Mr. R. L.Allen's treatise on " Domestic Animals." He says : "There are certain points in a good milker that can hardly be mistaken. She should be descended from the best milking stock ; her head should be small or of medium size, muzzle fine, and nostrils flexible and expanded ; face long, slender, and dishing; cheeks thin ; eyes full, mild, and prominent ; horns delicate and waxy ; long, thin, lively ear, with the inside of an orange color ; neck thin and small at its junc- tion with the head ; deep chest, but not too heavy before ; back level and broad ; well ribbed ; belly large ; low flanks ; wide thighs, but thin ; short legs, and standing well apart ; large milking veins ; loose, capacious udder, coming well out behind ; good teats ; loose, mellow skin, of a deep yellow; and a fine, thick coat of glossy hair." But these de- scriptive indications will be of little or no use to a person inexperienced in the purchase of cows; and it is best to have the selection made by some one skilled in the matter, in whom confidence can be placed. In order to make sure of obtaining a cow that will continue in milk a long time, it is best to buy one with a calf from a fortnight to a month old. It is a common trick, in offering cows for sale, to leave them unmilked, in order that their dis- tended bags may impose on the buyer. It is never safe to buy a cow that has been sub- jected to this treatment. A cow may have her first calf when between two and three years old. The average time of gestation is from 40 to 41 weeks ; though they sometimes go only 34 and occasionally overrun 44. A dry, unoccupied stall or yard is best for her to calve in ; and if there is any serious de- lay or difiiculty in the birth, she may be assis- ted by placing the foetus in the right position, and gently pulling it with every throe of the dam. When, from neglect, a calf is dropped in the yard or field, there is great danger of its perishing (and this may imperil the life of tlie cow). Should this happen, and the mother take cold (which may be known by her shiver- ing and refusing her food), she ought immedi- ately to be driven into a warm place, together with her calf, and fed with a warm bran mash and a little hay, and should not be suffered to drink coM water. Before the calf has drawn all he wants at morning and evening, the bag should be quickly and thoroughly emptied of all the milk. If strong and vigorous, the calf is the best doctor for garget or caked bag. He may be allowed to suck or not, at the option of the owner; but if the cow is to be " dry-milked," the calf should be separated from her as soon as he is able to stand up. The cow should be stinted in her food for two or three days, and not fed freely for a week. Avoid fat in a breed- ing cow. Too high feeding is the cause of milk fever, caked bag, and a host of evils; and very poor feed, except at calving time, is almost equally objectionable. A cow should be dried off at least for two weeks before calving, and the milk should not be used by the family until four days after the event. Always see that the calf ge'ts the first milk of the cow. Diseases. — Many cows are lost from the want of knowledge how to treat certain diseases 128 cow to which they are liable, so we include here such remedies as can be easily applied, and are likely to prove effective. Caked Bag may be removed by washing with warm water frequently ; poultice the bag with belladonna leaves poultice ; in bad cases wash with a weak solution of carbolic acid. Choking is usually caused by a root get- ting stuck in the throat. If within arm's length, it may be removed by the hand. Or pour down the throat a pint bottleful of soft soap, mi.xed with sufficient hot water to make it run freely. Should this fail to remove it, tie up the fore-leg with a small cord close to the body, and give the cow a sudden start with a whip. You may pass a small smooth rod easily down the animal's throat, inserting first a piece of wood o in its mouth, and keeping the rod pressed back of the wind-pipe. Garget is an intense form of caked bag, and shows itself in hard bunches on the udder. Bleed the cow, give a large dose of Epsom salts, and wash the udder as in caked bag. Hoof Ait is indicated by lameness, fever, and a soft swelling just above the hoof. In all these cases treat with carbolic acid and keep the hoof clean. Hoven is a temporary ailment, caused by eating too freely of fresh and generally wet clover, or other succulent food. It is known by the swelling of the paunch, and difficulty of breathing, and unless speedily relieved, suffoca- tion and death will ensue. The paunch is full of gas, caused by the decomposition of the food. In the early stages, when not too severe, it may be cured by any of the following remedies : — A pint of gin poured down the throat. From one to two pints of lamp or other oil. Strong brine. A tablespoonful of hartshorn in a pint of water. A wineglassful of gunpowder, mi.xed with cold lard and forced in balls into the stomach. A teaspoonful of unslaked lime, dissolved in a pint of warm water, shaken and given imme- diately. A pint of tolerably strong ley. By far the best treatment of Hoven, however, is half an ounce of carbonate of ammonia, in a pint of cold water — or pour cold water over the back ; when very bad cases occur, puncture with a trochar or knife, half way between the last rib and the hip and four inches from the spine, to let out the gas. Mange or Scab is denoted by the ani- mal rubbing the hair off the eyes and other parts ; the skin is scaly or scabby, sometimes appearing as if covered with large seed-warts. Wash the skin with soap and warm water, and rub the spots with a mi.xture of sulphur and lard. When the skin is cracked take one pound of sulphur, a quarter of a pound of resin, two ounces of mercurial ointment, and one pint of linseed oil ; melt the resin and warm the oil, and when partly cooled, stir in the sulphur ; when cold add the mercurial ointment, mixing all well. Rub this thoroughly with the hand on the affected parts. Mange is in all animals a parasitic disease. Wash'with a solution of carbolic acid i to 20 or i to 30 of water. Milk Fever is caused by cows being in Iiigh condition at the time of calving ; it can almost always be avoided by keeping them in mode- rate feed and flesh. To cure, bleed freely, say six to ten quarts ; then give from one to one and a half pounds of Epsom salts, to be repeated in half-pound doses every si.x hours till the cow purges freely. When purgatives are tardy in their action an injection of warm water and soap should be given. Only bleed in early stage, keep the animal moving every 20 minutes, and give drenches. Scoter, or diarrhcea, may be cured by giving any of the fixed oils I pt, or an ounce of powdered chalk, nurse well and give good food. Diarrhcea is caused by the presence of an irritant in the stomach, which must be removed. Sore Teats may be cured by rubbing them with goose oil, cream, or new milk. Or wash the bag and teats with warm water, and apply the ointment : melt together one ounce of yel- low wa.x and three ounces of lard, and when cool rub in a quarter of an ounce of sugar of lead, and a drachm of alum finely powdered. Warts are of two kinds : the first, on the outer skin, may be removed by rubbing with camphorated olive oik The other kind pene- trate into the flesh and may be removed by a ligature of fine thread or silk ; tie it tightly round the wart, and it will fall off in a few days. Wottnds. In simple wounds always catch the skin together with two or three stiches, having first well cleansed the part. Then place over this a small rag wet with water only, with i or 2 drops of carbolic acid ; over this place some India rubber or oil silk, the object is merely to exclude the air and prevent decomposition. Dry earth is useful in cases where there is a great discharge of matter. Food. — The modes of feeding cows are tech- nically divided mio grazing, or feeding on grass in the fields ; soiling, or giving them green food cut and taken into the house ; and stall-feeding, which is confined chiefly to hay and grain, together with succulent roots, either raw or steamed. Notwithstanding all that has been said concerning the good qualities of certain roots and artificial grasses, experience has shown that no food is comparable to good nat- ural early pasture for milch cows; for not only does it yield a greater quantity of milk, but the flavor of grass butter may always be distin- guished by its superior richness and delicacy, from that made of milk produced by feeding in the stall. Roots of all kinds, as carrots, pars- nips, mangel-wurzel, and potatoes are excellent food for cows, as also are peas and cotton-seed. Turnips are much used, but unless fed immedi- ately after milking, they impart a disagreeable flavor to the milk and butter. In the winter, to keep cows in the best condition for milk, they should have abundance of hay (clover-hay is best), and cornstalks cut up, thoroughly soaked in water for half a day, and then sprinkled with corn-meal; oil-cake is good. The amount of meal may vary; but corn-meal alone, in Idrge COWPOX CRACKNELS 129 quantities, is too heating. Common salt is much relished by cows, and, when added in moderate quantities to their food, is said to improve tlieir milk as well as their general health. The best time to feed cows is as soon as possible after daylight in the morning, at noon, and a little before sunset, leaving sufficient intervals for them to lie down and ruminate. The water given to cows should be of the purest kind, and they should have access to it at all times, or have it frequently offered to them. Some recommend stirring a handful of corn or oat-meal in each draught occasionally. Milking.— This is an important operation, and unless it is properly done, not only will a reduced yield of milk be the result but the cow herself will be spoiled. It is best to milk twice a day, at intervals of about twelve hours, though if a great deal of milk is given it pays to milk three times a day, as nearly as possible eight hours apart. In milking, sit with the left knee close to the right leg of the cow, the head pressed against her flank, the left hand always ready to ward off a kick, which the gentlest cow may give almost without knowing it, if her tender teats be cut by long nails, or if a wart be hurt, or her bag be tender. Put the fingers round the teat, close to the bag ; then firmly close the forefinger, immediately squeezing with the other fingers. The forefinger prevents the milk from flowing back into the udder, while the others press it out. A cow must be stripped dry every time she is milked or she will gradually dry up. Moreover, not only will the quantity of milk be diminished, but the qual- ity will also be inferior : the first of the milk is poorest, and it gradually becomes richer until the last drainincrs of the udder are nearly as rich as cream. Never stop while milking, as this may cause some cows to hold up their milk. COWTOX. — ^The disease caused by vacci- nation. It is in the vast majority of cases nothing more than a slight fever which lasts while the pustule is in its most inflamed stages, and requires no special treatment. In those few instances where vaccination causes a vio- lent fever it is generally complicated with some other causes, and cannot be treated without medical advice. CRAB. — Though not so popular as lobsters, crabs are among the most pleasantly flavored fish of their class. They are in season from June to January, but are considered to be more wholesome in the cold months. The middling size, when heavy, lively, and possessed of large claws, are the best and sweetest ; if light, they are poor and watery. When crabs are stale, the eyes look dead, the claws hang down, and there is no muscular activity ; in this condition they are not fit to eat. The female is consid- .ered inferior to the male, and may be distin- guished by the claws being smaller, and the apron, which appears on the white or under side, larger. Soft-shcH Crabs are deemed a great luxury ; but they must not be kept over night, as the shells harden in twenty-four hours. 9 Boiled. — Crabs must be put on the fire with tlie water cold; if put into hot water, tlieyhave the extraordinary faculty of " shooting " their claws, which spoils tliem. Heat gradually, and boil half an hour. Then put them in a dish, face downwards, to dry. Cold Dressed (or Deviled) Crab. — Open boiled crabs by raising the body from the shell without breaking the latter. Carefully remove the gills and other uneatable parts. Pick all the wliite meat from the claws and body ; do the same with what is good of the inside, i.e., Dressed Crab. the white and yellow curd and the coral. Chop these tolerably fine ; mix them together, season- ing with oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper ; then return them to the empty shell, wliich must pre- viously have been cleaned, and send to the table garnished with sprigs of fresh parsley. Accompany it with rolls and butter. Hot Dressed (or Deviled) Crab. — Pick and prepare the meat as before, adding bread-crumbs and pounded mace or grated nutmeg to the sea- soning. Warm the wliole gently in a sauce-pan ; replace it in the crab-shell ; sprinkle bread- crumbs over the top, and brown in a hot oven. Serve as soon as browned. Plain. — Crab allowed to stand until it is cold, then opened and with its claws cracked, accom- panied with a little fresh salad, is as agreeable and wholesome a way as any of serving it. Salad. — Crabs make a perfect salad. Use Mayonnaise dressing. See Salad. Soft-Shell Crab. — Pull off the spongy sub- stance from the sides and the sand-bags ; wash carefully in cold water, and wipe dry. Put them into a pan of hot lard or butter, and fry them to a light, crisp brown. If lard is used, a little salt must be added ; butter is salt enough. Serve hot, garnished with sprigs of green parsley. This is a delicious dish. CRACKERS. — Rub six ounces of butter into two pounds of sifted flour ; dissolve one teaspoonful of saleratus in a wineglassful of milk and strain it on the flour ; add a teaspoon- ful of salt, and enough milk to enable you to roll the dough out. IJeat it with a rolling-pin for half an hour, roll it out thin, cut into cakes with a tumbler, and bake in a moderately quick oven till crisp and hard. CRACKNELS. — Beat up thirteen eggs with a quarter of a pound of powdered loaf sugar untd they are quite light ; then stir in three pounds of flour and a "quarter of an ounce of sal-volatile reduced to a very fine powder. Mix these well together and roll the paste out 130 CRADLES CRAPE thin ; cut out the cracknels with a wineglass or tumbler, throw them into boiling water for one or two minutes, then put them into cold water. After they have remained there three minutes take them out and bake in a rather quick oven. These are very delicate and eatable. CRADLES. — The use of cradles for rocking babies to sleep is now very generally con- demned by medical writers as injurious to the brain and paralyzing to the nervous system. A French physician goes so far as to declare it to be a source of idiocy and mental weak- ness. Even on grounds of convenience, how- ever, their use should be abandoned. When once a child becomes accustomed to being rocked asleep he will never go to sleep without it, nor even lie down ; whereas if children are dealt with properly, it is surprising how early they can be taught to lie down alone and go to sleep without waiting to be soothed. Rocking is only liked by nurses who find it convenient for putting babies to sleep when they ought, perhaps, to be carrying them about in the open air. CRADLE. CWine.) — A small basket, like that shown in the engraving, used in sening Burgundy, Latour, and other wines which throw down a precipitate. The precipitate or " dregs " being deposited on the side of the bottle, the wine can be poured off clear, which it is impossible to do when the bottle is shifted Wine Cradle. from a horizontal to an upright position, as in serving in the ordinary way. The wine should of course be placed in the cradle on the same ■side on which it lay in the bin, with as little agitation as possible. Hence it is well to have a uniform plan of storing bottles— with labels up or down. CRAMP. — A violent and involuntary muscu- lar contraction. It is, perhaps, most readily induced by cold, especially after prolonged exercise. This is probably the reason why it so often occurs in swimmers, and is supposed to account for a good many of the lives lost by drowning. The best remedy for Cramp is rub- bing, especially with some stimulant applica- tion, such as spirit ; but it is the rubbing which is most valuable. (S^e COLIC.) CRANBERRY — A well-known native fruit, growing wild in rich, moist low lands, and pro- ducing large crops without cultivation. The cultivated fruit, however, is the largest, most perfect, and of the best flavor. The season for the fresh fruit commences about the rst of September and continues until April ; but they can be dried in the sun and, in this condition, kept throughout the year. There are several varieties of cranberries, but only two at present extensively cultivated or found in the markets : these are the cherry and the bell, the former resembhng the cherry in appearance and being considered the best ; while the bell is oval in shape and somewhat the larger of the two. Cranberries make excellent pies, tarts, jellies, etc., and are unrivalled as an accompaniment for turkey and other poultry, and for game. They are considered astringent, and are thought to restore the appetite ; and they are sometimes fermented into an intoxicating liquor, which is put into whiskey to disguise its peculiar flavor. {See Compotes, Jellies, Pies, Preserves, AND Tarts.) Sauce (Cranberry.) — Choose light colored cranberries ; look them over and take out all that are defective ; wash them well, and put them over the fire more than covered with cold water ; cover the saucepan and cook until the skins are tender, adding more water if necessa- ry; add a pound of granulated sugar for every pound of cranberries, let them simmer ten or twelve minutes, then put them away in a wide mouthed crock and keep them covered. Tea. (Cranberry.) — Select nice ripe cran- berries ; mash them, pour boiling water on them, and then strain off the water and sweeten it to taste ; grate nutmeg over the top. This is a very pleasant drink for the sick. CRANE. — A long-legged, long-necked, and long-billed bird, of the same species as the great blue heron. It sometimes, but very rarely, makes its appearance in our markets, though it is very abundant in the Southern and Western States from the middle of October to the middle of April, and is said to be well flavored and delicate when young. Cook like wild turkey. CRAPE. — A light, transparent stuff, made of raw silk, gummed and twisted in the mill, and woven without crossing ; when dyed black it is much used for mourning. Crapes are either crisped or smooth; the former, being double, expresses the deepest mourning, and it owes its peculiar appearance to a larger quanti- ty of gum being added to the silk in dressing it. White crape is used in various dresses, but soils very easily. China crape is a beautiful variety, remarkably firm in texture and weighty in substance, which is usually dyed in various shades of pink and other gay colors, and used in rich dresses, shawls, etc. Cleaning Crape. — When a drop of water falls on black crape it leaves a conspicuous white mark. To obliterate this, spread the crape on a table and place underneath the stain a piece of old black silk; with a large camel-hair brush dipped in common ink, go over the stain, and then wipe off the ink with a bit of old soft silk. It will dry immediately, and the stain will be seen no more. — Old rusty black Italian crape may be made to look as good as new by dipping it in skimmed milk and water (equal parts), with a bit of glue in it, made scalding hot ; after dipping the crape, clap and CRASH CRESS 131 pull dry like muslin. — China crape scarfs, if the fabric be good, can be washed as frequently as may be required without injuring them. Make a strong lather of soap and water, suffer it to cool ; when cold, or nearly so, wash the scarf quickly and thoroughly, and dip it immediately in cold hard water in whicli a little salt has been thrown (to preserve the colors); rinse, squeeze, and hang it out to dry in the open air, when the more rapidly it dries, the cleaner it will be. CRASH. — A kind of coarse linen cloth, much used for towels, tablecloths, and the like. It comes of various qualities and kinds, some being figured and very closely woven, while others are coarse and flimsy. CRAZINBSS. [See Insanity.) CREAM. — To procure the largest amount of cream, the milk should be placed in very shallow pans, never more than three inches deep. Twelve hours in summer, and twenty- four in winter, will be sufficient time for the milk to stand for "creaming," though it may often be kept longer with advantage. Three quarts of really good milk will produce about a pmt of cream. The cream should be removed with a perforated skimmer which has been dipped in cold water to prevent the cream, when thick, from adhering to it. It should be kept in a deep covered disii in a cool place, where the temperature is uniform. The con- sistency of cream increases by exposure to air. In three or four days it becomes so thick that the vessel which contains it may be invert- ed without spilling it. In eight or ten days more it becomes a soft solid, and its surface becomes tough ; it has now no longer the flavor of cream, but has acquired that of cheese. This is the process for making cream cheese. {See Cake and Ice Cream.) Artificial Cream. — (To eat with stewed fruit or tarts.) Take .--Fresh milk, i pt ; sugar, i tablespoonful ; eggs, yolks of 2. Put a pint of new milk into a saucepan, add a tablespoonful of sugar, set it on a very low fire, or the hot iron plate of a cooking-stove ; break into it the yolks of two eggs, and keep stirring, always one way, until it becomes as thick as ordinary cream. It must never reach the boiling point. Coffee Cxssxa.-Take .--Cream, 3 pts ; ground coffee, 2 dessert-spoonfuls ; eggs, yolks of 8. Into three pints of cream, put two dessert- spoonfuls of ground coffee, and sweeten to taste. Boil it for half an hour; then let it stand to settle. Pour off the cream from the coffee-grounds, and stir into it the yolks of eight eggs: then simmer slowly until the ■whole is of the consistency of thick boiled custard. Serve in cups or glasses, hke cus- tard. Iiemon Cream. — 7eiy hot. CTJTS. — As this form of accident is so con- stantly occurring in families, a supply of linen and long bandages, about two inches wide, some small soft sponges, needles and thread, and a roll of adhesive plaster, should always be kept where they can be got at immediately in case of emergency. In all cuts, before you begin to dress them, notice the way they bleed. If the blood is dark and flows regularly it may generally be stanched by an application of cold water and pressure ; but if it is of a bright scarlet color, and spurts out in jets, an artery is cut {see Bleeding), and, however small the wound, send for a doctor ai once. If the cut has smooth clear edges, wash the part well with cold water, dry the skin, bring the edges of the wound together, and keep them there with strips of adhesive plaster. The plaster must be applied in strips of length and breadth proportioned to the size of the wound. Having first softened the plaster surface, one end of the strip should be closely applied to the sound skin, at right angles to the cut, and at some distance from its edge ; then the wound being closed by pressing together with the fingers, carry the strip along the line of contact and fix it to the sound skin at a like distance on the other side of the cut. Each strip so applied should be parallel with the preceding ones, and when a sufficient number have been put on, place ra%v lint over the cut, and secure the whole with a bandage. In re- moving or changing the plasters, the ends should first be raised, and both lifted up from the outside towards the centre, so that no drag- ging may take place at the injured part. If the cut is ragged with loss of skin, it will not in all cases be possible to unite its edges, and the best thing then to do is to apply pieces of folded linen dipped in cold water. If an artery be cut, which can be told as 138 CUTLERY CUTTING AND FITTING above explained, by the blood being scarlet- colored and coming out in jets, the bleeding should be arrested as soon as possible. Bleed- ing from small arteries is usually best con- trolled by bringing the cut surfaces together. A vessel of larger size may require tying. The doctor should therefore be summoned and meantime an attempt made to arrest the bleed- ing by compressing the tissues in which the artery lies imbedded. In this case, and in all cases of bad wounds that bleed much, tie a tight bandage near and above the -woitud, in- sert a stick'in the bandage, and twist as tight as can be borne, or until the flow of blood perceptibly lessens. Cuts on the head cannot be dressed with plaster without shaving a large space, and in small injuries this is unnecessary. Cut the hair very close just around the wound ; and, after washing with cold water, apply a fold or two of wet linen and leave it there. If, however, it becomes painful, and there is head- ache and the face flushed, call in the doctor. CUTLERY. {See Knives, Forks, Razors, and Scissors.) CUTLET. {See Veal.') CUTTING AND FITTING.— The object of this article is to explain the general principles on which all garments are cut and fitted ; and to do this will be an easier matter than might at first be believed. Although fashion incessantly varies the forms and names of garments, these changes in reality are and must be but trivial. The general outlines will always remain the same, and these general out- lines, as we shall now proceed to show, are ob- tained by a series of measurements, exact, simple, and applicable to any garment and to any figure. These measurements might, indeed, for the perfect figure, be reduced to a single one, whence the others might be derived in accord- ance with the following rules : The size of the wrist is one half that of the neck; that of the neck is equal to the length of the front of the waist, and is half the circumference of the waist ; the size of the waist is equal to the in- side length of the arm ; the length of the arm is equal to the breadth across the breast; two- thirds of the size of the waist equals the length and breadth of the back ; one third of the size of the waist equals the height under the arm, etc. But in reality there exist very few figures exactly conformed to these rules, and patterns prepared for the ideal figure seldom prove satisfactory till they have undergone very con- siderable modifications. In accordance with the system of measurement we shall now ex- rig. I. Fig J. plain, every woman may cut not her own gar- ments from given patterns, but her own patterns, suited expressly to herself, and fitting her with a grace and perfection attainable in no other way except by the work of a first-class dress- maker. In taking these measurements a tape measure is required, and a large card, upon which should be copied the specifications given be- low in small capitals, afterwards filling outthe list by writing down each measurement as it is taken. CUTTING AND FITTING CYPRESS VINE 139 I. — Length of skirt, back (Fig. i). Measure from the waist at the middle b, to touch the floor, or longer as desired, allowing an extra half inch at top and bottom. II. — Length of skirt, front (Fig. 2). Measure from the waist in front /', to touch the floor, making the same allowance at top and bottom as for the back. III.— Length of waist in front (Fig. 2). Place one end of the measure at the base of the neck a, and carry it down to the waist b. IV. — Breadth of the chest. Place one end of the measure at the right side of the chest, close to the arm, at the point d, and carry it, not too tightly drawn, across to the left arm e. V. — Length under the arm. Place the measure under the arm at the point e (Fig. i), and carry it down to the waist c. VI. — Size of the waist. Bring the tape around the waist evenly, neither tight nor loose, and reduce the measure by a scant half- inch, because the measurement is taken outside the clothes. VII.— First height of shoulder. (For the height of the shoulders two measurements must be taken to allow for the slope.) Place one end of the measure at the middle of the waist b. (Fig. 2), carry it to the point /"at the neck, and thence down the back to the mid- dle point b (Fig. I). VIII. — Second height of shoulder. Place one end of the measure at the point c (Fig. 2), carry it straight up over the shoulder at the point g, and down straight to the point c on the waist (Fig. i). IX.— Arm-size. Slip the measure under the arm, and meet it, without drawing it tightly, on the shoulder at the point h (Fig. i). X. — Length of arm. The measure is placed under the arm e (Fig. 2), and carried to the wrist i. (The outside measure of the arm is useless.) XI. — Size of wrist. This measure is taken loosely. XII. — Length of waist, back. This measure is taken from the nape of the neck a (Fig. i), to the waist at the point h. XIII. — Breadth of back. This measure is taken across the shoulder blades from e \.o d (Fig. i), and the tape should be drawn tightly. XIV. — Length of shoulder. Place one end of the measure at the base of the neck / (Fig. i), carry it down the slope of the shoulder to^, and an inch further upon the arm. XV. — Size of neck. We draw the measure very loosely around the neck and meet it. For the neck we mark two measures in the follow- ing manner: We fold the measure in three parts and mark the number of inches in a third, and also, in a sixth. The use of these two minor measurements will be explained elsewhere. {See Waists.) We have now given the entire list of meas- urements necessary for making the pattern of a high-necked plain waist, which is the basis from which all other garments are designed. To this list we may add one more measure- ment, used in capes and some few other gar- ments : the BREADTH OF SHOULDERS (XVI.), that is to say, a measure taken around the whole figure including the arms, just below the shoulder-joint.* CYCLAMEN.— A pretty little flower, much cultivated in England, but too little known in this country. It is especially adapted for window culture, and will give more flowers with less trouble, and occupying less space, than almost any other member of the floral kingdom. It can be grown easily from seed, but the seedlings do not bloom until the third year, and it is best to buy the bulbs, which can be had of any florist at from fifty cents to one dollar each for the common varieties. Plant them about the latter part of November in a pot filled with rich loam, with a sprinkling of white sand ; a handful of charcoal broken into bits and thoroughly mixed with the soil will increase the size and brilliancy of the flowers. Good drainage is indispensable. Place the crown of the bulb just above the surface of the soil. Till the leaves are well grown, keep the plants where the sun will not fall directly upon them; when the buds begin to rise on the foot stalks, remove to a sunny shelf, and they will soon show bloom. By shading, the duration of the flowers may be prolonged. When the bloom is past, gradually withhold water; the leaves will turn yellow, and the plants should be kept dry, in a state of rest, all summer. Sometimes it is difiicult to prevent the bulbs from shrivelling up during the summer; to prevent this, the bulbs may be buried in the open ground until the middle of September, when they are found fresh, and in good con- dition for a start. There is one risk, however, in this latter method : mice are very fond of the bulbs and sometimes commit great havoc among them. The best of the common varieties are : C, Peisicuin, white tipped with purple ; C. Persi C!i>n Albntn, pure white; and C. Punctatum. resembling Persicum. These flower from Janu. ary to IVIarch. There are several varieties which bloom from October to January; the best are : C. Europceum, pinkish purple ; C. Europoeum Album, pure white ; and C. Hede- rafoiium, rosy purple, and a very large splen- did variety. qYPRESS VINE. — One of the most delicate and beautiful of all the creepers. It is an annual, dying down each year ; but it produces seed plentifully, and these may be put away in paper during the winter. In plant- ing, select some spot near a fence, arbor, or trellis, pulverize the soil, and rake it smooth, soak the seed for several hours in warm water, and then sow them over the prepared ground, * In the preparation of the series of articles on the making of garments of various descriptions, we have depended princi- pally upon a little book recently published in Paris, entitled J\IHhodc de Ctntpe.'^ It is written by a woman, who has tested with her o^vn hands the accuracy of every pattern and every direction she gives ; and it has been so well received in France, that land universally recognized as the arbiter of good taste in dress, that it has even been introduced as a text book into, schools for girls in Paris, Strasburg, and other large cities. 140 DACE DAIRY pressing them in with the open hand. The green shoots will make their appearance in a few days, and from the time they are a foot high the vines should be carefully trained, and given plenty of water. No vine is more orna- mental than the Cypress for training over the windows or porticoes of houses ; for this pur- pose the seed should be sown thickly and nu- merous shoots carried up, as the foliage is rather slight. D DACE. — A fish of the carp genus, usually found in clear running streams, and of a bright silvery color. It is considered a light, nutri- tious food, but is full of bones, and rarely, ex- cept in the case of the sihicr dace whicli is abundant in the great lakes, weighs as much as a pound. Dace are not often offered in the markets, being used by the fishermen as bait, but they are the usual reward of amateur ang- ling in the interior. The only way of preparing them for the table, is to roll them in bread- crumbs or Indian meal and fry them crisp in hot fat. The smaller kinds may be eaten bones and all, and have a very delicate and pleasant flavor. DAFFODIL. {Sec Narcissus.) DAHLIA. — Twenty years ago the growing of Dahlias amounted almost to a mania in Eng- land and the United States, but of late they have been nearly superseded by the gladiolus, hollyhock, and similar plants. They are rank, coarse, ill smelling flowers, too stiff for grace and unpleasant to handle, whose only recom- mendation is the extreme ease with which they can be cultivated. They will grow in almost any kind of soil excepting wet, heavy clay ; and require scarcely more attention than potatoes. For the finest blooms a clear, open location, well exposed to the sun is best. Dahlias may be grown from seeds, or the tubers may be bought from florists. In the former case, sow the seed early in the spring, in shallow boxes in a win- dow or hot bed, in a rich, light soil, with a good sprinkling of sand ; as soon as the third and fourth leaves are developed, plant them in two inch pots, or in bo.xes three inches apart, and when the frost is entirely out of the ground they may be transferred to the garden. If the finest blooms are desired, the side branches should all be pinched off and only three or four of the strongest shoots allowed to grow ; and on these the buds must be thinned out, leaving but three or four to come to perfection. Soapsuds make an excellent fertilizer for dahlias, and it is well to give the roots a thorough drenching with it at least once a week. The dwarf or Poinponc Dahlias are much prettier than the larger kind, and are very lovely for bouquets and vases. They grow about eighteen inches to two feet high, and the flowers are of a globular shape with each petal perfectly cupped and tinted. In cultiva- tion treat them exactly like other dahlias. To keep dahlias through the winter, dig up the tubers or bulbs just before the ground freezes, and place them in a dry outhouse for a day or two to dry off. Don't break the tubers apart, but cut the stem down to within a few inches of them and use it as a handle by which to lift them ; all the flowering stems of another season are situated on or near the point of junction between the tubers and the stem. When the tubers are so dry that the soil will all shake off, pack them in barrels or boxes and fill up with perfectly dry sand ; if the sand is at all damp they will rot. After they are packed, put them in a dry frost-proof cellar, and they will come out in March or April fresh and vigorous. In planting them, it is considered best to set out the cluster of tubers, and after the shoots have sprouted two or three inches, to separate them, leaving two shoots to a tuber. When planted out in the bed, put the root at least three inches under ground and water carefully, shading from the sun for two or three days. A stake must be inserted close by the stem when the tuber is planted, and as the shoots advance tie them to it with soft yarn ; if driven in after the plant is growing it may in- jure the roots. There are nearly two thousand varieties of the dahlia. Among the choicest are Alba Miil/iflora, ^wre white; All Bada, deep scar- let; Amazons, scarlet margins with yellow centre; America, white ground striped and splashed with rose crimson; Antiope, buff, shaded with carmine; Colossiis,\3xge. yellow; Caniatioit, buff, striped with crimson and lilac ; Duchess of Cambridge, pink, edged with crimson ; Ge/ii, scarlet, tipped with white ; Glowhig Coal, crimson-scarlet ; Hebe, white, edged with yellow and tipped with red ; Koh-i- noor, canary yellow ; Afurillo, salmon, shaded with lilac and carmine ; Striata, lilac, striped with maroon ; Tiger, maroon-purple. Of Pompone Dahlias the choicest are : Alba Floribnnda nana, pure white ; Arndt, magenta, with brown stripes and spots ; Black Diamond, maroon ; Exquisite, golden yellow, tipped with scarlet ; Little Herman, cherry pink, tipped with white ; Little Kate, dark crimson ; Littleli'illie, deep pink ; Rachel, salmon, tipped with crimson ; and Rose of God, finest vermilion. DAIRY. — The dairy-house for the sake of convenience may be near the cow-house ; but care should be taken that it is not exposed to the effluvia of the cow-house or stables, as milk is a ready absorbent, and any bad odor will taint both the milk and the butter made from it. The dairy should also be so situated that it will be sheltered from the sun and wind as much as possible, an equable temperature DAIRY 141 being very important. In the summer time, should the temperature rise too high, it may easily be reduced liy suspending a piece of ice at a considerable distance from the floor, or by hanging up a wet sheet where the air will strike upon it. If, during the winter, the cold should become too great, and the room is not provided with a stove, a barrel of hot water, closely stopped, or a few hot bricks placed on the floor, will prevent any bad effects. On no ac- count should a charcoal stove be used, as it is certain to impart a bad taste to the milk. The setting of milk in deep cans in cool water obviates much of the difficulty connected with the question of temperature, both in summer and ia winter. Abundance of pure water is essential to a dairy ; if a well or spring can be had adjoining, it is desirable ; if not, there should be a cistern conveniently placed and kept well supplied ; likewise proper drains should be made for carrying off the water. Dampness does no harm, however, if the dairy is kept sweet and clean. The utensils of a Dairy comprise pails, sieves, pans, creaming dishes, churns, cheese- vats, ladders, and presses, with a thermometer which should be suspended in a prominent place. These utensils are often made of wood, which is apt to acquire a musty smell ; to pre- vent this the vessels should be scoured and scalded every time they are used, as the small- est drop of milk in them, or the least taint of acidity or mustiness, may spoil the next milk- ing. Earthen-ware vessels, when properly glazed, or glass utensils, are least troublesome ; but the lead, brass, copper, and tin vessels, al- though so generally used, are objectionable be- cause the acid contained in the milk that has long been exposed to the air combines with these metals and gives the milk a disagreeable flavor. Cast-iron vessels are equally objec- tionable, and for a similar reason. The com- mon brown earthen-ware pan, glazed on the inside, has been found to preserve the milk better and throw up more cream than any other ; iron pans, enamelled in the interior, also throw up cream very well ; and slate vessels would be unequalled but for their liability to come uncemented at the joints. Pans made of zinc are sometimes used, but are open to the same objection as other metals. Earthen-ware vessels are somewhat easier to keep clean. Or if metal vessels are kept clean they will do also. Other utensils which it is convenient to have in a dairy are the creamoineter and lactometer. The lactometer is an instrument by which the specific gravity of milk or of any other fluid, is ascertained — that is to say, the quantity of water in it ; since the instrument really shows the difference between the milk and pure dis tilled water. All milk is composed of water in which are suspended casein (or cheesy matter), butter, milk sugar, and various salts ; the pro- portion of water in loo parts being 87, and as the specific gravity is increased in a ratio to the quantity of these solid materials, so the number indicating it marks their amount. The instru- ment (see Fig. i.) consists of a glass tube, with a bulb at its lower extremity, in which is a little mercury so adjusted that it will make the mark o on the scale float exactly level with the surface of distilled water. When the jar accompanying it is nearly filled with the milk to be ex- amined (taking care to shake up the cream just before doing this), the instrument rises in propor- tion to the density, and by casting the eye along the surface of the milk, the number on the scale on a level with it will indi- cate the exact specific gravity. The ordinary specific gravity of new cow's milk, at 50 Fahren- heit, is said to be 1.031 ; but this is no test of the cream, which is very variable, and in many cases the specific gravity of the skim-milk is greater after skimming than be- fore. As a test for irz^rrf, it is of great value; but for measuring the cream the best instrument for ordinary use is the lactometer of Sir Joseph Banks, now called creamometer. Three or Fig. Lac^tT four glass tubes, about a foot high, divided into 100 parts, and graduated near their upper ends, are loosely supported in a wooden stand, and filled with the milk warm from the cow, one being devoted to each sample to be examined. The scale is generally extended down one-fifth of the tube, and this will almost always suffice; but in some cases the amount of cream is much greater than this. After standing twelve hours, the cream has all risen to the surface, and the figure opposite its lower edge marks the per- centage of cream to milk. Thus, supposing it stands at the figure 10, then there is 10 per cent, of cream ; or, if at 5, then only 5 per cent., and so on. The average of cream appears to be about 8 or 9 per cent., but in different breeds and pastures it will vary greatly I from that amount. Provided with these two instruments, one of which measures the amount 1 of curd, and the other that of cream, the cow- 142 DAMASK DAPHNE keeper will be able to ascertain whether the cows which he has are worth keeping, or whether he shall make an attempt to better himself by getting rid of them, and purchasing others. DAMASK. — A twilled fabric invented and originally manufactured at Damascus, whence its name. It was made of silk, and was highly ornamented with figures of animals, birds, fruits, and flowers, woven into the cloth. It is still distinguished by this method of ornament- ation, though the material of the modern dam- ask is generally linen, and sometimes woollen, or even cotton, or a mi.xture of linen and cot- ton. Linen damask is. very generally used for table-cloths and napkins, and some of them are very rich. As regards fineness of fabric and beauty of designs, the French damask is the best, but the Scotch is also excellent. Cotton damasks are made in imitation of the linen ; though they answer very well for many ordinary purposes, and are cheap ; they are not so durable as linen, and they require frequent bleaching to preserve their whiteness. Diaper is a variety of Damask, woven in the same way, but of smaller and simpler patterns ; it is made for inferior table-cloths, and for nap- kins, towels, and various other domestic pur- poses. Those called union are composed of linen and cotton; and there are also cotton diapers. DAMSON. — Damsons are small black plums, which grow like others of their species on small trees, and are found in the markets gen- erally from about the middle of July to Decem- ber. They are soft to the touch when ripe. Cheese (Damson). — ^Boil the damsons in a stone jar placed in a sauce-pan of water. Pour off some of the juice, and to every two pounds of the fruit, after skimming and stoning it, weigh out half a pound of sugar. Set the fruit over the fire in a sauce-pan and boil quietly until it begins to look dry ; stir in the sugar and simmer slowly for two hours ; then boil it quickly half an hour or until it candies on the sides of the pan. Pour it into buttered jjans or dishes, about an mch deep, so that it may cut firm, and set away to cool. By some per- sons, the plum-stones are cracked and the ker- nels boiled in the cheese. Preserves. (Damson.) {See Preserves.) "Wine. (Damson.) — I. Take .--Damsons, 4 galls; water, s>^ galls; sugar, 15 lbs; crude tartar, 3 oz. Take four gallons of ripe damsons, remove and break the stones of about one gallon for the flavor of the kernels ; press the fruit thor- oughly, pour upon it five and a half gallons of water, and strain the liquor ; let it stand twenty- four hours, and then add fifteen pounds of su- gar, with three ounces of crude tartar, and fer- ment ; after which it will be ready for bottling. U. Take .--Damsons, 8 lbs ; boiling water, I gall ; sugar, 3 lbs. Pour upon every eight pounds of damsons one gallon of boiling water, and let them stand three days, when strain off the liquor, and to every gallon add three pounds of raw sugar ; put it into a cask, and ferment with the bung loose ; then bung it closely, and in about four months it will be fine for bottling. DANDELION BEER. {See Beer.) DANDRUFF.— There is no permanent rem- edy for dandruff except frequent and regular brushing of the hair and keeping the head as clean as possible. The use of pomades or grease of any kind must be abandoned or kept within the most rigid limits ; and about once a week the head should be washed with clean cold water with a few drops of anjmonia in it, rubbing the scalp vigorously with the fingers, and brushing the hair out dry. The hair- washes and other preparations sold for this purpose are generally worthless, and even when they afford temporary relief, they always aggravate the evil in the end. The cause of dandruff is the failure of the skin on the scalp to perform its functions properly, usually on account of the pores being stopped up with grease ; and the only remedy is to bring the skin back to its normal condition, which can be done only by cleanliness, local friction, and at- tention to the general health. DAPHNE. — There are numerous varieties of this plant, of which the best known is the Daphne odorata, one of the few old-fashioned plants which the modern rage for novelties has not succeeded in driving out. It is an ever- green shrub, attaining the height of about four feet, and remarkable for its long, dark, glossy green leaves, and its branches of fragrant white flowers ; as an indoor or green-house plant it is unsurpassed, flourishing and bloom- ing in situations where most other plants would dwindle and die. The cultivation of the green- house varieties is almost identical with that of the camellia {see Camellia); the same tem- perature will do for both. The plants should have plenty of room, and the pots must be well drained. Potting should generally be done in the fall, about the time the plants are housed, when as much of the old soil should be removed as is possible without disturbing the roots. The chief varieties are : Daphne odorata, which may be obtained of any florist at trifling expense, and is propagated from cuttings with great ease. It is the most desirable variety, from its season of blooming, which is from De- cember till March, according to the degree of heat given. There is also a variety with red flowers, known as D. Odorata rubra. Daphne hybrida is a pretty evergreen shrub, with purple flowers, which it produces very freely, and which are extremely fragrant. It blooms at all seasons of the year, but espe- cially from January to April ; and should be taken indoors in winter. D. Mezeretiin is a hardy plant, has white or purple flowers closely attached to the shoots, and is the earliest blooming shrub of our gar- dens, the blossoms appearing in the beginning of April before the leaves expand. . This species, notwithstanding its beauty, has a dan- gerous reputation, as the berries which it bears DATE DECORATION 143 are highly poisonous. Its juice is acid, and produces inflammation and even blisters upon the skin. DATR — The fruit of the date-palm, which grows on the margin of the great sandy deserts in the north of Africa, and forms the principal food of the inhabitants. They are brought here in a preserved state, pressed into a sort of matting called traits, and when sold by re- tail, are cut or broken into lumps and sold by the pound. The fresh fruit arrives here in January, February and March. In buying, choose those which are large, softest, not much wrinkled, and of a reddish-yellow color on the outside. Dates have a laxative effect when eaten in any quantity, and are thought to give tone to a weak stomach. Soaked in water and sweetened, they make a pleasant and refresh- ing drink. DECANTING. — To insure the clearness of wine for serving is an important point. At rest on the shelf or in the bin, it will be clear enough ; but removing it, drawing the cork, and decanting it, very often render it turbid. Be careful not to shake or disturb the crust when moving the bottles about or drawing the cork, particularly in the case of port wine. Never decant wine without a wine-strainer, with a bit of fine cambric in it to prevent the crust and fragments of cork from going into the decanter. In decanting port wine or any other red wine, do not drain it too near the bottom ; there are generally half a wineglass of thick dregs in each bottle, which ought not to be drawn out. In white wines there is not much settling; pour it out, however, very slowly, and raise the bottle up gradually, watch- ing for any indication of dregs or foreign mat- ter. No wine should be decanted in a hurry. DECAY. (See Decomposition.) DECOCTION. — A decoction is the extrac- tion by water of certain principles in vegetable substances by subjecting them to boilfng for some time ; the well-known beverage, barley- water, for instance, is a decoction of barley- Many parts of vegetables are not soluble in water, as the resinous parts ; but others, such as mucilage, are entirely so. Decoctions, from the nature of their constituents, very soon fer- ment and spoil ; for this reason they should be prepared in small quantities only as they are wanted, and never used, especially in summer, over forty-eight hours after they are made. DECOMPOSITION.