WOMEN'S WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 21 October 1926, Page 25

WOMEN'S WORLD.

WOMEN'S HEALTH.

EFFECT OF CONCRETE FLOORS.

A public meeting, held under the auspices of the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women, took place in the Y.W.C.A building last evening. It was held to consider the effect of concrete floors on the health of the community. Miss E. Melville occupied the chair and explained that the meeting was ca.'led as the result of a remit brought forward at the last meeting of the National Council, which had set up a sub committee to go into the subject. Dr. Buckley Turkington reported for the sub-committee, consisting of Miss B. E. Carnachan, Miss Melocke and Mrs. A E. Woods, that it was the unanimous opinion that floors are liable to remain damp if sand which has not been freed from salt has been used. In Auckland it is diflicult to insist on the exclusive use of river sand, but it is possible to dry out the building and then prevent further dampness arising by laying suitable damp-proof coverings. The lack of resilience complained of can be overcome by wooden floors laid aver concrete and covered with some inexpensive material, lino., felt, etc. Adequate, ventilation should be provided to allow of drying out-, and some form of • heating apparatus also be provided where sunlight does not penetrate. It was stated that the majority of the factories had put down wooden floors and when asked why, they all said it was to protect the health of the girls. Dr. Buckley-Turkington said that in the majority of cases there was adequate protection given. _Mrs. R. Martin, representing the Northcote Progressive League, said that she knew of places where the girls were frozen to the knee from the cold and damp floors and the girls suffered in their health as a consequence. Dr. Northcroft, in speaking on the subject, said that she had met two women who ware so crippled with rheumatism that they had to move, but in this case the building was new and had not dried out. A letter was read from a leading architect, stating that he could not see any reason why concrete floors were damp. Tests had shown that concrete floors were dry when dried out. After general discussion the matter was referred back to the National Council of Women for further action.

Mr 3. Joyce Bushel, aged 32, recently elected Tammany leader of the Twentyfirst assembly district in New York, is the youngest person, man or woman, ever chosen for a Tammany leadership.

USEFUL HINTS.

WASHING SODA A VALUABLE HOUSEHOLD REMEDY.

It is not generally known that soda carbonate (common washing soda) is a \ valuable antiseptic in the treatment of wounds, cuts, or abrasions. In a paper read before the Sydney Technical College Chemical Society on "Simple Household Remedies," the speaker emphasised the value of soda, if used in a solution of the strength of one teaspoonful to the fup of water. It will cause the wound to heal rapidly, and is much more efficacious than the phenyle applications, such as lysol, or the many others of this kind. The latter have the tendency to make the skin very sore ana irritable if used for any length of time. If the wound is large it will perhaps, require stitch or two, after which about two -pplications of the soda solution and simple dressing or bandaging are sufficient. It is cheap and easily procurable and readily mixed, and will be found invaluable in workshop or home. Strong solutions have been also used with very good effect in the treatment of ringworm and warts. ROASTING WITHOUT AN OVEN. It is quite possible to roast a joint over a gas ring (says a Home paper). Very useful "self-roasters" are now on the market, which enable roasting to be done over a gas ring or an oil stove with very little trouble.

They consist of a dripping tin and grid, with a high-domed cover, in which is a little shutter which may be opened to let out steam when the joint is cooked. Failing one of these useful utensils, an ordinary dripping tin, covered* with a large enamel basin—or for small joints with another dripping tin— may be used. Wipe and trim the joint and brown it all over in a frying pan in two or three ounces of dripping. Put it into the dripping tin, without the grid, with the fat in which it has been fried. Add more dripping if the joint be lean. Surround with peeled potatoes, and cover with the top of the roaster, or with a basin large enough to cover the dripping tin completely. Put it over a low gas jet and cook from two to three hours, according to the size of the joint. A joint of 31b requires one hour and 40 minutes, allowing 25 minutes to the pound and 25 minutes over. It is not advisable to cook a larger joint than 41b to 4Jlb in this manner. Turn, the joint and the potatoes once. To Dish.—Dish as for a roast joint on a hot dish, pour off the fat in the dripping tin, add hot water, and boil up. Season and serve in a gravy boat. The potatoes, which should be tender and brown, are handed separately.

TO STAIN AND POLISH A FLOOR.

First of all scrub the floor well. When thoroughly dry, sandpaper it all over. Next apply a suitable quick drying being careful to first sweep the floor quite clean. Paint the stain on quickly, and when dry give it another coat, then apply a good floor polish, and rub it well. Do not ever wash this floor, just dust and repolish. MILK AND SODA Very often the addition of barley water or soda water, or plain water in which two. tablets of citrate of soda have been dissolved, will make it lighter; and we must remember that a glass of diluted milk which agrees with us is infinitely more 'nourishing than a glass of beautiful rich milk which upsets our digestions. Diluted milk is particularly to be recommended for anyone who is inclined to constipation, that arch-enemy of beauty. And many people forget to avoid taking milk and acid foods at the same meal; this is a practice that very often interferes with digestion.

WHAT TO DO WITH SOUR MILK. In hot weather milk very soon turns sour, and although most careful women generally see that the milk is boiled as soon as it arrives, and are particular about perfectly clean milk bowls and jugs, as well as never allowing milk to be placed in the sun, in a stuffy atmosphere or near strongly smelling food, yet in spite of all these precautions it sometimes becomes sour. Sour TniTlr should never be wasted. It can be used to make delicious cakes, scones and bread, and it is an excellent food for chickens, ducklingß and hens. Bread and cakes, if mixed with sour milk, are lighter than when fresh milk is used. Here is a recipe for making bread with sour milk: Put two pounds of flour and two teaspoonfuls of salt into a basin, rub in two ounces of margarine and mix to a rather 6oft . ugh, wit_ about a pint of sour milk in which a teaspoonful of tartaric acid and one teaspoonful and a-half of bicarbonate of soda have been dissolved. Knead lightly, divide into two, and bake in greased and floured tins for about an hour. If liked, two-thirds of wholemeal flour and one-third of white may be used instead of all white flour, and the bread may be baked as flat cakes. If the milk has turned sour quickly, .it is wholesome if served in French fashion in little bowls dusted with sugar and nutmeg, and eaten with stewed fruit. Stale, sour milk should not be eaten in this way. In Scotland sour milk is heated slowly in a saucepan, but not allowed to boil, and then strained through a sieve. The curd is left to drain on the iieve a while, then salt is added, and the whole is pressed into a basin, turned out, and eaten with oatcakes.

CLEANING OF SOILED CORSETS. Dry cleaning is best for silk corsets, and also for those having a front busk of metal, which will rust if made wet. Most ordinary corsets may be readily cleaned at home by washing if care is taken to avoid getting the metal parts wet.

First prepare the following solution: Mix together six tablespoonfuls dissolved soap, one breakfastcupful warm water, one tablespoonful ammonia. Remove the lacing cords and any lace or ribbon decorating the top, and wash