— In hot weather fresh meat is very likely to become tainted if kept any length of time, no matter how many pre- cautions are taken. The decomposition may be arrested and the taint (if slight) removed by sprinkling a little soda over "the meat before cooking. The taint may also be removed by covering the meat with common charcoal for a few hours ; or by putting a few pieces of char- coal into the water in which the meat is boiled. DECORATION, with special reference to walls, floors and furniture. ]®=(This article attempts to treat only the aesthetic side of furnishing. For the practical side, see Carpets, Furniture, House, Paper Hangings, and Pictures). The man of average cultivation or much more than average cultivation cannot be ex- pected to have an understanding of the rather complicated problems of artistic arrangement of things in his house, unless he has given special attention, and even some hard study to the subject. The knowledge of these things he must acquire by gradual accumulation. He cannot expect to succeed entirely at once. If he will keep himself open to the influence of that which he distinctly recognizes to be good, always preferring to err on the side of simplicity, he may be sure of the eventual attainment of a measurable success. It is hard to point out even the most general principles of this kind ; for the danger is that we shall be too dogmatic, and shut the door on the ten thousand little things that shall some day be waiting to come in. A work of art of any kind cannot be entirely the product of calculation ; the result of certain determinations of the mind. The painter has a clear idea of the picture he is to paint ; but in putting it on the canvas, he sees a thousand beauties he had not thouglit of before. He himself is long in arriving at such rules as he ever learns. After going on for years finding out the uselessness of much that he had before esteemed, he begins to see his way and to do good work. Before "seeing the way," one not only cannot do good work, but cannot understand over well if an- other tries to tell him how; moreover the best part of what the artist learns must always be unspoken, and very often not even arranged in definite thoughts in his own mind. Within a very few years increasing attention has been given to these things. England has been the stronghold of certain reformers. Books have been written pointing out the necessity of principles in art, and calling atten- tion to many important truths long neglected; and designs have been made, a few good, and many in the various stages of badness. The authors of these books and designs, in their intentness on general truths, have left un- noticed those equally important truths, harder to seize and name, which have to do with the graces of art. Of course, this in a great measure was unavoidable. Angularity. — One would think, to see some of the books, that anything but angularity of form and figure, hard decisiveness of line, and crude "flat" color, — too much beauty, in fact, —must be incompatible with truth and honesty in artistic furniture or decoration. The angular is good, but so are many other things. Man is not all elbows. Curves badly designed, curves out of place, or an excessive propor- tion of curves are not good. Indulging in a flourishing penmanship of art, because we wish to do something and do not wish to take the trouble to think, is worse than the severest angularity. A box is a very useful thing, and properly an angular thing. But why, in the modern English fashion, be so eager to call lU DECORATION attention to its straight lines and corners, as if they were the only virtues it possessed ? Every one has opportunities to see how the Japanese deal with it. They give the edge a delicate quarter bead ; or simply soften it off with a scarcely noticeable rounding. They sometimes give a gentle bending inward to the corners ; and their decoration of its surface is entirely independent of its structural form. They do not allow it to deny its construction, but they make it so modest that it shall not loudly proclaim its accidents of being. By much the larger proportion of things that we put in our houses are primarily con- structed for other purposes than to merely please the eye. Flowing lines are beautiful; and the curve has infinite possibilities, while the straight line is the most limited of things : but the limited is a large part of all things ; and infinite possibilities have ruined more things than shapes and forms. Honest construction. — The first point, as has been insisted on so much of late, is honesty of structure to begin with. If a chair, being made of pieces of wood joined together, gives way at some of the joints after a few months, let one see that it was not perfectly framed, and reject the mode. If the chair of his great grandfather's day (probably despised for its simple unpretending character), after years of use is still strong, let him believe in the strength which endures. Let him also see that the most beautifully designed chair is the one with nothing but its most necessary parts, beauti- fully treated. (And his great-grandfather's chair is probably the most beautiful one he has in his house.) Let him see that parts shaped in violation of the nature of the wood they are made from, are weaknesses, and that ornaments fastened on are only incumbrances. If to decorate is to adorn, it is as well to re- member that only to the worthy thing belongs the worthy adornment. When we decorate a sham, our decoration becomes but a sham added to a sham. The greatest beauty of design in anything for use, is always the result of the beautiful treatment of the proper struc- tural parts, and not the result of added or complicated parts. For a good thing to per- fectly and fully show its nature and char- acter, is for it to show beauty. And, for it to contradict or conceal its character, and pretend to the character of another thing, is for it to be unbeautiful. It may have certain mis- placed external aids, beautiful in themselves, sometimes so beautiful as to lead us to over- look many faults. But models, where beautiful parts conceal many faults, are not to be deliber- ately chosen. Indifference to having things good and honest in themselves inevitably brings bad art. Always, in the long run, ac- cording to the worth of the thing treated, will be the skill devoted to its treatment. Bad construction illustrated. — In the room where this is written there is an oak chair, probably intended by the cabinet-maker for a dining-room chair. It is better than a large proportion of tnose to be found in the shops. The front, back, and side-rails forming the edges of the seat, are very fairly framed into the four uprights ; two forming the front legs, and two forming the back legs and side pieces of the back. All this is good. But, as the back inclines, and the back legs turn out- ward, to preserve its balance, the two long up- rights cannot be straight pieces ; they are, therefore, sawed to a curve, instead of being bent, or selected pieces of a natural curve. In consequence of this the grain of the wood crosses the back legs diagonally, and one of them has split near the foot, and been clum- sily mended. The legs taper towards the feet, where they are bored to receive castors, instead of being fitted into a sheath or cup of the castor in the old-fashioned way. The con- sequence is that two of the legs are split by the leverage of the shaft of the castor. To prevent the chair from being " common," and at the same time to avoid the' expenditure of time-consuming labor, the top and bottom rails of the back are sawed out in rather extraordi- nary shapes, necessarily thick and clumsy, to prevent the pattern from weakening them too much. Then, in an attempt to lessen some of the clumsiness of the top of the back, a small moulding has been worked and glued on ; and, as it was impossible that the direction of grain of wood in the moulding and in the back of the chair should everywhere agree, one part of the moulding has split off. The uprights of the back are finished with ornamental knobs; but instead of the knobs being simply the ends of the pieces of wood finished — because a finished end is more agreeable to look at than a squarely-cut off butt — they are turned and fastened on with dowel pins and glue. One of them can be taken out and put in like the stopper of a vinegar cruet (perhaps with a not unsimilar result). The whole is covered with a thick varnish, which injures the color of the wood, looks extremely disagreeable wherever there is an edge, and renders every bruise and scratch doubly conspicuous. Elaboration not necessarily ornamental. ^We are too much in the habit of supposing that any way wliich is something more than the most simple way of treating a thing, must be an ornamental way. The knobs and mould- ings and sawed figures in the chair just spoken of, could only seem ornamental to the most uncultivated taste and perception. The sawed work is not bad because it is sawed, but be- cause, being sawed, it cannot be both delicate and strong, firm enough for its place. The help- ing the shape by a sort of cornice moulding stuck on, even if it were finely designed and worked, would not be good. Nothing, how- ever rich or rare, can be ornament unless it adorns ; and it cannot adorn unless it has some kind of pertinence to that to which it lends itself. There is such a thing as fatiguing elaboration. So we sometimes find that simple, good tex- tures — such as are produced by threads in DECORATION 145 stuffs, or grain in woods — are better in certain places than ornamental detail ; that they give neither vacancy nor sufficient fulness to de- prive better things of their importance. The kind of elaboration which is necessary for full expression, and the l be suf- fering from polyuria, or diabetes insipidus, a disease of much less importance. DIAPER. (See Damask.) DIAPHORETICS. — Medicines which in- crease the insensible prespiration. When they act very energetically, they are called sudor- ifics. During the administration of these reme- dies it is essential that the surface of the body should be kept warm ; and for this purpose wool is generally employed, in the shape of flannel or blankets. Exposure to cold air is also to be avoided, as well as the drinking of cold water, though this in strong constitutions is often productive of extensive perspiration, and many people take a glass of cold water at night before going to bed, with the view of producing perspiration when they feel that DIARRHOEA 151 they have taken cold. It is a bad plan, in order to check excessive sweating, to expose the body while bathed in it, or while clothed with wet garments ; but these should at once be removed and dry ones of a lighter character put on, or else the clothing should very gradu- ally be made lighter, avoiding any sudden transition which would be likely to produce a chill. (a.) Antimonial powder" (compound powder of antimony), 5 grains taken at night, with a basin of warm gruel or white wine whey. {b.) Dover's powder (compound powder of ipecacuanha), 5 to 10 grains, taken at night. (., Claret or Burgundy, etc. SALAD. Olives, Pickles, etc. Port Cheese, Crackers. Still white wine, any named DESSERT. above. Pastry. Ices. Fruit. Nuts and Raisins. Bon-bons. Black CofEee. L iqueursj Brandy^ cordials, etc. If you omit any of the courses indicated by capitals, let them be game first, then fish, then salad, last soup. SETTING THE TABLE. To raise feeding from the grade of an ani- mal function into that of a fine art is worth anybody's while, and almost anybody can do it — certainly anybody apt to read this book. It need cost but a little polishing of glass and metal, and a handful of flowers, to make a very plain table pleasing to even the critical eye. Have a thick, soft blanket under the table- cloth. It prevents noise from laying things down, and gives a pleasant feeling to the hand resting on the table. Decoration. — The first rule for setting a table well, is not to put on it anything to eat. Exception may be made in favor of a few or- namental plates containing bright colored pickles, olives, fruits, and confectionary. These are admissible only in so far as they are dec- orative. Let each course be brought on and removed separately after the guests are seated. Now here is a very important matter, which even good dinner-givers sometimes neg-- lect. Do not let the ornament in the centre be so high as to prevent people naturally seeing each other across the table. If you do, it will confine the talk to people sitting ne.xt each other, and seriously impede general and lively conversation. There is no denying that a high centre-ornament is decorative, and DINNER 157 excellent for a supper where people stand. But a little taste and ingenuity will devise low ones suitable for dinners that will not inter- fere with tlie distinctively human enjoyment — conversation. Flowers, of course, are gener- ally the most available material. They should not be gathered, however, into a single flat mass, but should be placed at a height of two or three inches on small plates or the narrow troughs now to be found at the crock- ery stores, and grouped around some object not much over a foot high in the centre. This central object can be a bouquet, a stand of fruit, or any other tasteful thing that ingen- uity may suggest. In warm weather, ice, either in a large clear block, or several pieces too large to melt out of proportion during the meal, combined with ferns or flowers, is sug- gestive, and may be made very beautiful. The writer wishes to state, most emphatically, that generally, on noticing that dinner is passing off with peculiar spirit, he has also noticed that the ornaments are so disposed as not to im- pede intercourse. A small bouquet de forsage at each lady's place, and a flower with a leaf tied to it at each gentleman's, for his button-hole, are very agree- able. Chairs. — Avoid cane seats in a dining-room. Where fine fabrics and laces are kept on them so long a time continuously (longer than any- where else) they play liavoc. Plates. — One should be at each seat. The raw oysters or clams, on a separate plate, are placed on the first plate. So with the soup. The first plate is exchanged for the plate with the fish. Always have a stock of plates in reserve suflicient for all the courses and prop- erly heated. The most decorated plates are best enjoyed about the time of salad or cheese and at dessert. Knives and Forks. — It saves the waiter's time to start with at least two forks, and two knives by each plate. It is not bad to have three. One knife should be of silver, for the fish. Silver knives are, of course, essential for fruit. Napkins are never supposed to appear a second time before washing. Hence napkin rings are domestic secrets, and not for com- pany. Wines that can be drunk at the temperature of the room may be on the table from the start and they add to the decoration. Wineglasses. — Three or four with the water glass, are enough to start with. If you have more wines, bring the glasses on with them, and substitute them for tlie sherry-glass, sau- terne-glass &c. Provide colored glasses for still white wines. Americans pretty generally set their glasses in a row at the right of the plate, in a direction across the table. The French quite generally set theirs in front of the plate, parallel with the edge of the table. Liqueur glasses come on with the liqueurs. Clams {Dotit forget the ice in warm weather) should always be on the table before the company comes in. The plates with ice are too ticklish for the waiter to pass over shoulders. Taking up the plates is easier. Ice Pitchers are not articles of dinner- table furniture, except that in T/crf hot weather one may be used from a side table. Caraffes and cracked ice should be within everybody's reach. Cards on Plates, bearing the names of the company, so as to seat tliem with reference to congeniality, are very important. For host or hostess to marshal them after they are in the dining-room is not nearly so easy as for them to marshal themselves by the cards, and the host and hostess are sure, in the confusion of the moment, to get people placed exactly as they did not intend to have them. Bread. — Cut pieces about four inches long, two wide, and two thick, and always place a piece beside each plate in setting the table. Finger Bowls are to be passed after pastry on plates with doileys between the plates and the bowls. Tlie plates are to be used for fruit and nuts, if there are any. If none are handed, the finger-bowl will not be taken from the plate. The finger-bowl should be filled about one-third, contain a slice of lemon, and in very warm weather, a bit of ice. Fruit. — It is well to have a dish, at one side, independent of any that may be on the table, with grapes cut into small bunches, and oranges and large fruits halved. If fruit decorating the table is" to be used, let it be removed and so prepared before it is passed. GENERAL HINTS. Never let two kinds of animal food or two kinds of pastry be eaten from the same plate ; make a fresh course of each. Always change knives and forks, or spoons with plates. As before stated, it is well to start with two or three relays of implements by the plates. Don't have over two vegetables with a course. Let them be offered together on the same waiter. At a large dinner, you can have two varieties in the same course, i. e., two soups, two fish, two meats, etc., letting the waiter offer the guest a plate of each at the same time, the guest choosing between them. Everybody is always out of bread ; prevent it if you can. One good waiter is worth ?nuch more than two poor ones. Don't let a wineglass stand empty. If one is empty, it proves that the guest likes that wine. Champagne is always too warm, but ice in the glasses is a poor remedy, so use the small- est glasses that are proper. They will not let it lose sparkle and coolness as readily as the large ones. Pour out the wine for each course bcfoi-e\\-\e. course is served, unless you have waiters enough to do it simultaneously. Two hours and a half is long enough to serve any dinner that Christians ought to eat, three hours and a half is too long. 158 DINNER The host goes in first with the lady whom he seats at his right. The hostess goes in last with the gentleman whom she places at her right. The worst torture that survives the inquisi- tion is a ;5arf formal dinner. A worse torture than any known to the inquisition is any for- mal dinner (the better the dinner, the worse the torture) inefficiently served. Fish at dinner must never be fried or broil- ed, let it be baked or boiled. An exception may be made in favor of a delicacy, such as smelts or trout. If anybody says champagne ought not to come in early, don't believe it. Fresh pork and veal are , seldom seen at the tables of those who know how to dine or to digest. But a ham baked with sugar, or champagne, is an honorable companion after fish, all the way down to game. It is only an accessory, though, never the basis of a decent dinner. It should be handed around sliced, after the regular course is served. In place of salad, some specially nice vege- table, such as asparagus, green corn, or a well- cooked cauliflower may tastefully be served as a separate course. In fact there is much to be said in favor of always serving separately a vegetable which does not, like potatoes, stewed tomatoes, beans, peas, etc., seem the natural accessory of some meat. Many an appreciative soul will be grateful if he finds his sherry cold ; and probably none of those who usually take it tepid, will feel hurt. Chesterfield's idea that a dinner party should not include fewer than the graces or more than the muses, has the approval of later generations. Especially commendable is the rule where waiters are scant. A super- latively good waiter in a well-ordered house can manipulate eight people, if he has an as- sistant in the pantry to prepare everything for him. If you ask one person more, you'll spoil the fun of nine, unless you get another waiter. Last and not least, dining rooms are always too hot We append bills of fare — six for entertain- ments and twelve for family dinners. Although they are scattered through the seasons, they are almost all available at any season, and, with the help of the separate article on Bills OF Fare, will probably aid the housekeeper in answering the constandy recurring question, " What shall we have for dinner ? " MENU FOR i6tH JANUARY. Soup. (Sherry.) Bouchees of lobsters. (Sauterne.) 1 Boiled cod, with anchovy sauce. i Potatoes a la maitre d'hotel. j Braised turkey, with chestnuts. ) ^, Canned asparagus. \ Champagne. j Chicken livers stewed. I Cauliflowers. j Quails, broiled with a sliceof fat pork. ) Chateau ( Celery salad. j Lafitte. j Rice souflee. ] Chocolate pudding. Neapolitan cream, cakes. Coffee, fruits, nuts, etc. (Port. ) MENU FOR 24TH FEBRUARY. Mock turtle, vermicelli, clear. (Sherry.) Pates a la Reine (chicken). Lobster farcie. Striped bass, with shrimp sauce. Fillet of beef, with stuffed potatoes. (Champagne.) Roast chickens, with beans. Sweetbreads, larded and served on a thick puree of spinach. Sorbet. Prairie fowls, with brown sauce. (Chablis.) Endive salad. Lemon ice-cream. Whipped cream, with preserved strawberries. Coffee, nuts, fruits. (Chartreuse.) MENU FOR 15TH MAY. Green turtle. (Madeira.) Fried perch, with olives. Boiled leg mutton, oyster sauce. (Champagne.) Cutlets of chicken, a la Bechamel. Hare, red currant jelly. (Claret.) Potatoes i la creme. Plum-pudding, brandy sauce. Salade. Coffee, with whipped cream. MENU FOR 19TH JULY. — (A " Fish Dinner.") Oysters on the half-shell. Select carefully at this Cream of fish. [season. (Rhine wine.) Trout, with clam sauce. (Champagne.) ( Baked black-fish, with claret. ( Chateau ( Fried potatoes. ) Margeaux. Fillets of halibut, bread-crumbed and broiled, with stewed peas. ( Clams in their shells. Ued Hermitage. ( Lettuce and endive mixed. ) ° Roman punch. Strawberry cream. Almond cakes. Fruits, nuts, and cofiee. MENU FOR 1ST SEPTEMBER. — (A " Game Dinner.") Oysters en fricassee. Puree of grouse. Salmon au court bouillon. Roast pea-fowl. 1 Braised wild duck. >■ Heidsick. Artichokes. ) Pates of field-larks in fillets. ) g;jjg_, , Lobster salad. ) Roast pigeons. Lettuce. Biscuits glaces, vanilla ice-cream, coffee, fruit. Noyeau. MENU FOR DECEMBER. Oysters on half-shell. Hungarian wine. Chicken. Madeira. Sardines, olives, cheese, and pickles. ( Mackerel a la maitre d'hotel. ) Missouri Catawba. \ Mashed potatoes. ) ( Roast turkey, cranberry sauce. ) Steinberg ( Braised ribs beef, with vegetables. ) Cabinet. Breast of pigeon, larded, brown mushroom sauce. Sorbet. DIPHTHERIA 159 j Ortolans, with fried oysters. ."I Celery, with mayonnaise. [Montcbello. Plum-pudding, rum sauce. Pumpkin pies. Mince pies. Fruits, nuts, coffee. Vanilla ice-crcam. FAMILY DINNERS. JANUARY 4TH. Beef soup, with vegetables. Bream, with oyster sauce. Boiled potatoes. Corned beef, with carrots. Stewed kidneys. Spanish puffs. FEBRUARV i8tH. Bouillabaisse. , Boiled chicken. Fried parsnips, caper sauce. Fillets of bass, with pickles. Mince patties. JULY lOTH. Consomme aux Nouilles. Rock bass, with fried pota- toes. Tomatoes.with slices of chicken dressed in mayonnaise. Peaches and cream. AUGUST 14TH. Clams on the half-shell, pickles. Broiled porterhouse steak. Green peas and asparagus. Strawberry shortcake, coffee. MARCH 2 1ST. Oysters, with lettuce. Roast sirloin of beef. Potato croquettes. Cabbage boiled with cream. Baked lemon pudding. APRIL 3D. Fried oysters, sliced cucum- [bers. Smelts fried with fat salt pork. Baked potatoes. ' Lamb chops, with baked mac- [caroni. Pumpkin pie and coffee. MAY 20TH. Clam soup. Boiled leg of mutton, tomato [sauce. Mashed potatoes. Oyster plant in batter. Lettuce and green onions. Raisin pudding, sherry sauce. JUNE 12TH. Salmon. Chicken soup, with barley. Cold roast mutton, with boiled cauliflower. [mixed. Lettuce, with cives and olives Charlotte Russe. SEPTEMBER 24TH. Oyster soup. Broiled eels, with cucumbers. Braised fowl. String beans. Celery, with capers, [cream. Currant tart, with whipped OCTOBER 25TH. Pot-au-feu. Halibut, with parsley sauce. The beef, with the vegetables. Potato salad. Tapioca pudding, sauce au quatre fruits. Cream-cakes. NOVEMBER 30TH. Mock turtle. Turkey, cranberry sauce. Rice croquettes. Egg-plant stuffed. Snipe, fried oysters, [edeggs. Water-cresses, with hard-boil- German puffs. DECEMBER 14TH. Puree of beans. Broiled herring, Dutch sauce. Ribs of beef. Boiled potatoes. Stewed tomatoes. jPumpkin pie. DIFHTHBRIA. — A disease, occurring gen- erally in epidemic form, and characterized by a peculiar inflammation of the mucous or lining membrane of the fauces, pharynx, and upper part of the air-passages ; sometimes the dis- ease spreads to other parts of the mucous mem- branes. Diphtheria is often confounded with croup and scarlet fever, and it was not until recent epidemics that its distinctive character had been clearly and generally recognized. Children and young people are more liable to it than adults, and more girls suffer from it than boys ; women also, are more liable to it than men, and the weakly of either sex more than the strong and healthy. Climate and season do not seem to have any influence on the disorder ; it is equally severe in the sum- mer as in the winter months, and in its symp- toms and mortality it is the same in hot as in cold countries ; yet various epidemics differ in severity and in extent. It is quite clear that the disease is contagious, but in what way is not so manifest ; at one time an isolated case will appear in a village and not spread widely, while on another occasion a whole district will suffer severely; if one inmate of a house be attacked most of the others will suffer too, if they come in contact with the patient. The infectious matter is capable of diffusion into the air, and may be carried to distant parts, but it is more common for those to be infected who inhale the patient's breath, or who are in close contact with him. It is very doubtful if the disease can be taken from one house to an- other by an unaffected person, but the pres- ence of one sick person in a house is suffi- cient for its communication to another, though the two be kept as separate as possible. Al- though every care be taken to purify an apart- ment in which a patient has suffered from this disorder, yet the infection will sometimes cling to it with remarkable tenacity. A case is re- ported in which a visitor to a country-house in Scotland, caught the disease while occupying a chamber in which a case of diphtheria had occurred eleven months before. The infection may be disseminated for some time after con- valescence has been established. There seems to be a predisposition on the part of some people to take this disease ; those who are highly nervous or who have undergone much mental activity, and those who have suffered from exhaustion or bodily fatigue are more liable than others. The disease seems to attack indifferently all classes of society. The time between the first exposure to the disease and the appearance of the disorder, varies from thirty hours to several days. Symptoms. — The onset of an attack is marked by lassitude and prostration, aching in the back and legs, pallor of the skin, and pain in the throat ; in children, there may be diarrhcea, headache, giddiness, and a stupid condition. The pulse becomes quick and may beat 120 or 140 times a minute, but the respira- tions are not particularly increased. The tongue is moist and slightly coated, the appe- tite is impaired, and there is more or less thirst. The throat is sore, and it is difficult and even painful to swallow, and this pain ex- tends often to the ears, and there is a feeling of stiffness in the muscles of the neck. On looking inside the mouth there will be found some swelling and redness of the soft palate and tonsils, and the back part of the throat. If the inflammation extends upward into the nasal passage there may be a glairy discharge from the nose, or, if it spreads downward into the larj'nx, s)Tnptoms similar to those met with in croup will appear. There will then be hoarseness and weakness of voice, with cough and crowing inspiration, ^nd if the obstruction be very great there will be imperfect expan- sion of the chest, pallor of the face, and lividity of the lips. When the inflammation extends to the larynx, the mortality, especially in children^ 160 DIPHTHERIA DISINFECTANTS is very great ; in adults, this extension of tlie disease is less dangerous, and they are often able to expectorate large pieces of the false membrane. The most characteristic appear- ance in diphtheria is the presence of a mem- brane which covers more or less of the sur- face about the upper or back part of the mouth ; this membrane is soft and of ashy- grey color, and when removed leaves behind a red and raw surface, and then it rapidly forms again. The swelling of the mucous membrane and the amount of false membrane may be so great as to prevent swallowing, and to endan- ger life by preventing enough air from enter- ing the lungs. The inability to swallow is often very great, and when fluids are taken in this condition they are apt to come back through the nose ; complete inability to swal- low seldom comes on before the third or fourth week of the disease, and it arises from a par- alysis of the muscles of deglutition. This condition is a very serious one and adds much to the danger of the case ; the pulse may be- come weak and slow, and death may occur suddenly from fainting or any undue exertion. Loss of power and irregular action of the muscles of the pharynx is the earliest and most common form of nervous affection in this disease, and it may disappear rapidly and leave no mischief behind, but sometimes it lasts for weeks or months and retards convalescence. Every case of diphtheria must be regarded with anxiety, as it is attended with considera- ble danger ; and any extension of the deposit in the fauces, the onset of a hoarse voice, or croupy breathing, or the occurrence of hem- orrhages, are serious symptoms. Treatment. — There is no drug which can be looked upon as a specific for diphtheria, nor are there any means of eliminating the disease when once it lias attacked an individual ; yet, a great deal may be done at the outset if the disease is recognized sufficiently early. As a local remedy a solution of nitrate of silver should be thoroughly applied to the diseased surface of the throat, but not so forcibly as to rub off the membrane and cause bleeding to follow. Hy- drochloric acid and honey have been used for a similar purpose, but in all cases medical advice must at once be sought, as it is dangerous to depend on merely domestic treatment. The patient should be placed in a well-ventilated room, and the air should be between 60° and 65° Fahrenheit, and kept constantly moist by letting steam escape from a kettle of boiling water. Complete rest must be obtained as there is always great prostration, and any ex- ercise or movement on the part of the patient should be avoided so as to store up all his strength. Milk may be given to the extent of three or four pints a day, and brandy can be mixed with it, if it is necessary. Beef-tea, chicken-broth, and egats may also be given ; it is of no use giving solid food, as the patient will not care for it, and it will create pain in swal- lowing. Great care must be taken that the food is given in small quantities at a time, and slowly, because in consequence of the paraly- sis of the muscles of deglutition which often ensues, the act of swallowing is rendered dangerous. Where there is much obstruction in the laryn.x the operation of tracheotomy may be resorted to, but this proceeding is attended with a very small amount of success, and is nearly always followed by a fatal result in very young children. When convalescence begins, the return to solid diet must be slow and grad- ual ; for many weeks the nutriment should be light and wholesome, and not too much should be taken at a time. As soon as the patient can be removed with safety, and without carry- ing infection to others, removal to country air or the sea-side is most beneficial, and it is the more needful in these cases as there is so much prostration and anoemia for many weeks afterwards ; yet, even in bad cases, the health will in time be thoroughly restored. Cold bathing, tonic medicines, moderate exercise, or even a sea voyage, are very valuable aids in restoring the health. In cold weather a bath is not advisable unless the chill is taken off the water, but in summer time it is most re- freshing and strengthening ; carriage exercise may at first be taken, or a short walk during the fine part of a day, but no great exertion should be made, and the patient should rest as soon as a tired feeling comes on. Although this disease is not so communicable by the clothes as scarlet fever and some other disor- ders, yet it is always advisable that any articles of clothing should be thoroughly disinfected before Iseing worn again, and for this purpose they may be placed in an oven and exposed to a high temperature ; a similar remark will apply to the bedding, curtains, sheets, etc., of the room in which the patient has lain. When possible, the house in which the disease has broken out should be well cleansed and fumi- gated ; it may be kept empty for this purpose for a week or ten days, and chloride of lime may be sprinkled about the rooms on the floors. DISHES. {See Earthenware.) DISINFECTANTS. This term is confined here to substances used for destroying noxious odors or vapors or whatever may produce in- fection. A large variety of disinfectants are sold in the drug stores, and in summer time, especially, some one of them should be in frequent use in every house. The best disin- fectants are, of course, fresh air (abundant ven- tilation) and an abundance of water (thorough cleansing) ; but with our defective drainage something more is frequently necessary. The following suggestions are from a circular of the Board of He'alth of New York :— L To disinfect diarrhoeal discharges, and to purify water-closets, privies, drains, and cesspools, dissolve ten pounds of sulphate of iron (copperas) in five gallons of water, and add half a pint of common carbolic acid. Keep a small quantity of this solution in the vessel which is to receive the discharges. Pour a pint of the solution into the pan of the water- DISLOCATIONS 161 closet three or four times a day, or add half the entire quantity to the contents of an or- dinary privy-vault. If this practice is made general in all private dwellings, not only will the house-drains of such dwellings be disin- fected, but the benefit will extend even to the public sewers II. During the prevalence of cholera, all diarrhceal discharges should be received in vessels containing some of the disinfecting fluid, before being thrown into the privy- vault or pan of the water-closet. III. Clothing, sheets, towels, etc., from pa- tients with infectious diseases, should be im- mediately boiled ; but, when this is impractica- ble, they may be thrown into a tub of water, in which have been dissolved eight ounces of sulphate of zinc, with one or two ounces of carbolic acid to every three or four gallons of water, or in water containing sufficient per- manganate of potash to maintain a light-pur- ple color, until the articles can be boiled. IV. To absorb moisture from damp cellars, closets, courts, and sunken areas, use fresh stone lime finely broken, and suitably distrib- uted, or placed on plates in the places to be ■dried. Whitewashing should be done with pure fresh lime. Putrid and offensive gases m,ay be destroyed by chloride of lime. (See Fumigation.) DISLOCATIONS.— In most cases of dis- location it will be best to wait for medical aid, which should be immediately summoned ; but when this cannot be obtained at once, of course some effort must be made to relieve the sufferer. Before anything is done, however, make yourself very sure that it is a dislocation and not a fracture, for any mistake may result in serious injury. Elbow (Dislocation of). — This is caused by Dislocation of the Elbow. a fall on the hand, one or both bones of the arm being driven backward. Seat the patient on a low seat, or on the ground ; place your knee inside the bend of the elbow, then grasp the arm firmly just below the elbow with one hand, and the wrist with the other (if another person is present let him take the wrist) ; pull firmly, and at the same time bend the arm gently in- wards, and the bone will in most cases return to the socket without difficulty. Hip (Dislocation of). — When this happens, the leg is shortened, and the foot turned /«- waycis so as to rest upon the other one ; but be sure it is out before attempting anything. In case of need, lay the patient on his back, and seat yourself beside him on the injured side ; take off your boot and place your foot between the legs, protecting the parts with a folded towel ; catch hold of the ankle or knee and pull hard until the bone slips into its place. This plan, however, will seldom succeed unless the operator is taller and stronger than his patient. If the accident happen to a muscular man, pass a towel round the upper part of the thigh (catch hold of it on the inside of the leg), let one or two assistants grasp the leg itself, and all pull firm- ly but gently downwards for some time until the muscles of the limb relax. Jaw (Dislocation of.) — Wide yawning, laughing, etc., may cause this. The mouth is wide open, and cannot be closed ; the chin is thrown forward, speech and swallowing are very difficult, if not impossible ; and in front of the ear is an unnatural hollow. Place your hand on each cheek, and insert your thumbs, pro- tected with a napkin, into the mouth as far back as possible ; then press the thumbs down- wards and backwards, and at the same time raise the chin with the outer fingers of the hands. If these movements are made with sufficient force, and at the same moment, the jaw will slip into its place. A small walking stick, used like a bit in a horse's mouth, may be tried instead of the thumbs. Neck (Dislocation of). — This is caused by a heavy fall on the side of the head. The head is turned to one side and fixed, and of course immediate action is necessary. Lay the person gently upon his back, plant 'one knee against each shoulder ; grasp the head firmly ; pull gently upwards from the shoulder, and at the same time turn the head into its proper place. Shoulder (Dislocation of). — In this form of injury the arm-bone is displaced from its con- tact with the blade-bone. The arm cannot be moved without pain ; the shoulder seems flat- tened : the elbow stands out from the side, can- not be made to touch the ribs, nor can it be brought up easily to a level with the shoulder ; and the head of the bone, rounded in shape, may be felt in the arm-pit if the fingers are pushed well up while the arm is slightly moved outwards. Lay the patient fiat on his back and sit down beside him on the injured side ; pull off your boot, place your heel in the arm-pit, take hold of the arm with your hands, or a long towel fastened to it and passed round your neck. L62 DISLOCATIONS IDOGS Dislocation of the Shoulder. and pull steadily- Aft^r pulling some time, tell the patient to turn round ; while he is try- ing to do this, give a sudden strong pull, jerk your heel against the head of the bone in the arm-pit, and it will probably return to its socket with a snap. Hamilton recommends, in his Stirgery, the method of treating dislocation of the shoulder shown in the above cut. Push the shoulder gently but firmly forward, and at the same time raise the arm upwards and backwards. Thumb or Finger (Dislocation of). — A sur- geon's assistance should be sought for this, as it is somewhat difificult to manage. If such as- sistance cannot be had, get a strong person to Dislocated Thumb. hold the wrist, or if alone, lay the patient on his back. Rub some powdered resin on the hand to prevent slipping ; pull steadily at the thumbs or finger for a minute or two ; then turn it backwards, and at the same time push it into its place with the other hand. Wrist, Knee, or Ankle (Dislocation of). — When such dislocations occur they are gen- erallv so severe that they should be at once placed under a surgeon's treatment. When this is not practicable, however, the method of action is the same in all cases. By pulling and stretching the limb for some time, the muscles will become so relaxed that the joint can be pushed back into its proper place. DIUKETICS. — Medicines which augment the secretion and promote the flow of urine. In slight stoppages of this secretion there is no harm in trying mild diuretics, such as the follow- ing : (l) Nitrate of potass, ten grains; sweet spirits of nitre, one drachm ; spearmint water, one ounce ; mi.x, and give a tablespoonful twice a day. Or (2) a strong infusion of the peel of the young branches of the elder-tree may be made, with the addition of half an ounce of cream of tartar to each pint ; and of this infusion two or three ounces may be given three times a day. Where the disturbance is great, however, it is best to consult a physician, as much mischief may be done by stimulating diuretic in case of inflammation of the kidneys. DIZZINESS,— (A'f \'ERTIGO.) DOESKIN.— A compact kind of heavy twilled broadcloth, three-quarters of a yard wide, much used for men's pantaloons and vests. The best is the French, though the English is very good in the finer qualities and has the reputation of being most durable. Doeskin is generally black in color, and should be well shrunk before cut- ting into clothing. DOG. — The dog shows the most valuable and complete conquest ever made by man over the brute creation. Even in civilized countries he is only less useful than the horse, though in the cities his position is chiefly that of a household pet. The Newfoundland is the choicest and noblest of all breeds of the dog, and of this the St. Bernard variety is the best ; they are very large and powerful, extremely docile, and their intelligence is in some respects almost human. Next to these the English Spaniel is perhaps the finest species of dogs : but for a watch or yard dog none is equal to the bull-dog, whose ferocity is at times more like that of a wild animal than anything else, and whose strength makes him a terrible foe even to man. The choice, however, is almost unlimited, and the satisfaction which a dog will afford depends always more on the individual than on the breed. The small pet dogs, such as pugs, poodles, Italian greyhounds. King Charles' breed, etc., are perhaps the most degenerate productions of the genus, and striking instances of that modify- ing influence to which man subjects all nature. Dogs should always be kept out of doors as much as possible ; and in the cities, where the limits within which they are confined are necessarily very narrow, they should be taken out for a daily romp or walk. If kept indoors too constantly they lose all that vigor and high spirit which distinguishes them from all other domestic animals. Distemper in Dogs. — This is almost the only disease to which dogs are liable W'hich they cannot cure themselves if allowed to run at large. It is contagious, and seems to be nearly always imparted by contact. The symptoms of it are readily recognized. The eyes become red, weak, and watery; the nose hot and dry; any movement in the air excites a cougli or a sneeze ; and there is a general fever and loss of appetite. The running from the nose, as the DOILY DOVER'S POWDER 163 disease proceeds, becomes after some days mucous or purulent, loading the eyes and ob- structing the nostrils. It then lodges in the bronchial tubes, preventing the free access of air to the lungs ; and if it reaches this stage is very likely to prove fatal. A good remedy for distemper in its earlier stages is to force the dog to inhale the fumes of burning sulpliur for five or ten minutes every day until distinctly relieved. The following, however, is the sur- est medicine : Take three grains of antimonial powder, ten grains of nitre, and three grains of powdered ipecacuanha: make into a ball and force down the throat two or three times a day. If there is much cough, add from half a grain to a grain of digitalis, and every three or four days give an emetic. Two to four grains of tartar emetic in a meat ball forms an emetic. Hydrophobia. — When a dog is suffering from tliis disease he becomes solitary, morose, and sullen ; and after a day or two begins to run about wildlv, biting at whatever comes in his way. As the disease advances, he becomes more furious, he breathes quickly and heavily, his mouth is continually open, the tongue hangs out, and the lips and jaws are covered with froth. As soon as any of these symptoms appear the dog must be killed. There is no truth in the prevalent idea that hot weather is the cause of hydrophobia. (For the disease in man, .s,v Hydrophobia.) DOILY. — A small napkin, generally figured and fringed, usually placed on a plate under the finger-bowl with the dessert at dinner. It is manufactured in pieces, containing a fixed number of doilies, and is generallv so bought. DOMESTIC ANIMALS. {Si-e Cat, Cow, Dog, Horse, Pig, and Poultry.) DORY. — A species of fish much prized in England as food, but e,\tremely rare in our markets. One variety known as " bristly dory" or "blunt-nose shiner" is occasionally offered for sale in the fall and winter months. Its flesh is delicate and sweet, though the quantity is small compared to the amount of bones. Large dories are best boiled ; smaller ones fried. DOSISS. (&(,• at end of article on DRUGS.) DOUCHE BATH. (Set- Bath.) DOUGHNUTS. — 7«/f'f. --Eggs, 4; sugar, '/i lb ; butter, 2 oz ; flour, i lb ; boiled milk ; nut- meg, cinnamon, and a few drops of some es- sence. Beat together four eggs with half a pound of sugar; stir in two ounces of melted butter, and then add a pound of flour and enough boiled milk to make a rather stiff dough; flavor to taste with nutmeg, cinnamon, and a few drops of some essence ; cut into shapes with tumbler or knife, and fry brown, in hot lard. When done, sift sugar over the top and serve hot. Isle of Wight. — Take: — Flour, 4 lbs: lard, 40Z; brown sugar, }i lb; allspice, 2 tablespoonfuls ; cinnamon, i drachm ; cloves, '/i drachm ; mace, 2 large blades ; brewer's yeast, 2 tablespoonfuls ; milk ; currants. Work smoothly together, with the hand four pounds of flour and four ounces of good lard ; add half a pound of fine brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls of allspice, one drachm of pounded cinnamon, half a drachm of cloves, two large blades of mace beaten to powder, two tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast, and as much new milk as will make the whole into a rather firm dough ; let this stand till tender (a little over an hour) near the fire, then knead it well and make it into balls the size of a very small apple ; hollow them with the thumb, and en- close a few currants in the middle ; gather the paste well over them and when light, drop the doughnuts into a sauce-pan half filled with ioiV- ing lard. When they are equally colored to a fine brown, lift them out and dry them before the fire on the back of a sieve. The lard should boil only just before they are dropped into it. or the outside will be scorched before the inside is sufiicientlv done. Raised.— Trt'i'f. --Sugar, i lb; milk, i qt ; home-made yeast, l teacupful ; flour, 3 pts ; eggs, 4; salt, I teaspoonful; cinnamon, 2 tea- spoonfuls; mace or nutmeg, i teaspoonful; butter, % lb. Beat together a pound of sugar, and three quarters of a pound of butter; add a quart of new milk, a teacupful of yeast, and three pints of flour ; set to rise over night. In the morn- ing beat four eggs to a light froth, and stir them into the batter with a teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, and one tea- spoonful of mace or nutmeg ; add enough flour to make a stiff dough ; set to rise three hours or until light ; then rolf out, cut into shapes, and fry in hot lard till brown. Sift sugar on the top while they are hot. DOVE. — The turtle-dove is smaller, but in general appearance very similar to the wild pigeon, of which it is probably the original stock, and in point of flavor is one of the best game-birds known ; but in the eastern markets it is seldom found for sale, except as a pet. Doves are at their best in August and Sep- tember, but may be had occasionally through- out the winter. Cook like wild pigeon. DOVER'S POWDER. — Compound Ipecac- uanha Powder. It contains ipecacuanha and opium, a grain of each, rubbed up with ten grs.. of sulphate of potash, and so it must be pre- scribed with a due regard to the quantity of opium it contains. Ten grains of the powder is the usual full dose. It is a powerful diaphoretic — that is to say, it promotes free perspiration, 164 DOWN DRAINAGE and is consequently of great service in many maladies. It does not agree with everybody, and at all times it is advisable to take precau- tions against cold after its use. In the feverish stage of a common cold, Dover's Powder is remarkably effective, and frequently cuts short the malady. When the patient is cold and shivering, but the skin hot and the nose stuffed, ten ijrains of the powder at bedtime, putting the ieet into hot water at the same time, and promptly getting covered over with the bed- clothes, will generally cause a profuse sweat, and will orobably benefit the patient greatly. A cold sponge bath is advisable next morning, and the bowels must be seen to if confined. DOWN. — There are several kinds of down ; that called gray down or white down is ob- tained from the common goose, and eider down from the eider duck. This last is taken partly from the bird itself, and partly from the nest in which it broods, and is brought to this country from Greenland, Iceland, Northern Russia and the circum-polar regions. It is very expensive and should be used only for bed-coverings ; to sleep on it destroys its elas- ticity, without which it is valueless. DRAFT. {See Bill of E.xchange.) DRAINAGE. — Every house should have a ■.suitable drain for the removal of its liquid wastes, — such as the outflow from the kitchen sink, and all manner of foul waters. The charac- ter of the interior drainage must, of course, de- pend on the circumstances,conditions and means of the owner ; but no house is a safe or fit habitation which has not some well devised and soundly constructed exit-drain. It may almost be said that the less complete the interior arrangements and the smaller the amount of liquid to be drained away, the more •care must be given to the exit-drain. If in ad- dition to the kitchen waste, it carries a plentiful supply from water-closets, bath-rooms, wash- bowls, etc., it is much more likely to keep itself clean than if the only liquid reaching it is that flowing from the kitchen sink containing a con- siderable amount of hot and melted fat, which, as soon as it loses its heat, congeals and attaches itself to the sides of the drain, arrest- ing the organic refuse that floats in the water, and, sooner or later, inevitably choking the passage. One common mistake with regard to house drains is that they are made too large. It is incorrect to suppose that a very large drain is safer than one of moderate (but sufficient) size, because the smaller the drain the more con- centrated the flow, and the more thorough the 'lushing when larger amounts of water are passed through it, (as on washing day). If the liquid is received direct from the kitchen with- out any provision for stopping the grease, a twelve inch drain will soon be filled to a certain depth and the water-way will assume a broad flat form, over which the flow will spread itself and become too thin and too slow to produce the proper scouring effect. A much smaller pipe would have this ac- cumulation of grease confined within a narrow- er channel and the whole of a copious flow, being concentrated upon it, would have a much better chance to cut it away and remove it. It may be taken as a fixed rule that no private house, no matter how large, can possibly need for its drainage a pipe larger than four inches in diameter. Neither would it ordinarily be pru- dent to use a pipe smaller than this for any house, and this size may, therefore, under ordi- nary circumstances, be taken as an invariable one for private houses. The drain should be as straight as possible. Every turn increases friction, and increases the danger of obstruction. Also, it is easy, with a straight drain, to pass through a stiff wire, from the outer end, and thus remove any ac- cumulation. The drain should have always as much fail as possible. Even an angle of forty-five de- grees would not be too steep ; but if the pipes are laid with care, if an absolutely uniform inchnation is secured, even so little descent as one foot in one hundred feet will suffice. The question of material is a very impor- tant one, especially with drains intended for the carrying off, other matter than pure water. These should be not only straight and uniform in bore, but they should be made of a smooth, impervious material. The common stone drain (" blind drain ") is in every way bad. Its chan- nel is irregular and rough ; its inequalities ac- cumulate deposits of fermenting solid matter; it gives easy access to rats and mice, which are tempted into it by the waste food it contains ; and, worst of all, instead of carrying its liquids safely and rapidly to the point of outlet, it al- lows these to ooze and dribble away into the soil, often leaching down under the foundation of the house, or finding their way into the well from which drinking water is taken. It is quite customary with those who wish to do thorough work to make the house-drain of brick, and this is certainly an improvement upon stone, but more cannot be said for it. It is necessary to make a brick drain unduly large, and it is impossible to make it so entirely true and smooth as is necessary for the best efficiency. In addition to this, its material is so porous that it can never be long relied upon to afford a perfectly impervious conductor of the foul and dangerous material that it is its office to remove. The much lauded cement pipe is of good form, makes a true joint, and seems at first sight to be all that can be asked. It has been found, however, that there is a want of uniform- ity in the quality of these pipes which renders them somewhat unreliable, and they have the very important objection for such uses as this, that the slight roughness of their interior sur- face tends to catch particles of hair or fibre, or other material which become a nucleus for fur- ther accumulations, which form a firm and close attachment with the material of the pipe. Experience has pretty well established a be- lief that the only entirely safe and reliable ma- DRAINAGE 105 terial for this use is either iron, which is incon- venient to repair, or the vitrified stone-ware pipe, now universally used where the best work is done. Not only must the drain be laid in a straight line, and on a true fall, but the greatest care must be taken that in fitting the ends into the sockets the bore is brought to a true line, and that in closing the joints, (while they are tight- ly and securely cemented so that there can be no possible leaking.) no cement is forced through to the interior of the pipe to create roughness in the water-way. Too much care cannot be given to the foundation upon which these pipes are laid, and it is never safe (unless they are laid in a heavy bed of concrete) to put them on land that has for any purpose, even within so long as a year, been dug and refilled below the level to which they are to lie, for the reason that the slightest settling of the ground, coup- led with the heavy pressure of the earth above, is quite sure to deflect the pipes sufficiently to crack open their joints, and cause a leakage. Where there is plumbing work in the house, which will furnish a considerable flow of water, it is best, where practicable, unless a flush tank is used at the kitchen inlet, to admit the kitchen outlet, at a point between the outlet of the drain and its connection with the soil pipe, for the rea- son that the soil pipe is more often flushed, and carries a larger proportion of pure water which will, by its cleansing action, have a tendency to remove any deposit from the kitchen outflow. At the same time, whatever precaution is taken in the way of flushing the drain, it is al- ways wise to adopt some form of grease trap, that is to say, to receive the kitchen outflow im- mediately on its delivery from the sink into a vessel that has its outlet through a bent pipe, the mouth turning down below the surface of its water. This trap need not be more than eighteen inches in diameter, and a foot deep, and should be covered and have a ventilating pipe, for its odors will not be pleasant. This mass of water will be cold enough to congeal the grease at once, and this will float about the Fig. A. level of the outlet, vifhich will deliver only water fit to be admitted to the drain. In addition to this grease trap, (or in lieu of it, where the proportion of fatty matters is small), it is a capital plan to use a modern invention known as Field's flush-tank, shown in Fig. A, which is simply a vessel having its outlet by a siphon so arranged as to come into action whenever the tank is sufficiently filled, flowing copiously until it is emptied, and then accumulating the drib- bling waters until it is filled again for another discharge. This arrangement secures the drain against the slowly trickling stream that has so great a tendency to deposit silt in its course, and secures the important condition that when any foul water is flowing through the drain it shall move forward in a rapid rush that will prevent the halting of solid matter by the way. The final disposal of house drainage is in every way a serious matter, and it practically makes less difference than is generally suppos- ed whether the water to be got rid of is only the kitchen waste, or the whole offscourings of a house with complete plumbing appliances. What we have to deal with in both cases is the organic matter that has been brought into the house, as food, etc., and whether this matter has passed through the additional process of digestion or not does not materially affect the results of its final decomposition after its re- moval. The only added danger when water- closets are discharged through the drain, arises in the case of excreta from patients ill with such diseases as typhoid fever, cholera, diar- rhoea, etc. Practically, it is no more safe to make a careless disposition of the waste from a small kitchen than that from the whole of a large house with complete water works. If the house can be brought .into connection with a public sewer, this course will naturally be followed, and the sanitary questions arising are dependent very much on the condition of the sewers, — the discussion of which would be out of place here. In those cases where there 166 DRAINAGE is no public outlet tlie question of the disposal of liquid wastes becomes extremely serious. It may be set down as an invariable rule, ap- plicable to almost all conditions, that it is never safe to allow household wastes to accumulate in leaching cess-pools from which their liquid is constantly oozing into the soil, with the dan- ger that it will reach w-ells, or cellars, or that it will accumulate in the earth beyond the capaci- ty of this to disinfect and decompose its filth. If there is no land about the house and no sewer for discharge, the only safe plan is the very inconvenient and costly one of accumulat- ing the whole liquid in an absolutely tight and thoroughly ventilated cistern, — to be pumped out as occasion requires. Where there is land, even of small amount the best system is that by Mr. Moule, (See Fig. B) the inventor of the earth closet, to "divide and Conquer." This system, which is called subsoil irrigation has now been used sufficient- ly long and is sufficiently introduced and rec- ommended by the highest sanitary authorities to make it entirely safe to recommend its adop- tion. Its simplicity and cheapness, and the small amount of care that it requires, commend it to general attention. The amount of land needed for its application is by no means large. Two hundred square feet will be quite sufficient for an ordinary household, though there are certain advantages in e.xtending the area where circumstances allow. Indeed by the use of a rigorous vegetation especially the sunflower, the Jerusalem artichoke, or the common grape, Fig. B it will be possible to get on with much less than the area specified. Only sufficient inclination of the surface is required to secure a flow in the drains and one foot in one hundred feet will be fall enough to accomplish this, especially where the flush-tank is used. The application of the system is as follows : Let the tight drain deliver into a tightly cemented small cistern, say four feet by four feet, discharging through a bent overflow pipe of which the inlet is twelve inches below the point at which it leaves the wall of the cistern (near its top) Fig C. This will secure room for the deposit of solid matters at the bottom and for the floating of scum at the top. Once or twice a year it may be necessary to clean out the solid accumulation at the bottom, which is always worth the cost of removal as manure. The outlet should be not more than twelve inches below the surface of the ground, and should be continued through open jointed land-drain tiles say two inches in diameter, laid on a foundation of narrow boards or of inverted horse shoe tiles, also open jointed, and nowhere more than about twelve inches below the surface. This drain may be continuous, or it may be the main for any number of longer, or shorter branches, — the whole system acting as a means for con- veying the foul liquid to all parts of the area used for irrigation, and delivering it at a point within the reach of the roots of plants. It would probably be best, when a single long line is not sufficient, to lay the lateral drains about four feet apart. It will depend on the degree to which the grease trap, and the tight cistern withhold solid matters whether the drain will require cleaning at long or short intervals. The writer found his own irrigation drains arranged as shown in DRAINAGE 1G7 Fig. B to work perfectly for five years. They were then cleansed and repaired at a cost of less ^^ fresh air at the outer, or cistern end of the drain, to supply the current. Where there are plumbing works within the house, the drain may be connected directly with the soil pipe. Fig. C. than five -dollars. A chief advantage of the boards or horse-shoe tiles is to afford a true bed that will facilitate the taking up and relay- ing when the cleansing is done. In cleansing it is only necessary to open from the upper end to a point where the drain has functions that are found to be quite clear. By this simple process liquid matter of the foulest and most dangerous character is distrib- uted thinly, and evenly through earth that is occupied by the roots of plants, and that is con- stantly permeated by the atmospheric air on which it depends for its o.xydizing and disin- fecting properties. Means having been secured for the cleans- ing of the drain by regular flushing or by the use of a wire, or in whatever way may seem best, and all danger of the leaching away into the soil near the house or well, of the contents of this drain being avoided, our next attention should be given to the disinfecting of the air of the drain itself, and to preventing the ingress of this air into the house. The great disin- fectant under all such circumstances is com- mon air, and there is no way in which we can nearly so well secure ourselves against the production of dangerous gases in a drain as by the establishment of a free current of airf^^ji within it. ^ ' In this work, as in almost everything else, the simplest way is the best. When the drain runs only from the kitchen sink, then a separ- ate air pipe should be carried from its house end well above the top of the house, (not near to the top of a chimney nor to a window), and be furnished at its upper end with a ventilating covvl that will tend to keep up a good current. There should be some means for admitting ySiuiw Fig. D. and ua trap of any sort should be used in its course, but the soil pipe should be continued of its full size out thrpugh the top of the house (See Fig. D) and be furnished with a ventilat- ing cowl. There will then be no trap in the course of the pipe to arrest solid matters and 168 DRAINAGE DREDGING hold them for decomposition, and there will be a steady current of fresh air sufficient to prevent the /ti/j-o«()«j- decomposition of the refuse matter contained in the pipe or drain, — which if de- prived of sufficient air would enter into a putre- faction that would be likely to evolve dangerous gases. The supply of air to the lower end of the drain may come from the sewer or from the cistern, if these are luetlventilated. If there is NO sufficient ventilation of these, then there should be a trap near the lower end of the drain, and an inlet for fresh air into the drain above it. In cold climates, this inlet should be by a small pipe (say I 1-2 inches diameter), and it should run under ground for a sufficient distance to become somewhat warmed. To sum up, the leading principles to be fol- lowed are these : — to carry the refuse matter from the house through an absolutely tight drain to a tight cistern where their organic parts will rise to the surface, and where any heavy matter contained will settle at the bot- tom. To make the outlet from this cistern from a point between the scum and the sedi- ment, — where only liquid will be supplied ; to discharge this matter into open jointed drains extending through such an area of soil as will prevent the concentration at .any point of enough liquid to filter away into the sub-soil, and at a point so near the surface that it will be subjected to the disinfecting action of the soil and of vegetation ; to furnish, in all cases, a di- rect current of fresh air through the drain ; and where a soil pipe i.s used to continue the direct current through this latter also. Drain Traps. — What are commonly known as drain traps would be better named " man- traps." Fig. E. If the necessary other means are adopted to prevent the ingress of foul air into houses, then it is very well to use immediately under the out- lets of wash-basins, sinks, etc., some form of water-seal trap, which shall be to a certain ex- tent a barrier against bad smells generated im- mediately within the waste pipe ; but, as a main dependence these traps are a delusion and a snare. The usual form given to them is that shown in the accompanying figures, E F G. Figure G represents the common bell trap so often used over the outlet pipe of the kitchen sink, &c. Its movable part is verv easily taken off, and is very apt to be left off. 'and even when it is in place it offers such a very slight resistance to the pressure of foul air as to be at all times in- efficient and quite generally to be, as a trap, simply nothing at all. The great objections to all water-seal traps are, first, that the resistance they offer to the pressure of sewer gas is so slight that a trifling change in the temperature of a sewer or cess- Fig. F. pool, the sudden filling of the sewer with water during heavy storms, or even the influence of a strong wind blowing against its outlet, or suck- ing strongly at a chimney flue, will suffice to open them ; and, second, that water is a very imperfect disinfecting barrier. Fresh water in a trap may for a few moments absorb all the foul gases presented to it, but accompanying the absorption at the sewer end, there is, too often, — almost always, — a giving off at the house end. As soon as the water is saturated with the gas, and sometimes even before this, there is a rapid delivery of gas at the house end of the trap ; careful experiments have shown that carbonate of ammonia exposed at the sew- er end of a trap will produce its chemical reac- tion on colored liinius paper exposed at the Fig. G house end within fifteen minutes, and that even the heavier and more poisonous gases so com- monly produced in foul drains are all transmit- ted in their full force within a very short time, — even sufficiently to produce the corrosion of metals exposed at the house end. The real and effective drain trap is the same as the real and most effective disinfectant ; — a free circulation of common air. Safety is to be sought, not through a shutting out of the foul gases formed in the sewer, and drain, but in the prevention of this formation, by the free admis- sion and circulation of air. This being secured there is little to be apprehended, if the ordinary bent tube filled with water is used as a trap in branch pipes in such a way as to prevent the too rapid transmission of such odors as mav still be formed in the pipe. If there is no suf- ficient ventilation of pipes and sewers it is mad- ness to suppose that we can live safely in rooms which are protected from the invasion of pois- onous gases only by water-seal traps. DRATRTBRS. (.S'^-^ Underg.4rmf,nts.) DREDGING. — This is an important item connected with roasting, and requires a tin box with a perforated lid,' called a "dredger." This usually contains wheat flour onlv, but for DRESS DROWNED 109 some joints the flour is mixed with grated bread, dried herbs, or grated lemon or orange peel. The dredger is shalccn over the roast at short intervals, so that its contents remain on the surface and form, with the fat oozing out, a Icind of coating, which is sometimes inten- tionally made very thick, as for hare. But these coatings are not so common now, or so fashionable, as they were a few years ago. DRESS.— (.^d?;; Clothi.ng, IVaist, Skirt, Princess Dress, Cutting and Fitting and un- der the other respective names of garments.) DRILLING.— A kind of coarse, heavy, twilled linen cloth, much used for men's outer clothing in summer. It is a yard wide, and nearly always white or buff-colored. There is also a cheaper variety of drilling made of cotton. DRINKS. (See Beverages.) DROPS (Lemon.) — Mi.\ together a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, si.x ounces of flour, the yolk of one egg, a teasponful of cold water, and a little lemon peel minced fine. Drop lumps of this mixture, the size of a walnut, on a buttered tin plate, and bake it in a quick oven. Ratafia Drops. — Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, add ten ounces of powder- ed sugar, two ounces of bitter and six ounces of sweet almonds, blanched and pounded ; mix well, drop in small spoonfuls on white paper ; sift powdered sugar over each cake and bake in a quick oven. DROPSY. — A symptom of numerous dis- eases characterized by the collection of water or serous fluid in one or more of the closed cavities of the body, independent of inflam- mation. Dropsy is caused either by pressure upon some part or the whole of the venous system, or by an altered condition of the blood. In the vast majority of cases it depends upon diseases of the liver, the heart, or the kidneys, and in these the original disease must be reached before a cure can be obtained. There is no treatment for dropsy that can be ventured upon without skilful medical advice. DROWNED. — (To restore the appar- ently.) — The Royal National Life-boat Institu- tion, after extensive inquiries amongst medical men, medical bodies, and coroners, throughout Great Britain, published (in 1864) the following directions for restoring the apparently drowned. They are founded on those of Dr. Marshall Hall, combined with those of Dr. H. R. Syl- vester. I. Send immediately for medical assistance, blankets, and dry clothing, but proceed to treat the patient instantly on the spot, in the open air, with the face downward, whether on shore or afloat ; exposing the face, neck, and chest to the wind, except in severe weather, and re- moving all tight clothing from the neck and chest, especially the braces. The points to be aimed at are — first and ini- vtcdiately, the restoration of breathing ; and secondly, after breathing is restored, the pro- motion of warmth and circulation. The efforts to restore breathing must be commenced immediately and energetically, and persevered in for one or two hours, or until a medical man has pronounced that life is ex- tinct. Efforts to promote uiannth and circu- lation, beyond removing the wet clothes and drying the skin, must not be made until the first appearance of natural breathing; for if circulation of the blood be induced before breathing has recommenced, the restoration to life will be endangered. II. To Restore Breathing. — To Clear the Throat. — Place-the patient on the floor or ground, with the face downward, and one of the arms under the forehead, in which position all fluids will more readily escape by the mouth, and the tongue itself will fall forward, leaving the entrance into the windpipe free. Assist this operation by wiping and cleansing the mouth. If satisfactory breathing commence, use the treatment described below to promote warmth. If there be only slight breathing, or no breathing, or if the breathing fail, then — To Excite Breathing. — Turn the patient well and instantly on the side, supporting the head, and excite the nostrils with snuff, hartshorn, and smelling salts, or tickle the throat with a feather, etc., if they are at hand. Rub the chest and face warm, and dash cold water, or cold and hot water alternately, on them. If there be no success, lose not a moment, but in- stantly — ■ To Imitate Breathing — Replace the patient on the face, raising and supporting the chest well or) a folded coat or other article of dress. Turn the body very gently on the side, and a little beyond, and then briskly on the face, and back again, repeating these measures cautiously, efficiently, and perseveringly, about fifteen times in the minute, occasionally varying the side. By placing the patient on his chest, the weight of his body forces the air out ; when turned on the side, this pressure is removed, and air enters the chest. This process is shown in Figs. I and 2. {.See next page.) On each occasion that the body is replaced on the face, make uniform but efficient pres- sure, with brisk movement, on the back, be- tween and below the shoulder-blades or bones on each side, removing the pressure imme- diately before turning the body on the side. The first measure increases the expiration, the second commences inspiration. The result is respiration or natural breathing, and, if not too late, life. Whilst the above operations are being proceeded with, dry the hands and feet, and as soon as dry clothing or blankets can be procured, strip the body, and cover or gradually re-clothe it, but take care not to interfere with the efforts to restore breathing. Should these efforts not prove successful in the course of from two to five minutes, proceed to imitate breathing by Dr. Sylvester's method, as follows : — Place the patient on the back on a flat sur- face, inclined a little upwards from the feet ; raise and support the head and shoulders on a 170 DROWNED Fig. I. Treatment of the Apparently Drowned. small firm cushion or folded articles of dress placed under the shoulder blades. Draw for- ward the patient's tongue, and keep it project- ing beyond the lips ; an elastic band over the tongue and under the chin will answer this pur- pose, or a piece of string or tape may be tied round them, or by raising the lower jaw, the teeth may be made to retain the tongue in that position. Remove all tight clothing from about the neck and chest, especially the braces. Fig .2. Treatment of the Apparently Drowned. To Imitate the Movements of Breathing. — Standing at the patient's head, grasp the arms just above the elbows, and draw the arms gently and steadily upwards above the head, and keep them stretclied upwards for two seconds. {By this means air is draivn into the lungs.) Then turn down the patient's arms, and press them gently and firmly for two seconds against the sides of the chest. {By this weans air is pressed out of the lungs.) This process is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. {See next page.) Repeat these measures alternately, deliber- ately, and perseveringly, about fifteen times in a minute, until a spontaneous effort to respire is perceived, immediately upon which cease to imitate the movements of breathing, and pro- ceed to induce circulation and warmth. 3. Treatment after Natural Breathing has been Restored. — To Promote Warmth and Circulation. — Commence rubbing the limbs upwards, with firm grasping pressure and energy, using handkerchiefs, flannels, etc. (By this measure the blood is propelled along the 7'eins towards the heart.) The friction must be continued under the blanket or over the dry clothing. Promote the warmth of the body by the ap- plication of hot flannels, bottles, or bladders of hot water, heated bricks, etc., to the pit of the stomach, the arm-pits, between the thighs, and to the soles of the feet. On the restoration of life, a teaspoonful of warm water should be given ; and then, if the power of swallowing has returned, small quantities of wine, warm brandy and water, or coffee, should be administered. The patient should be kept in bed, and a disposition to sleep encouraged. General Observations. — The above treat- ment should be persevered in for some hours ; DROWNING DRUGGET 171 Fig. 3. Treatment of the Apparently Drowned. it is an erroneou.s opinion that persons are irre- coverable because life does not soon make its appearance, persons having been restored after many hours of continued effort. The struggle should not be given over until a ph)-sician pro- nounces death to have unmistakably occurred. Cautions. — Prevent all unnecessary crowd- ing of persons round the body, especially if in an apartment. Avoid rough usage, and do not allow the body to remain on the back unless the tongue is secured. Under no circumstances hold the body up by the feet, or roll it over a barrel. On no account place the body in a warm bath unless under medical direction, and even then it should only be employed as a momen- tary excitant. Fig. 4. Treatment of tlie Apparently Drowned. DROWTIflNG.— (To save a person from).— Never approach a drowning person from the front, but take him from behind, by the hair : and never allow him to grasp any part of your body if you can possibly prevent it. Should you find yourself so seized, sink at once to the bottom, when the hold upon you will probably be released. Only a good swimmer should attempt to rescue a drowning man in deep water ; for a novice to trv it is simply to imperil a second life without reasonable chance of saving the first. Better hasten to secure a rope or pole, which, thrown quickly to the per- son in danger, wUl give him a much surer cliance of escape. If possible let one going to the rescue have a rope tied under his own arms and held by those on shore. Young swimmers should use especial caution. DRUGGET.— A coarse woollen cloth of a rather flimsy te.xture, sometimes made wholly of wool, and sometimes with woof of wool ancl the warp of flax thread. Drugget is stronger 172 DRUGS and has less nap than baize, and, among other uses, is employed instead of carpets for cover- ing floors, or to spread on carpets to preserve them from being damaged ; for this purpose it is woven from a yard and a lialf to two yards and a half wide. Milled Drugget is printed in bright showy colors, and being very thick and strong serves very well as a substitute for carpets in small apartments. It is manufactured in pieces from a yard to two yards wide. DRUGS. — In purchasing drugs, whether in the raw state or in the form of extracts, tinc- tures, etc., it is very important to obtain them from a reputable chemist, who will take care that the article is genuine and properly labelled. The adulteration of drugs is carried on to an enormous extent, and, as commonly sold by irresponsible parties, the strength is seldom above one half of what it ought be. Besides this there is the danger of substituting a cheap drug for a dear one. Drugs are most of them soon spoiled by keeping, and in all cases they should be preserved in well-stoppered bottles — with the e.xception of Epsom salts, nitre, soda, and some few others, which will keep without injury for an indefinite time. All vegetable medicines lose their virtues in the course of a few months, if not carefully closed from the air ; and even in bottles they seldom I keep good for a year. It is desirable, there- fore, to purchase them in small quantities at a time, and to renew them at intervals of twelve months. Most drugs simply lose their strength with time ; but laudanum on the contrary be- comes stronger, especially if it be left uncork- ed ; the spirit evaporates, leaving almost pure opium. This must be guarded against, as the most fatal results might occur from giving a dose much greater (in point of strength) than was intended. Some drugs requiring extended notice are given under separate titles in this work. The additional ones given below are least liable to abuse, in family use. Each is intro- duced in alphabetical order with its properties and effects given under the respective heads — (a) Physical properties ; (b) Therapeutical \ effects ; {c) Use j and (d) Dose, and mode of\ administration. Extracts, tinctures, and all' such compounds as will bear keeping, and are likely to be useful in a family, are better when bought of a good druggist than as made at home. They are therefore given without direc- tion to manufacture. It should be borne in mind, however, that drugs of any kind siiould! be used very sparingly except by direction of a physician. See Weights and Measures. Acid, Acetic. — Vinegar distilled from wood, and purified. {a) Physical properties. — Limpid, colorless, volatile ; odor, pungent and fragrant ; taste, acid. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, escha- rotic, but when diluted with water, cooling. ic) Used in lotions for cooling purposes diluted with water, also in ringworm and re- moving warts. (d) Dcise. — It is not given internally, except in combination with other medicines. Acid, Acetic (diluted). — Diluted acetic acid, prepared from the acid just described. (a) Physical properties. — A clear acid fluid. ib) Therapeutical effects. — Astringent, dia- phoretic, cooling, and antiseptic. It is useful in making the acetate of lead more soluble. Externally, it is stimulant in its full strength, or when mixed with water, cooling. (c) Used in fevers internally ; or as a gargle with capsicum : or as an inhalation in sore throat. A useful lotion when mixed with spirit and water, in bruises, sprains, and burns. (d) Dose. — Half a drachm to one drachm. Acid, Benzoic. {a) Physical properties. — White and shin- ing crystals, with flakes of a fragrant aromatic odor, and acid taste. Sparingly soluble in water, but is easily dissolved in alcohol. When heated, is completely evaporated, with an agree- able and peculiar odor; but if tlie tempera- ture is raised too high, it takes fire, and burns with a yellow flame. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant and ex- pectorant. (c) Used in chronic bronchitis. id) Dose. — Five grains to half a drachm twice a day. Acid, Carbolic (pure and impure), — A pow- erful antiseptic substance, obtained from coal- tar oil. (a) Physical properties. — The pure anliy- drous acid is in long, colorless, prismatic crys- tals, turning a pale pink on keeping. It rapidly deliquesces in moist air. The impure is a more or less brown liquid. Both strongly re- semble tar in smell. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Strongly antisep- tic, antifermentative, and caustic. (c) The pure acid is applied on cotton for allaying tenderness and pain in decayed teeth. Being a caustic, it should be carefully kept from touching anything but the tooth ; when properly used, it is the best application for toothache arising from this cause, and is indeed a specific. Dose. — About a grain of the acid is enough for toothache. One drachm of carbolic acid to a pint of water is strong enough for disinfectant purposes. Acid, Citric, prepared from the juice of lemons. («) Physical properties. — Sharp acid taste, white semi-transparent crystals of a rhomboidal shape. Decomposed by heat ; soluble in twice their weight of cold, and half their weight of boihng water. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Refrigerant. (c) Used in febrile and inflammatory com- plaints ; dissolved in water as a substitute for lemon-juice, and added to soda to form the common effervescing draught. {li) Dose. — 10 grains to i scruple ; 15 grains of the acid neutralize 20 grains of bicarbonate of soda, to form the effervescing draught. Acid, Gallic, prepared from galls. DRUGS 173 {a) Physical properties. — A powder of near- ly colorless semi-crystalline appearance : dissi- pated by lieat ; dissolves in water and spirit. [c) Used in discharges of blood and in diar- rhoea, and in other mucous discharges. Also in hemorrhoids. id) Dose. — 2 to 5 grains. As an injection half a drachm dissolved in one ounce of water ; an ointment, 20 grains are mixed with an ounce of lard, with the addition of 30 or 40 grains of powdered opium. Acid, Hydrochloric (diluted). — Hydro- chloric acid, mixed with three times its liulk of water. (a) Physical properties. — Taste, intensely acrid and caustic ; smell acrid and suffocating ; the acid is colorless when pure, but usually is of a straw color, with the presence of peroxide of iron, or nitrous acid. (p) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic, antiseptic, and partially diuretic, by promoting all the secretions. {c) Used, when combined with diluted nitric acid, in affections of the liver : also with bit- ters, to prevent the generation of worms ; in gargles for sore throat. [d] Dose. — 20 minims to 40. Acid, Sulphuric (diluted). — Sulphuric acid mixed witli about eleven times its bulk of water. (a) Physical properties. — Strong acid taste, inodorous, colorless, and transparent. Specific gravity, 1.103. (h) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic, astringent, and antiseptic. ((•) Used in dyspepsia, also to check sweat- ings, salivation, and diarrhoea ; likewise as a gargle. (d) Dose. — 10 minims to 30, diluted largely (2 drachms to 8 ounces) as a gargle, with honey, sage, etc. Acid, Tartaric. (c) Physical properties. — Colorless imper- fect crystals, inodorous, very acid, soluble, largely in water. (li) Therapeutical effects. — ^Refrigerant, an- tiseptic, diuretic, and slightly aperient. ((■) Used in fevers, etc., witli some soda or potas.;, as an effervescing draught, instead of citric acid ; the proportions being the same. .ffither. Sulphuric. (■7) Physical properties. — A limpid, volatile, inflammable fluid, without color, produces great cold by evaporation ; taste, peculiar, but hot and pungent ; sparingly soluble in water, readily so in alcohol. (/>) Therapeutical effects. — A diffusible stim- ulant, afterwards narcotic and antispasmodic ; externally cooling; when inhaled producing anffisthesia. (c) Used in hysteria, faintings, asthma, and other spasmodic complaints. (d) Dose. — 20 minims to 60, in water. Aloes, Barbadoes. — The inspissated juice of the cut leaf of the Aloe spicata. imported from the Cape of Good Hope and West In- dies. I (a) Physical properties.~Ol a dark brown color, and shining resinous surface, with a strong disagreeable odor, and very bitter taste ; very difficult to jjowder, and soluble in diluted alcohol. (b) Therapeutical effects. — A stimulating ])ur- gative, producing its chief effects on the Tower bowels. Apt to produce and aggravate hemor- rhoids. ((") Used in dyspepsia and in head-affection.s : also as a common purgative. (d) Dose. — One-fourth of a grain to 5 grains, well powdered, or dissolved in hot water. Alum. (a) Physical properties . — A semi-trans- parent, rough, irregular mass of saline matter. Taste, acid-astringent. Soluble in 18 parts of water at 60 degrees, and in a little more than an equal weight of water at 212 degrees. (h) Therapeutical effects. — Astringent and styptic. (r) ^jYv/ internally in haemorrhages; exter- nally in opthalmia, or as a gargle. {d) Dose. — 10 grains to 20. As gargle — one drachm to a pint of water. Ammonia, laquor of. — Ammonia condensed in water. (a) Physical properties. — A stimulating so- lution. Blisters the skin. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulating, dia- phoretic, anti-acid, when given internally. Ex- ternally, irritant and escharotic. (f) Used vihe^n largely diluted, in faintings, as- phyxia, hysteria, spasms, acidities of the stom- ach; and externally, as an irritant of the skin. (d) Dose. — The aromatic spirits of ammonia is the usual form for internal use. Dose from I 5 to 40 minims. Ammonia, Sesqui-Carbonate of. — .\m- monia united with carbonic acid. (a) Physical properties. — A mass of irreg- ular crystals, somewhat resembling white sugar, hut more transparent and striated. Smell, pungent ; taste, sharp and alkaline ; soluble in four times its weight of cold water ; becomes opaque and friable on exposure to the air. _ (l>) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulating, an- tispasmodic, diaphoretic, and anti-acid. (c) Used in dyspepsia, hysteria, and all dis- eases requiring a rapidly acting diffusible stimulant. Externally, to the nostrils in syn- cope. (d) Dose. — 2 grains to 5, in pills or dissolved in any tluid. Antimony, Potassio-Tartrate of. — Tartar emetic. (a) Physical properties. — A colorless, tran- sparent, inodorous, crystallized salt, with a slightly metallic taste. Soluble in fifteen times its weight of cold water, and twice its weight of boiling water; insoluble in pure alcohol, but soluble in proof spirit or wine. The aqueous solution becomes decomposed by keeping. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Emetic in large doses ; diaphoretic in small ones ; expectorant, .^-.lightl)- aperient and alterative : externally ap- plied, produces a crop of pustules. 174 DRUGS (c) Usedio evacuate the stomach to slow the circulation, and to produce profuse perspira- tion. Externally applied in the form of an oint- ment, to produce counter-irritation. {d) Dose. — As an emetic, l grain to 4 grains in solution ; in pneumonia, y, a grain to 3 grains, often repeated ; as an expectorant, or diaphoretic, J^ of a grain to )4 a grain. Assafcetida, Gum. ((?) Phyiical fropcrties. — A mass of irreg- ular pieces, varying in color from red or red- dish-brown to white ; odor resembling garlic, but more fetid ; taste, bitter and slightly acrid ; difficult to powder, unless rubbed with carbon- ate of ammonia. Forms a milky mixture with water. ifi) Therapeutical effects. — Antispasmodic, ex- pectorant, anthelmintic. {c) Used in hysteria, flatulence, colic, etc. (d) Dose. — 5 to 10 grains. Bismuth, Trisnitrate of.— The metal bismuth united with nitric acid. {a) Physical properties. — A white, tasteless, inodorous powder, very slightly soluble in water. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Antispasmodic, stomachic and tonic. (c) ilsed much in dyspepsia, attended with pain of the stomach, and water-brash, and diar- rhoea. {d) Dose. — 5 to 10 grains. Borax. — Biborate of soda. (rt) Physical properties. — Sweetish, shining, efflorescent crystals, soluble in twelve parts of cold, and two parts of boiling water. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Absorbent, cooling, and alterative. (c) Used in intestinal irritation of infants. Externally applied to thrush, and to cutaneous diseases. {d) Dose. — 5 grains to 30. Externally ap- plied, dissolved in eight times its weight of honey or mucilage, or iSetter, in pure water. Calomel. See Mercury. Camphor. A peculiar substance, obtained by distillation from the wood of the Laitnis camphor. (a) Physical properties. — In large white semi-transparent cakes, with a strong peculiar- ly fragrant and aromatic odor ; taste, bitter and acrid ; insoluble in water ; soluble in alcohol, ether, acetic acid, and the fixed oils. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, dia- phoretic, sedative ; externally, soothing. (c) Used in hysteria, asthma, chorea, and generally in spasmodic diseases. Externally, in muscular pains, bruises, etc. {d) Dose. — 3 grains to 5, in pills. When dissolved in water as camphor mixture, the quantity is scarcely appreciable. Cautharides, Plaster of. — Blistering plas- ter. Sometimes prepared in the form of a tissue paper, imbued with the active principle. (a) Physical properties. — The plaster is a firm preparation requiring the warmth of the hand to enable it to be spread upon leather or calico. It soon spoils by keeping; and if more than a month old should, after spreading, be dusted over with powdered cantharides. {b) Therapeutical effects. —To raise the cuti- cle from the cutis, producing at the same time a large secretion of serous fluid. The time i varies from 3 hours to 12, or even more. In babies the blister should always be carefully [ watched after 3 hours, as it often rises rapidly and would be liable to produce severe ulcera- tion of the skin. Blistering may be promoted by applying a poultice after the removal of the cantharides. Capsicum. {a) Physical properties. — Berries of a red color, and an extremely pungent odor and taste, which is yielded to alcohol, ether, vin- egar and water. (b) Therapeutical effects.— StirrrnXdint, stom- achic, and rubefacient. {c) Used in dyspepsia, flatulence : externally, as an ingredient in gargles for relaxed sore throat. {d) Dose. — 3 grains to 5 grains, in pills ; 2 drachms to 8 ounces form the strength for using as a gargle diluted largely with water. Castor Oil, obtained from Ricinus com- munis. (a) Physical properties. — A pale yellow- colored, transparent and viscid oil, with a faint odor and nauseous taste. ib) Therapeutical effects. — Mildly aperient. {c) Used in colic and in those cases of con- stipation which will not bear drastic purga- tives ; also for mixing with gruel for the ordin- ary enema. (d) Dose. — A teaspoonful to one or two tablespoonfuls ; an ounce is the proper quan- tity for mixing with gruel to make an enema. Cerate. — A species of ointment made rather hard with wax. {a) Simple Cerate. — Add 20 ounces of melt- ed wax to a pint of olive oil, and mix while warm, stirring till cold. (1^) Cerate or Spermaceti. — Melt together eight ounces of white wax and ten of sper- maceti ; then add a pint of olive oil, and stir together till they cool. (<) Cerate of Acetate of Lead. — Melt four i ounces of white wax in eight fluid ounces cf olive oil ; then gradually add four c'.rachms of powdered acetate of lead, previously rubbed with two fluid ounces of olive oil. and stir with a spatula till they unite. (d) Cerate of Resin. — Mix together 15 ounces each of resin and wax, and melt them, over a slow fire ; then add a pint of olive oil, and press the cerate, while hot, through a linen cloth. Chalk, prepared. — Friable carbonate of lime, rubbed into a fine powder and washed. (a) Physical properties. — An inodorous, in- sipid, white, friable powder, heavy, and insolu- ble in water. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Anti-acid, astring- ent, and absorbent. (c) Used in acidities of the stomach and i bowels, and to correct the irritation v/hich is DRUGS 175 established in diarrhoeri. Externally, as a mild application of sores ami burns. {li) Dose. — lo to 15 grains. Camomile Flowers. (rt) Pliysiial properties. The flowers are small, with a strong, fragrant odor, and bitter aromatic taste, and some slight degree of warmth. Water and alcohol both absorb the virtues of this plant. {b) Tlicrapeulical effects. — Tonic, stomachic and carminative. The warm infusion, wlien weak, is emetic. Externally soothing. (c) Uscct in dyspepsia, hysteria, flatulence, and also to work off emetics. {d) Dose of the powder. — 30 to 40 grains twice a day. 'Jhe infusion — a half ounce to a pint of water — is usually preferred. Chloride of Zinc. — A combination of zinc with chlorine. (a) Physical properties. — In solid piece, snow-white, inodorous, having a strongly styptic and metallic taste. ((^) Powerfully caustic, destroying the vitality of the part with which it is in contact, and causing very severe pain. In solution it is used as a disinfectant, appearing to act more ener- getically than chlorinated soda or lime, with a less disagreeable odor of chlorine. {c) Used as a caustic in cancer and fungoid disease. In solution, it is applied to cutaneous diseases, and to mucous membranes, but re- quires great caution in its use. As a disin- fectant, it must be largely diluted. {See Dis- INFECT.WTS.) Chiiichoua Bark (yellow). (a) . Physical properties. — Larger, thicker, and less rolled than the pale bark. Externally of a brownish yellow, and internally of a cinn.imon brown. The fracture is fibrous ; taste bitter, and less aromatic than the pale, with scarcely any degree of astringency. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Astringent, tonic, antiseptic, and febrifuge. (c) Used in typhoid fevers, and in all low states of the system, being in such cases su- perior to quinine. (d) Dose. — 10 grains to 50, in wine or wine and water. Cinnamon. — Bark, oil, and water, used as a warm and cordial spice to prevent the griping of purgatives, etc. Cod-Liver OH. — Prepared from the liver of the cod-fish. (a) Physical properties. — An oil of three different colors : pale yellow, pale brown, and dark brown. The pale brown appears to pos- sess the highest virtues. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Nutritive and act- ing also on the general system. ic) Used largely in consumption and chronic bronchitis to diminish the secretion from the lungs, and arrest, to some extent, the waste in- cident to these diseases ; in nervous affections as a nerve-food, and in some skin diseases ; also in other exhausting diseases. (d) Dose. — I drachm carried up to 4 in any convenient vehicle, as infusion of cloves. Colocynth.^The peeled fruit of the liitter cucumber. (a) Physical properties. — A white, soft, po- rous, medullary substance, investing the seeds with an intensely bitter, acrid, and nauseous taste. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Powerfully ape- rient. (i) Used, with warm cordial spices, as an or- dinary aperient. {.See Extracts.) (d) Dose. — 5 to 10 grains. Conium (Hemlock). — The leaves of Coiiium viaculatuni, an indigenous plant. (a) Physical properties. — Has a heavy nar- cotic smell, with a bitter, nauseous, and herba- ceous taste ; color, dull green ; powers spon destroyed by light. Should be gathered just as the plant comes into flower, and dried in the sun, or in a stove. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Sedative, narcotic — in some cases alterative, and even tonic. (r) Used in scirrhous and cancerous affec- tions externally, and internally for neuralgia and pulmonary complaints ; also in scrofulous complaints of children, especially in ophthal- mia — in all cases requiring great caution ; ex- ternally as a poultice, made by scalding the fresh leaves. {d) Dose. — 2 to 3 or 4 grains. Copaiba Balsam. ((;) Physical properties. — A liquid of a transparent yellowish color, and peculiar smell and taste, which is pungent, acrid, and nause- ous ; when fresh, of the consistency of linseed oil, gradually becoming thicker by exposure to the air, till at last it is as solid as resin ; soluble in ether and alcohol. (h) Therapeutical eff'ects.'~S\\m\i\a.n\., diuretic, purgative in large doses ; allays irritation of the mucous membranes, and especially those of the urinary passages. (c) Used in chronic bronchitis, spasmodic asthma, whooping-cough, and in chronic in- flammation of the bladder, etc. {d) Dose. — 10 minims to 30 in emulsion, or in the gelatine capsules in which it is sold. Creasote. — A peculiar liquid prepared from pyroxilic oil. (a) Physical properties, — An oily, colorless, transparent fluid, with a disagreeable smell, re- sembling somewhat the odor of badly-smoked meat. {/>) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic, stomachic, diaphoretic, antiseptic, and styptic. (c) Used internally in phthisis ; also in troublesome vomiting, from any cause not readily understood, as seasickness. Decoction of Chinchona. {a) Boil 10 drachms of bruised yellow chinchona in a pint of water for ten minutes, in a closed vessel, then strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Antiseptic, as- tringent, tonic, febrifuge. {c) Used in fever, malignant sore throat, d_\-s- pepsia. yd) Dose. — 1% to 3 ounces twice or thrict a day. 176 DRUGS Decoction of Dandelion. (a) Boil 4 ounces of bruised dandelion in I ^ pints of distilled water to a pint, and strain. (d) Therapeutical effects. — Diuretic, slightly aperient, and specially acting on the liver. (c) Used in torpid conditions of the liver, jaundice, habitual constipation, etc. {(t) Dose. — 2 or 3 ounces twice or thrice a day. Decoction of Iceland Moss. {a) Boil S drachms of Iceland moss in a pint and a half of water down to a pint, and strain. {h) Therapeutical effect. — Tonic, emollient, slightly astringent. {c) Used in consumption and dysentery. \d) Dose. — I to 2 ounces. Decoction of LogMvood. (a) Boil 10 drachms of sliced logwood in I yi pints of water to a pint, and strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Astringent and tonic. (x) Used in diarrhoea and dysentery. \d) Dose. — I ounce to 2 ounces after each action of the bowels. Decoction of Poppyheads. (a) Boil 5 ounces of bruised poppyheads in 3 pints of water for a quarter of an hour, and strain. (^) Therapeutical effects. — Anodyne and soothing. (<:) Used as a fomentation in painful swell- in ;s and inflammation. Decoction of Sarsaparilla {simple.) (3) Boil 4 ounces of sarsaparilla in 4 pints of water to 2 pints, and strain. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Alterative, dia- phoretic, and tonic. (c) Used in cutaneous diseases, chronic rheumatism, and scrofula. ■ ((/) Dose. — 2 ounces, twice or thrice a day. Decoction of Sarsaparilla {compound). (a) Mix 4 pints of boiling decoction of sar- saparilla, 10 drachms of sliced sassafras, 10 drachms of guaiacumwood shavings, 10 drachms of bruised stick-liquorice, and 3 drachms of mezereon bark ; boil for a quarter of an hour, and strain. (b) (<■) {d) Therapeutical effects. — The same as the last, but warmer, and therefore better suited to weak stomachs. Dill VTater. — Prepared from Dill seeds by distillation. {a) Physical properties. — An aromatic odor, with a pungent agreeable taste. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Carminative and stimulative. (r) Used in the flatulence and gripings of children. (-/) Dose. — Yi drachm to I y^ ounce. IJxtract of Gentian. {a) Made from the gentian root. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic and stom- achic. (f) Used in dyspepsia. {d) Dose. — 5 'o 20 grains. Extract of Henbane. — Prepared from the leaves of Hvoscyaiinis iiiirer. {a) Physical properties. — An extract of a dingy olive color, and a peculiar, disagreeable smell; taste, bitterish and saline. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Narcotic, ano- dine, and antispasmodic. (f) Used instead of opium, in irritability of the nervous system, or mucous surfaces, or in combination with purgatives to prevent their griping, as it does not cause constipation. {d) Dose. — 5 to 8 grains. Extract of Hop. {a) Physical properties. — A dark-colored bitter extract, without much smell. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic and se- dative. (f) i/j^(/in chronic dyspepsia and loss of sleep. {d) Dose. — 10 to 15 grains. Extract of Sarsaparilla {liquid). Pre- pared from sarsaparilla, and used for the same purposes as the decoction. It is sold both as a simple and compound extract. {a) Dose. — 30 drops to l drachm two or three times a day in water. Gamboge. — A gum resin, of a purgative na- ture, but too powerful for domestic use. Horseradish (the fresh root). {a) Physical properties. — Pungent odor, bit- ing, acrid taste ; communicates its active principles partially to water, but completely to alcohol. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, diuretic, sudorific, emetic. {c) Used in paralytic affections and chronic rheumatism. (d) Dose. — I to 2 drachms, cut into small pieces, or made into an infusion. Infusion of Chamomile. Chamomile tea. {a) Macerate 5 drachms of chamomile flow- ers in a pint of boiling distilled water for ten minutes, in a closed vessel, and strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic, stomachic; emetic, when warm. Externally soothing. ((") Used in dyspepsia, and to assist the opera- tion of emetics. (d) Dose. — I to 2 ounces. For emetic pur- poses, a weaker infusion is used in large quantities. Infusion of Cloves. (a) Macerate 3 drachms of bruised cloves in a pint of boiling water, in a covered vessel, and strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, stom- achic, slightly tonic. ((") Used as a vehicle for more active tonics, especially cod-liver oil. {d) Dose. — I ounce to 2 or 3. Infusion of Gentian {compound). {a) Macerate 2 drachms of sliced gentian, 2 drachms of dried orange-peel, and 4 drachms of lemon-peel in a pint of boiling water for an hour, in a covered vessel, and strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. ■ — Stomachic and tonic. (c) Used in dyspepsia and general debility. {d) Dose. — lyi to 2 ounces two or three times a day. DRUGS 177 Infusion of Linseed {compound). Linseed tea. {a) Macerate 6 drachms of bruised linseed and 10 drachms of sUced fresh liquorice in a pint of boiling water, for four hours, near the fire, in a covered vessel, and strain. (/') Therapeutical effects. — Soothing, especial- ly to the mucous passages. (c) Usedm. chronic bronchitis and strangury. {d) Dose, ad libitum. Infusion of Orange-peel (conipoiind). (a) Macerate half an ounce of dried orange- peel, two drachms of lemon-peel, one drachm of cloves bruised, in a pint of boiling water, for a quarter of an hour, in a covered vessel, and strain. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, stom- achic, and tonic. (c) Used in dyspepsia, and as a vehicle for other remedies. (d) Dose. — I ounce to 2 or 3, at short inter- vals. Infusion of Quassia . (a) Macerate 10 scruples of quassia sliced, in a pint of boiling water for two hours, in a covered vessel. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic and stom- achic. (f) Used in dyspepsia. (ci) Dose. — I ]'i to 2 ounces. Infusion of Rhubarb. (a) Macerate 3 drachms of sliced rhubarb root in a pint of boiling water for two hours, in a covered vessel, and strain. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stomachic, tonic, and aperient. ((-) Used in dyspepsia accompanied with con- sipation, especially in combination with gentian. (d) Dose. — ]A ounce to I )< ounce. Infusion of Roses (compound). (a) Put three drachms of the dried red rose leaves into a pint of boiling water, then add a fluid drachm and a half of diluted sulphuric acid. Macerate for two hours, and strain the liquor ; lastly, add 6 drachms of sugar. (b) Therapeutical effects.—Astnngent, refrige- rant, and antiseptic. (c) U'sed as a drink in fevers ; also as a vehicle for sulphate of magnesia, quinine, etc. {d) Dose. — 1>3 to 2 ounces. Infusion of Senna (compound). Senna tea. (a) Macerate 15 drachms of senna leaves, and 4 scruples of bruised ginger in a pint of boiling water for an hour in a closed vessel, and strain. (/') Therapeutical effects. — Aperient. ((■) Used as a vehicle for more active purga- tives, which it assists ; or by itself as a mild purgative. (d) Dose. — I to 3 ounces. Ipecacuanha, the root. (a) Physical properties. — In pieces of three or four inches in length, with a resinous frac- ture ; an acrid aromatic somewhat bitter taste, slightly nauseous ; peculiar odor ; yields its active principle to water, spirit, and wine. 12 (b) Therapeutical effects. — Emetic, diaphor- etic, expectorant, and acting peculiarly on the liver. (c) Used as an em.etic ; also as an expectorant in bronchitis, asthma, etc., as a nauseate in pneumonia, diarrhoea, dysentery ; as a diaphor- etic in various diseases, and in torpid liver, to promote its proper secretions. (d) Dose. — As an emetic, 15 to 30 grains ; as a nauseate, 2 to 4 grains ; as a diaphoretic, i grain, with a small dose of opium ; as an expec- torant or for torpid liver, y, to i grain. Jalap, the root. (a) Physical properties. — Thin, transverse slices, or round masses ; solid, hard, and heavy ; dark-gray color, striated appearance ; sickly smell ; taste sweetish, but nauseous. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Actively aperient. (c) Used in obstinate constipation, worms, dropsy ; requires a carminative to prevent grip- ing and nausea. ((/) Dose. — 10 grains to 30. Laudanum. — See Opium. Liniment of Ammonia. (a) To I fluid ounce of the solution of am- monia add 2 fluid ounces of olive oil, and shake together. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant and ru- befacient. (c) Used in sore throat externally, also to chronic rheumatism, with friction. Liniment of Camphor. (a) Dissolve i ounce of camphor in 4 fluid ounces of olive oil. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant. (f) Usedm chronic rheumatism, with friction. Liniment of Camphor {compound). (a) Dissolve 2}i ounces of camphor and i drachm of oil of lavender in 17 fluid ounces of rectified spirits of wine ; then add 3 fluid ounces of the strong solution of ammonia, and shake well together. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant. (c) Used with friction in the same way as the simple liniment, but it is more powerful. Liniment of Turpentine. (a) Shake well together 2 ounces of soft soap, and an ounce of camphor, with 16 fluid ounces of the spirit of turpentine, until mixed. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant. (c) Used in paralytic affections and chronic rheumatism ;, also to burns and scalds. Liquor of Acetate of Lead. — Sold by the druggists. (a) Therapeutical ^^ir/j. — Sedative and astringent when applied externally. (b) Used as a lotion to inflamed surfaces when largely diluted with water. Goulard water is prepared from it, by adding a fluid drachm and a half of it and 2 fluid drachms of proof spirit to a pint of distilled water. Magnesia, Carbonate of. (a) Physical properties. — A solid, white, tasteless, "inodorous powder, insoluble in water. (b) Therapeutical ^^rfj.— Anti-acid and pur- gative. (f) Used in dyspepsia with costiveness, in the 178 DRUGS constipation of children and delicate grown per- sons. (d) Dose. — % draclim to I draclim or 2. Magnesia, Sulphate of. — Epsom salts. {a) Physical properties. — Small pointed crys- tals o£ a transparent, colorless appearance ; in- odorous, with a disagreeable bitter taste ; dis- solves readily in water. (Ji) Therapeutical effects. — Purgative. (e) Used as a cooling laxative, washing the bowels out, but not searching them. {d) Dose. — I drachm to I ounce. Marsh Mallovrs. (a) Physical properties. A root ; long cylin- drical ; grayish without, white within ; inodor- ous ; taste sweetish. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Soothing. (r) Used to make a soothing drink in irritation of the mucous membranes, or as a fomenta- tion ; boiling the leaves and roots to form it. Mercury, Ammonia-chloride of. — White precipitate. {a) Physical Properties. — A white inodorous powder ; insipid, insoluble in water and alcohol. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Used externally, only ; it is detergent. (c) Ufed for cutaneous diseases, and for de- stroying lice, etc., in its powdered condition. Mercury, Mild Chloride of. — Calomel. {a) Physical properties. — -A white semi- transparent crystalline mass, inodorous, insipid, and insoluble. Usually sold as a heavy white powder. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Alterative, purga- tive, and producing absorption. ((-) Used in chronic diseases of the liver and general torpidity of the stomach and bowels ; in •dropsy, in combination with otlier medicines. A most dangerous medicine when employed by those who are not aware of its powerful ef- fects. ((/) Dose. — I grain twice a day as an altera- tive, 4 to 5 grains as an aperient, combined •with, or followed by, some mild vegetable pur- gative. Mercury, Nitric Cxide of. — Red precipi- .tate. {fi) Physical properties. — -A powder of a 'brilliant red color insoluble in water. (b) Therapeutical effects. — ■ Stimulant, exter- nally. {c) Used to old ulcers, and to heal inaolent sores of aU kinds, when made into an ointment with lard. (See Ointments.) Mint-water. — Prepared from peppermint or spearmint. These are sold in the shops. {a) Therapeutical effects. — Both are carmi- native and slightly stimulating. Spearmint- water is also diuretic. {b) Used 71^ a vehicle for other remedies. Mixture of Chalk. (a) Rub }i ounce of prepared chalk and 3 drachms of sugar with a fluid ounce and a half of mixture of acacia, and 8 fluid ounces of cin- namon water. (p) Therapeutical effects. — Anti-acid, absorb- ent, and astringent when given in diarrhoea. (c) Usedin diarrhoea. (a) Dose. — A tablespoonful every two hours. Mixture of Iron {Compound.) (a) Rub 2 drachms of powdered myrrh and t drachm of carbonate of potass with a fluid ounce of spirit of nutmeg ; to these, while rubbing, add 18 fluid ounces of rose-water, 2 drachms of sugar, and 2>^ scruples of powdered sulphate of iron. Put the mixture in a well-stoppered bottled. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stomachic, as- tringent, tonic, emmenagogue. {c) Used in chlorotic girls, and in all the de- fective secretions of young females. {d) Dose. — I to 1% ounce Ointment of Creasote. {a) Rub half a fluid drachm of creasote with an ounce of lard, until they are incorporated. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant. (4 Used in scald head, etc. Ointment of Galls (Compound). [a) Mix 6 drachms of finely powdered galls, 6 ounces of lard, and I'/z drachm of powdered opium. (b) Astringent and anodyne. (;•) Usedior hemorrhoids ; but one-quarter of the quantity of gallic acid answers much bet- ter. Ointment of Green Iodide of Mercury. (a) Mix from 30 grains to I drachm of green iodide of mercury with I ounce of lard. (b) Used in scald head, for which it is very efficacious. Ointment of Nitric Oxide of Mercury. (a) Rub I ounce of finely powdered nitric oxide of mercury with 10 ounces of wax, and 6 ounces of lard. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant. {c) Used to indolent ulcers. Ointment of Zinc. {a) Mix I drachm of oxide of zinc with 6 drachms of lard. (b) Used as a cooling, astringent, and drying ointment. Olive Oil. {a) Physical properties. — A transparent fixed oil, of a yellowish color ; inodorous and without much taste. {b) Therapeutical effects. — • Soothing, and slightly aperient. (c) Ifsed in bronchial irritation ; also as a ve- hicle for other medicines in tlie form of lini- ment. {d) Dose. — I to 2 drachms. Peruvian Balsam. (fl) Physical properties. — Of the consistence of honey ; color, brown ; agreeable smell, and hot, acrid taste. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, expec- torant ; externally applied to indolent ulcers. {c) Used'm catarrh and chronic rheumatism. Id) Dose. — 15 minims to half a drachm. PUl of Mercury. — Blue pill. {a) The metal partially oxydated, and mixed with confection of roses. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Alterative and purgative, acting especially on the liver. DRUGS 179 (c) Used in dyspepsia, torpidity of the liver, and constipation. {d) Dose. — I to 5 or 6 grains. Pill of Rhubarb (Compound). (a) Made up of rhubarb, aloes, and myrrh. {6) Therapeutical effects. — Laxative. (c) Used in dyspepsia and constipation. {d) Dose. — Two at bed time. Pitch, Burgundy. — The impure resin of the Norway spruce fir. (a) Physical properties. — A tenacious mass, of fragrant odor,semi-transparent,and unctuous. {h) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant and rubefacient. ((■) Used e.xternally in the form of plaster in bronchitis, hooping-cough, etc. Poultice of Charcoal. {a) Macerate for a short time before the fire 2 ounces of bread in 2 fiuid ounces of boiling water; then mi.x, and gradually stir in lo drachms of linseed meal ; with these mix 2 drachms of powdered charcoal, and sprinkle a drachm on the surface. (/;) Antiseptic and digestive. ((-) Used in gangrene. Poultice of Hemlock. {a) Make a poultice of linseed meal ; then add I ounce of extract of hemlock previously softened with water, or 4 ounces of the fresh leaves scalded and bruised. (h) Therapeutical effects. — Anodyne and dis- cutient. (c) Used in glandular swellings and cancerous sores. Poultice of Linseed. (a) Put into a basin enough meal to form a poultice, making a hole in its centre ; then pour upon it boiling water to fill that hole, and stir rapidly with akitchen knife. This will gener- ally be sufficient to make the poultice of the proper consistency. It is always better to add enough water at first, as it is not so smooth if added piecemeal. (b) Therapeutical ^^c/j.— Stimulant, and yet soothing. (c) Used for abscesses and ulcers when in- flamed. Poultice of Mustard. (ff) Make either a bread or a linseed-meal poultice, then sprinkle over it enough flour of mustard to conceal its surface, and wet it with a little boiling water. Some people add hot vinegar to wet it with. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, and often inclined to blister the skin. (c) Used as a rapid counter-irritant. Poultice of Yeast. (tt) Mix 5 ounces of yeast with an equal quan- tity of water, at 100 degrees ; with these stir up a pound of flour, so as to make a poultice ; place it by the fire till it swells, and use. (^) Stimulant, emollient. {c) Used to indolent abscesses and sores. Po'wder of Ipecacuanha (compound). — Do- ver's powder. (a) Physical properties. — Compound of opium, ipecacuanha, and sulphate of potass. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Diaphoretic, ano- dyne, and narcotic. (t) Used to produce perspiration in rheuma- 'ism and dysentery, etc. {d) Dose. — 5 to 10 grains. Quinine, Sulphate of. (a) Physical properties. — Colorless, inodor- ous, lustrous, bitter efflorescent crystals, totally soluble in water previously acidulated with sulphuric acid. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Stomachic, stimu- lant, febrifuge, and tonic. (c) Used in general debility, neuralgia, and after fever. (d) Dose. — I to 3 grains. Rhubarb. — The root, whole and powdered. (17) Physical properties. — The root is in firm, flatfish, irregular pieces, occasionally pierced with large holes ; color, bright yellow, external- ly; odor, peculiar and aromatic; taste, bitter, astringent, and somewhat nauseous ; imparts its virtue to water and akohol. The powder is of a reddish yellow. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Purgative and stomachic ; acting on the small bowels. ((■) Used as a mild purgative in the constipa- tion of children and adults. ((/) Dose. — 10 to 30 grains. Saffron. — [a) A coloring matter obtained from the Crocus sativus. Senna. — The leaves. {a) Physical properties. — Leaves of a pale green color ; leaflets broad, lanceolate ; the two sides unequal ; odor faint, somewhat like green tea; taste, nauseous and bitter. Yields its properties to spirit and water. (/;) Therapeutical effects. — Cathartic. (c) Used in constipation, and to lower the system. Made into the infusion. (d) Dose. — 5 grains to 25, rubbed down with ginger and sugar. Soda, Bicarbonate of. (fl) Physical properties. — A heavy white powder, without smell, and tasting slightly soapy. Entirely soluble in water. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Anti-acid. (c) Used in the manufacture of effervescing draughts, and for acidities of the stomach. (d) Dose. — 5 to 30 grains. Soda, Sulphate of. — Glauber's salts. (a) Physical properties. — Crystals, of an ex- ceedingly bitter taste, and without smell. Solu- ble in water. (b) Therapeutical effects. — Purgative and diuretic. (c) Used in costiveness. (d) Dose. — % to I ounce. Spirit of Ammonia (aromatic). (a) Physical properties. — A compound, con- taining carbonate of ammonia and aromatics, with spirit ; and possessing an aromatic, warm, and alkaline taste. Miscible with water, which it renders milky. (b) Therapeutical effects.-Stimwlant and cordial. (f) Used as the ordinary diffusible stimulus in faintings and hysteria ; also added to senna to prevent griping. 180 DRUGS {d) Dose. — 30 to 60 drops. Spirit of Ammonia {yet id). (a) Physical properties. — The same as the above, with the addition of asafoetida. (1^) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant and an- tispasmodic. (c) Used in hysterical fits. ((/) Dose. — 30 to 60 drops. Spirit of Horseradish {compound). {a) Mix 20 ounces of sliced horseradish, 20 ounces of dried orange-peel, 5 draclims of bruised nutmegs, and a gallon of rectified spirit with 10 pints of water; then distil to a gallon, with a slow fire. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, diapho- retic and diuretic. {c) Used internally in dyspepsia, and in par- alysis, externally rubbed into the skin. (d) Dose. — I to 2 drachms. Spirit of Nitric Ether. — Sweet spirits of nitre. (a) Physical properties. — A colorless, trans- parent, volatile, inflammable fluid, of an ethereal odor. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Cooling, diuretic, and diaphoretic ; also slightly antispasmodic. (<:) Used in febrile diseases, dropsy, and spasm. (d) Dose. — 20 to 60 minims, largely diluted. Squill. — The sea onion. {a) A root of a pear shape, covered with several thin dry tissues, under which are oval, flaky, red or white scales ; odor, pungent ; taste, acrid and bitter. Imparts its virtue to vinegar, spirits and water. (/;) Therapeutical effects. — Expectorant, emet- ic, diuretic. (f) Used in chronic bronchitis and asthma. id) Dose. — 2 to 6 grains. Syrup of squills, dose, I to i>^ drachms. Syrup of Iodide of Iron is used in order to preserve the iodide of iron from injury. (1^) Therapeutical effects. — Alterative, and affording the effects of iron and iodine. (f ) Used in scrofulous diseases, and in cachec- tic states of the system. ((/) Dose. — 20 to 40 minims. Turpentine, Spirit of. {a) Physical properties. — A limpid, colorless fluid, of a strong odor and hot taste, exceeding- ly inflammable. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, diuret- ic, cathartic, and destructive to worms. (f ) Used in hemorrhages, lumbago, etc., and to destroy worms ; also externally as a rubefa- cient. (d) Dose. — 10 drops to 30 internally, or 2 to 4 drachms mixed with castor oil as a vermi- fuge ; but it should not be given internally without the sanction of a physician. Tincture of Camphor {compound.) — Pare- goric elixir. {a) A tincture containing camphor, opium, anise, and benzoic acid. {b) Used in coughs. (<-) Dose. — I drachm. Tincture of Ginger. Dose. — r drachm. Tincture of Iodine. {See lODINE). Dose. — 5 to 15 minims. Tincture of Myrrh. Dose. — 30 to 60 minims. Useful as a wash for the teeth, rarely used internally. Tincture of Opium. — Laudanum. Dose. — 6 to 20 minims. Tincture of Quinine. Dose. — teaspoonful. Tincture of Rhubarb {compound). — A very warm, useful preparation. Dose. — 2 to 4 drachms. Tincture of Valerian {compound). Dose. — 30 to 60 minims, in dyspepsia and hysteria. Tolu, Balsam of. {a) Physical properties. — Of considerable consistence ; reddish-brown in color ; odor, very pungent ; taste, warm and sweetish. {b) Therapeutical effects. — A stimulant ex- pectorant. {c) Used in chronic coughs, and also to wounds and ulcers. {d) Dose. — 10 grains. Valerian. {a) Physical properties. — Several long, slen- der, dusky-brown fibres, issuing from one head ; strong fetid odor; warm, bitterish, subacid taste. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Antispasmodic, tonic. {c) Used in hysteria. (d) Dose. — I drachm. Wine of Iron. {a) Digest for 30 days 2 ounces of Tartar- ated Iron in a pint of sherry. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stomachic and tonic. {c) Used the same as other steel medicines. {d) Dose. — two tablespoonfuls. Wine of Opium. (3) Prepared with opium and spices. {b) Therapeutical effects. — Stimulant, after- wards anodyne. (c) Used cliiefly as an application to the eyes. ((/) Dose. — 10 to 20 minims. Wine of Potassio- tartrate of Antimony. — — Antimonial wine. {a) Dissolve two scruples of potassio-tartrate of antimony in a pint of sherry. {b) Therape2itical effects. — Emetic and dia- phoretic. {c) Used in inflammatory diseases. {d) Dose. — 15 to 60 minims. Zinc, Chloride of. — A powerful drug, but scarcely adapted to domestic use, except as a disinfectant, for which it is sold in solution. {See Disinfectants.) Zinc, Sulphate of. — White vitriol. {a) Physical properties. — Transparent crys- tals. (1^) Therapeutical effects. — Tonic, astringent, and emetic. (c) Used zi a wash or as an emetic. {d) Dose. — As an emetic, 10 to 30 grains; tonic, 3 grains. DUCK Proportionate Doses for different Ages. Under >^ year i-i 5th of a full dose DUMPLINGS 181 ii I ti I-I2th u 2 a i-8th a 3 n I -6th 4 7 14 u li ti i-Sth I -3d I -half ^bov 20 2 21 2-3ds ' the full dose At 63 77 100 a (( ti II-I2ths 5-6ths 2-3 ds DUCK. — For suggestions about raising ducks, see Poultry. There are many breeds of ducks which are very fine for the table, among which are the Muscovy, top-knot, Cayuga black ; a cross between the common and the Muscovy produces a very large bird at an early age, and is considered the choicest duck. Tame Ducks are always in season but are thought to be in perfection in June and July. Ducklings are in much demand in the Spring when other poultry is scarce. Ip choosing, select those with supple feet, and Iiard, plump breasts. Tame ducks have yellow feet, wild ones red. Wild Duck can be had at all seasons. The choicest is the Ca/iTas-i) Pill of squill and compound ipecacuanha powder, I drachm of each. Mix and divide into 24 pills, one to be taken every four or six hours. (c) 19 Tinct. Serpentarije. Syr. Scillae, of each i drachm. Syr. Ipecac — 2 drachms. Syr. Tolu. Tinct. Opii Camp, of each 6 drachms. Chloroform, 10 drops. Shake — Teaspoonful every 3 or 4 hours for cough. (d) Powdered ipecacuanha, i grain, and powdered opium, half a grain, made into a pill and given at night is sometimes useful for quieting those troublesome coughs which come on at that time ; but it must only be given to those who are known to be able to take opium. EXTRACT.;— This term refers more proper- ly to the mode of preparation than to the nature of the substance prepared. Making an extract consists in dissolving by water, spirit, or any other menstruum, such parts of vegetables as are soluble, and concentradng this solution by heat to a thick consistence, or to entire solidity. If water alone is emploved, the solution is called a ■wa/e/y extract ; 'if alcohol, or proof spirit, then the product is a spirituotts extract. To make a watery extract, boil the substance in water, strain the decoction thus secured, and boil it down till it has acquired the proper con- sistency. In performing this operation, a higher temperature than that of boiling water must not be employed, and yet the evaporation must be effected as quickly as possible by having the evaporating vessel broad and shallow, and set in a water-bath. To make a spirituous extract, a tincture of the substance must first be made, and this evaporated gently in a water or sand- bath ; or a distilling apparatus may be employed, and thus the spirit be saved. Some extracts require long digestion. {See Essences.) EYE. — Most of the ordinary ailments of the eye are preceded by careless use or by some disorder of the body, and the best safe- guard against the local affection is care of the general health. Washing sound eyes carefully in cold water, and opening them in the water, is an excellent way to strengthen and protect them against disease. When, however, the lids are painful from over-work, warm water is often more efficacious. The sources of trouble are so multifarious that experiment alone can indi- cate the fit temperature to use. In reading, never face the light. Let it fall on the book ov'.r the shoulder, the left if practicable. The main object is to prevent the light recoiling from the book to the eye. Imagine a ball thrown from the light or window on to the book : positions that the ball would strike in rebounding, are those that the eye should not occupy. If the eyes begin to pain while read- ing, stop at once. All oculists are now agreed in recommending the use of glasses as soon as the want of them is discovered. Old people must not neglect too long the limits of time, but resign themselves, as soon as age indicates, to the aids it requires. Short-sightedness and long-sightedness are organic conditions, and cannot be removed by artificial means. The advice of an oculist is of great service, when it can be obtained, in selecting glasses. Injuries to the Eye. — Foreign bodies fre- quently get fixed in the eye, generally under the upper lid. In such cases M. Renard, the eminent French oculist, recommends the following simple process : — " Take hold of the upper eyelid near its angles with the in- dex finger and thumb of each hand, draw it gently forward, and as low down as possible, over the lower eyelid, and retain it in this position for about a minute, taking care to pre- vent the tears flowing out. When at the end of this time, you allow the eyelid to resume its place, a flood of tears washes out the foreign body, which will be found adhering to, or near the lower eyelid." When this does not suc- ceed after one or two trials, shut the eye, pass a bodkin under the lid, press gently upon it with the finger, and pushing outwards against the lid with the bodkin, sweep the little nuisance into the inner corner of the eye. Or pull the lid away from the eye, put a little slip of letter paper under the lid, press gently upon it and draw it away. Occasionally one of these particles pen- etrates the eyeball and sticks too fast to be re- 198 FACE-ACHE FAT moved by any of the foregoing methods. In such cases an ocuHst's or surgeon's advice must be sought at once, as every hour of delay is one of increasing danger. A single fold of cotton or linen, wet with cold water and laid over the eye, is all that is needed till surgical help can be obtained. If the eyeball has been cut or broken, or anything thrust or blown into it, a solution of four grains of sulphate of atro- pia in an ounce of distilled or pure water may be dropped into the eye three or four times a day ; or belladonna ointment may be rubbed on over the brow. Both of these dilate the pupil, and atropia is the oculist's sheet anchor. Never put on leeches near the eye, but on the temple, just in front of the hair. Never poultice the eye, or put on warm applications of any kind without a surgeon's advice. Never put an " eye-stone " into the eye to remove a foreign substance. Burns from lime, in the form of mortar or plaster, are very dangerous ; for, although they may not destroy the eyeball, they render the cornea opaque where they come in contact with it, and hence produce partial or total blind- ness. Moreover, they burn the inner side of the lids, and thereby cause these to adhere to the eyeball by fleshy growths, which it is al- most impossible afterwards to separate so as to allow the globe to move with the necessary freedom. Olive-oil dropped into the eye after it has been washed out with a weak solution of vinegar and water, may be used while surgical advice is being obtained. When any of the strong acids, such as sulphuric or nitric, have come in contact with the eye, they act chemi- cally on the tissues, and hence their danger. Immediately after such an accident, syringe the eye with solution of five grains of bicarbonate of potash to two tablespoonfuls of water, and drop sweet oil between the lids. When some strong alkali, like caustic potash or soda, has gotten into the eye, wash it out at once with a tablespoonful of vinegar in two tablespoonfuls of water. Scalds from hot water, and burns from liquid metals or the like, can be treated like the same injuries in other parts of the body. (See Burns.) Drop sweet oil on and in the eye, and lay rags wet with it on the outside of the lids. Surgical advice should be sought at once — especially for those on the outside of the lids ; these are peculiarly dangerous, because the con- tractions of the skin, after healing, may distort the natural and necessary curve of the eyelids, which adapts them to the eyeball. The edges of the eyelids are frequently a source of trou- ble, from being irritated by cold or other causes. The exudation which gathers and thickens upon them should be gently softened with warm water, and its accumulations prevented by a slight application of sweet oil or mutton suet before going to bed. (For inflamed eyes, see Ophthalmia.) FACE-ACHi:. — Camphor and brandy, made strong by dissolving as much of the former as will fill a small thimble, in half a teacupful of the best brandy is a good remedy, and may be employed for the faceache, when it arises from cold in the jaw. Dip cotton cloth or paper in this mixture and place it on the cheek or gum. An ounce of laudanum added to five ounces of opodeldoc may be used in the same way. Warm applications of any kind are also good. (See Neuralgia, and Tooth- ache.) FAINTING-FIT. — A fainting person should always be placed in a recumbent posture, with the head a little lower than the body. Every article of dress should then be loosened, and as soon as possible, a little cold water dashed with sudden violence into the face. Volatiles may be held to the nose (care being taken not to pour them into the nostrils) with good effect ; and as soon as the patient can swallow, re- covery will be expedited by a glass of wine, or a few drops of ether or sal-volatile in water. Free admission of fresh air is very important in a case of fainting, and for this reason by- standers should forbear crowding around. FARCED MEAT. (See Forced meat.) FARE, BIHiS OF. (See BILLS or Fare.) FARINA. — A name applied to the fine flour obtained by grinding and sifting any kind of grain ; also to the starch obtained from roots and grain. Cornstarch is frequently called farina ; and several very simple preparations of farinaceous food are distinguished by this name, coupled with some high-sounding epithet. (See Pudding.) The boiler shown in the cut Farina Boiler. is much better than the common form for cook- ing farina, cornstarch, and similar substances. It is in two parts ; the farina being put in the upper one and water in the lower. All danger of scorching is thus avoided. FAT. — Fat is an animal oil of various de. FAT FEATHERS 199 grees of consistency, according to the kind of animal or the particular part of the body in which it is situated. While it remains in the living body it is always in a fluid state, or semi- fluid ; but its consistence changes when it is ex- tracted and exposed to the common tempera- ture of the atmosphere. To obtain animal fat in a pure state, it must be melted and strained from the investing membranes — a little water must be added while it is melting to prevent its being scorched. When thoroughly purified, it is white, tasteless, and inodorous ; but it soon becomes rancid on exposure to air, on account of the absorption of oxygen and the consequent formation of a number of fatty acids. By washing the fat in fresh water, tliese acids may frequently be extracted and the sweetness of the fat restored. It is best, however, to keep it cool and tightly closed. Fat in any excess is difficult of digestion, particularly by weak stomachs, and therefore is not proper for dyspeptics ; and it is rendered still less digestible when subjected to high temperature in certain culinary processes, as frying. All meats and fish that contain much oil or fat are apt to lie heavy on the stomach, if they do not cause greater trouble ; but while caution is to be exercised, it must not be forgotten that fat is one of the most essen- tial elements of food. Dr. Dobell says in his Manual of Diet and Regimen : " Fat is so essential to the maintenance of healthy nutri- tion, that the quantity contained in the daily food cannot be reduced without the greatest risk. The importance of fat in nutrition should be studiously borne in mind by those who con- struct diets for the poor, for public institutions, or for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, dyspepsia, and the like." Dr. Lankester says : "A healthy man, weighing 154 pounds, con- tains in his body twelve pounds of fat. This constitutes more than a thirteenth part, by weight, of his body. When this proportion is not maintained, the body gets thin ; and this is characteristic of some of the most dangerous diseases to which the human body is subject. The loss of fat is especially seen in that com- monly fatal disease, consumption ; and one of the most effectual methods of treating this fatal disease is the administration of fatty articles of food." Dr. Smith says in his book on " Foods " : " The value of fat in the animal economy is exceedingly great, both chemically and physically. Chemically, it supplies the heat-forming elements of food in their most compendious form, and is much more rapidly transformed than starch under the influence of exertion .... Physically its action may be less important, but it is most desirable as an addi- tion to bread and farinaceous food generally. It supplies an agreeable flavor, without which they could not be readily eaten, and lubricates the passage through which the masticated food is the more readily conveyed. It is also very probable that it exerts an influence, so that with some excess of fat, the bowels will act more readily than when the diet is deficient in that lubricating substance." We emphasize the matter thus because it is of the first importance, and because it is constantly overlooked or ignored in American dietaries. FEATHERS. — Feathers for bedding are obtained: ist, from the common poultry and game which come to table, and called chicken feathers ; 2d, from the grey goose, and called by that name ; 3d, from the' domestic white goose; and, 4tli, from the foreign white goose, and called Dantzic. The chicken feathers are generally bad in quality, being mixed with ducks' feathers, which are hard. The Dantzic are the l)est feathers, next to down, but expen- sive. Perhaps the best for ordinary use are white goose feathers, carefully picked. Collect them as soon as possible after the death of the bird, unless you pluck geese alive, as some cruelly do several times a year. It is said that feathers thus obtained are more elastic than when drawn from a bird some time dead. The large ones being removed, the. rest are placed in a large pan, put into the stove, or before the fire, and heated for several hours, during which they should be constantly stirred up and shak- en. The heat destroys the eggs of insects, and drives off the oily matter: it also hardens and stiffens the fibres, thus renoenng them much more elastic. Cleaning. — I. (^For bedding.) — Mix well with a gallon of water, one pound of quick-lime ; and when the lime is precipitated n fine pow- der, pour off the clear lime-water for use at the time it is wanted. Put the feathers to be cleaned in a tub, and add enough of the lime- water to cover them about three inches. The feathers, when thoroughly wet, will sink down, and should remain in the lime-water three or four days ; after which spread them on a sieve and let them drain. Then wash them well in clean water, and thoroughly dry them on nets in the sun. II. {Ornamental feathers.) — Work a short time in a lukewarm bath containing Castile soap, with enough aniline violet or blue, to give them a bluish shade of white. Too much of the dye-stuff must carefully be avoided. Then press them between cloths, and while yet moist expose them to the fumes of burning sul- phur and rinse, when they will come out white. While drying, frequent clapping them between the hands will give that fluffiness desired in some kinds, as ostrich feathers. Curling. — They should be well dried, a warm dull knife should be used, which is drawn slowly from the base to the tip of each fibre, the thumb or finger pressing the feather against the knife. In all these operations great care should be exercised to avoid breaking the feathers, especially if they have been curled before, when they are apt to be quite tender. Dyeing. — Before dyeing, feathers require to be cleaned, and to have the oil which naturally adheres to them removed. If the oil only is to be removed, soaking for i to 12 hours in a cold bath containing I to 4 oz of calcined soda, ■with a pinch of carbonate of ammonia in ten 200 FEET FEVER gallons of water suffices. They must then be rinsed in clean water. If not yet clean, treat as directed under Cleaning. After dyeing, the natural oiliness and brillian- cy must be restored by treatment with a bath containing i lb olive oil and 6 oz potash, well stirred 'nto about i^ gallons of warm water, and then drying in a warm room, or, while yet moist, terra alba (sulphate of lime) may be dus- ted over them, which is brushed off when they are dry. The latter method is not so good as the oil bath. As regards their affinity for colors, feathers are about the same as silk fibre, though since prolonged treatment in solutions is detrimental to them, the dye baths are usually made stronger than for silk goods, and the feathers are immers- ed for a shorter time. The Coal Tar Colors soluble in water, which dye silk without a mordant, may be used for feathers. {See Dves.) The following special hints may also be valu- able :— Black is obtained by soaking them several hours in a solution of one pint of nitrate of iron (to be had at the druggists), with enough water to make a gallon of the mixture, and then working them in a decoction of equal parts of logwood chips and ground quercitron bark, until they take the proper depth of tint. Bronze tint for the quills. — This is effected by use of the aniline blue, not soluble in water, but soluble in alcohol. A concentrated solution of the color is made in alcohol (all that the alco- hol will take up), and this is then applied with a camel's hair brush to the quills. Brown may be obtained by dipping them for I to 2 hours in a decoction of 2 lbs catechu in a gallon of water, to ij lb of feathers, and then in a batli containing \ lb of bichromate of potash in a gallon of water at 130° Fahr- enheit. FEET. — The chief care is to avoid tight or high heeled shoes. In paring the nails, elderly persons are apt to wound the flesh, which is sometimes dangerous, the circulation in the extremities being so feeble that mortification sometimes ensues. Excessive perspiration of the feet may be remedied by washing them daily in cold water, and sprinkling in the stock- ings a powder of starch or arrowroot, perfumed with bitter almonds, orris, or some other slight- ly odorous substance. Sedentary persons often suffer with cold feet, owing to deficient circulation, and can only be cured by exercise and attention to the general health ; but it may frequently be relieved by simply bathing and putting on fresh socks every day, rubbing the feet with alcohol, and sprinkling a little red pepper in the shoes. Never go to bid with cold feet. Apply heat in some way. {See Hot Water-bag.) FELON. {See Bone-felon.) FENNEL. — This plant is easy to cultivate. Sow early in the spring, in shallow drills, from six to ten inches apart, and if intended to re- main, when the plants are three or four inches high, they must be thinned to about fifteen inches apart. The tender stalks of fennel are used as a sal- ad ; the leaves, when boiled, enter into many fish sauces, particularly for mackerel ; and when raw make excellent garnishes. It is also eaten raw with pickled fish. The whole of the plant is good in broth or soups ; it is a hardy and wholesome herb, and agrees well with the stomach. The seeds, or ^^halffntits,'" infused in boiling water, make an excellent carminative, which, having no actively exciting qualities, is frequently employed to disguise by its pleas- ant aromatic flavor the taste of disagreeable medicines, such as senna and rhubarb. FEVER. — The different febrile diseases are treated of in their appropriate places ; but we shall offer here a few observations which do not apply especially to any, but will be helpful in the treatment of all — particularly in that portion of the treatment which devolves upon the family or the nurse. The substance of these observations is taken from a little work on household medicine, by George H. Hope, M.D., an English physician of eminence. When nursing a case of fever, never forget ventilation. Change the atmosphere of the room frequently ; blow the bad air out of. it, and let the fresh air in, not only that the patient may have the best possible chance of recovery, but for your own sake and for the sake of^ others. In every sick-room, but es- pecially in a case of fever, the chimney should be open, fire should be kept up, even if the weather be quite mild, or if the house have a furnace in it ; this is not so much for heating as for ventilating the room in the best way. It is good that the patient's hair should be cut short, as it enables him to be attended to better, and also tends to keep the head cool and comfortable. When a person is delirious with fever, the dreams and fancies are almost always of a painful nature, the countenance showing plainly that the mind is troubled. There is a sense of fear, a dread of something which he may not have the power to explain to you. Try in every way to gain his confidence ; listen patiently to his complaints, however ridiculous they may appear to you ; do not contradict, or tease him with argument. Remember "dreams to the dreamer are re- alities," and these things terrify him just as much as if they were actually in the roon. It is very common for some part of the furniture to take frightful shapes in the eyes of a fever patient. Perhaps he may be able to tell you what it is, but if not, by carefully watching the eyes, you will find him look steadily at one object, and then turn away suddenly, as if he were trying to escape. When these visions arc troubling the patient, the best plan, if you can do so, is to remove him into another room. The effect is wonderful. The visions disap- pear, the dreadful forms are all gone, and the bright and cheerful face tells you better than words what a relief he feels. If you cannot change the room, change the furniture, and if that cannot be done, alter its position. A singular and yet not uncommon thing in FEVER FIG 201 fever with delirium is a strong dislike taken by the patient to a particular person, and this generally not a stranger, but a near relative, one who is greatly beloved by him when in health, and who has been for days and nights watching over him. In some cases this feeling of dislike grows into a hatred so deep that it is not safe to allow the person to remain alone in the room. This is very distressing ; it appears so ungrateful, such a poor return for all the care and kindness bestowed upon him, so unnatural that it is hard to bear. But it should be remembered tliat it is unnatural ; it is the result of disease, and has no more to do with a patient's real affection than taking a dislike to some particular article of food. As the mind becomes healthy this will pass off ; but it is very desirable that the person to whom the dislike is taken should be removed as soon as possible, and not again enter the room till the mind is in a healthier state, or the feeling may become so fixed that it will require a long time to subdue it. During the great thirst of fever you will frequently find that the patient, particularly a child, will prefer pure water to any other drink ; but if you require a change, what is called apple-tea is cheap and refreshing. Another pleasant drink is made of the juice of three or four oranges, and one lemon in a quart of water, with a little sugar. When you can- not easily get either oranges or lemons, buy a small bottle of lime-juice ; this will keep good in a cool place for a great length of time ; it is very wdiolesome, and a tablespoonful, with half a pint of water, sweetened, will make a glass of good lemonade in a minute. Perfect silence is not always desirable. It is not a good thing to put on list slippers, and walk about without any noise : if you go up to the bedside of a patient in this way, he may get a severe fright. In talking, the same rule holds good ; do not whisper, it will very likely awaken the sleeper, just because it is 'a strange sound; speak in your natural voice, and it will not arouse him, though it be louder than a whisper, for he hears it every day, and is used to it. There- fore let all every-day sounds go on as usual, unless complained of by the patient, and let this reflection comfort you. Sleep in the midst of noise is sounder and more likely to continue ■ than in a dead silence, because slight causes are less likely to disturb it. Is "it well to awaken a patient to give food or medicine ? 'Generally if a patient sleeps he is doing well ; but in the sinking stage of fever, or other great debility, it may be needful to give something frequently. After days and nights of watchful- ness, when the mind is wandering with fever, the patient will fall into a long sleep, which may last many hours. This is the turning- point of the disease, and generally he awakens with the mind restored, and from that time commences, as it were, a new life. When fever is once formed, it runs a regular course, like small-po.x. Effort must be made to weaken it as much as possible by fresh air, and to jupport life by suitable diet, till the disease has worn itself out. But as a person not accustomed to such things cannot know at the beginning whether the illness be fever or not, it is well to act only in such a way as to produce good if it be fever, and no harm if it be not. A person, for instance, after getting wet or being exposed to cold, complains of headache, shivering, and pains in the limbs, back and throat, put him to bed and give him some hot drink, soak his feet in hot mustard water, and at night give him ten grains of Dover's powders (adult dose). Wait to see if he will not throw off the attack, which may be but an ordinary cold ; and if he does not, or the symptoms increase, send at once for a doctor. {See Ague, Bilious Fever, Brain Fever, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever, Typhus Fever, and 'k'ellow Fever.) FIG. — The fresh ripe fig has a sweet and peculiarly delicate taste, though those who are not accustomed to them do not always like them. In the Southern States they grow abun. dantly and are very prolific, producing generally two crops a year; north of Virginia they usu- ally require some artificial assistance to bring them to a ripe and perfect state, and are not often met with. They ripen in July and August. The dried figs come from Italy, Spain and Turkey, — the last being most prized. They are considered best when recently arrived here in December and January, after which they should be closely examined. The fig contains a large proportion of sugar, without acidity or oiliness, and is of easier digestion than any of the sweet fruits. It is slightly laxative, and is on this account frequently given to children. {See Pudding.) Fig Paste. — 1. Take one pound of figs, chop them coarsely, and boil with a pint of water until reduced to a soft pulp ; strain through a fine sieve, add three pounds of sugar, and evap- orate over boiling water until the paste becomes quite stiff. Place the warm paste in a mould, made from an ordinary wooden box, by remov- ing the nails with which the sides are fastened, and holding them in place by a stout string, the sides may be taken away, leaving the paste in a square mass, which may be divided in small pieces with a thin-bladed knife. These pieces should be rolled in fine sugar; after which they may be packed in boxes without adhering to each other. 2. Take a heaping tablespoonful of corn- starch place in a saucepan, and add first enough cold water to moisten the starch uniformly, and next a half pint of boiling water. Heat over boiling water until it is thoroughly cooked and becomes transparent. In fact, the same steps should be taken as are employed by a laundress in preparing a thick starch. Next add a half pound of good brown or half-refined sugar, and the strained pulp of four ounces of figs, pre- pared as directed in the preceding paragraph, and evaporate the paste over boiling water until it becomes quite thick and adhesive in charac- ter. Place in the mould as previously directed and treat in the same manner when cold. In this general way, from the same material as a ^02 FILTER FISH base, are prepared the semi-transparent pastes sold under various names, by adding, before evaporation, grated cocoanut, chopped and seeded raisins, dried currants, any desired fla- voring or coloring substance, or the pulps of preserved fruits. Pigs (to freshen). — If you happen to have figs which you have l< a lemon ; currants, 30Z; minced apples, 4 oz ; flour, l teaspoonful ; eggs, 3 ; salt. Wash and drain three ounces of whole rice, put it into a pint of cold milk, and bring it very- slowly to the boiling-point ; stir it often, and let it simmer gently until it is quite thick and dry. When nearly done, add to it two ounces- of pounded sugar, and one of fresh butter, a pinch of salt, and the grated rind of half a. small lemon. Let it cool in the sauce-pan, and when only just warm, mix with it thoroughly three ounces of currants, four of apples chop- ped fine, a teaspoonful of flour, and three well- beaten eggs. Drop the mixture in small fritters, fry them from five to seven minutes, and let them become quite firm on one side before they are turned. Drain them as they are taken Up, and sift white sugar over them after they are dished. FROG.-The frog, which is so frequently eaten in France and many parts of the Continent, is. not our common frog, but another species some- what larger, the Rana esculcnta. It is of a green color, spotted with black, and having two pale yellow lines down the back. It is the hind quarters only that are eaten, and these are more fleshy than the thigh of our common frog, resembling the most delicate chicken. The loins and fore-legs are used in soup. This frog is rare in this country, and the only edible frogs are the bullfrogs in their several varieties, of which the " Gibbon's green frog" is the best. They are sold in our markets by some of the fishermen, ready skin- ned, at so much per piece or dozen, according to the size. They arc very delicate, and sweet to the taste : and those who try them seldom hes- itate to eat them again. Fried Frog. — Skin well ; cut off the hind legs and throw them into boiling water, with a little salt, for five minutes ; take out and lay them in cold water to cool, then drain. Have hot fat in a frying-pan on the fire ; and fry them to alight, crisp brown. Fricasseed Frog. — Cut off and skin the hind legs, and, giving them a turn or two in a sauce- pan of boiling water, throw them into cold water, and put them into a sauce-pan with but- ton mushrooms, a bunch of parsley, garlic, one cloves, and a bit of butter. Add a pinch of flour, and moisten with a glass of w-hite wine and a little broth. Throw in some pepper and salt, and cook them until they are tender. Take them out ; boil down the sauce to a smaller quantity ; thicken it with yolks of egg, and a bit of butter ; throw in some chopped and scalded parsley, and pour it over the legs ia their dish. Ste-wed Frog. — Prepare and dress hind legs- same as stewed chicken. (See Chicken.) FROST-BITES FRUIT 219 FROST-BITES. — These result from ex- posure to eokl and especially to a cold wind, and affect only the extremities, and projecting parts of the body, as hands, feet, nose and ears. They are caused by the cold arresting the circulation of the blood in the exposed parts, and are frequently so rapid and so free from pain that a person is not aware of any- thing wrong. Treatment. — Keep the person away from the heat, if he is allowed to come near a fire or into a warm room it will burst the local blood ves- sels, causing dreadful suffering and trouble- some wounds. Hub the part well with snow ; and if snow cannot be had. get the coldest water. Let the patient rub himself if ])0ssible, for the exertion will stimulate the circulation of the blood and help him to keep warm. Con- tinue this rubbing for several hours if neces- sary, till the parts are quite soft, and something like the natural color is restored. Even when this point has been reached, friction with flan- nels, continued for some time, will be of great advantage. After this has been done, the parts may be anointed with sweet oil, or lard, or lime-water and oil (equal parts), and wrapped up well with flannel. If there should be any sores, dress them the same as burns. FROST FISH. (StY Tom-Cod). FROZEN LIMBS, ETC.— Whether the whole body or a part only is affected by cold, the methotl of treatment is the same. Avoid a sudden change of temperature. If a person be found quite benumbed with cold, if he is taken direct to a fire, his life will probably be de- stroved : a barn, or shed, a room which feels very cold to vou, is warm enough at first. Re- move the clothes if wet, and rub the body dry. Wrap him in blankets, and give a little warm wine and water, or weak spirits and water or tea. After a while, remove him to a warm room, but still not near a fire, and .so gradually increase the warmth. Rubbing the skin is the most important restorative agent ; proceed as for Frost-Bite.s. If the vital functions are suspended, artificial respiration may be set up according to the directions given in article on Drowned. Whenever a person is exposed to intensely cold weather without being able to reach a place of shelter, he should //w iiioiiimit he finds nis strength failiiii;, look out for a snow drift, sheltered from the wind by a hill or some other object, and at once scrape out a hole in it large enough for the body, and then crawl into it. Th: snow will shelter him from the cold and wind, and keephim warm. Human beings and sheep have lain for days this w^ay and been saved, and generally it is the only chance. Nipped. — This is another effect of cold, and is generally caused by standing or walking against a very cold wind. Persons suffering from it are seized suddenly with severe pain in the bowels and drawn together with cramps: the hands are swollen, and the head aches violently. The treatment should be similar to that already described : a warm room or fire must be avoided at first, and warmth gradually restored. Any kind of warm stimulating drinks may be taken in small quantities at short inter- vals, and after warmth is somewhat restored, warm flannels should be applied to the parts which are most painful. . FRUITS. — This very large class of vegetable products comprises representatives from every hot and temperate climate, and offers the greatest variety of flavors, and those of the most r.greeable character, of all vegetable and animal foods. The true position of fruits as food is less that cf nutrients than of agreeable luxuries. Their qualities, however, place them in the first rank of subsidiary, or luxurious foods, since they supply an agre-aoie and re- 1 and by acting upon the sense of taste may freshing material when taken alone or ^\'ith ultimately induce th; invahd to eat food of a other foods, which in health is desirable, and in more nutritive character. The albuminous disease almost necessary to life. They will be fruits, such ::s cocoa-nuts, filberts, aim nds. taken by the sick when nothing else is desired hickory nuts, and the like, are, as Dr. Smith 220 FRUIT FRYING says, really seeds, and contain a large propor- tion of nutritive matter. The different varieties of fruit are treated of in tlieir proper places in various parts of the work. All fruits designed for immediate eating should be gathered before ten o'clock in the morning during summer, in order to obtain their best flavor. "To store fruit, gather it in the middle of a dry day, being very careful not to bruise or injure it in any way. As to time, the safest rule is to observe when the fruit begins to fall naturally; unripe fruit never keeps so well as that which is ncarlv ripe — it is more apt to shrivel and lose flavor. A moist, but not damp, atmosphere is best for keeping fruits; and as many persons have cellars who have not fruit-rooms,' tliey should store their fruit in a corner of the cellar in preference to dry closets in higher parts of the house. Again, fruit keeps better and longer in the dark than when j exposed to the light." (See Candying Fruit, i and C.-VNNING Fruit.) FRUIT (Wax, to make). — The first process is forming the mould from which the cast of fruit is to be taken. This is done by mixing plaster of Paris with water, to the consistency of thick paint. As the mould of fruit cannot be taken whole, it is necessary to prepare it for the parts required. For an apple, orange, or pear, two parts will be sufiicient ; but in other cases, when the fruit abounds in irregularities, it is requisite to take the mould in three or more ])arts, otherwise it will be difiicult to remove. In preparing an apple, etc., it is necessary to oil the surface of one half of the fruit, which, having done, place over it the plaster of Paris ; as it sets, or dries, which it will do very quickly, smooth the edges to the exact half, with a knife, making at the same time several notches in the edge, in order that the two parts, when taken, may fit closely; when the plaster is suf- ficienriy hardened, oil the edge with a camel- hair pencil, and prepare for taking the mould of the second half, which is performed in the same manner; the two halves, placed together, will form a perfect mould, the plaster being readily removed by means of oiling. The next process is taking the cast ; the parts of the mould will be rendered more hard by immersion in cold water; all the parts must now be bound together with string. Prepare the wax by melting it to the consistency of cream, pour it into the mould at the aperture caused by the stalk, which must be increased should the orifice be not sufficiently capacious to admit the wax ; when the wax is thoroughly hardened, the string must be removed, and the pieces of the mould taken from the fruit ; a perfect cast of the fruit is thus produced. The colors used are to be obtained in powder, and delicately put on the wax by means of the finger, the lighter parts being touched with a camels-hair pencil. With some descriptions of fruit, as an orange, grapes, etc., the color may be put in the wax and the bloom produced afterwards by the use •of the powder. The stalks are formed and in- serted at the top of the fruit. The leaves are produced by thin sheets of wax, punched out to the size required, with punches prepared for the purpose ; these can be obtained at most hardware stores. FRUMETY. — Roast a quarter of a pint of wheat till it is done ; then boil it in water for three or four hours ; pour off the water, and add one quart of milk, two spoonfuls of flour, two eggs, half a teacupful of raisins and cur- rants, a little lemon-peel and cinnamon. Boil a quarter of an hour and serve. PRYING. — Considered generally to be the most unhealthful mode of cooking practiced; although if carefully performed there seems no reason why an article which is fried may not be as nutritious as an article which is baked, and just as conducive to general health. While of course it is not wise to supply a quantity of fried dishes, it is not wise to supply, without change, dishes which are boiled or roasted. Wire Lining for Frying-pan. Frying, as usually performed in American kitchens, is unhealthful because performed un- skillfuUy. Considering the frequent slice of bread-crumbed fish, reeking with black grease, it is no wonder that frying is so generally condemned. Wire Basket for Frying. The proper mode of cooking is to entirely iiiiDierse the article to be fried in smoking hot fat — either clarified beef drippings, lard, or oil; on no account use butter, as cooking butter produces some change (probably chemical) that makes it one of the most indigestible sub- stances known. The moment the article to be cooked touches fat sufficiently hot, its surface becomes coagulated, making it impossible for the fat to get in or the natural juices to get out. It is well to protect some articles in frying by placing them on wire supports. English Frying-pan. Have, on a sharp fire, a deep frying-pan more than half filled with beef drippings. Your ar- ticle for frying is crumbed and ready to cook ; now if, on looking across the pan, you see a ithin, bluish smoke rising, lay in the article FUCHSIA FULLER'S F.ARTH 221 and keep the pan gently moving-, so that the contents do not stick to the sides. Turn the article once or twice, and when of a tine l)uff color, take it out ; lay it for a moment on clean, brown paper to absorb the fat ; garnish and serve sufficiently hot. Saute Pan. Sauti-eingM an entirely different process, in that only enough fat or butter is used to ])re- vent the article cooked from sticking to the sautoir, while it is browned quickly over a very hot fire. Then enough gravy is added (if the dish is not bread-crumbed) for the sauce. Per- mit it to simmer a moment or two, and then instantly serve. FUCHSIA. — Fuchsias are among the most desirable of plants, either for outdoor or indoor culture. They are extremely easy to grow ; they bear a profusion of flowers, and both flowers and foliage are very beautiful. In the garden, a moist, shady position is the most suitable : the noonday sun scorches the tender buds and causes them to fall. Fuchsias are gross feed- ers and lu.\uriate in the richest soil. A rich loam, well mi.xed with leaf mould and rotted cow manure, should be provided for them : and twice a week during the summer they should have liquid manure, either from the barn-yard, or by dissolving one tablespoonful of guano in a gallon of warm water. Water twice a day in dry weather with tepid water. Treated thus, some kinds will send out shoots from four to five feet in length in six or eight months. Fuchsias may be grown either from seeds or cuttings, but the former method is dubious and troublesome and it is best either to buy the plants of the florist or to raise from cuttings. Take the cuttings either in February, March, or April, from three to four inches long. Plant them in clear sand, keep " sopping wet," and in three weeks they will be well rooted ; put in three inch pots, in the richest of soil, with a little sand to keep it mellow ; let them grow until the pot is well filled with roots, which will be in three or four weeks ; then re-pot in six or eight-inch pots, if designed to grow in them ; but if raised to bed out, plant at the start in five-inch pots, and when all fear of frost is passed, plant in the garden. Fuchsias show to great advantage when trained as standards ; to do this the side shoots of a young plant inust be nipped off, and the steiii trained up a straight stick. When it has grown as high as desired, let the side shoots bVanch out, and a handsome bush will be produced. They can also be trained to walls, or planted in masses in beds. If the young plant does not branch otit, pinch off the terminal shoot ; side branches will soon appear, and the most central can then be trained up for a stem. During the winter the plants can be kept in frost-proof, dry cellars, either in pots or boxes ; | or they can be pulled up by the roots, the soil shaken from them, and packed in layers in sand which is thoroughly dry, first cutting off all the tender shoots. In March or April, jjring them to the light and plant in rich soil, pruning not only the top but the roots ; in cutting the tops back, have an eye to shape. Plant out as soon as all danger from frost is over. The varieties of fuchsias are innumerable, and we can only give lists of a few of the most desirable of the single and double flowering kinds. Single Fuchsias. — These are all choice : — Aniiii\ tube and sepals white, corolla deep pink; Arabella, white sepals, pink corolla; Channiiig, violet corolla, crimson sepals ; Fairest of the Fair, white tube and sepals, violet-rose corolla ; Father Ignatius, carmine sepals, blue corolla, bell shaped : Jules Calot, orange-red sepals, orange-crimson corolla ; Land of Plenty, yttA sepals, violet-black corolla ; Lustre, vermilion corolla: wa.xy-white sepals ; Marginata, white sepals, rose-pink corolla ; Prinee Imperial, scarlet 'sepals, violet corolla; piose of Castile, white sejjals, violet corolla ; .Souvenir tie Ches-wiek rosy-crimson sepals, violet corolla ; Striped Unique, purple corolla .striped with white ; Paglioni, white reflexed sepals, dark violet corolla ; Wane of Life, violet- blue corolla, scarlet sepals, gold tinted foliage ; H'eeping Beauty, scarlet sepals, blue corolla . Double Fuchsias. — These are unsurpassed for beauty and elegance by any plant in the floral kingdom. E. G. Henderson, scarlet sepals, violet corolla ; Ehn City ; Emperor, crimson sepals, white corolla ; Grand Duke, crimson, violet - purple corolla ; Monstrosa. bright rose sepals, white corolla ; Nonpareil, two corallas, purplish-blue ; Norfolk Giant, crimson sepals, violet corolla ; Pieturata, scarlet sepals, double white corolla : Snowdrop, scarlet sepals, semi-dark white corolla ; Surpasse V. de Peubla ; scarlet sepals, double white corolla; Symbol, crimson tube and sepals, creamy-white corolla ; Power of London, scarlet sepals, violet-blue corolla; U'ilhelm Pftser, rosy-car- nine sepals, lavender-blue corolla. Golden Leaved Fuchsias. — The varieties of these are few in number, and the best are : — Cloth of Gold, Crown of Jewels, Golden Fleece. Golden mantle. Golden Prcasure, and Orange Boven. Winter FloTvering Fuchsias. — These bloom from December to May. There are only two varieties : Speciosa, tubes and flowers of a peach-blossom color, crimson corolla; and Serratifolia. The flowers of the latter are dis- stinct from those of anv other kind of fuchsia. The tube is crimson, the tips of the sepals shad- ing to green, with white stamens. FUEL. {See Coal, Coke, and Wood). FULLER'S EARTH. — A substance useful for removing grease from floors, carpets, cloth- ing, or greasy vessels of any kind. It is of a grayish-brown color, hard, compact, and rough, but scrapes with a polished surface. It is al- ways scraped to a powder before using, and 222 FUMIGATION FURNISHING applied in that form. When it becomes sat- urated with the grease, it must be removed and a fresh supply put on. FUMIGATION.— The slow burning- of brown paper or cotton rags is the most familiar way of destroying bad smells by fumigation. Sugar or coffee sprinkled thickly in a shovelful of live coals, and left to smoulder slowly, is also very effective and not disagreeable. A pleasant fumigation can be made by dipping cartridge paper in alum and water, drying it, and spreading one side with a mixture of equal parts of gum benzoin, olibanum, and Peruvian balsam ; melt these together and spread them upon the paper with a hot knife. In using, hold slips of the paper over a candle or lamp, to evaporate the odorous matter, but not to i"-- nite it. Ships and rooms infected with con- tagious diseases are fumigated with burning sulphur. The roll sulphur is placed in an iron pan or open kettle, and is ignited by pouring a little alcohol upon it, to serve as a kindler. {Set: Deodorizers and Disinfectants.) FUNNEL. — Funnels are made of tin, tinned iron, pewter, white or brown stone-ware, and glass, and of various sizes. Very small ones are useful for filling vials and small bottles where it IS difficult to avoid spilling. Where acids are to be poured, glass or earthenware is requis- ite, as metal will be corroded by it. Glass is best under all circumstances, because one can see whether it is perfectly clean. A servicea- Fig. I. — A Corner of the Hall. ble funnel can be made at any time by folding a piece of clean letter-paper into the proper shape. FURNACE.— (•&.' Warming.) FURNISHING.— The reader, if impecuni- ous, need not be discouraged by the discussion here of points involving considerable outlay, for in addition to these, the article contains much for his special benefit. He is earnestly recommended to study the article on Decora- tion. In it he will find an authoritative ex- position of those elementary principles of taste which underlie all the decorative arts, and he will need little more in the way of suggestion concerning furniture in its artistic aspects. The present article deals with the practical aspects, including cos/. Unfortunately, prices have been fluctuating so much in recent years that esti- mates are inevitably misleading. Ways of getting over this difficulty will be treated far- ther on. In addition to this article, the reader will also find it desirable to consult the articles on Carpets, Curtains, Earthenware, Paper- hanging, etc., the present article being- mainly confined to the consideration of what, for want of a more definite term, we may call viovabU furniture. Since Harper s and Scribner^s magazines and the Centennial Exposition have been doing so much to show people what good furniture is, it seems almost superfluous to give even the few illustrations we have space for ; but this FURNISHING 223 work may find its way into the hands of some who have not enjoyed those opportunities, and will naturally be kept by many after the dis- appearance of their unbound magazines and catalogues brought from the Centennial ; we, therefore, insert a few illustrations. The reader will find a few others containing good ideas on furnishing, in the article on HOUSE. Of the illustrations in this article, Figs. 5, 6, 7, II, 16, and 21 are from the catalogue of ^Iessrs. Cox, of London ; Figs. I, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 17 are from the catalogue of Messrs. J. & R. Lamb, of New York ; Figs. 18 and 19 are from the catalogue of Messrs. Horton & Ramus, of New York ; the others were prepared for the work; Figs. 2, 3, 4, 15, and 22 by Mr. Babb, and Figs. 10 and 20 by Mr. M. N. Cutter. Now for a few specific considerations, mainly with reference to getting the best effect for the least money. The hall determines the first impression on entering the house, and it is well worth while to economize elsewhere for the sake of effect here. Probably the worst possible step is to buy the stereotyped hat and umbrella rack. No matter how elaborate, they are always the same thing over again, and generally very ugly. It, however, one is needed, some simple ar- rangement like that in Fig. 2, honestly made ot good wood, with " dead " finish, will prob- ably give more satisfaction, in the long run, than the more elaborate designs in which the cabinet-makers delight. A mirror, large or small, of some original shape, framed in some durable way, with pegs for the hats and coats, can be made very effective. Under it, may stand a chair or table, either having a drawer. Or a table alone will do ; for hats and coats can be kept on plain hooks back under the stairs. Sticks or umbrellas can be disposed of in a cheap stand behind the door. If the hall be rather dark, a white cast or bust at the end will be very effective. A pair of horns, or sev- eral pair, can never be amiss, nor can any other decoration suggesting out of doors and the storie_d halls of the olden time. where there is room (or them, one should try to have the broad table, the clock, and the 'ittle cupboard for brushes, gloves, and other things that one needs on going out and coming in, as shown in Fig. i. This " little cupboard," by the way, can, in a small hall, easily be sub- stituted by drawers under chairs. A hall should look as large as it can be made to. Stair rods seem a ridiculous superfluity for poor folks. Let the stair carpet be long enough to shift as olten as it wears out on the edges of the steps. The Parlor is usually the most Philistine of all Philistine American institutions. Where there is the usual ill-spent wealth, the room is filled with gorgeous upholstery in the cabinet- maker's style of art, has the horrible " cabinet rich and stylish," which usually figures cm the furniture man's bills for enough to buy two respectable paintings, is either utterly innocent of all works of art but a few china or parian Fig. dolls and a French clock of a pattern turned out by the dozen, or has the walls covered 224 FURNISHING with paintings which are simply good canvas spoiled. If such parlors were furnished in hon- est pine, and one-tenth of the saving devoted to a few good engravings on the walls, their refinement would be vastly increased. There is no need of extremes, however, for the money usually spent would give honest hard wood furniture, luxuriously fashioned and cushioned, covered with good worsted reps or satines, and good photographs, engravings, or even, in many cases, paintings by deserving artists. In the few well-furnished parlors tha^ we have, the most frequent lack is the suggestion of ease. There is generally too much wood shown in chairs and sofas, and too little cush- ion. Fig. 4 suggests a good style. Ladies are |J- Fig- 4- always complaining that sofa seats are too broad. Hence the advantage of cushions that can be piled against each other, or laid against the back of a deep easy chair. If the reader will carefully consider what Mr. Babb has to say about chairs in the article on Decoration, he may care to see a good chair or two in Figs. lo and 14, and in front in Fig. 20. A good table is not yet an easy thing to find. There's not much to be said against Fig. 5, except that it'sa pity that woodcuts won'tshow color. A fitly colored jar, contrasted with the There seems, in most parlors, too much re- rig. 6. luctance to have anything around to indicate that the room is used. ^- Fig- 7- The parlor should suggest festivity rather than meditation. If colors be well chosen, Fi?. 5- wood, in such a position, is always very agree- Brussels carpet and worsted reps will produce able. , really as good effect as richer materials; though. FURNISHING 225 on account of the clanger from moths, woolen upholstery and Brussels carpets are less eco- nomical for peo- pie upon whom the first outlay- does not bear too heavily than silk fabrics and the higher grades of carpet. Most parlors are oblong, with two windows at one end. The spot be- tween them is the point in the whole room for effect : all living things turn toward the light. People of taste, if they have plenty of money for more import- ant things, some- times put mirrors '^ in this spot : Philistines always do. Something I bright and effective should go there always. I There are worse things for the purpose than a light cabinet (if it is tasteful, which not one in a hundred is), laden with good bric-a-brac. Fig. 6 or 7 would do. A massive or d a r k-col o r e d cabinet, unless the color ot tne wall is war m, would be too sombre. Such an one as Fig. g requires space, for more reasons than one. (The chair in the same figure would have to be redrawn before it could be recommend- ed.) Whatever is done, don't let the 9- piano stand in front of this spot and obliterate it— especially as pianos are all so ugly. Fig. 8 suggests Fig. an improved style of upright piano — an instru- ment that there is some excuse for in a crowded city house. IS Can anybody tell why marble is a fit ma- terial to cover any piece of furniture but a steam-heater or a washstand ? 226 FURNISHING The Library. The main economical ques- tion is doors or no doors to the bookcases. ■ Fig. II. Doors nearly double the cost, and the books will do very well without them, especially if a strip of leather depend over their tops from the shelf above. " Pinked " edges on this strip will curl up, but gilt lines have a pleasant ef- fect. Library furniture is best covered in leather — green or dark-brown. Here one comes to read, and the eye should not be wooed from its work by any dashes of importunate color. The wooden mantel with shelves rising above it is justly growing in favor. Fig. 12 shows an inexpensive arrqingement, giving something of the same effect. The fireplace is tiled. This room generally contains the gentleman's desk. Fig. 13 combines beauty and utility for either the business-man or the scholar. The Dining-room. Probably there is no better test of the refinement of a family than the relation of its dining-room to the rest of the house. If the family meal is regarded as a mere feeding, the place where it is taken will plainly show the fact. If the meal be a I qualities of head and heart engage, and to cheerful household ceremony, where the best I which the most honored friends are gathered. Fig. 13. these facts, too, will be indicated by the room. 1 the dining-room is the sideboard, or buffet, as The piece of furniture that makes or mars I we seem to be in the way of calling it now. FURNISHING 227 With a good substantial table and chairs (the I any amount of effect can be added to the buffet latter cushioned if it can possibly be afforded), I without its appearing to overshadow the rest, "^^^^M^ - - =:,>: -' '.jiiT- q^^^±^-s£^ij2:^^^^^^^l^?-:^ % Fig. 14. and every feature will tell. If you cannot have as elaborate a one as Fig. 14, you will not be Fig. 15. in bad taste with Fig. 15. When people are at table, they see neither the table nor the chairs, but they do see the buffet. If you can cover it with ancestral plate, very good ; but if you cannot, it may, perhaps, be made to look as well with bright china, glass, Japanese lac- Fig. 16. quer-work, and flowers (never artificial ones). Don't have a marble top, it will "chip " glass articles with angular bottoms. Many a fine piece has been thus gradually spoiled, and the 228 FURNISHING cause not realized. A "dinner wagon," as shown in Fig. i6, is vastly more useful than a side-table. Bedrooms. As far as decorative effect goes, the thing of least importance in a bedroom is. the bed. Generally, the more the cabinet- Fig. 17. maker does to it, the uglier he gets it, and even if he gets it pretty, those who lie upon it do not see it, and when not lying upon it, their at- tention is more apt to be directed to another article, which is the real center of bedroom Fig. 18. — Brass Bedstead. effect, namely, the dressing-bureau. This gen- erally stands in the same important spot — between the windows — that has been enlarged upon in treating of the parlor. Hence, if you are not rich, get a plain bedstead and spend your spare money on the bureau. Don't over- look brass bedsteads. It is to be hoped that Fig. 19. — Eras-s Bedstead. they will soon be cheaper than at this writing. Nothing need be better. In New York there FURNISHING 229 Fig. 20. — Bachelor Quarters — 7 x 9. is made of any of the ordinary hard woods Fig. 21. — Brass Bedstead. (though, of course, generally to be found only in walnut), a good, neat, strong bedstead, against which nothing can be said, for $28.00. It is not out of place with a bureau, in the massive style, worth $280.00. Fig. 22 cost but $45.00, made to order, in the time of high prices. Marble tops on bureaus always crack things, and are unpleasant to the touch except in summer. Nursery. — Don't have a carpet. It always will smell. Lay the floor in hard wood if you can possibly afford it ; the cheaper wood car- peting can be made to do. In the middle of the room have a woolen drugget, fastened at the corners by movable nails, so it can be taken up and shaken daily, and washed often. Don't have curtains to the windows. 'The children while awake need every ray of light thev can get. Have thick, dark-green shades, 230 FURNISHING though, to shut out all light while they are hap- ping. A low table, six or eight feet long by two wide, is a grand thing for a nursery. The children will handle many toys on it instead of cultivating round shoulders on the floor. Let its legs fold against it so that it can be laid against the wall when room for romping is needed. The height of your chair-seats regu- lates the distance your children shall tumble from. Servants' Rooms Iron bedsteads are the thing. They are durable and do not make good nests for bugs. Bureau washstands economize space. The room is not to be occupied much; it ought to be comfortable though, and decent enough to attract servants who are decent. Bright, broad coloring in the carpet will do much to obviate a cheerless look. The Kitchen — (6>d? lists farther on, and sep- arate article on Kitchen.) Gas Fixtures do more lo make or mar a rqom than almost anything else. We do not mean that the chandelier should be so gaudy as to be the only thing visible in the room, but that it should cost enough to be good. This is too often lost sight of and some people even econ- Fig. 22. omize on the gas fixtures which never wear out, rather than on the carpets and upholstery, which do. Most people do worse, however, by buying abominable angular cast metal con- cerns, or those with curved glass tubes which threaten breakage if you look at them. The basis of most good metal chandeliers is wrought tubing, and of most good glass or earthenware ones, vases or plates around or through which the gas is conveyed in metal tubes. A room in Brussels and worsted reps with a good chandelier will have treble the effect of a room in moquette and brocatelle with a poor chan- delier. Common gas fixtures can be refinished for about one-third of their cost, and changed from gilt to bronze, or steel, or oxydized silver, if desirable. The better ones of honest brass, are generally covered with lacquer, and need relacquering not oftener than once in ten or twelve years. Curtains do not need to be of material as dur- able as chair covering. If you can make colors correspond, a vastly inferior grade will do. FURNISHING 231 Woods An account of the qualities of tlie different woods may be of use to the pur- chaser. Ash is rather lighter colored than oak, but is sometimes used in connection with it. It is less likely to split. Beech, a very close and tough wood, is chiefly used tor the framework of chairs, tables, and bedsteads. It is nearly of the color of birch, but rather paler, and it may be known by the presence of those peculiar little specks of darker brown, which are easily seen in a carpenter's plane. Birch is very close-grained, strong, and easily worked. It is of a pale yellowish brown. If polished or varnished, it somewhat resembles satinwood, but is darker, and by staining is capable of being made to closely resemble Hon- duras mahogany. It is used in the better kinds of low-priced furniture. Cedar somewhat resembles mahogany, though more purplish. It has no " curl," and is free from tendency to warp or " cast." The beit varieties have a peculiarly pleasant aroma, which is offensive to moths ; hence it is highly valued for making drawers and chests for cloth- ing. Chestnut is coarse-grained, strong, elastic, light, and very durable. Some ot the best of the cheaper furniture is made of it. It looks so much like white oak as to be frequently used in combination with it. Ebony is of a deep black color, and highly prized for several purposes, particularly inlay- ing. It is exceedingly hard, heavy, and dura- ble, but expensive. Pear and other woods dyed black are often substituted for it ; but are not so susceptible of good polish and luster, or so permanent in color. The best comes from Africa ; a kind variegated with brown is brjuj;-ht from Mauritius and Ceylon. M.iJioganv is imported of two kinds — Hon- duras and Spanish. The former has a coarse, loose, and straight grain, without much curl or wave. The latter is darker, with curl, by which in great measure its price is regulated, and with a very fine, close texture. Spanish ma- hogany will bear great violence ; it is also free from any tendency to warp. When, how- ever, it is very much curled, it is not nearly so strong or so free from twist ; but this is of little consequence, as its value is so great that it is generally veneered on to some less valu- able wood, as Honduras or cedar. The heavi- est mahogany is generally the best. Maple is of several qualities, the bird's-eye maple being most highly valued. It somewhat resembles satinwood, but is more buff than yellow, has more curl, and more " bird's- eye." Maple is light and not very durable, and is used only in the cheaper kinds of furni- ture. Oak. — There are several varieties, of which the white paic, the red oak, and the live oak are the most important. The first is most used. Oak takes long to season, and is worse than most woods if used green. It is very hard to work. Its appearance improves with age. On account of its tendency to warp, a great deal of so-called oak work is panelled with chest- nut. Bearwood is of a light yellow color, and on account of its even grain, a favorite wood for carving. It is often stained to imitate ebony. Pine is used in two varieties, the white and the yellow. When thoroughly dry, these woods are very free from all tendency to warp or shrink ; but in a half-seasoned state articles, made of them fall to pieces. They are readily distinguished from one another l)y the differ- ence of color, and from deals by the absence of turpentine veins. When oiled and varnished, both kinds of pine look very well. It seems a sin to stain it. Ratan, from strips of which the seats of cane chairs are made, is a small sort of cane, brought ffom China, Japan, and Sumatra. A very pretty and durable style of summer-chairs, lounges, tables, baskets, etc., is now made wholly of ratan. Rosewood is hard and dark, with some little curl, intermediate in this respect between Span- ish and Honduras mahogany, and of a very open grain. Most articles of rosewood furni- ture are veneered, but the best are of solid wood. The color, which consists of large elon- gated dark zones on a reddish-brown ground, is permanent, unless it be much exposed to the direct rays of the sun ; and it takes a fine pol- ish, which is improved by slight waxing, or, bet- ter, by the French polish, which brings out the color of the wood admirably. Satinwood is now used chiefly for inlaying, lining, and veneers. It is of a full yellowish color, with a fine grain, little curl, and a silky luster. Its toughness fits it well tor furni- ture. Walnut is a native wood, but is used in sucb prodigious quantity that it is also imported. Well seasoned it is exceedingly tough and lit- tle inclined to warp. {See Lacquering and Varnishing.) Selection of Furniture. — Points of taste in the seleclion of furniture have been treated in the article on Decoration (which the reader in- tending to furnish is advised to study), and, in- cidentally, earlier inthis article. Here we shall only attempt a few purely practical considera- tions. Too much deference is generally paid to the fashion of the day, which entirely changes before the articles are worn out, while things good in themselves are never out of fashion. For those who can afford it, expensive and highly ornamented furniture is a legitimate luxury; but it should be borne in mind that this outlay is not only a present increase of cost, but that in all future additions the same style must be carried out, or the whole will partake of a piecemeal character, and look much worse to a tasteful eye than if none of the articles were elaborate. Often in cheap showy furniture, hastily flung to- gether bv inferior manufacturers, the cost of re- pairs amounts to the difference between the price 232 FURNISHING paid and that of really good furniture. It is far better for the young housekeeper to make up his mind what he can afford to expend, and then go to some firm well-known as makers of good articles and deal with them as far as it will go. The lists given in the latter part of this article will serve as a guide to some ex- tent in this respect, but of course they may be varied to suit the particular tastes or circum- stances of each individual case. A mistaken prejudice against the style of furniture known as " cottage," often adds materially to the cost necessarily involved in furnishing a house, for all the hard woods are expensive. This prejudice was perhaps ex- cusable when the " cottage furniture " first be- came fashionable, for it was too often poorly finished, rough in design, and tawdry in color- ing : but now it is well made, and more artis- tically painted. It is prettier and more desirable than the pine furniture stained in imitation of- the costly woods. It can be bought, or painted to order in any color that may be preferred ; but the light stone colors, and soft browns will furnish a room in better taste than the yellows, blues, and greens that have been the rule until recently. A '• cottage " bedroom set, with marble-top washstand can be had for about one half the price of a plain hardwood set. But in the name of all honesty, do not buy a " Cottage set " that is painted in poor imitation of something more expensive like oak or walnut. It is to be hoped that dealers will soon be content to offer honest pine without paint, but properly polished to dis- play its own merits. Second-Haud Furniture. — There is a radi- cal difference of opinion among housekeepers as to the advisableness of buying furniture at second-hand, as it is called. On the one hand it cannot be denied that second-hand furniture can generally be bought for little more than half the price of the new ; but it is urged on the other hand that every "bar- gain " is counter-balanced by two or three " sells," and that the temptation to buy things merely because they are going cheap, almost always leads to a larger expenditure than was contemplated. The truth is that the purchasing of such furniture is a matter which calls in an eminent degree for good judgment, and plenty of time, and as time is money, it is doubtful whether money had not better be spent on new furniture than time on second hand. Beds, bedding, carpets, oil-cloths, and up- holstered furniture should never be bought at second-hand, either at an auction or from a regular dealer. All articles made of wood, should be carefully examined as to their con- dition, particularly as to whether they are made of unseasoned wood, which in second- hand furniture is very easily detected. Sur- faces out of level, open joints, rickety legs, and cracks in the wood, are plainly to be seen if present, and indicate either bad workmanship tjr bad materials, or both. Window-curtains and mirrors can be bought at second-hand very cheaply, if the purchaser can content him- self with such as are not of the newest pattern and style. It is a serious question, though, when economy is an object, whether such vani- ties had not better be dispensed with in favor of engravings, busts, or other works of art. Glass, crockery, and cutlery may also be bought very cheap ; but kitchen utensils had much better be procured new, as it is difficult to estimate exactly the amount of wear they have been subjected to. Some of the more expensive articles, however, such as meat-screens, fish-kettles, etc., may be bought with advantage if in good condition. It is best in purchasing furniture at auction to examine it carefully before the sale com- mences, and mark on the catalogue such arti- cles as are wanted, with the outside prices you are willing to give ; having' done so, never go above the prices thus fixed upon. Inflexible adherence to this rule is the first condition of safe buying : for one is very apt to be carried away by the competition of bids, and nearly every auctioneer has a set of dummies in the audience who are quick to discover who will let goods be run up on them. At the same time he who makes up his mind to buy nothing but "great bargains" at auction will generally find his time wasted. Second-hand furniture has a value nearly as uniform and stable as the new ; and " bargains " are to be looked upon with suspicion. Price-Lists of Furniture. — The most practi- cal assistance, perhaps, is lists of the articles needed and their prices. We have prepared three, based on actual houses, designed to meet the wants of several classes of pur- chasers expending from say eight hundred to five thousand dollars. It is not supposed, of course, that these lists will be follow'ed literally. Each individual housekeeper will have his own tastes and means to consult ; between the limits the lists furnish all the ma- terials necessary for making a choice. Those who go beyond five thousand dollars, although they will be governed mainly by their own taste, may yet find some useful suggestions in the lists. At this time, however, we all labor under one great difficulty. All prices are now (1877) in chaos. Those prevailing at the times when these houses were furnished are all changed ; and if we were to now ascertain the prices of the same dealers, they would probably be changed before the reader sees the book. The only way for the reader to use the lists is to assume that the prices are from twenty to forty per cent, too high ; and, if he wishes more detailed accuracy, to learn the present prices of several articles and strike an average. LIST No. 1. A modest establishment, consisting of Hall 6 X 18, with stairs, Parlor 15x18, Dining-room 15x18, Bedroom 15x18, Nursery 15 x 18, Hall- FURNISHING 233 Bedroom 6 x lo, Servant's Room 6 x lo, Kitchen and Laundry together, ail neatly and durably furnished before the recent revolution in prices for about $i,ooo, would cost in 1877 probably $800. HALL 6 X 18 INCLUDING STAIRWAY. Hat-rack and Umbrel- la-sland lo.oo aoyards American body Brussels, made and laid with lining js.oo"' per yard $40.00 Total . $50,00 PARLOR AND SITTING-ROOM COMBINED, 15 X 18. AH ifte furniture in Walnut^ Oak^ or oiJier plain hardwood. 2 Scotch Holland Win- dow Shades with tas- sels and patent rollers $ 4.40 14 yards Nottingham Lace, two windows. . . 21.00 2 Window-cornices, gilt, lacquer, or wood to match furniture 4^00 40 yards American Body Brussels carpeting, made and laid with lin- ing at $2.00 per yard.. 80.00 Lounge, in worsted reps 25.00 2 Oriental folding chairs, in worsted reps to match, at $10,00 ... .. 20.00 Rocker to match, seat in reps 14.00 2 small chairs, cane or straw seats 8.00 Centre table with rep cover to match funii- turet 16.00 Stand of shelves, with drawer, for books, etc. 12.00 Total $204 40 DINING-ROOM, 1$ X iS. Fumisked in Hardwood^ had better contrast with iliat 0/ Parlor, a Window Shades Curtains as in Parlor, with cornices in gilt, lacquer, or wood like 4.40 25.00 80.00 14.00 15.00 40.00 •75 2.75 10.00 g.oo 10.00 40 yards American Body Brussels Carpeting to match parloTj made and laid with lining, at $2.00 per yard ....... Extension Table for 12 Sideboard Small Tray for waiter.. . Britannia Coffee Pot... I doz. Plated Table Forks I doz. Plated Dessert I doz. Plated Table Spoons I doz. Plated Dessert Spoons I doz. Plated Tea Spoons A Plated Dinner Castor 1 doz. Ivory-handled Knives Carver and Steel Bronze Call Bell Plain white French Chi- na Dinner Set,suitable for all meals 1 doz. Goblets, cut glass . " Tumblers for ser- vant's use, etc 2 Preserve Dishes, cut glass, and of different sizes China Fruit Basket .... Water Pitcher Molasses Jug I doz. Glass Salt Cellars 9.00 5-50 8.90 6.60 3-50 •75 30.00 4.00 3'00 1.50 •7S ■75 •75 Total $286.90 Table Linen and Towels. 12 yards Linen Damask for 3 table-cloths 12.00 Material for 2 kitchen table-cloths 1.50 3 doz. Plain Napkins. . . 4.00 3 doz. Towels 10.00 6 Towels for servant's room i.oo 8 Towels for glass and china 1.50 8 Coarser Dish Towels. 1.00 Total . UPPER HALL. 3 X 12. 4 yards carpet as in bedrooms at $1.50,.... $6.00 PRINCIPAL BEDROOM, 15 X 18. a Window-shades 3.80 14 yards Chintz for cur- tains for two windows 3.50 2 Window-cornices lac- quered 2.50 30 yards American In- grain carpeting, made and laid with Iming, at $1.50 per yard 45.00 2 Feather Pillows, 4 lbs. each 8.00 Feather Bolster, 6 lbs.. 6.00 1 pair Blankets 10.00 2 Marseilles Spreads . . . 8.00 3 pairs Cotton Sheets, 9 4 wide 8.25 3 pairs Cotton Pillow- cases, 5-4 wide 3 .60 • The carpets on each flnor of a small house hnd better mntch throughout. It looks better thnn a patchwork of emiill cnrpet«, pivinfj breadth of effect, and is much more economical for making over. A few cents less than %1 per vard will supply this, but even figurea wo taken to facilitate colculnti'on. t It is a good plan to have the gimp and buttons on the furniture of •o modest a room ns this, from a different color from the reps. Then a band of the relieving color on the table cover gives much effect PRINCIPAL BEDROOM, 15 X 18. — Cfmtimted. Suite of Cottage Furni- ture, with marble-top wash-stand ... .... 50 00 Springs for Bedsteads.. 5.00 Hair Mattress, 40 lbs. . . 28.00 3 Cotton Bolster-cases.. 1,56 China Toilet Set 5.00 Total . HALL BEDROOM, 6 X 12. 8 yards American In- grain carjiet, as on rest of floor 12.00 Window Shade 1.90 Cornice 1.25 7 yards Chintz for Cur- tain, at 40 cts 2. So Iron Bedstead 4.00 Straw Mattress 1.25 Hair Mattress 12.00 2 Feather Pillows, 4 lbs. each S.oo No carpet, drugget for middle of floor 5.00 2 thick green Window Shades.....' 5.00 Crib and Bedding 20.00 Attendant's Iron Bed and Bedding as in hall bedroom 39*75 3 pairs Cotton Sheets, 6-4 wide 3,40 3 pair Pillowoses, 5-4 wide 3.60 I pair Blankets 5.00 Coverlid 2.50 Bureau Washstand. 5.00 Chair 2.00 Toilet set 4.00 Looking-glass 1.50 Total $70.20 Bureau Washstand 5.00 Toilet set 4.00 Looking-glass 3.00 2 Shaker Chairs,straight 3.00 2 Shaker Chairs, (rock- er) 5.00 Total . $88.75 servant's BEDROOM, 6 X lO. I Window Shade and Trimmings 1.00 15 yards Rag Carpeting. 15.00 Looking-glass 1.00 Bureau Washstand 5.00 Chair 75 Single Iron Bedstead... 4.00 Straw Mattress 1.25 Hair top Mattress 8.00 1 pair Blankets 5. 50 Bed- Colored Cotton spread 1.75 Feather Pillow, 3 lbs. . . 3.00 3 pairs Cotton Sheets, 6-4 wide 3-39 3 Pillow-cases 1.20 Toilet set 2.50 Total $53-34 KITCHEN and LAUNDRY TOGETHER. Barrel Cover Basket, for Clothes .... Basket, for Market Bench, for Washing .... Boiler, for Clothes Boiler, Oval Boxes, nest of 2 Brooms Cake Pan Cannister 2 Chairs, plain 1 *' Shaker Rocker. Chopping Bowl Chopping Knife Cleaver Clock Clothes Horse Coffee Mill..... 6 doz Clothes Pins Coffee Pot, Britannia... Cork Screw Cullender Dipper, tin Duster, for Paint Dust Pan Dredger, for Pepper ... Feather Duster 6 Forks, table Fork, large, for cooking Meat Frying Pan Funnel *, Grater Griddle Gridiron Ice Pick Jelly Mould Kettle, for Range 6 Knives .50 1.00 1.00 1.50 6.00 2.00 1.00 .70 •35 •45 1.50 1.50 -25 1.00 1-75 2.50 2.00 1.50 .70 1.75 •5° •75 .20 .50 •35 •15 1.00 1.50 .40 1.00 •15 •15 .90 1-75 .25 .50 2.25 1-25 Knife, for Cook Ladle, tin Lemon Squeezer 2 match Safes 1 Pail (Japaned) for Water 2 Pails, wooden Pan, for Baking Pan, for Washing 1 doz. Patty Pans 6 Pie Plates Pint Measure Poker Potato Masher Refrigerator Rolling-pin 3 pairs Sad Irons Sauce Pan (enameled). . Scoop Scrubbing Brush Shovel Sieve Skewers (set of) Skimmer Skirt Board Slop Pail, with cover. . . 2 Soap Cups ■ Spoon, for Basting 6 Spoons (britannia) tea. 2 Stands, for Irons Step Ladder Table, small Table, large with drawer Tea Drawer Towel Roller 2 Tubs •50 • 30 .30 .30 1.25 .60 .50 •35 •7S .60 .25 .25 •15 20.00 •25 5.00 •75 •25 .25 .50 .50 1.00 ■30 2.00 1.25 .20 •30 1.25 •30 2.50 2.50 4.50 •75 •50 4-50 Total $97-95 SUMMARY LIST NO. I. Hall and Stairway. . . $ 50.00 Parlor 204.40 Dining Room 386.90 Upper Hall 6.00 Large Bedroom 188.2 1 Hall Bedroom 70.20 Nursery 88. 75 Servant's Room 53-34 Kitchen and Laundry, 97-95 Total $1045.75 This list makes no provision for cooking, heating^ and ligh^ 234 FURNISHING ing, most modem houses, no matter how modest, being pro- vided with ranges and fireplaces, and many with gas-fixtures. If it is necessary to provide these and keep within limits, the carpeting of the first floor will have to be reduced to Ingrain, this will take a quarter less yards (as it is wider by one-quarter than the Brussells), and a quarter less price per yard. The es- timate gives for parlor, dining-room, and stairs, an aggregate of loo yards, at $2.00 per yard, total, $200.00. The same space can be covered by 75 yards of American Ingrain at $1.50. Total, $112.50. Leavm^ $87.50 for other pumoses. But in any room that is used, it is really cheaper, if the money is available, to pay $200.00 for good body Brussels than any less sum for any lower grade of carpet. LIST No. 2, A small, English basement house, 16.8x50, in a fashionable locality, where the usual expense for furnishing a similar establishment would be $4,000 to $5,000. This list follows quite closely one that was very pleasantly furnished (includ- ing gas-fixtures) for about $2,500, and a consid- erable amount in addition was invested in works of art. This house was furnished prior to the recent revolution in prices. Prices are now (1877) twenty to thirty per cent, lower. List omits shades and curtains. .^©"Through this list let itbe understood, withoutrepetition in each instance, that prices of carpets include making, lay- ing, and lining. HALL AND STAIRWAY. Furnished in Oak. Carpet, as in list No. i.$4o oo Table with marble slab, and umbrella stand at each end, (second hand) lo oo 2 pair deer's horns mount'd on oak shields for hat and coat racks. 20 00 Oblong mirror framed in oak. 25 00 Bronze statuette on newel post for gas- light, with globe 5400 Outside mat with lock and chain 5 00 2 rugs at $3 6 00 Total $16000 RECEPTTON ROOM. Furnished in Oak. "IVhich was txsed by the gentleman as a snuggery for study, ■writing, etc. -22*^ yds. Brussels car- pet at $2 $45 00 Library Desk 3800 "Book-case with closet underneath 12 00 Lounge, green worsted rep 25 00 ;2 Cane-seat Chairs at *2 75 : 5 so Shaker rocking chair covered in reps with fringe : covering done at home 11 00 Mantel-board covered in rep with fringe (cover- ing done at home,) gilt nails 8 00 Gilt Chandelier, 3 lights with globes 15 00 Rug 4 00 Total $163 50 BACK ROOM ON FIRST FLOOR. "Was used as an ironing room ; the room above it being used for dining, the dumb-waiter being carried up an extra story. Ar- :ticles used will be included under Kitchen. Furnished in Walnut and Worsted Reps. J50 yds. Brussels carpet — for whole floor, in- cluding parlor, large middle hall and stair- way, and dining-room pt $2 $30000 Divan Sofa 75 00 2 small chairs cushioned seat and back 22 00 Arm-Chair upholstered throughout .... 30 00 Oriental Folding Chair 11 00 SLocker... 35 00 2 Dwarf Book-Cases at $37 50 75 00 Centre Table, covered with Bitliard-Cloth to match reps — a unique piece bought at second hand Rug Chandelier, 6 lights with globes 5400 Total #63600 24 00 10 00 HALL, PARLOR FLOOR. Contained a statue in a niche, two of the dining chairs gen- erally stood in this hall. The carpet is included ander the parlor. Drop-light, of classic design, with glass^ cost $17 00 OINING-ROOM. Walnut and Leather. Carpet included under parlor. Extension Table $45 00 8 Dining Chairs at 1^7 50 60 00 Sideboard, a rich and unique old piece, bought, of course at second hand,a "find." 65 00 Beam Rug 5 00 Side Table 1200 Chandelier, 3 lights and Argand slide with globes 45 00 Table linen and furni- ture (exclusive of sil- ver) 150 00 Total S382 00 FRONT. 3KD STORY, Chestnut and Oak^ Cretontu Curtains^ Gray Rep Lounge. 26 yds. American In- grain $39 00 Chamber Suite, less Washstand and Table (there being marble washstand with fau- cets) 75 00 Bed Table 18 00 Lounge 20 00 Best Hair Mattress.... 30 00 Spring Mattress 12 00 Best Feather Bolster and Pillows 20 00 Bed Linen, as in list No. 1 32 00 2 jointed gas brackets with globes 8 00 Total #254 00 3RD STORY, BACK, Same as front, deducting Lounge %io, and bed table #i3; but allowing J6 for table in suite. — Net $222. 3RD STORY, HALL AND STAIRS. Gas Bracket and Globe. 2 75 l4^^ yds. Brussels at j^2 $29 00 Total J31 75 4TH STORY, FRONT. Same as 3d story back, deducting $35 because Cottage Suite was used. Net J1S7. 3RD STORY HALL, Same as In List No. i..% 6 00 Gas Bracket and Globe, i 50 Total Jb7 50 TWO SERVANTS ROOMS. Each same as in List No. 1, at $43-34. adding, say. one half to one of them which accommodates two persons. Total for the two $108.35. KITCHEN, LAUNDRY, ETC TJie /allowing are additional to List 1. Essentials same as in List No. I $94 75 Apple Corer 12 2 Baking Dishes. . . 40 Basket tor large silver. 7 00 ** small " . 3 50 " wash (add'nl to List i) I 50 Board (bosom) 65 " (knife) 45 4 Bowls, small 60 : Bowl, large, with lip. 75 Bread Knife 75 Brush for bottles 20 " furniture 60 " range 75 2 Brushes for scrubbing (large) 80 Brush for sink 10 1 pr. Butter Hands 50 Butter Ladle 20 Cake Box i 25 Cake Cutter 15 2 Candlesticks 40 Can opener 50 Carver 1 75 Caster • • ■ • - i 50 Chamois skin 50 Champagne opener i 75 Cracker box 40 Cup mop 20 Cutter for biscuit 5 Egg-beater 25 Fluting Machine 8 00 Funnel 25 Grater (additional to List i) 30 Gravy Strainer 50 Gridiron (wire) i 00 Keeler (cedar) i 50 Kettle. Copper, for pre- servmg 400 Kettle for fish 3 00 " starch i 00 Knife Tray 75 " Washer i 00 50 yds. of Oilcloth for kitchen and basement hall, laid, at $i 35... 67 50 Mat for door 1 25 Meat Saw. i 40 FURNISHING 235 Mincing Knife 70 Mill for Spice i 75 Mirror i 00 3 Mouse-traps 4° Mop and extra handle . . 95 1 duz. Muffin Kings.. .. 40 Oven (English) 1600 Pail, Tin 40 Pan, Drip 70 '* Dish, additional to List I 1 00 " Frying, additional to List I .._ 40 " Frying, additional to List 1 80 3 Pans for Jelly Cake.. 75 Pan fur Laplanders...- 75 *' Pudding 20 " Refrigerator drippings 1 00 1 doz. Patty pans for Oysters 75 Pitcher 75 2 Pots (stone) 3 00 Refrigerator (additional price to List 1) 10 00 Scales and Weights 325 Settee, Table ironing.. 7 00 Sieve (hair) 45 Soup Digester 3 5° Spice Box I 00 Tack Hammer 50 Teapot (Britannia) 2 oa Toast Fork 15 Tray (galvanized iron). . 75 Wash-board, zinc 75 Water Cooler i 50 Watering Pot 75 Wringer 8 00 Total $285 07 SUMMARY OF LIST NO. 2. 4th Story front 187 00 " hall 7 50 Servants* rooms loS 35 Kitchen (unnecessarily elaborate) 2S5 07 Total . .$2454 17 Hall $160 00 Reception-room 163 50 Parlor 636 00 Parlor Hall 17 00 Dining-room 382 00 3d story front 254 00 " back 222 00 " hall 31 75 LIST No. 3. A good-sized house, in a fashionable locality, conducted with considerable elegance. It usu- ally costs to furnish such an establishment about $10,000 : this one was furnished for about $5,000, thus leaving a handsome margin for works of art. The result attracts general approval. HALL. li-'alnni. Floor being tiled, no carpet is needed. Mirror shaped and framed after original designs.supplied with hooks for coats and hats Sioo 00 2 Chairs with drawers under seats for brushes, gloves, &c., seats and backs in leather at $18 36 00 Plain umbrella stand (between chairs and under mirror) 6 00 Bracket for card re- ceiver behind door. . Fine Brussels stair car- pet with pads — See summary at end of List 5 00 TotaL g 147 00 PARLOR, 15 X 29. Maple, Birch, Oakand Saiifte^witkSilkand'worsted Fringe. design, covered Constructive Cabinet, elaborate m e tal hinges and tiles $135 00 Divan Sofa So 00 2 large French Arm Chairs at S50 100 00 2 Ladies' Chairs, to match at S27 54 00 4 small Chairs, uphol- stered, at 1^6.50 26 00 Mantel-board 12 00 Satine Lambrequins* with fringe, home- made, at $18 each. . . 36 00 Plain construcive cen- tre table, after origi- nal with Persian Rug. Brussels carpet, extra quality (border be- ing carried around fire-place obviates necessity of rug, but is a blunder, never- theless). See sum- mary at end of List 3. 2 pr. Superior Notting- ham Curtains at Sio. 2 Broad Lacquered Cornices at $350.. , , 75 00 7 00 Total $545 00 LIBRARV, 15 X 18. Oak and Leailter. 4 Book Cases, in the constructive style, 55^ feet high, respect- ively II, 6, 6 and 3 feet wide, long one being in three divi- sions, with centre di- vision higher than the others. No doors. Uprights with a little intaglio carving, tops projecting, shelves Register Guard to pro- tect books (painted to match furniture) 3 50 Mantel-board 10 00 Carpet, Brussels, at J2.22 (see summary at end of List 3. Spanish Lounge 50 00 2 Rotary Arm Chairs, seats ind backs cush- ioned, at S19 38 00 smaller but heavy Chairs,cushion'd seats at $9.50 19 00 Lady s light Shaker Rocker with tape check seat and back. . 6 00 Foot Rocker (cushion- ed like rest of furni- ture 6 50 Total $356 00 DINING-ROOM. Walnut and LeaiJter — Floor Parquetted Turkish Rug $ 35 00 Table 60 00 8 Chairs, heavy, cush- ioned seats, at $9.50. 76 00 Buffet, Gothic, elabor- ate metal mountings. 115 00 Side Table 15 00 Small stand of shelves for glass, &c 20 00 Table Linen and furni- ture (exclusive of sil- ver), say 200 00 6 00 Plate warmer 2 Walnut Cornices, with tiles inserted, at $6 14 GO Curtains same as parlor (different pattern) .. 5600 Mantel-board 10 00 3 Children's Chairs at St»-5o 19 50 Total ^626 50 BILLIARD-ROOM, Oak. 6 Oak billiard chairs at $2-5° Cocoa matting around table, bound and laid (floor in hard-wood). Total J285 00 with strips of leather (same as furniture) with gilt line near edge... gSo 00 Constructive Library Table with elaborate metal mountings 8000 Curtains same as parlor except lambrequins in rep, and cornices to match furniture, to- gether 63 00 i Table and fixtures com- plete from best maker (.second-hand table, but with new cloth and entirely refinish- ed ; fixtures all new, the whole bought from the Factory and not to be in any way distinguished from new $250 00 (B^^ Shades were bought for the light over the table, but subsequently discarded because they darkened the room and did nut help the players. BED-ROOM I, 15 X 20. Chesinuif Oak, and W&rsted Reps 'with Fringe 0/ Different Colors. Bed Coveriiig, Oak Bedstead, plain and substantial 28 00 Oak and Chestnut Dress ing Bureau, construc- tive, from original de- signs, with elaborate metal mountings 80 00 Bed Table 15 00 Gardner Rack for brushes, bottles, &c., in wash closet 2 50 Mug, Soap-tray and brush-tray i 00 Mantel-board, home- made 5 50 Best Hair Mattress 45 lbs. at 80c 36 00 Best Hair Bolster, 7 lbs. at 80c 5 60 2 Feather Pillows, 4 lbs. each, at ;^ 1. 10 3 So List No. 2 7 00 Best Spring Mattress.. 25 00 Lounge 30 00 2 Chairs, upholstered seats, at S5.50 11 00 I Lar£;e Shaker Rocker. 10 00 1 Small " » tape check seat and back 6 00 2 Gilt Lacquer Cornices at ^2 4 00 Curtains, French Dotted Muslin, ruffled and lined with paper mus- lin List 1 31 41 Carpet, Brussels, at $1.94, see summary at end of List 3. Total $30681. NIGHT NURSERY. CJtestnut. 2 Straight Shaker Rock- ers at $3 6 00 Carpet, Brussels — See summary at end of List 3- 1 Window Shadej heavy green, best fittings. . . 5 00 2 Bureaus at $25 50 00 Table 9 00 Bed for attendant, as in List 1 40 00 3 Cribs at S24 72 00 3 Sets Mattresses and bedclothes for cribs at $20 60 00 2 Substantial Shaker Rockers at $5 10 00 DAY NURSERY. Chestmd, and Oak Floor Parquetted. Total $252 00 Table (as described in general hints on nur- sery) 10 00 Chairs as in Night Nur- sery 16 00 Sewing-table 5 00 3 Low Children's Ch'irs at$2 6 00 3 Gardner Book-racks for books and toys, at ?2-5o -v ; Drugget for centre 01 floor 5 00 Total % 49 50 * A bad business, see Curtains. 236 FURNITURE OIL FUSTIAN HALL BED-ROOM, 8 X 12. IValnut. Bedstead (three-quarter size) same quality as in Bed-room 1 38 oo Bedding and Covering, say % less than Bed- room 1 79 77 Bureau Washstand, mar ble top 25 00 Curtains and Cornice, one window, same as BMroom . 25 00 I Small Walnut Chair, cushioned seat ...... 5 50 1 Folding Easy Chair.. 25 00 I Gardner Rack for brushes, bottles &c.. 2 50 Toilet Set 7 5° Carpet, Brussels, same as Bed-room i. See summary at end of List 3. Total $198 27 BED-ROOM II, 15 X iS. Walnut and Worsted Reps. Bedstead ■ .$28 00 Mattresses and bedding same as bedroom I, de- ducting 513 for Spring Mattress on account of less frequent use.. 91 36 Bureau, Marble Top (which ought not to have been) 45 00 Small Table 7 50 Lounge 20 00 3 small ChairSf cushion- ed seat, at $5.50 16 50 Shaker Rocker, covered to match furniture. . . 10 00 2 Cornices, lacquered, at 51.50 3 00 2 Prs. Curtains, as in Bed-room i 5 50 Carpet, Ingrain, atSi. 45 See summary at end of List 3. Total $226 86 SERVANTS ROOMS (tWO 8 X X2 AND ONE 15 X 18 3 single rooms, same as List I (these rooms being larger than in List I, the carpet will be included twice — the second time in sum- mary at end of List 3) Same as List II. at $53.34 106 68 double room, at say 50 per cent, additional to above 65 00 Total $171 68 SUMMARY OF LIST 3. Day Nursery 49 50 Hall Bedroom 198 27 Bedroom II 226 86 Servants' Rooms 171 68 Total $3164 97 Hall $147 00 Parlor 54500 Library 356 00 Dining-room 626 50 Billiard-room 285 00 Bedroom i 307 i6 Night Nursery 252 00 Kitchen furniture same as List 11 285 07 In a matter of this amount, a dollar here and there is not worth considering, consequently it was not deemed worth while to unravel the carpet bill to get at each room. The style of each room is specified with price per yard, made and laid, with lining. The total bill was $1053 04, from this should be deducted S67 50 for kitchen and basement oilcloth, already being in- cluded under kitchen furniture, leaving net 985 54 This house was taken with the gas fixtures in. The gas fixtures in List 2 cost S202 75 . Twice that amount ought to do for this house 405 50 ^4841 08 Now, as a parting hint : don't buy anything at the start that you are not sure to need. You can fill in afterwards according to both neces- sity and taste. To furnish in taste, especially, even where means are unlimited, requires more time and waiting for lucky chances. FURNITURE OHi.— For mahogany and polished woods of all kinds the following is ex- cellent : — Put into a jar one pint of linseed oil, into which stir one ounce of powdered rose- pink, and add one ounce of alkanet-root, beaten in a mortar ; set the jar in a warm place for a few days, when the oil will be deeply colored, and the substances having settled, it may be poured off for use. Rub on with a woollen rag. This oil darkens mahogany or oak, and gives it that rich blackish surface common in old furniture. For unvarnished walnut kerosene oil is as good as any other after the first two or three coats, which should be of linseed oil. It dries quickly, and presents a smoother sur- face. FURNITURE POLISH.— I. Take of but- ter of antimony, half an ounce ; vinegar, one ounce ; spirits of wine, one ounce ; lin- seed oil, three-quarters of a pint to one pint. Mix and shake well together ; the linseed oil should be added in sufficient quan- tity to make the liquid of the consistency of cream. Rub on with a flannel and plenty of friction. II. French polish: Dissolve half a pound of shellac in as much wood-naphtha as will suf- fice to take it up and make a creamy fluid — and add to this a quarter of a pint of spirit copal varnish. Pour a little of this into a cup and add half as much naphtha, and apply rapidly to the surface of the wood with a bold sweep of a rubber composed of some woollen material, which must be changed as fast as it gets sticky. As soon as the first coat is thor- oughly dry, which may be known by its not sticking to the finger, add another coat in the same way ; but when the body of polish is suf- ficiently thick, mix some spirits of wine with the naphtha and bring the surface to a fine gloss, using fresh rubbers, and finishing off with the polish mixed with spirits alone, in- stead of naphtha. III. Mix two parts linseed oil, two parts alcohol, one part turpentine, and spirits of ether in proportion of one ounce to one quart of the mixture. Rub on with rags. This is a good floor polish. FURS. — These should be combed now and then while in use, and especially as the Spring approaches. When put away for the Summer they should be first beaten with a small cane and carefully combed through, and then sewed up in small folds of calico or calico carefully turned in at the edges. A barrel or keg in which whiskey has been kept is the most re- liable place known. Keep in a dry place and examine once a month. It is a mistake to suppose that moths can be kept away by camphor, pepper, cedar-wood, and the like ; these substances are distasteful to insects un- der ordinary conditions ; but that they cannot be relied upon is proved lay the fact that moths have been known to hatch in an atmosphere impregnated with camphor. FUSTIAN. — A species of coarse cotton cloth, very similar in its manufacture to that of velvet, having in addition to the warp and woof a pile consisting of threads doubled to- gether and thrown in ridges, and presenting a smooth evenly-ribbed surface on the exterior. The best descriptions of this class of goods are known as cotton velvet, velveteen, and the like. Fustian is also used as a general term com- prehending a variety of cotton fabrics, as cor- duroy, jean, thickset, moleskin, and other stout cloths for wearing apparel. They are either plan or twilled ; and are strong, durable, and cheap. GAMBOGE GARDENING 237 GAMBOGE. — A gum resin exuded by a species of tree found chiefly in Cambodia, and of a brilliant yellow color. It is used chiefly as a pigment by painters ; but is sometimes pre- scribed medicinally. It is a very powerful cathartic, unless taken in excessive doses, when it causes vomiting and acute pain. On account of its rapid action, and producing watery evacu- ations, Gamboge is a drug of great importance in all cases of dropsy, apople.xy, and where a brisk effort and copious discharge from the bowels are required. It should never be taken, however, except as directd by a physician. GAME. — Under this head are included all the edible wild animals and wild fowl. No markets in the world are so abundantly suppli- ed with this species of food as the American, and it would take up too much space even to enumerate the various forms in which it appears. Each separate species is treated of in its prop- er place ; and we shall here only caU attention to the fact that white-meated game should be thoroughly cooked, and dark-meated eaten rare, and to the relation which Game in gen- eral bears to other foods. The point of con- trast between the flesh of wild animals and that of domesticated and artificially fed ones is the greater hardness and solidity of the flesh, the greater proportion of solid fibre to the juices, the less proportion of water and fat in the juices, and the greater proportion of lean to fat. Hence it follows that under the same circumstances (say when bo'ih the wild and the tame animals have been killed within a day) the mastication of the flesh of wild animals is less easy, the flavor is more concentrated, and the proportion of flesh-forming compounds is greater. They are therefore strong foods, and if well digested, are highly nutritious. Their decided flavor is also a recommendation to invalids or others who, being satiated with ordinary food, need something to stimulate defective appetite. For the difference bet\veen wild and domestic fowl, see Birds. Keeping Game not only renders it more ten- der, but brings out its flavor. If it be wrapped in a cloth moistened with pyroligneous acid and water in equal proportions, it will keep good for many days in the hottest weather ; this is better than putting it on ice. If there be any danger that the birds will not keep till a convenient time for dressing them, pick and draw them, wash them well in water, and rub them with salt ; plunge them singly into a large pot of boiling water, draw them up and down by the legs, to let the water pass through them ; after they have been in the water five minutes hang them up to dry in a cold place, sprinkle them with pepper, and salt well inside. By this means they may be kept a long time ; before dressing them, they must be washed in clear water. When feathered game has become tainted, pick and clean the birds as soon as possible, and immerse them in new milk. Let them remain in this till next day, when they will be quite sweet and fit for cooking. Birds should be hung up by the neck, and not by the feet, notwithstanding our artist having done it. GARDENING. — The practical directions concerning soil, drainage, etc., in the article on 238 GARLIC GAS Floriculture, apply equally to the garden designed for vegetables, and need not be re- peated here. The soil should be turned up as deep as the spade will reach as soon as the frost is out of the ground ; a liberal supply of manure should be forked in at a second work- ing ; and the garden should be laid out in such a manner that every portion can be reached easily without injuring the giants when in full growth. To plant garden seeds, lay across the beds a board about a foot wide and with a stick, make a furrow on each side of it, one inch deep. Scatter the seeds, say a dozen to a foot, in this furrow, and cover them ; then lay the board over them and step on it, to press down the earth, and to mark the next row. When the plants are an inch high, thin them out, leaving space proportioned to their sizes. Seeds of similar species, such as melons and squashes, should not be planted near together, as this causes them to degenerate by a cross-fertiliza- tion of their flowers. Neither should the same vegetables, with the exception of onions, be planted in the same place for two years in succession. The seeds of nearly all the early vegetables require to be started in a hot-bed {see Hot-bed). Full directions for culture are given under the name of each vegetable. (See Floriculture.) GARLIC. — A species of the onion, with a taste more acrimo- nious than any other, and an ex- tremely disagreeable smell. It is a native of Sicily, but now grows ^'throughout the world. Its culture is the same as that of the onion in all respects {see Onion). Garlic is extensively used as a seasoning herb on the Continent, and es- pecially in France, where it is con- sidered essential to many dishes. In this country it is used compara- tively little, though with the in- troduction of foreign methods of cookery its use is spreading. The root, which is the only part of the plant made use of, consists of a group of several bulbs, called cloves of garlic, enclosed in a single membranous skin. These are usually found strung in ropes or bunches, like onions ; and are in season throughout the year. Vinegar (Garlic). — On two ounces of garlic, peeled and bruised, pour a quart of the best vinegar; stop the jar or bottle close, and in a fortnight or three weeks the vinegar may be strained off for use. A few drops will give a sufficient flavor to a sauce or to a tureen of gravy. The garlic may be used in smaller or larger proportions, as a slighter or stronger flavor is desired, and may remain longer in the vinegar. GAS. — Gas is at once the cheapest and brightest of all generally employed artificial lights. Of its economy, as to the quantity of light, there can be no doubt ; for when gas is used regularly and properly attended to, an or- dinary burner consuming five cubic feet per hour, emits a light equal to si.xteen to twenty candles. The impression that it is expensive arises from the fact that persons who have been accustomed to using one, or at most, two candles in their apartment are seldom satisfied with the same quantity of light from their gas- burner when it can be so easily made to yield more. The very excellencies of gas in this re- spect are turned to bad account ; its high illuminating power leads to its use in excessive quantities ; and nearly every room in which gas is used is lighted far more brilliantly than when any other illuminating agent is relied upon, or than is at all necessary. The evils of this do not end with the increased expensiveness. The air is heated by the excessive combustion, and poisoned by large quantities of carbonic acid which there are no means of removing. The eye is unprotected from the glare by screen or shade, extraneous light is freely admitted, which obscures the impression and strains the nerve of vision, and in proportion as the sensi- bility of the eye is impaired, stronger light is used, which gives temporary relief, but with dan- ger of ultimate and permanent injury to the sight. The use of gaslight also greatly height- ens the necessity for effective ventilation of the house, for it generates poison exactly in proportion to its brilli.ancy. On all accounts the excessively bright illumination to which the use of gas has led is to be deplored ; the estab- lished rule should be that in an ordinary apart- ment no more than one burner should be kept lighted except under special circumstances. The light obtained from a given quantity of gas depends largely upon the kind of burner. Various burners are now in use. They are usually designated by some term signifying the kind of opening at which the gas escapes. Thus we have the argand burner, with a circle of Fig. 3. Fig. 4. holes as in Fig. 8, named from analogy with the argand lamp; the yfj-Zz/a// burner, where the gas escapes by two holes inclined toward one an- other (Figs. 2 and 4); the balwinghurner, where the orifice is simply a slit (Figs, i and 3). The size of the orifice is adapted for different amounts of gas per hour ; then we have 3-foot, 4 GAS 239 / ,.- — --^tcf per'hOVJ?.: ., I / 3 FEET PER HOUR. 1 f 2 FEET \ \ i PER HOUR. i \ . I \ ^ \ \ ( ^ ; / \ \ \ I 1 FOOT i / / ' \ \ \ PER HOUR. / / / , \ \ \ •> / / / / / / Rate of consumption from a 5-foot burner. It will be observed that in turning down, the illumination decreases more rapidly than the consumption. foot, 7-foot etc., burners. The jet is either of brass or of steatite (soapstone) ; the latter, though the first cost is greater, are really more econom- ical as they do not clog with rust. Many burners are what are called " check " burners ; in these the gas passes through two openings, an interior and exterior one. The interior opening at the base of the burner is smaller than the visible exterior one, and as a result the gas escapes and burns at a lower pressure than could be otherwise obtained, Figs. 6 and 7 repre- sent bases for check burners. Regulator burners contain a mechanical arrangement in which the flow of gas through them is regulated, in proportion to the pres- sure that no more than a given amout of gas Fig. 6. Fig. 7- maybe burned in them,and the light is kept steady, Such burners are , however, liable to get out of order. A batswing, fish tail or argand jet.may be used in a check or regulator burner. The most economical burner giving the maximum of light for the amount of gas consumed is the argand burner. These, however, require a chimney which with its liability to break, and necessity for constant cleaning, is objectionable. Moreover, these burners are more susceptible to the inev- itable variations in pressure of the gas reaching our dwellings. A batswing check burner is more advantageous for simplicity ; but the breadth of the flame would prevent its being used when globes are employed, for the flame would come so near the glass as to endanger it. In such a case a check fishtail or argand burner Fig. 8. should be used. The most perfect burner yet constructed is Suggs' London burner (Fig. 8). This burner is used in the tests made upon 240 GAS. gas. The maximum illuminating power is obtained when the flame is just on the verge of smoking. The loss of light by the use of shades, chim- neys, etc., is very considerable and largely due to the conversion of light into heat. The follow- ing numbers, selected from the results of Wilham King, of Liverpool, and Prof. F. H. Storer, of Boston, are a sufficient illustration : — Thickness of Loss of glass. light, 10.57 29.48 52.82 55-85 1-3 inch. 6-15 8-61 Description of glass Clear glass (King) . Ground glass " . . Smooth opal " . • . Ground opal " . . . Thick English plate (Storer) Crystal plate " English Crown " Double English window •' Double German (Belgian) Storer, Single German (Belgian) " Double " (Belgian) ground (Storer) Sinde " " " " 1-16 Berkshire, Mass. ground (Storer) i-66 Orange-colored window glass (Storer) Purple " " " " Ruby " " " " Green " " " " A porcelain transparency . Prob.ibly many of our readers have been frequently annoyed while engaged in study, writing, or in some evening occupation, by a sudden flaring up of the gas, accompanied with a sharp hissing sound. This is caused by an unnecessary force or pressure and causes a large waste of gas. This cannot be remedied effectually by the simple change of burners, but requires a self-acting cock which will regulate the pressure and maintain an even amount of 1-8 1-8 1-8 1-8 1-6 1-8 1-16 1-8 1-16 1-16 1. 16 13.08 6.39 13.00 4.27 62.34 65.74 62.74 3448 35-n 89-62 81.97 97.68 Fig. 9- force. Frost's Gas Regulator (Fig. 9) has been practically tested by the writer in his home and has been found to distribute to each light enough gas to supply the orifice and adapt itself to all alike as they are opened or shut off. The conical valve is connected with the diaphragm, which, when raised by pressure of the gas, raises the valve and vice versa. If the diaphragm is raised too easily, a slight weight can be laid upon it by taking off the top. Every housekeeper is aware of the annoyance and danger attendant upon the use of matches, and we therefore mention in this connection a very ingenious little invention, also success- fully used by the writer, known as the Stock- Fig, 10. well Self-Lighting Burner. It consists of a burner to the lower part of which is attached a circular chamber provided with a swinging cover, within and fitting against the wall of this compartment is a disk rotated by the key, the projecting spindle of which holds a coil of paper. Fig. 11, con- 1 taining 135 dots of fulmi- nating compound. A (Fig. ro) is a bent piece of met- al, the lower portion of which so joins the disk thatthe motion of the key Fi-. ,,. causes it to ascend or descend, while its upper portion presses against the tape. As the key is turned, the piece A pushes back the hammer B, until the bend at C is reached when the hammer is released and springs forward strik- ing one of the fulminating dots which explodes and lights the gas. There is nothing about the device to get out of order and no skill is required to operate it, as it works automatically through turning the same key which must be moved to turn on the gas. There is no chance of lighting the fulminate save by the operation specified and the arrangement is such that the hammer does not fall until just as the key is placed so as to turn the gas fully on, which insures ignition. It is very safe and handy in closets, cellars, and all places where the gas is used occasionally. Dr. Arnott, a well-known English writer on GAS GENTIAN 241 the subject, suggests the following rules for using gas : — i. Have the apparatus made by competent workmen. 2. If any leak be ]3er- ceivcd, turn off the meter. Have it promptly attended to, and open the doors or windows to prevent accumulation. 3. On no account carry a light of any kind where there is a smell of gas. 4. Have rooms in which gas is burnt ventilated from near the ceiling. To these may be added: — 5. If the gas flickers noisily, turn it lower to save both the eyes and the gas and to prevent smoke. If turning lower does not produce a steady flame, probably the burner is worn out and economy requires a fresh one. 6. At least once a year make the rounds of the burners in frequent use and substitute fresh ones for those worn out. Any man who uses gas ought to be able, if disposed, to keep a pair of pliers, and do this himself. 7. Use one large burner rather than two small ones. You get more light for the money. 8. If the gas gen- erally "goes up and down," water in the pipes is indicated. This is apt to come from con- densation outside the house, in cold weather. Notify the company to pump it out. Some- times water will thus accumulate at the bottom of a bend in the pipe operating as a sort of trap, and shut off the gas entirely. {St-e Meter.) GAUFFERING. — This is done with a pair of light tongs, about the size of a pair of shears, with the blades nearly round. The frill, wrong side upwards, is held on the edge of the iron- ing cloth with the left hand, while the right, taking the gauffering-iron, properly heated, seizes hold of the frill well in the gathers, with the left blade under and the right over it, after which with a slight twist from left to right, two flutes in opposite directions are made by one action, the fingers of the left hand pressing the adjacent part of the frill against the cloth, thus resisting the twist of the iron, and causing it to smooth and round out the flutes. As the irons cool very rapidly, two or three must be kept heated, placing them on the ironing-stove or in the fire ; use them of about the same degree of heat as ordinary irons. GAUZE. — .An extremely light and trans- parent fabric of silk, very loosely woven, the threads being all at some distance from each other. Common gauze is cotton, plain, striped, or figured, and can be gotten from a yard to two yards wide. In the best kind the figure is formed of silk ; a sort with flowers of gold is brought from China. Lisse Gauze, is a plain but superior kind. Craped Lisse Gauze is crimped or craped. Gossamer is a very rich gauze used for veils ; it is four times as thick and strong as the com- mon gauze, though nearly as open in its te.K- ture. It may be had four and five quarters wide. GELATINE, (Cooper's Isinglass and Gelatine.) — This is made from the sinews of the feet of calves and cattle. They pass through a tedious process of preparation for some months. In the last process, before melting, they are transferred every day, for nearly two weeks, from one vat of clean water 16 to another. It is said that Coxe's gelatine is made from the clippings of skins ; it cannot be made from hoofs, as some suppose. Russian isinglass is made simply by drying the sounds of fish. It was formerly u.s'cd for jellies, blanc- mange, &c., but Co.\c's gelatine, and Cooper's gelatine and isinglass, are found so exxellent, and are so much cheaper, that it is now but rarely used for these purposes. The Russian isinglass costs from six to seven dollars a pound ; Cooper's isinglass costs but ninety cents. The shreds of gelatine are not so fine as those of Russian isinglass, inasmuch as the gelatine having no cellular membrane to hold it together, will not cohere sufficiently to allow of the same degree of subdivisions as isinglass. Of the gelatines or Cooper's isinglass, one ounce is sufficient for a quart of jelly or blanc- mange ; more is often used, but it takes very much from the delicacy of the preparation. Gelatine and Russian isinglass may be distin- guished from each other by the following directions : — The shreds of isincflass when dissolved in cold water become white, opaque, soft and swollen ; the swelling is equal in all directions, and under the microscope they appear quadrangular. In boiling they dissolve nearly without residue. The smell of the dis- solved isinglass, when hot, is somewhat fishy, but not unpleasant. The moistened shreds, or the solution, exhibit to test-paper a neutral, or faintly alkaline, and rarely a slightly acid, reac- tion. ' The shreds of gelatine, on the contrary, when placed in cold water, swell up, acquire in- creased transparency, and become translucent and glass-like. The form which they take in swell- ing is not regular hke that of isinglass, but they become expanded, fiat, and ribbon-like, the broad surfaces corresponding to the incised margins. The dry threads on the uncut surfaces frequently present a peculiar shining lustre, not unlike that of tinsel. In boiling water the shreds do not entirely dissolve, but in most cases a copious deposit LiUs to the bottom of the glass. The smell of the hot infusion is like that of glue, and therefore disagreeable. The moistened filaments or the solution of gelatine usually exhibit a strong acid reaction to test- paper ; this, in some cases, is due to the sub- stances used in bleaching it, and is not neces- sarily indicative of anything deleterious. GENTIAN. — An herb growing wild in the Alps, Apennines, and Pyrenees, and repre- sented by one or two species in the United States. The root is much employed in medi- cine. It is cylindrical, ringed, and more or less branched ; and is sold in a dried state, in pieces varying from a few inches to more than a foot in length, and from half an inch to two inches in thickness. Gentian is an excellent tonic bitter, and not being astringent, is often used in diseases of the digestive organs, in cases of general debil- ity, and as a febrifuge. It can be administered in the form of an infusion, an extract, or a tinc- ture — the two latter are sold in the drug-stores. Only small quantities of the infusion should be 242 GERANIUM GERMAN SILVER made at any one time, as it ferments rapidly and spoils. GERANIUM.— This most popular of plants, is also one of the easiest to cultivate. Plants of any kind, and in every stage of growth, can be gotten of florists ; and these may be propa- gated to any extent by cuttings, with little or no trouble. Take the cuttings in June or July irom the healthiest plants ; plant them in small pots filled with a compost of loam and sand, having one or two inches of the former on the top of the pot. Insert the cutting firmly about half its length, and keep the sand sopping wet until it has rooted ; when one or two leaves are developed, transplant it into a larger pot filled with good rich loam mixed liberally with manure, and by November you will have vigorous plants for house culture. In the open border, a rich light loam will grow geraniums to perfection, and the soil fresh from the woods and pastures is best of all ; persons in the country can obtain this by lifting the sods from cow or sheep pastures, and taking the earth from under them. Liquid manure applied twice a week during the summer will cause them to bloom profusely. The shrubby kinds of geraniums are the most tender, and when placed out of doors, should be defended from strong winds, and be so placed as to enjoy the sun until eleven o'clock in the morning. As the shrubby kinds grow fast, so as to fill the pots with their roots, and push them through the opening at the bottom, they should be moved every two or three weeks in summer, and the fresh roots cut off. They should also, be newly potted twice in the summer ; once about a month after they are placed out of doors, and again towards the end of August. When this is done, all the roots outside the earth should be pared off, and as much of the old earth removed as can be done without injuring the plants. Thev should then be planted in a larger pot ; some fresh earth should first be laid at the bottom, and on that the plant should be placed so that the old earth adhering to it may be about an inch below the rim of the pot; it should next be filled up, and the pot slightly shaken; the earth must then be gently pressed down at the top, leaving out a little space for water to be given without runnmg over the rim ; finally, the plant should be liberally watered, and the stem fastened to a stake, to prevent the wind dis- placing the roots before they are newly fixed. As the branches grow, and new leaves are formed at the top of them, the lower ones may die, and should be plucked off every week. Geraniums, except the shrubby kinds, require shelter from frost only, and should have free air admitted to them, when the weather is not very severe. In sultry weather, they should all be watered liberally every morning, except some few of a succulent nature, which must be watered sparingly; the latter may be known by plucking a leaf from them. During the winter, geraniums are usually kept as house plants, and are unsurpassed for this purpose ; but they can also be preserved in this way : — Dig them up before the first frost Mights their leaves, and after cutting away all the tender shoots and buds, and shaking the earth from their roots, hang them up in a dark, cool, dry cellar, heads downward. In the spring, they can be brought to light, the branches trimmed off, and planted in boxes in a warm kitchen. They will soon put forth leaves and be ready to transplant to the garden. Double Geraniums. — These do not drop their leaves like the single varieties, and their clusters of flowers— of all shades of scarlet and pink — are of an immense size. They flourish better if partially shaded from the in- tense heat of the noonday sun, and will bloom until the first frost comes. Choice varieties are: — Crown Prince, brightest rose color; Eiiiile Lcinoine, cherry-carmine, Gloire de Doubles, cerise with white centre (finest of all); Gloire de A'ancy, brilliant scarlet ; Marie Le- inoine, rosy-pink. S'weet-scented Geraniums. — These are in- dispensable for bouquets and vases. Formerly, the Rose and the Oak-leaved were the only kind commonly cultivated, but now there are more than a dozen fine varieties. The following are the best : — Denticulatura j Graveolus ; Lady Plytnoutli ; Odoratissimiim ; Shrtibland Pet. Zonale Geraniums. — These are admirable in coloring, and of very free growth ; their trusses of flowers are five to si.x inches in diam- eter, and are of all shades, from the most dazzling crimson and brightest rose, to the purest white. Choice varieties are : — Blue Bells, magenta pink ; Christine, rose pink ; Coleshill, scarlet, enormous flowers ; Giant de Battailcs, dark crimson ; General Gratit, daz- zling scarlet ; Incomparable, striped ; Kitig of Roses, scarlet, shaded to magenta ; Madame Werle, white, with pink centre : Maid of Kent, richest pink ; Mrs. Keeler. peach blossom hue ; Peine des J-^V;;i^^j-, pure white ; IVarrior, inteast scarlet. Lilliputian Zonales, or Tom Thumb Geran- iums, are dwarfs, growing from six to ten or twelve inches high; they are very stocky, and their flowers are fully equal in size and beauty of coloring to those of the larger kinds. Desir- able varieties are -.—Baby Boy, scarlet, with white eye ; Little Dear, delicate rose, spotted white ; Little Gem, brilliant vermilion, white centre ; Pretty Jemima, scarlet with white centre. GERMAN SILVER.— The best ware of this material resembles silver, and is equally durable. It is verv cheap, and, when properly taken care of and kept bright, looks very well. After using, it should be put immediately into hot water, washed well, and wiped dry with a soft cloth. Once a week it should be washed in soap-suds, and then cleaned with whatever is used for cleaning silver-ware. Should it be- come discolored or spotted by vinegar or other acids, wash it first, and then clean it with sweet oil and powdered rotten-stone. If the ware has become very much discolored, mix a quarter of GERMAN STUDENT LAMP 243 a pint of vinegar with half an ounce each of alum and cream of tartar; add to this a pint of boiling water, dip the plate into the mixture, and rub it dry. holding it above the holder X so that any ofl which may escape drops into this holder ; re- place it in the holder X. To put on the wick. German Student Lamp {or St. Germain). — This favorite and really e.xcellent lamp is constructed on the same principle as the Ar- gand Lamp. {See Argand). Its peculiarity is that the fountain of oil (A)., is placed on the side of the centre piece higher up than the wick with a self-acting valve H, by which the reservoir X is fed from it. For study, sevvJing, or any work requiring a concentrated light this lamp is unequalled. It gives a very soft, bril- liant and steady light, and, with ordinary care, will emit neither smell nor smoke. To fill the lamp take out the holder, A, invert it and pour in the oil till it reaches the valve H ; then pull take off the chimney-holder F, take out the cylinder C, take out the smallest cylinder D, up the valve by means of the wire B, invert it, tie the wick at the base of Cylinder D, then re- place the cylinder D in the large one C, taking care to push it down as far as the point E. Replace everything as before, the large cylin- der C having the brass catches G up, and the ring E down ; To raise the wick turn the chimney-holder. ■244 GHERKIN GINGER The wick should be trimmed regularly. If a crust has formed, do not disturb it, but only remove any little point or unevenness that may occur; do not use the scissors unless the wick, through uneven draft, should have coaled or charred unevenly. By this method you will have an even flame, and the wick will last mucli longer than when cut frequently. If your lamp should make a humming noise, which is caused by the shank of the chimney being of the wrong length, raise the chimney slightly, or change it for one with a longer shank. Use kerosene or spirits in place of water for cleaning chimneys. The brass part of the lamp may be cleaned with Vienna lime and kerosene, and polished with rouge. Some lamps are made to burn sperm, lard, or olive oils. Those made for heavy oils will not burn kerosene, and vice versa. A kero- sene lamp, with one-twelfth or one-eighth of a heavier oil mi.xed with kerosene, is all that can be desired. GHERKIN. — A very small species of the cucumber — it is sometimes called "Jamaica cucumber." The fruit is oval in shape, and of a light green color, about the size of a common egg-plum, and thickly covered on the outside with prominent flesh species or prickles. When cut its smell is like that of a cucumber, and it is very full of small seeds. Gherkins are used only for pickles, and for this purpose are excel- lent. They are not much cultivated here, but may generally be found in the markets in August and September. The method of rais- ing them is the same in all respects as that for raising cucumbers. (See Pickles.) GIBLETS. — These include the heads, neck, gizzards, livers, legs, and ends of wings of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other birds, tame or wild. They are used for stewing, fric- assee, soups, pot-pie, and gravies. Prepare them thus : — After carefully plucking and singeing those that are covered with skin, cut off the beak, take out the eyes, and split the head in two ; cut the neck into not less than three pieces ; chop the wings across in two ; skin the feet, by scalding, and cut off the claws ; cut the heart in two ; cut the gizzard, after skinning and cleaning, into four pieces ; leave the liver as it is. Place them in a bowl or pan, pour boiling water and a little salt on them, let them stand five or six minutes, then wash and drain them, and they will be ready for cooking. (See Pies, and Soups.) Fricasseed Giblets. — Put a piece of butter or lard in a stew-pan, and set it on a good fire ; when melted, sprinkle into it, little by little, a teaspoonful of flour ; stir together, and when of a brownish color add a gill of broth, the same quantity of warm water, a sprig of pars- ley, a pinch of grated nutmeg, two small onions, salt and pepper, and lastly the giblets. Cook for about two hours. Dish the pieces, strain the sauce, mix with the yolk of an egg well-beaten, and pour it over the giblets ; then serve. Stewed Giblets. — Prepare them as above. Put them in a stew-pan with a small quantity of water, season with onion, sweet herbs, a very small piece of mace, salt and pepper, and stew slowly for i-wo or three hours. Before serving give them one boil with a teacupful of cream, and a tablespoonful of butter rubbed in a tea- spoonful of flour. GIDDINESS. {See Vertigo.) GILLIFLOWER. — The annual varieties of the Gilliflower are very pretty summer bloom- ing plants. The seeds should be sown in a hot-bed in April, and when the frost is well out of the ground, transplant them to the gar- den. Select a showery day ; or transplant after nightfall, water freely, and protect from the sun next day. The removal must be made very carefully, for they bear it poorly, owing to their long, fibreless roots. The flowers are white, purple, red, and yellow all summer. GILT FRAMES. — To protect from flies. (See Frames.) GIMP. — A kind of silk, woollen, or cotton twist, often with a metallic wire, or sometimes a coarse thread, running through it. It comes of various widths, woven in a variety of pat- terns and colors, and is much used as a trim- ming for dresses, furniture, etc. The worsted is the most durable, but the silk is the richest. GIN. — An ardent spirit, formerly made by fermenting juniper berries, but now produced chiefly from corn, wheat, barley, or some other grain. Hollands is a variety of corn spirit, flavored with juniper berries ; and English gin consists generally of plain corn spirit flavored with oil of turpentine and a small quantity of other substances. American gin varies in flavor with every distiller. Probably nothing used as a food by man is liable to greater and more injurious adulterations than gin ; and the difficulty of getting it free from any poisonous drug should induce every one to abstain from its use. Julep (Gin). — Take one gill of gin, half a gill of maraschino, four sprigs of mint, and one pint of pounded ice ; shake together, sweeten with a spoonful of sugar, and as the ice melts, drink the julep with a straw. GINGER. — The ginger of commerce is the root of a plant (the Zingiber officinale) which is cultivated in Asia, Africa, and the tropical parts of America, the largest supply being furnish- ed by the West Indies. There are two kinds of ginger, but the difference consists chiefly in the mode of preparing it. White ginger is com- posed of the best pieces, from which the outer skin has been stripped off; they are then well washed and dried in the sun : it breaks with a fibrous fracture, and is the strongest and best flavored. Black ginger is an inferior kind, which is only scalded before being dried. Preserved _<^z«(^(.'r comes from the West Indies. It is made by scalding the roots when they are young and full of sap ; then peeling them in cold water, and putting them into jars with a rich syrup, in which state we receive them. It should be chosen of a high yellow color with a GINGHAM GLADIOLUS 245 little transparency ; that wliich is darlc-color- ed, fibrous, and stringy is not good. Ginger is one of tlie most agreeable and wholesome of spices ; it is stimulating to the digestive organs, and much less hurtful than pepper. As a medicine it is higlily useful, and an essence or essential oil of ginger is prepared as a more convenient mode of administering it. Ground ginger is frequently adulterated with wheat flour, potato flour, sago, cayenne pepper, and turmeric powder, none of which are prejudi- cial to health, but which detract greatly from its usefulness as a spice. It is best to buy it in the roots, and prepare it for use at home. (See Cake, and Cordial.) Essence of Gin. — Mix four ounces of pow- dered ginger with a quart of gin; let it stand ten days, shaking it up every day. This is an excellent stomachic, relieving flatulence, and aiding slow digestion. Dose : A teaspoonful in a glass of cold water. Ginger-pop.— Put into an earthen pot two pounds of loaf sugar, two ounces of cream tar- tar, two ounces of best ginger bruised, and two lemons cut into slices. Pour over them three gallons of boiling water; when lukewarm, toast a slice of bread, spread it thickly with yeast, and put it into the liquor ; mix with it also the whites of two eggs and their crushed shells. Let it stand till next morning ; then strain and bottle. It will be ready for use in three or four days. Mock Ginger. — Boil, as if for the table, small, tender, white carrots ; scrape them until free from all spots, and take out the hearts. Steep them in water, changing it every day, until all vegetable flavor has left them. To every pound of carrot so prepared add one quart of water, two pounds of loaf sugar, two ounces of whole ginger, and the shred rind of a lemon . Boil for a quarter of an hour every day, until the carrots clear; and, when nearly done, add red pepper to taste. This will be found equal to West India preserved ginger. Wine (Ginger). — Ta/t^ .-Water, i gall; loaf sugar, 3 lbs; ginger, i oz; raisins % 'b ; one lemon, and one orange ; isinglass, I oz ; yeast, I tablespoonful. Boil the sugar and water a quarter of an hour, then take a little of it to boil with the ginger and peel of the lemon and orange for one hour. When nearly cold, mix the two togeth- er, and put in the juice of the orange and lemon, with one ounce of isinglass and a table- spoonful of yeast. Lastly, after twenty-four hours, pour the whole into a small cask, let it remain six weeks, then rack carefully ; let it remain another month, and bottle. This is an excellent reeeipt. GINGER BEER. {See Beer.) GINGERBREAD. {See Cake.) GINGHAM.^ — A thin cotton fabric, general- ly of a check pattern, which is produced, not by dyeing or stamping tlie manufactured material, but by interweaving the colored threads. There are various kinds and qualities of gingham, bearing different names ; " umbrella gingham " is woven with threads all of Uie same color. Gingham is generally a yard wide. GLADIOLUS.— This has of late years be- come the chief favorite among the bulbous plants, and a few at least of its numberless varieties should find a place in every garden. It has become a regular "florist's flower," and good varieties can be purchased at from $1.50 to $3.00 per dozen. To grow the bulbs in per- fection they should be planted in a sandy loam, enriched with peat and leaf-mould ; a mixture of one-half loam, one-quarter peat, and one- quarter leaf-mould will prove the best soil. If strong manures are used, they cause the colors of the flowers to run into each other, and give them a muddy appearance. They may be planted in the open air during April or May. Plant in groups or singly; groups of three or five is the prettiest way. They should be set from two to four inches deep, according to the size of the bulbs. As they grow up they should be tied to a light stake, three to four feet long, which should be set when the bulbs are planted. Gladioli show to excellent advantage when planted around rose bushes or large shrubs ; they bloom late in the season when most other flowers are passed, and if properly trained pro- duce a charming effect. They are also very nice plants for house culture; six or eight bulbs can be grown in a twelve inch pot, and each kind tied to a thin stake. They will bloom finely. If the stalks are cut off for vases or bouquets, they will continue to bloom for a week or two, sending forth fresh flowers daily. The gladiolus may be propagated by seed ; the sowing should be in the fall, as soon as the seeds are gathered, or in February, March, or April, in peaty soil, in a frame covered with glass to exclude the frost, or in pots or pans, well drained. The seeds should be barely covered. The young bulbs require the same attention as the older plants, but as they do not bloom until the third summer, it is more con- venient and satisfactory as a general thing to buy the bulbs of the florist. They increase very rapidly ; from one bulb, two or three will spring. The gladiolus will not survive our northern winters, and must always be kept in a cool dry place. When the frost has killed the leaves, dig up the bulbs, dry them in the sun, cut off the leaves an inch from the stem, and put the bulbs in a paper bag. Kept in a frost-proof cellar, they will retain all their life, and may be planted out in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground. There are three species, however, (G. Bv^antinitm, Covnnintcs, and Ro- seus,) which are tolerably hardy, and if once planted in the open border will flower well year after year with little attention. Bulbs of these varieties should be planted in November, and need no protection ; though they must be planted deep enough to escape severe frosts and to avoid being thawed out of the ground. The varieties of the gladiolus are almost numberless and nearly all are worthy of culti- vation. Long hsts are given in the florists' 246 GLASSWARE GLUE catalogues, and these may be consulted ; but Mr. Rand suggests that for a dozen choice varieties one should choose : Surprise, clear red; Lord Campbell, splendid yellow ; Viilcain, dark scarlet; Plcuton, clear red, shading to pure wliite ; Celine, rosy white, with amaranthine lines ; Ophir, straw color, mottled with purple, La Quintaine peach cherry; Raphael, deep cherry, lighted with white; Rembrandt, vivid scarlet; Isolinc, white, shading to pink ; Jeanne d'Arc,pnre white, rose-tipped petals; Princess ClothiUie, rose,with cherry markings ; and Count de Morny, deep, cherry crimson, with white lines. For the same number of cheaper sorts he recommends : Penelope^ rosy whits ; Goliah, rose cherry; Aristotle, rose, marbled with red; Empress white, marked with pale pink; Jatiire cherry with white; Nemesis, cherry, clouded with white ; Hebe, clear rose ; Fanny Rouget, carmine and flesh color ; Sulphurcus, sulphur yellow; Archimides, rosy red; Vesta, pure white with purple lines ; and Don Juan, deep red, with faint white lines. The following, he says, should be in every collection, however small : Count de Morny, La Poussin, Brcuchley- ensis, I 'esta, Penlope, Hebe, P teuton, Calypso, Vulcain, Madame de Vatry. GLANDERS. (.S^^-^ Horse.) GLASS — Glass is commonly classified as follows: bottle glass, window glass, plate glass, flint glass, crystal, strass, enamel. The prin- cipal ingredients are silica, lime, soda, potash, and oxide of lead; and the various kinds are made by varying the ingredients and their proportions. The coloring matters are metal- lic oxides. Many different substances will attack one or another of the substances in glass, and in time change its color or texture. Glass that loses its polish when heated will be affected by acids. Attempts have been made to produce a glass which will not break; but thus far the only result is a glass which stands heavy blows so long as it is tree from scratches and bruises. If the minutest corner be broken, the whole instantly flies into fragments. Blue Glass There is just now a furor about blue glass as a promoter of health. It is claimed that it intercepts certain rays of the sunlight, and transmits others. But it remains to be proved that this is of any benefit to ani- mal or vegetable life. To Clean Cut Glass Wash it in warm water, and let it dry thoroughly; then polish with a soft brush and prepared chalk. GLAZE. — This is merely strong, clear gravy or animal jelly boiled down to the consistency of thin cream ; but this reduction must be care- fully managed that the glaze may be brought to the proper point without being burned ; it must be attentively watched, and stirred without be- ing quitted for a moment from the time of its beginning to thicken ; when it has reached the proper degree of boiling, it will jelly in dropping from the spoon, like preserves, and should then be poured out immediately, or it will burn. When wanted for use, melt it gently by placing the vessel which contains it in a pan of boiling water, and with a paste-brush lay it on the meat, upon which it will form a sort of clear varnish. 1 n consequence of the very great reduction which it undergoes, salt should be added to it spar- ingly when it is made. Any kind of stock may be boiled down to glaze ; but unless it be strong, a pint will afford but a spoonful or two : a small quantity of it, however, is generally sufficient, unless a large repast is to be served. Two or three layers must be given to each joint. The glaze, when cold, becoming a jelly, gives a rich and savory appearance to the articles which it envelops. GLAZING. — The glaze for meats is made as above. A beaten egg, or syrup, or jelly, or egg Glazing Pot. and sugar, etc., is used to glaze cakes, and pas- try. Gla::ing is done with a brush or with feathers ; dip the brush into the egg or jelly and spread it on the cake or other object as di- rected in the different receipts. It is also done Glazing Brus'a. by sifting powdered sugar on cakes which are put back into the oven for a short time — till the sugar is melted. GLOVES. — Light kid gloves may be cleaned by rubbing them thoroughly with magnesia, moist bread, or India rubber; Indian meal is also good. Or, lay them on a clean towel, rub them with a piece of flannel dipped in hot, strong lather of white soap, till the dirt is removed, using as little water as possible. Hang them up at a distance from the fire to dry gradually, and after they are quite dry, pull out the shrivels and stretch them on the hand. If so badly soiled that they cannot be cleaned, sew up the tops of the gloves and rub them over with a sponge dipped in a decoction of saf- fron and water. The gloves will be yellow or brown, according to the strength of the decoc- tion. (See Cleaning and Dyeing.) GLUE. — A common substance for cementing, made of the skins and gelatinous parts of ani- mals, boiled to a thick jelly, and then formed into a solid mass by spreading it out in thin layers upon a net and drying it until it is quite Ihard, iu which state it is sold. Good glue is of GLYCERINE GOLD-FISH 247 a light brown color, semi-transparent, and free from waves or cloudy lines. When desired for use it should be broken into small pieces and placed in a vessel containing sufficient water to cover it, in which it will soften and swell ; then set this vessel into another one containing water in which are placed a few pebbles or nails to prevent the bottoms of the two vessels from coming in contact ; set this over the fire, and when the glue is dissolved and has boiled a few minutes, it is ready for use. It must be kept hot while using it. GLYCERINE. — When an alkali is added to oils and fats, the fatty acids combine with the alkali and form soaps. At the same time gly- cerine is formed ; easily soluble in water or alco- hol, it has scarcely any perceptible smell, and only a sweet, and rather insipid taste. It forms a moist and pleasant covering for the skin in many of its diseases. Its healing, as well as pro- tective, properties render it peculiarly applicable as a dressing for bruised or excoriated surfaces, such as burns or scalds, to which it may be ap- plied with a camel's hair brush. Where there is harshness, dryness, or a scurfy state of the skin, a lotion composed of one part glycerine to fifteen parts of plain water, or elder-fiower water, is very serviceable. Glycerine soap is also excellent for all these purposes ; and a sah'e for chapped hands, cracked lips, etc., may be made as follows ; dissolve one ounce of powdered borax in one ounce of rose-water, and add half an ounce of glycerine ; melt one drachm of spermaceti in the same quantity of olive oil and ten drachms of pure lard ; add the latter to the former mixture little by little, stirring all the time, and continuing to do so until nearly cold. In deafness and other affections of the ear glycerine has also been found serviceable. In many cases of dysentery it is often adminis- tered both as a medicine and as an emetic ; for the former mix twelve drachms of glycerine in three ounces of orange-flower water and three ounces of plain water : dose, two tablespoon- fuls every hour ; for the latter, add one ounce of glycerine to five ounces of a decoction of bran or linseed, and take twice a day. GOAT-FLESH. — This is very commonly eaten in Switzerland and other mountainous parts of the world ; but though occasionally found in our markets can scarcely be reckoned among the articles of food used generally in this country. In its general characters, goat-flesh resembles mutton, but it is harder and tougher and has a stronger flavor, so that it is seldom preferred to it. According to Dr. Smith, how- ever, it is much more nutritious than mutton, so far as nitrogenous or flesh-forming elements are concerned, but is inferior in the carbona- ceous or fat forming elements. The flesh of the kid is more esteemed than that of the goat ; it has a flavor not unlike that of venison. Cook in the same way as mutton or lamb. GOITRE. — An enlargement of the thyroid gland, occasioning a swelling of the throat, ■which frequently attains a very large size. It is not inflammatory or malignant in char- acter, is free from pain, and generally of the natural color of the skin. At first the tumor is soft and el.astic, but as it increases in .size it becomes hard and firm. Its size sometimes becomes so great as not only to be a serious inconvenience, but even to impede respiration and obstruct the voice. Goitre is endemic or common in certain regions of the world, such as Switzerland, Savoy, and the Tyrol, in Europe, and certain portions of the Andes and J-Iima- layas ; but to what peculiarity of these regions it is owing is very uncertain, though it is gen- erally attributed to a calcareous impregnation of the water. It also occurs hereditarily, inde- pendent of endemic influence. It is much more common among females than males, and usually occurs about the age of puberty. Treatment. — Iodine is the great remedy for this disease, either administered internally in small doses for a long time, or applied exter- nally in the form of an ointment or of the tinc- ture painted over it every night. GOLD-FISH. — The extreme elegance of form of gold-fish, the splendor of their scaly covering, the ease and agility of their move- ments, and the facility with which they may be kept alive in very small vessels, render them very popular household pets. Though the fish are seen to best advantage when kept in glass globes, yet these globes are very unsuitable dwellings for them. Fish require abundance of air ; and scarcely any other vessel than a globul.ar one contains so much water with so little exposure to the air. They also require shade when they feel the want of it ; and it need scarcely be said that all day long a glass globe is in a blaze of light. Further, the water in a globe must be changed daily; consequent- ly the fish must be lifted out either by the hand or a small net, and it is utterly impossible to handle these delicate creatures without injur- ing them at one time or another. Where there can be a contrivance made for letting in a flow of water, be it ever so small, say a drop a minute, in and out of the vessel containing the fish, the water will not require to be changed ; and a small water plant, say the very curious valUsneria spiralis, would afford the required shade. But as a globe is always the most popu- lar domicile for these fish, we may give a few directions as to how they should be treated in it. When purchasing a globe, select as wide- mouthed a one as can be had, and subse- quently never fill it more than three-fourths full of water; by these means you will secure as much air for the fish as is possible under the circumstances. Keep the globe also in the most airy part of the room, never letting it be in the sun or near the fire. Change the water daily, and handle the fish tenderly in doing so. Never give the fish any food ; all they require when in a globe is plenty of fresh water and fresh air — they will derive sufficient nutriment from the animalcute contained in the water. Many gold-fish are killed by having bread given to them. They eat it eagerly, but the uneaten 248 GOLD-LACE GOOSEBERRY crumbs immediately turn sour and deteriorate the water to an extent which makes it unfit to sustain life. Two diseases, being the most frequent, may be pointed out as the ones to which gold-fish are most fatally liable. Sometimes a fish seems less lively than usual, and, on a close inspec- tion, will have a sort of mealy look, and, in a day or two, this mealiness will turn out to be a parasitical fungus. There are several reputed remedies for this very mysterious disease, but there is absolutely nothing for it but to take the fish, at the first appearance of the disease, and throw it away, for it will not recover, and it will only infect the others. We would, how- ever, advise the inexperienced gold-fish keeper, whenever a fish seems unhealthy, to place it by itself for a few days : he will then see whether the fungus makes its appearance ; if not, the fish may recover, and be returned to the globe. The other disease is apparently an affection of the air-bladder, arising from being supplied with too little air. When under the influence of this disease, the fish swims sideways, with its body bent as if its back were broken, and in a short time dies. Whenever these symptoms are observed, the fish should be placed in a large tub of water, and a small stream of water allowed to drop into it. The water, through dropping, becomes more aerated, and the fish, thus receiving an abundant supply of air, will frequently recover. GOLD-LACE, (to clean.) — Burn some rock alum ; then powder it very fine and sift it. Dip a clean soft brush into the powdered alum and rub the gold-lace with it very briskly ; after- wards wipe it with a clean soft flannel. Gold embroidery may be brightened in the same manner. GOOSE. — Among the best breeds of geese for the table are the Bremen, Chinese, and African. Hybrids are also highly prized for their superior size and flesh. Though greatly relished by some, the goose is seldom a favorite food, and is generally considered very poor eating. The flesh abounds in flavor, and is said to be highly stimulatmg. When young it is tender, but, in general, it is only adapted for good stomachs and powerful digestion, and should be sparingly used by the sedentary or the weak, and by persons subject to cutaneous diseases. Its strong flavor is thought by some to require mollification by stuffing with sage and onions, while others relish it only when this is not demanded. The fat of the goose is reck- oned peculiarly subtle, penetrating, and rpsolv- ent, and is usually preserved for domestic ap- plication. The average weight of the large kind of geese is from nine to fifteen pounds, and instances have been known of their weigh- ing thirty pounds when duly fattened ; but the smaller breeds are preferable for the table. Geese are called green until they are three or four months old, and these are something of a delicacy. In purchasing geese, select those which are fresh and fat, with the head and giblets cut off. and nicely drawn, as it will make a saving of nearly two pounds in weight. The bills and feet are red when the goose Isold, yellow when young ; fresh killed, the feet are pliable, stiff when too long kept. IVild Geese are considered superior to the domestic for eating purposes, and the young are very fine. They are best in October, November, and December; but are found in the markets as late as January. Brant or Brent geese have long been famous among wild fowl and are much sought after Roast Goose. — Truss, stuff, baste, and roast e-xactly like Duck; but serve with apple sauce. A specially nice way to roast is to begin by basting with ateacupful of cider; then, when it begins to warm, dredge with flour; after- Goose for Roasting. wards baste with its own fat and gravy, mixing with the cider. The roasting of a full-grown goose takes at least two hours ; and the nearer it draws to a close, the more assiduous must be the basting ; the fatter the goose the more liberal may be the dredging with flour. Green Geese are never stuffed. Season the inside with pepper and salt, and roast the goose at a brisk fire from forty to fifty minutes. Serve it with good brown gravy only. Stewed Goose. — Take an oval or ob- long boiler, just big enough to hold the goose. Cover the bottom with thin slices of bacon, and lay the goose upon them ; surround it with a calf's foot cut in pieces (this may be omitted), and season with cloves, onions, sliced carrots, pepper, salt, and blades of mace ; pour over it a wineglassful of brandy, one of white wine, a pint of broth, and a pint of water. Close the lid tightly, and stew slowly for five or six hours. This may be eaten either hot, with its accom- paniments, or cold, with the gravy about it in the shape of jelly. GOOSEBERRY.— This does not attain the perfection with us which it reaches in England, but is nevertheless one of the pleasantest and most useful of our smaller fruits. The berries are acid and at the same time sweet, and have a peculiarly bland and grateful flavor. When ripe they form an excellent dessert eaten with sugar, but they are used chiefly in making pies, tarts, sauces, preserves, etc. There are a great number of varieties of the gooseberry, but the red, yellow, green, and white, and those of a medium size and free from mould are tlic best. They make their appearance in our markets from the South early in May and continue until about the ist of August. Gooseberries may be propagated by layers and cuttings ; they should be grown in a rich GOURD GOUT 249 but not wet soil. They are best if kept free from suckers and trained like trees. One third of the old wood should be trimmed away every autumn. (See Compotes, JA^r, Jelly, Pies, Preserves and Sauces.) Champagne (Gooseberry). — -Gather the red gooseberries when just turning, and pour cold water over them in the jiroportion of three quarts of water to one gallon of fruit ; let this stand a week, stirring every day, and bruis- ing the berries till they are thoroughly mashed ; then strain through a sieve, and add to every gallon of liquor four pounds of moist sugar ; let the fermentation proceed for two or three days ; then pass through a flannel bag into the cask, leaving the latter open till fermentation subsides ; add to every five gallons of wine half an ounce of isinglass dissolved in a little of the wine, and close the cask. If the cham- pagne is desired to be strong, add, before closing the cask, a bottle or two of brandy ; but it will be brisk and agreeable without. It should remain twelve months in the cask before bottling. Dried Gooseberries. — To seven pounds of gooseberries add a pound and a half of powdered sugar, which must be strewed over them in the preserving-kettle. Let them remain over a slow fire till they begin to break, and then remove them. Repeat this process for two or three days ; then take the gooseberries from the syrup and spread them* out on sieves near the fire to dry. The syrup may be used for other preserves. When the gooseberries are quite ;Llry, store them in tin boxes on layers of paper. They will keep in this way all winter, and may be used for pies, tarts, etc. Wine (Gooseberry). — L Ttiie .--Gooseber- ries ; sugar ; Malaga raisins ; brandy. Take ripe gooseberries, mash them well, and put them into a tub allowing for each quart a quart of water ; let them stand all night, then strain them through a sieve, and press them with the hand. To every gallon put three pounds of moist sugar. Let it stand two days, and then put it into a cask with one pound of Malaga raisins to each gallon of liquor, and a little brandy ; let it remain in the barrel three or four months, or till fine ; then bottle it. 11. Trt/^v .--Gooseberries, 36 lbs; boiling wa- ter, 3 galls ; sugar, 1 2 lbs. To thii-ty-si.x pounds of ripe fruit add three gallons of boiling water; let it stand twenty- fo'.'.r hours, then strain off; add twelve pounds of good brown sugar, stir and skim occasionally for twenty-four hours more, and then put it into the cask to ferment. It will be ready to bottle in four months. GOSSAMER. (See Gauze.^ GOURD. — The gourd family is a large one, embracing the pumpkin, squash, etc. ; but the name is usually applied only to the common gourd, or calabash. It is a creeping vine, rather ornamental in appearance, and grows luxuriantly wherever planted and without any attention. Plant the seeds in the early Spring. The fruit when very young and tender can be used for pickling, like cucumbers ; as it grows old the shell or rind becomes hard, light, and strong, and makes excellent water-dippers, buckets, etc., etc. GOUT. — A painful disease of the joints, generally of the feet and hands, and especially of the great toes. It occurs mostly in persons advanced in life and who indulge freely in the pleasures of the table, and is hereditary. A fit of the gout is generally preceded by indiges- tion, drowsiness, eructation, a slight headache, and sometimes vomiting. The appetite is often remarkably keen a day or two before the fit, and there is a slight pain in passing urine, and frequently an involuntary shedding of tears. Sometimes these symptoms are much more violent, especially upon the approach of the fit ; and it has been observed that as is the fever which ushers in the gout so will the fit be ; if the fever be short and sharp, the fit will be so likewise; if it be feeble, long and lingering, such will the fit be also. The regular gout generally makes its attack in the spring or the beginning of winter, in the following manner: At some time during the night the patient is seized with a pain in his great toe, or occasion- ally in the heel, or ankle, or calf of the leg. This pain is accompanied with a sensation as if cold water were poured upon the part, which is succeeded by a shivering with some degree of fever. Afterwards the pain increases, and settling among the small bones of the foot, the patient feels as if the part were stretched, burnt, squeezed, gnawed, or torn in pieces. The part at length becomes so exquisitely sen- sitive that the patient cannot bear to have it touched, or even to suffer any one to walk across the room. This torture usually lasts for twenty-four hours from the coming on of the fit; the patient then becomes easier, and the part begins to swell, appears red, and is covered with a slight moisture. Towards morning he drops asleeps, and generally falls into a gentle sweat. This terminates the first paroxysm, a number of which constitute a fit of the gout, which is longer or shorter according to the patient's age, strength, the season of the year, and the dispo- sition of the body to the disease. The parox- ysms, however, generally grow milder every day, till at length the disease is carried off by per- spiration, urine, and other evacuations. In some patients this happens in a few days ; in others, it requires weeks, and in some, months to complete the fit. When the fit is over, the sys- tem is relieved, and the patient feels, both in mind and body, better than before the attack. At first a fit of gout occurs only once in two or three years ; but by degrees they be- come more and more frequent, more severe, and of longer duration. In its progress various parts of the body become affected and trans- lations take place from one joint or limb to another, and after frequent attacks, the joints lose their strength and flexibility, and become so stiff as to be deprived of all motion. As the fits become more frequent and severe, so the constitutional derangements become more mark- 250 GRAFTING GRAFTING ed and constant. The appetite fails, indiges- tion is rarely absent, there is a tendency to costiveness, the mind becomes restless and irritable, calcareous deposits are formed in the arteries, calculi form in the bladder, and fre- quently the heart becomes diseased. Treatment. — Topical applications should be only of soothing remedies. Colchicum is ap- proved, but must be used with great caution, the dose should not exceed twenty drops once in four to si.x hours in a tumbler of water with some alkali, such as half a drachm of the bicar- bonate of potash. As soon as it purges, or if there be great pain at the pit of the stomach, it must be discontinued. The judicious use of pur- gatives ; abstinence from highly nitrogenous food and stimulating drinks ; pure air, exercise, regular habits of labor and sleep, and avoiding exposure to cold, dampness, and fatigue of body or mind, is the only treatment that can be relied on ; though, in special cases, a phy- sician's advice may supplement it with direct remedies. If during an attack of gout, the pain quit the great toe, or knee, or hand, or what- ever part it happened to be located in, and the swelling and redness disappear, and if at the same time, there ensues an agonizing pain in the stomach, coming on in paroxysms, lauda- num in doses of twenty drops every hour may be of the utmost service till the doctor comes, who will probably give larger doses ; hot bottles should also be unceasingly applied to the region of the stomach. If laudanum cannot be pro- cured, strong brandy is the best substitute ; but if the pain be inflammatory, and not spasmodic, brandy would do much more harm than lauda- num. Some gouty persons experience great relief by drinking a tumblerful of an infusion made from green coffee. GRAFTING.— The following directions are from the " American Fruit Culturist," by John J. Thomas (published by W. Wood & Co.) : — " Propagation by grafting differs from in- creasing by cuttings, by inserting the cutting into the growing-stock of another tree instead of directly into "the soil. To effect these two requisites, it is needful first, that the opera- tion be performed with a sharp knife that the vessels and pores may be cut smoothly and evenly, and the two parts be brought into im- mediate and even contact. Secondly that the operation be so contrived, that a permanent and considerable pressure be applied to keep all parts of these cut faces closely together. Thirdly, that the line of division between tlie inner bark and the wood should coincide or exactly correspond in each ; for if the inner bark of the one sets wholly on the bark of the other, the upward current through the wood and back through the bark is broken and the graft cannot flourish or grow. Fourthly, that the wounded parts made by the operation be effectually excluded from the external air, chiefly to retain a due quantity of moisture in the graft, but also to exclude the wet, until, by the growth of the graft, the union is effected." » I — The first requisite is best attained by keeping a keen, flat bladed-knife to cut the faces, and another knife for other purposes. 2 — The second requires that the jaws of the stock, in cleft grafting press with some force, but not too much, against the wedge-shaped sides of the graft, a stock one-third of an inch in diameter will somtimes do this sufficiently; but three-quarters of an inch is a more conve- nient size. In whip grafting, the tongue and slip should be firmly crowded or bound together. 3 — The third requisite is attained by close examination with the eye. 4 — -The fourth is accomplished by grafting wax, or grafting clay. An excellent grafting wax is made of three parts of rosin, three of bees- wax and two of tallow. The wax may be directly applied when just warm enough to run, by means of a brush ; or it may be spread thickly with a brush on sheets of muslin, which are afterwards, during a cold day, cut up into plasters of con- venient size for applying; or, the wax, when cold, may be worked up with wet hands, and drawn out into thin strips or ribbons, and wrap- ped closely around the inserted graft ; in all cases success is more certain when the wax is closely pressed so as to fit to every part, and leave no interstices ; and it is indispensable that every portion of the wound on the stock and graft be totally excluded from the external air. In cool weather, a lantern, chafing dish or hot brick, will be found necessary to soften the plasters before applying them." lip Fig. Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4- " The above figures represent the two most common modes of grafting fruit-trees ; Figs. I to 4, representing successive stages of whip or tongue grafting, from the sloping cut of the scion and stock, 'to the completion of the operation by the covering with the wax-plaster." GRAFTING GRAPES 251 "Whip-grafting may be emploj'ed for large stocks, as shown by the following cut. In order that the line o£^ separation between the bark and wood may coincide in both, the graft must be placed at one side of the large stock, a, sloped and tongued for the reception of the graft, b, their union being represented by c. To facilitate the wrapping of the wax-plaster, one side and the upper point of the stock are pared off with a knife, before the two are join- ed, as shown by the dotted line. This is a good mode of grafting any stocks not over three-fourths of an inch in diameter, in the nur- sery row. Fig. 6 shows a stock cut off for cleft-graft- ing, with the upright cleft separated by an iron or steel wedge, ready for the graft ; Fig. 7, the graft cut wedge-form to tit it ; and Fig. 8 the graft in its place after the wedge has been with- drawn, the projecting angle of the stock sloped off with a knife, and the whole ready for the application of the wa,x. " Whip-grafting is particularly applicable to small stocks, or where the graft and stock are nearly all equal size; and cleft-grafting to stocks considerably larger tlian the scion. In all cases, where the stock is in any degree larger, the graft must be placed toward one side, so that the line between the bark and wood may exactly coincide at one point at least in both, as in the Fig. 9- cross-section of cleft-grafting, Fig.9. " In grafting the peach which, from its large pith and spongy wood, scarcely ever succeeds as commonly performed, it is found advantage- ous, in selecting the grafts to leave a quarter of an inch of the more compact two years' wood at the lower e.xtremity. With the plum and cherry, success is much more certain very early in spring, before the buds commence swelling, or even before the snow is off the ground. Apples and pears may be grafted later, and if the scions have been kept in good condition in a dormant state, they will mostly grow if inserted even after the trees are in leaf. " After a graft is inserted, and as soon as the tree commences growth, the buds on the stock must be rubbed off in order to throw the rising sap into the scion. If large trees are grafted, the buds need only rubbing off the branch which holds it." " Grafts are usually cut during the latter part of winter or early in spring. They may be pre- served out-of-doors safely if buried in moder- ately moist earth by placing them in a box open downwards, and buried on a dry spot, being kept from contact with the earth by sticks across the box. They may be jjreserved in a cellar in a box of damp powdered moss. Saw- dust answers the same purpose if not in large quantities so as to become heated. GRAPES. — Grapes may be raised from either cuttings or seeds ; the former is much the best way. Select the cuttings in the au- tumn from the well-ripened wood of the former year, and take five joints for each ; bury them till April, then soak them for some hours and set them out aslant, so that all the eyes but one shall be covered. A gravelly or sandy soil is best for grapes. A southern exposure is best. Manure from the stable is more likely to do harm than good ; the best fertilizer is some old bones sunk into the soil near the roots. Prune the vines the first year so as to leave only two main branches, pinching off all other shoots as fast as they appear. In No- vember cut off all of these two branches except four joints. The second year, in the spring, loosen the earth around the roots, and allow only two branches to grow, and every month pinch off all side shoots ; if they are very strong take off only a part and prune off the rest in the fall. In November cut off all the two main stems except eight joints. After the second year no more pruning is needed except 252 GRAPE GRAVY to reduce the side shoots for the purpose of increasing the fruit. There are several species of the native hardy grape, of which the Isa- bella is the most popular. The Calaiuba ranks very high, as do the Concord, Diana, Clinton, Delaware, etc. Grapes ripen, according to locality, from the 1st of September until November, and, when carefully kept, a month or two longer. We have also the luscious foreign grapes, raised in hot and cold graperies from April until De- cember, among which are the Black Hamburgh, White Muscat, White Sweetwater, Tokay, etc. The Syrian, a white species, produces the largest clusters. The White Malayan, of for- eign growth, is found throughout the winter in grocery stores where imported fruits are kept. Fox or wild grapes are abundant from the mid- dle of August to November; they are round and soft, with a pleasant, tart taste, and are used for pies, preserves, etc. Grapes may be kept fresh for winter use in the following manner: Pick the bunches only on a warm day, and place them in a cool, shady place for at least three days ; then pack them in paper bo.\cs that will hold about ten pounds each. Between each layer of grapes place a single thickness of newspaper ; the boxes should not contain more than three lay- ers in thickness. Then place in a cool, dry room — not in the cellar, for the comparative •dampness there will cause mold and decay. A few fine clusters for special table purposes may be preserved by cutting the bunches late in the season, but in good condition and on a Grapes Preserved Fresh. piece of the vine. Wax one end of the stem and put the other through a cork into a vial of water containing a layer of charcoal ; make the cork around the vine tight with beeswax ; then place the whole in a cool room with an even temperature. {See Jelly, and Pre- serves.) Wine (Grape). — I. Bruise the grapes, which should be perfectly ripe. To each gallon of grapes put a gallon of water, and let the whole stand a week without stirring. At the end of that time draw off the liquor carefully, and put to each gallon three pounds of lump sugar. Let it ferment in a cool place, and when fer- mentation ceases stop it up tight. In six months it will be fit to bottle. II. Pick the grapes from the stems and break them slightly with the hand. Allow fifteen pounds of them to each gallon of water ; let them stand for three days, then press them and draw off the liquor. Add two pounds of sugar to each gallon of the juice and water, and ! put into a cask and ferment. Examine it care- fully once a week, and when fermentation has nearly ceased rack it off. Bung it down close for six months, and it will then be fit either to drink or to bottle. GRATE. — Whenever coal is used as a fuel, grates are an essential part of the fire-place, and, next to the wood fire they furnish by far the healthiest means of warming a room. They are, however, the most expensive fires that can be had, and this is largely owing to the fact that the grate is constructed on wrong princi- ples. It is nearly always too shallow — seldom more than two bars in height — and too deep from front to rear, so that in order to warm the room as much as possible the coal has to be piled on in a large heap, only the front part of which sends heat into the room — the greater portion of that which is consumed at the back merely heating the grate and chimney. A high grate, with four or five narrow bars in front, and a depth from front to rear of from five to six inches at the top and from three to four at the bottom, with a sloping back of fire-brick, though less elegant, would be infinitely more economical than the ordinary grate. Its ad- vantages are that it would give a large front area of burning coal without any superfluous consumption of fuel behind, and that the ashes and cinders cleared out of the lowest bars could be thrown in the top of the grate, and, having to pass through the whole extent of the fire again, would be mostly consumed, leaving nothing but a little dust behind. Bituminous coal is pleasantest to burn in grates, but where it is used the flue should be nearly as deep as the grate itself, and the bars of the grate should be round and not close together. The best material for grates is dead wrought iron. The polished steel bars, besides being hard to keep in order, are objectionable, be- cause bright surfaces, while they reflect heat well, throw it off by radiation very imperfectly. See Chimney. GRAVY. — In any household, gravies are usually required only in moderation and a clev- er cook can always manage to supply at trifling Gravy Kettle. cost all that is generally needed for plain fam- ily dinners. But, however small the quantities GRAVY GREASE-SPOTS 253 in which they arc made, their quality should be particularly attended to, and they should be well adapted in flavor to the dishes they arc to accompany. For some a high degree of savor is desirable ; but for fricassees and other dishes of delicate white meats this should be avoided and a soft, smooth sauce of mild flavor should be used in preference to any more piquant relish. The necks of poultry, with the feet properly skinned, a few herbs, a morsel of ham or lean bacon, a bit of spice, and a few drops of mushroom catsup, will of them- selves suffice to make a gravy for the broils from which they are taken ; and if not wanted for this purpose they should always be stewed down or thrown into a stock pot, for which the shank bones of beef or mutton and all trim- mings of meats should be reserved. No parti- cle of fat should ever be perceptible upon gra- vies when they are sent to table, and when it cannot be removed by skimming they should be allowed to cool sufficiently for it to congeal, and be taken off at once. It may be cleared from such as have not been thickened bypass- ing them through a closely woven cloth, which has been previously wetted with cold water. For burnt sugar browning for gravies, see Caramel. This should always be kept on hand. Bro'wn Gravy. — Put fresh meat cut in small pieces into a sauce-pan ; season with salt and pepper and a bit of butter, and heat it half an hour, till brown, stirring so that it shall not stick. Pour on boiling water (a pint for each pound), simmer three hours, and skim it well. Settle and strain it, and set it aside for use ; thicken as you need it with brown flour, a teaspoonful to half a pint. Clear Gravy. — Slice beef thin; broil a part of it over a quick fire, just enough to give color to the gravy, but not to dress it ; put that and the raw part into a stew-pan with onions, a clove or two, whole black peppers, berries of allspice, and a bunch of sweet herbs ; cover it with hot water, give it one boil, and skim it well two or three times ; then cover it over, and simmer till quite strong. Fish Gravy. — Skin two or three eels or some flounders; clean them well; cut them into small pieces, and put into a sauce-pan ; cover them with water, and add a little crust of bread toasted down, two blades of mace, whole peppers, sweet herbs, a piece of lemon-peel, and a teaspoonful of grated horse-radish ; cover close and simmer ; add a teaspoonful each of butter and flour, and boil till strong. Game or Poultry Gravy. — A plain gravy for game or poultry may be made so that it will keep a week in moderately cool weather as follows : Cut lean beef thin, put it into a fry- ing-pan without any butter, and set it on a fire, covered, but take care not to let it burn ; let it stay till the juice that comes out of the meat is dried up into it again ; pour in as much water as will cover the meat, and ht that stew away. Then put to the meat a small quantity of water, herbs, onions, spice, and a bit of lean ham ; simmer till rich, and keep it in a cold, dry place. Do not take off the fat till about to lie used. Hasty Gravy. — Chop up a pound of lean meat, a small onion, a few slices of carrot and turnip, and a little thyme and parsley ; put these into a sauce-pan with lialf an ounce of butter, and stir them until they are slightly browned ; add a little spice and a pint of water ; clear the gravy from scum, let it boil half an hour, and then strain it for use. Kidney Gravy. — Strip the skin and remove the fat from three fresh mutton kidneys ; slice and flour them ; melt two ounces of butter in a deep sauce-pan, and put in the kidneys with an onion cut small and a teaspoonful of fine herbs, stripped from the stalks. Keep these well shaken over a small fire until nearly all the moisture is dried up ; then pour in a pint of boiling water, add half a teaspoonful of salt and a little cayenne or black pepper, and let the gravy boil gently for an hour and a half — or longer, if it be not rich and thick. Strain it through a fine sieve, and take off the fat ; spice or catsup may be added at pleasure. Poultry Gravy. — A little good broth added to half a dozen slices of lean ham, lightly browned in a morsel of butter, with half a dozen corns of pepper and a sprig or two of parsley, and stewed for half an hour, will make excellent gravy of a common kind. When there is no broth the neck of the chicken must be stewed down to supply its place. Veal Gravy. — I. Flour and fry lightly in a bit of butter two pounds of veal ; drain the meat well from the fat, and lay it into a small stew-pan; pour in a quart of boiling water; skim well, and add a little salt, a fried onion sliced, a carrot sliced, a small bunch of thyme and parsley, a blade of mace, and a few pepper corns. Stew these gently for three hours, pass the gravy through a sieve into a pan, and when it is quite cold clear it entirely of fat ; heat as much as is wanted for table, and if not suffi- ciently thick stir in some browned flour and a little catsup. Beef gravy may be made in the same way. n. Veal gravy may be made as directed for Clear Gravy, omitting the spice, herbs and flour. GREASE-SPOTS. — (To Remove from Cloth.) — Grease-spots, if not made by mineral oils, may generally be removed from silk, wool- en, cotton, or linen cloth, by simply using soap and water and a nail-brush, and afterwards wip- ing off the lather with a wet towel. When this fails, cover the spots with French chalk, scraped to a fine powder, lay a piece of brown paper over them, and on this set a warm iron. This will melt the grease, and the chalk will absorb it, and the whole may then be removed by brush- ing. If once is not sufficient, repeat the pro- cess. Or, the French chalk may be mixed with lavender water, or with benzine, so as to make a paste, which is to be put upon the stain : over this lay a piece of blotting paper, and run it over 254 GRIDIRON GROUSE with a hot iron ; then brush off the chalk ; com- mon chalk will answer when French chalk cannot be had, but it is not so good. Or, grate raw potatoes into water, so as to form a pulp ; pass the liquid through a sieve into another vessel with an equal quantity of water in it, and let the potato subside ; pour the clear liquor from the top, and bottle it for use ; dip a sponge or a small brush in this, and wet the spot till it disappears ; then wash it in clear water. Be very careful not to wet more than the spot or it will discharge the color of the fabric. Scouring drops, made by mi.\ing equal quantities of oil of turpentine and essence of lemon are excellent for taking stains and grease out of silk. Rub them on with a bit of flannel. Marble. — Grease can be removed from mar- ble by ox-gall and potter's clay wet with soap- suds (a gill of each) ; it is better also to add a gill of spirits of turpentine. Rub the mi.xture on the spots, let it remain for some time," and then wash off with warm water. Paper. — Oil or grease can be removed from paper or books by rolling up each leaf and in- serting it in a wide-mouthed bottle half full of sulphuric ether ; shake it gently up and down for a minute, and on its removal the stains will be found to have disappeared. The ether evaporates rapidly, and a single sponging with cold wafer is all that is afterward required. Or, dust on a little magnesia or French chalk, lay over it a piece of blotting paper, and pass a moderately heated iron across a few times. Benzine also removes grease spots. Place a piece of linen of several folds on a table to act as a sponge in absorbing the benzine stretch the soiled article over the linen, dip a piece of cotton or flannel into the benzine, and rub the spot well; after which dry with blotting paper or fine linen. The benzine ought to be applied in a circular direction. Do not leave off until the liquid evaporates ; then expose the article to a good current of air. Benzine is sold by all druggists, and should be kept in the house, ready for use. Never carry it near a fire or burning substance of any kind, as it is likely to explode. See Cleaning, Stains and Washing. GREEN GAGE. {See Plum.) GREY-POWDER. — The name commonly given to a combination of three parts of mer- cury with five parts of chalk. It is most fre- quently given to children with clay-colored passages in doses of two to three grains once, or oftener, in the twenty-four hours. GRIDIRON. — The ordinary gridiron is merely a square frame of iron, with cross-bars of the same. An improvement upon this con- sists in making the upper surface of these bars concave or grooved, and all terminating in a- hollow trough near the handle, so as to save the rich gravy which would otherwise fall into the fire. Before using a gridiron it should be cleaned thoroughly and the upper surface well greased with lard or dripping. It should be placed on the fire so as to slant down towards the hand of the cook. The " Sprat " gridiron is double, folding together like waffle-irons ; it is useful in broiling steaks when the fire is low. GRILLING. {See Broiling.) GROCERIES. — In the purchase of groceries at a retail shop it does not appear that any ad- vantage in price is obtained by laying in large stores at once, though the practice may, under some circumstances, be convenient. The retail grocer is compelled by competition to put the lowest price he can afford on his goods to ready-money customers ; and only those re- quiring credit have to pay high prices. In purchasing from the wholesale dealer, a house- keeper may occasionally gain some advantage ; but to do so uniformly would not be desirable for either buyer or seller. A quick consumption of the finer articles of grocery is necessary, especially of those with aromatic qualities which exposure to the air dissipates. Family stores, which are slowly consumed, are daily deteriorating in quality ; excepting only some few articles which are supposed to improve by keeping. By purchasing in small quantities as needed, from the retail dealer, this incon- venience is avoided. The different articles of grocery are treated of in their respective places. GROG. — A mixture of rum and water, drunk cold, without any sugar. Hot grog'vi z.Vi-a.mt. often applied to rum punch. GROUSE. — The only species of grouse suf- ficiently numerous in this country to enter largely into diet is the pinnated grouse or " prairie-hen " as it is generally called. This is one of the finest of the 'game-birds, and is somewhat the color, form, and size of the par- tridge which it also resembles in flavor. Prairie- hens are very abundant throughout the West- ern States, and especially on the prairies, and are sent to all the Eastern markets in great numbers. They begin to arrive in October, and continue until April ; usually brought in barrels and other packages in a frozen state. Their flesh is dark, but from a fat young bird it is excellent eating and highly nutritious. In purchasing, select the heaviest, and at the same time try the feathers around the vent; if they pull out easily the bird is apt to be too stale. The nose must also be brought into requisition to detect the least unpleasant smell. An old prairie-hen has a white bill and bluish legs ; when young the bill is of a dark gray color, and the legs are yellowish. Baked Prairie-hen.— Clean and prepare the bird as directed for chicken. Truss like chicken, grease the fleshy portions with apiece of salt pork or with lard, and place it on its back in the b.iking-pan, in which a tablespoon- ful of butter has been melted ; set it in a quick oven, baste often, and serve when rather under- done. Mix some lemon-juice with the gravy, and turn it over the bird before serving. Broiled Prairie-hen. — Clean and prepare as for baking, and then split the bird down the GRUEL breast so as to open it ; butter all over, inside and out, and sprinkle on a little salt and pep- per; place it on the gridiron over a good tire, breast downwards ; turn it over three or four times ; serve it as soon as it has turned a nice brown. Fricasseed Prairie-hen. — Prepare, cook and serve like chicken \n fricassee. Roast Prairie-hen. — Truss in the same way as for roast chicken, grease the fleshy portions with a bit of salt pork, and roast about half an hour at a clear, brisk fire, keeping it basted almost without intermission. Serve on buttered toast which has been laid under it in the pan for ten minutes, or with gravy and bread-sauce only. Salmi of Prairie-hen. — This is an excellent way of serving the remains of roasted game; but when a choice sahiii is desired, the birds must be scarcely more than half roasted for it. In either case cut them up neatly, and strip every particle of fat and skin from the legs, wings, and breasts ; bruise the bodies well, and put them with the skin and other trimmings into a stew-pan ; add two or three sliced escha- lots, a small blade of mace, and a few pepper corns ; then pour in a pint or more of good veal gravy or strong broth, and boil it briskly until reduced nearly half ; strain the gravy, pressing the bones well to obtain all the flavor, skim off the fat, add a little cayenne and lemon-juice, heat the birds very gradually in it without allowing it to boil ; place bits of fried bread round a dish, arrange the birds in the centre, give the sauce a boil, and pour it over them. Partridges and other wild-fowl can be prepared in ihe same way. Stewed Prairie-hen. — Put about an ounce of butter and two ounces of salt pork, cut into bits, into a sauce-pan, and set it on a quick fire ; when the butter is melted, put the bird in, and brown it all around ; then add four small onions, half a carrot in slices, salt, and pep- per; stir till the onions and carrots are partly fried ; then add a pint of good broth (or half a pint of broth and the same of white wine), and a bunch of sweet herbs ; boil gently till done. Dish the bird, strain the gravy over it, and serve warm. GRUEL. — This is one of the most important branches of "cookery for the sick," as it can be eaten and digested when every other kind of food is rejected by the stomach. Gruel can be made either very thick or very thin, and should be adapted to the invalid's taste in this respect. By the addition of a little spice, or wine, or brandy, it can also be made very tooth- some and nutritious ; but where gruel is pre- scribed by a physician, this must never be ventured upon without his express consent. Barley Gruel. — Boil four ounces of pearl barley in two quarts of water till reduced about one half ; then strain, and sweeten. Common Gruel. — Mix three tablespoonfuls of Indian meal in enough cold water to make a thick paste ; add by degrees a pint of boil- ing water, and half a teaspoonful (or less) GUINEA-FOWL 255 of salt, and boil it ten minutes, stirring all the time. Oatmeal Gruel. — According to the thickness required, rub smooth in a bowl one or two tablespoonfuls of oatmeal with three table- spoonfuls of water ; stir into this by degrees a pint of boiling water; set it on the fire in a sauce-pan and'boil ten minutes, stirring all the while ; then strain it into the bowl into which it is to be served. Gruel made in this way with milk instead of water is more nutritious ; seasoned with salt and butter it is less insipid. If the doctor consents, a dessert-spoonful of brandy, or a tablespoonful of wine may be added. Rice Gruel.— Put a tablespoonful of un- ground rice into a pint and a half of boiling water, with a stick of cinnamon or mace ; strain it when boiled soft, add half a pint of milk and a teaspoonful of salt, and boil a few minutes longer. If rice /lour is used, mix a tablespoon- ful of it smoothly, with three tablespoonfuls of cold water, and stir it into a quart of boiling water ; let it boil five or six minutes, stirring con- stantly ; season with salt and a little butter, and, if liked, add sugar and nutmeg to taste. Water Gruel.— Make one gill of Indian meal and a heaping tablespoonful of wheat flour into a thick and smooth paste with cold water; stir it into two quarts of boiling water; let it boil slowly twenty minutes. Add salt, sugar and nutmeg to taste. Oatmeal may be used instead of the Indian meal in this receipt. GXTAVA. — There are several species of the guava, some of which are natives of Asia, some of America, and some common to both. The best of these is the white guava, which is abun- dant in the West Indies. The fruit of this species is rather larger than a hen's egg, smooth, yellow, and of a peculiar smell. The pulp is of a very agreeable taste, sweet and aromatic ; it is used at dessert and preserved. Guava jelly comes from the West Indies, and is one of the most highly esteemed of conserves. It is ex- cellent for giving strength and tone to the stomach after a spell of sickness, or when the digestion is out of order. GUINEA-FCWL. — This bird is so called because first brought from Africa, where only Guinea-Fowl. it is wild in great abundance. Though do- mesticated in this country, Guinea-fowls still retain much of their wild nature, and are apt to wander, (i"^^ Poultry.) They lay very abun- I dantly, and the egg is excellent— more delicate 256 GUMBO HAGGIS in flavor and more nutritious than that of the common fowl. The flesh is dark, like that of the prairie-hen, and many consider it more savory than the common fowl, though not so juicy. They are generally found unpicked in our markets, and by raising the feathers on the breast it can easily be seen whether they are fat and plump. A good fowl will weigh from three and a lir.lf to five pounds, the smaller ones are best for broiling and roasting. The guinea-fowl is considered best in the Winter months, tak- ing the place of partridges after the latter are out of season. Cook and serve them like Grouse. GUMBO.-A slang term applied in Louisiana to the vegetable Okra, and now generally used to describe okra soup. (See SouP.) GtJM-BOIIj should be let alone unless very troublesome, when see Ulcerated Teeth under Teeth. GUTTA-PERCHA. — This resembles India- rubber in composition and in resistance to the action of chemical agents ; but it has not the same elasticity, and it is much harder at the ordinary temperature. It is dissolved in naph- tha and melted by heat, and can be moulded, when warm, into any shape. In this way it is made to take the variety of forms now so common, as picture-frames, ink-stands, dolls, combs, buttons, and numerous household utensils. Articles made of gutta - percha should never be exposed to a high tempera- ture. GUTTERS. — Great attention should be paid to the gutters on the roof of a house, not only in their first construction, but in seeing that they are kept in proper repair, otherwise the water will penetrate and injure the apart- ments. All metal gutters must have a small degree of slope, so as to give the water a cur- rent, which, particularly in those of consider- able length, increases the width of the gutter at one end, and, therefore, requires a greater quantity of metal. Builders, to avoid expense, are apt to make this slope too small. The sheets ought never to be joined by solder, because, if confined, the e-xpansion in warm weather will cause the metal to crack ; but they should be connected by drips — a kind of step of two inches, made in laying the boards for the metal. The metal over this is only hammered close, and not soldered. With the same object of saving metal, builders often make this step too little ; and, when this is the case, the snow, in thawing, is liable to rise up in the joint and damage the ceilings. When wet appears in the ceiling of the upper story of a house it is generally owing to one of these cir- cumstances having been neglected, or, perhaps, to some crack in the gutter. The whole should therefore be carefully examined by a plumber; but if the defect arises from the metal of the gutter having been cut too narrow originally, there is no effectual remedy but taking it up and putting down wider metal. Gutters are now frequently made of tin, but this is a frail material, especially for large roofs, and is very likely to rust through in a few years. Gutters should always be cleaned out at regular intervals, as much damage is caused occasionally by overflows arising from an accumulation of dirt, which prevents the gutter from draining the roof. During our Northern winters gutters are often frozen just where they enter the ground. In such cases pour boiling water on the outside till the pb- struction is melted out, or throw in salt. H HADDOCK. — The haddock is a smaller fish than the cod, which it resembles a good deal in every other respect. The flesh, how- ever, is more watery and the flavor inferior. The average size is not more than two or three ■Ai^ -^ Haddock. pounds, but sometimes they reach a much greater weight. They are at their best in No- vember and December, and again in June and July. They are better for being hung up for a day or two, with a sprinkling of salt. When large, haddock is dressed in the same way as cod, and takes an equal time to cook. Small haddock may be either boiled or fried. They scarcely hold together well enough to stand broiling without considerable trouble. Fried Haddock. — Cut the fish in pieces of the proper size for serving ; wash and wipe them dry, and roll in Indian meal. Fry some pieces of salt pork ; take out the pork and put a little lard into the frying-pan ; when it is boiling hot put in the fish, and fry it to a light brown. Dish it with the fried pork, and serve with drawn butter. HAGGIS.— A favorite dish in Scotland, made by boiling a sheep or calf's liver, heart, etc., for several hours, mincing them up fine, mixing this mincemeat with scorched oatmeal, onions, a small quantity of beef suet, salt, pepper, and some strong broth or gravy, and putting the whole into a sheep's paunch or stomach, carefully tied at both ends, and of which the mixture fills about two-thirds, the rest of the space being left for the expansion of the steam generated by the boiling to which it is subjected for three or four hours. Haggis HAIR HAKE 257 is very savory to the nostrils when freshly cooked, but it requires a very strong stomach to digest it without reproach or inconvenience. HAIR. — The proper management of the hair is very simple. It should be kept as clean as possible by daily brushing with a stiff brush, by removal of the scurf that forms upon the skin (sfi; D.\ndruff), and by occasionally washing it Avith pure, cold water, which will have no injurious effect upon the .health, pro- vided the liair is not so long as to make its drying difficult. To assist in drying it thor- oughly, dip the brush into a very little hair- powder or starch, brush it into the hair and then brush it out. After this a little perfumed pomatum may be brushed in — too much not only makes the hair greasy, but injures it. There is a natural oil secreted by the hair which ought to be sufficient for keeping it in good order, but this is often deficient, and the hair becomes dry and harsh ; then it is that the deficiency may be supplied by a little pomatum or oil. A multitude of hair oils are sold by perfumers, their compositions being kept se- cret, and each biing represented as having ex- traordinary qualities. It is best to have nothing to do with any of tliem, for when they are not injurious they are no better than preparations which can be made at home with little trouble, and for which we shall give a receipt or two, further along. When hair has become too greasy from too free use of oil or pomatum, it is proper to remove the unctuous matter by persistent brushing. Occasionally soap is re- sorted to for this purpose, but soap will change the color of the hair, and should be used cau- tiously. A little white soap dissolved in spirits of wine is most effectual and less injurious than soap alone. After using it the hair must be well washed with water. It is very doubtful whether frequent cutting of the hair is favorable to its growth and beauty, as is generally assumed. It always renders the hair coarse and stubby, and it is certain that the common practice of cropping or shaving the head, for the purpose of . strengthening the growth of the hair, not only fails of this effect, but often produces total baldness. The loosening and falling out of the hair is frequently the direct result of fever orderange- tnent of the system, but is more often the con- sequence of weakness of the nervous power. It may be checked by improvement of the gen- eral health and the use of proper local reme- dies. A useful practice, when the hair is sufficiently short, is to plunge the head into cold water every morning and night, and, after thoroughly drying, to brush it briskly until the scalp is warmed to a glow. A simple lotion, composed of 2 drachms of Tincture of Canthar- ides, 6 drachms of essence of Rosemary and 1 1 ounces of elder-flower water may be effect- ively employed as a tonic. In cases of bald- ness the scalp may be advantageously shaved and the secretion of the hair stimulated by dry friction, tonic lotions (rum, for example), and 17 by a stimulating diet. There is a premature grayness which sometimes occurs in the young, chiefly in those of light complexion and light- colored hair. It comes from the same causes as the loosening or falling out of the hair. Dyeing the hair is the most absurd of all attempts at human deceit, since it never is successful, and deceives no one but the de- ceiver himself. The practice is generally begun with the idea that a single application will be sufficient for all time ; but the dye only dis- colors that portion of the hair above the sur- face of the scalp. The new growth, which is constantly taking place from the roots, appears always with the natural tint. Moreover, there is no dye which does not injure the hair itself; and many of them — those containing lead or arsenic — tend to paralyze the brain and nerv- ous system. To remove superfluous hair, see Depila- tory. Castor-Oil Pomatum. — Take tube-rose po- matum, one pound ; castor oil, half a pound ; otto of bergamot, one ounce. Melt these to- gether ; then beat up with a whisk or spoon for half an hour or more, as the grease cools. Minute particles of air are inclosed by the po- matum when prepared in this way, and render it light and spongy. Hair Grease. — I. Melt half a pound of lard and six ounces of olive oil in a jar placed in hot water ; when nearly cool add about two drachms of essence of lemon, oil of lavender, or any other perfume, and then pour it into glass bottles, or earthen pots. n. Mix fresh beef marrow and clear neats- foot oil in equal proportions ; melt as before and decant, leaving the dregs behind ; after which, when nearly cool, the scent is to be added as above, and the whole stirred till quite firm. Hair Tonic. — An excellent tofiic to prevent the hair from falling off may be made as fol- lows : — Spirit of turpentine and neats-foot oil, of each one ounce ; active solution of canthar- ides, thirty drops : mix. Apply to the roots of the hair two or three times a week. Hair Wash. — A most excellent hair wash, which cleanses the scalp, and at the same time softens and promotes the growth of the hair, can be put up by any druggist from the fol- lowing prescription, which should be copied out and given to him : Rose-water, 7 oz ; aromatic spirits of ammonia, i oz; tincture of can- tharides, i '^ drachms ; glycerine, }< oz. Mix and shake before using; apply to the scalp with an old tooth-brush. HAIR CLOTH.— This is made of the long hair taken from horses' tails, and is extensively used for covering chairs, sofas, etc., and for making sieves. It is very durable, not being liable to decay through ordinary causes. It js. insoluble in water, but is acted upon and' dis- solved by alkalies ; much soap, of course, in- jures it. A little salt may be added to the water with which it is washed. I HAKE.— These fish (called also " Stock- 258 HALIBUT HAM fish") are occasionally taken with the cod and haddock, and seem of their species ; but are longer, with a tapering, cylindrical body. In season from June to September. Their flesh is sweet and tender, but a little dry. Prepar- ed, cooked and served in all respects like cod. HALIBUT. — In season throughout the year. On the tish-stands it is usually cut as wanted. The thick portions are best for steaks Halibut. and stews ; but the nape or thin flank part is an ex-cellent piece for broiling, being usually fat and juicy. The flesh is pearly white and very nutritious ; that taken from a fish weigh- ing from fifty to seventy-five pounds is the best. The very large fish is coarse-grained dry and tasteless ; that of a yellowish tint, without the pearly brightness, is apt to be rank and un- wliolesome. Halibut is also found in a cured state — pickled, salted and smoked, and by many is considered superior to cod. Baked Halibut. — The part next to the tail- piece is considered best. Wash it nicely and lay in salt and water for a couple of hours be- fore cooking ; wipe dry, and score the outer skin ; bake in a moderately hot oven, basting often with butter and water heated together in a tin cup. A piece -weighing si.x pounds will require an hour for baking ; when a fork will penetrate it easily it is done. Serve with a sauce made of the gravy left in baking it, a tablespoonful of walnut catsup, a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce, and the juice of lemon, thickened with browned flour, and boiled up once. Boiled Halibut — Lay it in cold water, well salted, for two hours ; wash and scrape clean ; lay it in the fish-kettle, cover with boiling water, well salted ; i onion, a bouquet of parsley, 1 blade mace, l sprig thyme, i carrot, 6 pepper- corns; skim; set where it will simmer; dish on a napkin; sauce in tureen. Broiled Halibut. — The nape or thin flank is best for broiling. Soak in salt water for two hours ; then wash it and wipe it dry ; sprinkle a little flour over it ; put the outside to the fire first, and broil slowly for half an hour. When it is dished, spread a little butter over it, and sprinkle pepper on. Fried Halibut. — Cut into slices half an inch thick, shake some flour over them, or dip them in egg and roll in bread-crumbs, and fry them in butter or sweet oil to a crisp hrown. Steak (Halibut). — The receipt for frying halibut steaks is given above, but it is best to broil tliem on a buttered gridiron over a clear fire, first seasoning them with salt and pepper. When dished, butter well, cover closely, and serve hot. HAM. — The best hams, whether corned or cured and smoked, are those from eight to fifteen pounds in weight, having a thin skin, solid fat, and a small, short, tapering leg or shank. In selecting them, run a knife along the bone on the fleshy side ; if it comes out clean the ham is good, but if the knife is smeared, it is spoilt. To cure hams, rub the meat side well with fine salt, when perfectly cool, and lay them in a clean cask for a couple of days. Then, to every hundred pounds of meat, take eight pounds of ground rock-salt, two ounces of saltpetre or saleratus (saleratus is best), two pounds of sugar, one and a half ounces of pot- ash, and four gallons of water; mix these well together until quite dissolved, then skim the mixture and pour it over the meat. Some boil this pickle, and when cool pour it over the meat. Let the hams remain in this brine for about si.x weeks ; after which, take them out, soak them in cold water four or five hours, and then hang them up to dry for two days, when they will be ready for the smoke- house. Hang them hock end downwards, and smoke them about four weeks ; then take them down, examine closely, and if there is a suspicion of insects lay them in the hot sun for a day or two. There are innumerable ways of keeping hams after they are cured ; the best and easiest is to wrap them snugly in brown paper, lay them in a box, and fill this up with wood ashes. They may be kept sweet and tender for twenty years by this simple method. Slaked ashes are best, as they will not act on the meat, even when they come in contact with it. Another good plan is to wrap them in paper, sew them up in coarse cotton bags, whitewashed on the outside, and hang them near the roof in a garret. Baked Ham. — Soak over night, in cold water ; trim away the rusty part from the under side and edges, wipe dry, and cover the bottom with a paste made of flour and hot water; lay it upside down in the baking-pan, with enough water to keep it from burning, and bake till done — allowing twenty-five minutes to a pound. Baste now and then, to prevent the crust from scaling off. Boiled Ham. — Soed hosiery, a deception is sometimes practised against which it is necessary to guard. The .spaces between the ribs, which ought to be formed by an inversion of the stitch, contain no stitch at all, but an open range of tlireads, per- vious to the weather and utterly destitute of durability. As the ribs of hosiery exposed for sale are necessarily almost in contact, the fault cannot be detected without introducing the hand and opening the tissue, when it will in- stantly be apparent — exactly resembling the flaw caused by a dropped stitch in a stocking in wear. In cheap cotton stockings the feet are often cut out and sewed together ; but the seams invariably hurt the foot. Concerning the different materials of which hosiery is com- posed, the same principles apply as are laid down in the article on Clothing. HOT-BED. — A hot-bed which will serve for either flower or garden seeds may be made as follows : — M.ake a frame, say, six feet long, five feet wide, and two feet high at the back, and fifteen inches at the front ; the sides must slope from the back to the front. Let these be cleated so as to prevent warping, and fasten them to- gether at the corners with hasps. The whole structure, ihside and out, including the sash- bars, should have two good coats of coarse paint, which will be most serviceable in pro- tecting it from the weather. Make or purchase two sashes, each three feet by five,with the panes of glass lapping like shingles, instead of being fastened with putty to cross-bars. Then dig a pit of the same size as the frame, and thirty inches deep ; set the frame over it and fill the pit with fresh horse-dung which has not lain long, nor been sodden by water ; beat it well down with the fork, but do not tread it down. Put in the sashes and let it stand three or four days ; after which, put light and very rich soil into the frame six or eight inches deep. Cover this again with the sashes and let it stand two or three days, until the heat begins to subside, when it will be ready for use. Stir the surface of soil and sow the seeds in shallow drills. In a hot-bed designed exclusively for flowers, t||p soil may be composed of alternate layers of manure and tan-bark, or decayed chips or leaves, with the latter on top. Put no soil over this at all, but plant the seeds in pots in mellow earth, and sink the pots to the rim in the tan. The bottom heat will soon start the seeds into growth. The care of the hot-bed involves constant watchfulness. The frames must be kept cov- ered with the glass sashes whenever it is cold enough to chill the plants ; at all other times, fresh air, which is indispensable to their health, must be freely but very cautiously admitted. When the sun is quite warm, raise the sashes enough to admit air, and cover them with mat- ting or blankets, else the sun may kill the ten- der young plants. If there be too much bottom heat in the bed, so as to scorch or wither the plants, lift the sashes, water freely, sliade by day, and make deep holes in the beds with stakes for the easier escape of the heat, filling them up again when the heat is reduced. Water the bed at evening with water which has stood in the warm sun all day, or, if it be freshly drawn, or the weather cold, add a little warm water. On very cold nights, cover the sashes and frames with straw mats. After the Spring's work is done, take up the frames and store them away in a dry place for another season. HOUR-GLASS.— One which will serve all practical purposes may be made thus : Fit a cork into the necks of two oil flasks, and make' a hole through it with a round file. In the middle of this hole fasten a bead, or piece of tobacco pipe a quarter of an inch long. Dry some sand over the fire, and sift it finely; fill one of the flasks with it, fit in the cork, and invert it over a pan; let it run for an hour; collect the sand that has passed, and pour the rest away ; return the sand to the flask, and fit in the other. Place the whole in a wooden frame. Egg-glasses, to run three minutes, may be made with small phials. The flasks should be cleaned and dried, and the cork sealed in. HOT-WATER BAG. — A very great conve- nience in the sick room. A rubber bag, with a funnel closing by a metal screw. While more yielding than the bottles or soap-stones, ordinarily used to apply heat to the body, it re- tains heat as long and can be applied anywhere. Rubber and drug stores usually have them. HOUSE — § I. The planning of a dwelling is not apt to be accomplished in a way that will give satisfaction without much previous deliberation. The particulars of style and arrangement are so numerous that much mav be gained by considering a state- ment of the most important of them. This may do something toward preventing, when the thing is done, a frequent recurrence, in regard to some later suggestion, of " If I had only thought of that." Of course where a somewhat elaborate house is in contemplation, special books will be consulted and interviews held with a skilled architect ; we hope, how- ever, that, even in such cases, the following article will not prove valueless as an introduc- tion to the subject, and that regarding the 272 HOUSE average run of comfortable homos, it may enable the reader to clearly and fully decide what he wants, so as to start the builder readily and intelligently. §2. At the outset, it is best to arrange to spend no more than three quarters of what you can spare for the purpose, as during the pro- gress of the work, new features enough to use up the remainder will be sure to suggest them- selves. SITUATION AND SURROUNDINGS. §3. In cities the ground should be high, if it can be had ; but if it be too high, the water may not rise to the upi:)er stories. Nearness to old water courses is to be carefully avoided, as they, when covered over or choked up, are sources of bad odors and disease. One of the finest houses on Fifth Avenue is reported to be almost untenable on this account. §4. In the country many things go to the making of a thoroughly suitable site, but the FIRSTCONSIDERATION SHOULD EE FOR THE DRAINAGE, and for this reason both the soil and the subsoil should be carefully examined. If the subsoil be hard and impervious to water, no matter how gravelly and porous the soil itself may be, the situation will be damp, ma- larious and unhealthy. This is not of so much consequence in the very few cities where a thorough system of drainage has been esta- blished ; but in the country, or in towns wliere each house is supposed to provide for its own drainage, a soil that holds water and that is not dry for at least ten feet below the founda- tions cf the house or that has not sufficient slope to allow the rain-fall to run off rapidly, is utterly unfit for the site of a dwelling-house. Next in importance is a supply of water for domestic use. In the country, especially, this is a vital consideration; and it is better to incur the expense of bringing water from a distance either by gravitation or forcing power, such as the hydraulic rzm, or a pipe from a distant spring, \.\\a.n Xo sacrifice he.alth to the economical convenience of a well at the back-door, unless precautions are taken to prevent ingress of surface water and drain- age. Health and convenience depend so much on the water bemg abundant that especial care sliould be bestowed on this point. Anv system of house drainage largely depends for its effectiveness, on the supply of water and without efficient drainage the best situated of houses will become unhealthy. A quickly running stream, so long as it is not subject to extensive floods, is an advantage, and may be the means of carrying off the unhealthy ac- cumulations of a country residence ; but dammod up waters of all kinds, unless there is a good stream through them, and especially stagnant ponds, however ornamental, should be carefully avoided near a house. If there is enough water to maintain a minimum depth of six feet over at least two acres, it will not stagnate. Flooded meadows also are by no means desirable, and especially such as re- main wet for a long time after being sub- merged. No spot is so well suited for a house as a slight rise or knoll, which looks down on all the surrounding Land ; and from which the surface waters run off easily and quickly. §5. Exposure has much influence on gen- eral comfort. In this particular, two things are to be considered, the prevailing objection- able wind, and the sun. In cities, other things even, streets running North and South are to be preferred, as then all the rooms have the sun during either morning or afternoon ; but generally on the North Atlantic coast, the windows of houses so situated do not get the sea-breezes of summer, and in New York they do get the cold North-westers of winter. Where the street runs East and West, the North side should be chosen when the front rooms are to be occupied most constantly, and the South side when the back rooms are preferred or when it is desired to have sunny back yards. Tlie morning sitting-rooms and especially the NURSERY SHOULD FACE THE MORNING SUN. §6. In this climate, the particular wind which most of us wish to avoid is that from the East or North, sometimes the one and sometimes the other being the worse according to surroundings. There should face the objec- tionable quarter, one of the sides in which there need be but few openings. The kitchen AND LARDERS HAD BEST FACE THE COLD WIND, as the kitchen is always heated and it is best to keep the larders as cool as possible. As the house should have plenty of sun, especially in the morning, a northern exposure for the rooms most used is not desirable. At the same time it is thought by some that a south- western aspect should be avoided, because with that exposure the sun is very powerful. This depends, of course, upon what rooms are to be most used and at what seasons. Most of the average American's waking hours at home are spent in his dining-room, and this should be the favored room if his wife cares to make the best of home for him. A summer-house on the coast should, of course, have its openings well exposed to the sea-breeze. The south side of a gentle eminence, with the house fronting to the south-east, is generally the best situa- tion, in most places where this book is apt to be read. §7. Trees. — There is, perhaps, nothing which conduces more to the comfort of a house than the shade and protection of trees ; and yet very often the first thing done after the site of a house is selected is to cut down all the trees for convenience in building. It is considered so easy to ])lant out young trees ; but it takes a long time for trees to grow, and it is quite worth while to go a little out of the way to find a spot where there are oaks, ma- ples, etc., for shade, and cedars and other evergreens for protection against the blasts of winter. If they cannot be found already growing, they should be planted at once. At the same time it is not desirable to have trees very near the house itself. If too tall or too close together, they obstruct the light, prevent HOUSE 273 the free circulation of air, and render the ground damp ; moreover, the decaying of the leaves in autumn, and tlie imperfect vegetation under the Ijranclies, sometimes give rise to un- wholesome exhalations . INTERIOR ARRANGEMENT. § 8. Most of what we have to say will rqfer to the lower floor, because as most of the working hours are spent on that floor, the ARRANGEMENT OF THE OTHER FLOORS SHOULD BE SUBORDINATED TO MAKING THE LOWER FLOOR AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE, and when it is determined upon, the other floors will necessarily adapt themselves to it. Do not adopt any feature solely be- ■cause you have admired it in another person's establislmient. It may be very consistent with his needs and very inconsistent witli yours. A person's house should be as much a growth from his individuality as a snail's shell, and people are not as nearly alike as snails. Ask yourself what room.s and features in rooms you and your family use most, and arrange witli reference to tliat. §9. To begin at the beginning ; here are two ways of treating a house containing but a single room. Fig. 2. In Fig. I, "tlie door opens immediately op- posite the fire-place ; a cold draught is likely, therefore, to be constantly traversing the whole length of the floor, and as the chimney is placed in the outer wall, a great deal of heat will be lost. Moreover, the bed C and the sink S, are entirely exposed to view, and thus privacy and cleanliness are scarcely possible. Now a man may, with comfort and decencv, make his kitchen his living room but he will find it disagreeable if he has in addition to use it as a bedroom and a sink room." § 10. Now consider Figure 2. Here the door and chimney are so placed as to oc- casion the minimum of draught, and tlie chim- ney being placed in the body of the house, as much heat as possible is saved. A few feet of board partition at the back of the chimney makes a recess for the bed and also an en- trance lobby with room for the sink, both of which may be curtained off as shown by the dotted lines. The two closets are placed at the other end of the room, so that a window seat, which may also serve as a locker for coal or anything else, may be placed between them. This plan would probably cost $10 more than the other, the interest on which would be about one-third of a cent a day, paid for the difference in comfort and decency. This illustrates the difference between an ill- considered — or rather a not-considered — and a well-considered way of doing the simplest thing, and it illustrates the fundamental prin- ciples of domestic architecture. §11. Of course a house is pnmarilv to beslept in ; but as this can be done in any room, the first distinct necessity is a place to cook in. and the second step is to separate the place where are performed the ungraceful operationsincident to care of food and the person — the sink room. Next naturally comes a separate place to sleep, next a " living-room," a place to /ive as human beings, distinct from the opera- tions we perform in common with the beasts. To tliis room will naturally be transferred the dining table as man tries to elevate the taking of food from a purely animal process into a social and intellectual enjoyment, and the higher man rises, the more he tries to ele- vate this function. We now get to something like this— a plan for a pioneer's log-house of one story. Fig- 3- 18 Pioneer's log-luiuse. (Perspective fur Fig. 3.) 274 HOUSE In this plan, there is a choice between having a draft across the foot of the bed in the farther bed-room, or brealving up the S)-mmetry of the IWing-room by moving the door of that bed-room further forward. J 12. If the person building in the countiy is al)le to spread himself into all sorts of conve niences for stowing fuel and food, and for preparing the latter and taking care of his clothes and person, he is apt, for his principal floor, to come to something like this. On a hill - side in the country or in a densely packed city, the back part of this plan will go into his basement, his bed- rooms will all be up stairs, and his principal floor is apt to be something like Fig. 7- It is always cheaper to use only the foundation and roof necessary for one half or one-third of the floor-room, by building his house in two or three sto ries. PRINCIPAL FLOOR PLAN. Fig. 5- Fi2 6. (Perspective fur i i^, 5.) ? 13. Before going further let us emphasize the fact that THE WIDTH OF A ROOM FROM! WASHBOARD TO WASHBOARD SHOULD ALWAYs] BE THE WIDTH OF A DEFINITE NUMBER OF BREADTHS OF CARPET. {See Carpet.) This saves waste in cutting. If a number of rooms are ot exactly the same size, the carpet, as it wears, can be moved from the more important room to the less important. ^ 14. The principal floor plans Figs. 5 and 7 have a grave but frequent fault, in not leaving two rooms, at least, connecting by a very wide door. But with this exception, the latter is f/ie plan, of all yet discovered, which suits everybody from poor to rich, and from city to country. The small farmer perhaps builds a one-story wooden house 18 x 25, does without any basement, uses the front room in Fig. 7 for kitchen and living room, the large back-room for a bed-room, and stows away a child or two or a lot of miscellaneous traps in the small back room. The man on Fifth Avenue builds 25 X65, and has a basement arranged just like the first floor, only with a number of closets between the large rooms, oneof which has a sink. The PARLOR 16 x/5 "^7 ^ m ^ PARLOR z= if OX l50 « M mm i PORCH ■ m PLAN OF PRINCIPAL FLOOR . Fig. 7- PLAN OF CHAMBERS. Fig. 8. front basement room he uses for a billiard the large back one for a kitchen, and the small back one tubs for a laundrv. '^ r 3 y P.irlor. — 2 Li- IS fitted with stationary The principal floor he modifies like Fig 9. by put- ting sliding doors bet- ween the large rooms, in place of the chimneys, and puts a chimney in place of each side window given in Fig. 7. This he can do because his house is against his left hand neighbor's and his right hand neighbor's house is against his, so they all keep each other warm and need not be as parti- cular about heat as the poor fellow living in the Fig. , brary and Diniiig-Room combined. — 3 Pantry, — 4 Dninb-waiter. — 5 Hall. — 6 - . - ^. Vestibule.-oWater-Closet One rOOm m OUr tig and Lavatory. He also puts a double door from his front parlor into his hall. The small room on his principal floor, the million- aire has provided with a door opening into the dining-room, and fitted up for his waiter, with china closets, a sink, and a lift communicating with the basement. The front room he uses as a parlor. If his father was as rich as he is — or rich enough, at least, and sensible enough to refine the son, the son, in nine cases out of ten, uses the back room for a library, and as a dining-room during the few hours when meals would prevent his using his books anyhow. In the tenth case, the refined man uses his front basement room for a dining-room, and vulgar men frequently do, and have their billiard-rooms in the top of the house so that the players clattering down stairs late at night can wake up the children. We have said that the rich man dining in his basement is not alzuavs vulgar, and we have tiot said that he HOUSE 275 Fig. 10' 1 Parlor. — 2 I^ibrary and Dini.ig- Kt)om. — 3 Dumb-Waiter. ^4 Recess fur sideboard. —5 Closet with sink. — 6 H,)ll.— 7 Vestibule. always is if lie has his billiard-room up stairs. The poor man, no matter liow refined, has Id do the best he can. Neitlier have we said that all millionaires in New York live in just such houses, or that millionaires arc the only people living in just such houses. On the contrary, such houses are tlie pre- vailing type in New York and, for good reasons which we shall soon ex- plain, seem to be making their way in other cities. E±\ / / ^ ^"^ narrower lots the =1 back room e.vtends across * the house, and at the end 7 " toward the hall has two ^^ closets (one containing the dumb-waiter from the basement) with an arched recess betw-een them in which the buffet stands. (Fig. lo.) §15. The second story is generally like this, though the principal bed- room is also some times carried across the whole house, the stairs of course being carried farther back than in the plan. A small-room on the second floor is, nat- urally, used as a bath room. Space is frequently found for a closet at each end of the stairway be- tween it and the so called " hall-rooms." Such a closet is generally fitted as a water-closet, instead of having the apparatus in the bath- room. Likewise on the first floor, room is often found for a watercloset with wash-basin between the stairs and butler's pantry. The third floor is lilce the second, and the fourth divided into more small rooms. Between the bedrooms, the closets are generally larger than represented in Fig. 8, more as in Fig. II. The only direct communication between the rooms is through the closets. Each room having two, one is provided with marble wash- basins and not unfrequently with bath-tub for feet, or even made into a regular bath-room, and ventilated through a well communicating with the roof. §i6. Residents of New York will proba- bly feel amused at finding so minute a descrip- tion of this simple and commonplace plan. Persons not familiar with New York may ex- perience something of the same feeling, and are more apt to have it mingled with surprise that people of wealth anywhere get along with two rooms on their principal floor, and dine in one also used for other purposes. Such however is the fact, although e.xtension rooms are coming more into vogue, and the front II. I, 5 .<: S. Bcd- ruuins — 2 W.isli-closets. — 4 Hanging-Closets. — 5 Bath-room. — 6 Hall. room has frequently been divided by pillars or an arch, or even two rooms made of it. Un- less the house is on a corner, however, the middle room (unless arranged as below) is dark, and of questionable desirability. We have enlarged on this plan, because, for several reasons, after considerable experience in other cities, we believe it, as used in New York, to be not only the best plan, on the whole, for an average city house, but to contain many essen- tial features of all good plans. §17. Its simplicity is in its favor. The plans in vogue in several other cities, accom- plish no more, and make much more fuss and expense about it. It provides what f.veky WELL PLANNED HOUSE MUST HAVE, and wliat most houses do noi have, although they might as well as not, viz. : two laroe rooms that CAN BE VIRTUALLY MADE ONE AND WIDE DOORS WHEREVER THEY CAN BE USED. The reasons for having such rooms are, I, to secure a reasonable feehng of breadth and openness in the house. It cramps chars.cter to be shut up in narrow spaces. II. To in crease the amount of air ordmarily available for breathing and withstanding the deleterious influences of gas-light, furnace-heat, &c. III. To give an available space for social diver- sions, music, recitations, acting, and the cir- culation of people at parties. It is surprising how many palatial residences ire scattered over the country, in which a large party is reduced to a knot of small ones, where the guests cannot find each other out, where two couples cannot get through a door at once, and where music played in one room, cannot be heard or danced to in another. One reproach justly cast upon America by Continental ob- servers — that we are so sad in our amusements, and have so little social entertainment but eating and drinking, will perhaps be quicker removed if our homes are made more generally avai.al le for sprightly and intellectual diver- sions. §18. If a lot is too narrow to admit of even the plan of F"g. 10, do not on that account give up the advantages Df rooms eu siiiU;3.nd, above all, do not din.; in your cellar, but submit at once to the English basement plan, and have your principal floor up stairs, and arranged somewhat like Fig. 1 2. plave a dumb-waiter come up two stories from the basement kitchen. §19. Before leaving this subject of rooms eii smte. let us consider a moment the chimney question as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 7, Room where the chimney is put in the "".iddle of the house to save heat ; and in a much e.xposed house in the country, such an arrangement is desirable ; but it is a pity to spoil the rooms. Why not arrange like Fig. 13, though for our part, we Dining and Library.- Closet.— 4 HalL --5 Dumb-waiter in closet. This can have a sink in front of it. 276 HOUSE Fig. i;. I Parlor. — 2 Library and Dining-room. — 3 Pantry. — 4 Dumb-waiter. — 5 Wa- ter-Closel. — 6 Hall. — 7 Vestibule. would put the chimney on the outside, ju.st as is done in the city house, especially as it is much handier for the up stairs rooms. It will be ob- served that the arrange- ment in Fig. 7 not only does such fatal damage down stairs, but cuts the closet accommodation up stairs down to a mini- mum. For the sake of thus getting their chim neys into the middle of the house, and making as few of them as pos- sible, architects are con- I Parlor. — 2 Diiung- Room. — 3 Library, (best put here for seclusion) — 4 Pantry.— 5 Water-CIoset and Lavator\'. — 6 Dumb- waiter — 7 HaiL — S Vesti- bule. Fig. 15. I Parlor. - Room. — 3 Rear Well for light. —5 Library. — 6 Pantry. — 7 Water- Closet and'Lavatory. Dining- Hall.— 4 stantly sacrificing the important considerations we have named in § 17. ^ 20. Two rooms, so arranged, being pro- vided, add what else you please. For three rooms in the midst of a city block, Fig. 14 seems the best arrangement, though Fig. 15 is used a good deal for narrow houses. The PANTRV IN EITHER FIGURE SHOULD BE LIGHT- ED FROM THE CEILING BY A WELL 18 inches wide, extending the length of the ceiling and following the outer wall to the roof. By putting the bath-rooms of the successive floors over this pantry and the water-closets over the one on the first floor, windows from all can open into this well. Its opening through the roof should be arranged as in Fig. 2 of our article on Ven- tilation. The kitchen range should be un- der the pantry, and its flue in the wall behind the well will create an upward current that will ventilate all the bath-rooms and closets. • ii2i. Back stairs, at least from the Kitchen to the Second Floor, are very desirable. In houses of fair depth provision can be made for them at the rear of the pantry. §22. In the country the other rooms can be added on in a variety of ways. We append a few designs, and will treat some generalities of the exterior in connection with them. PLAN OFPRINCIPAL FLOOB Fig. 16. Fig. 17. (Perspective HOUSE 277 n- — ^i -»" ' Bco ri GARRE 1^^ , 1 nooM /^ ATTIC EBtt:;:' PLAN Fig. 19. Fig. iS. We annex above, the chamber and attic plans Idr Figs. 16 & 17, as their arrangement varies so materially from that of the principal floor. kitchen added, veranda in place of reception room, and the whole thing changed from right to left. !; 24. On a hill-side, or when there is no room for I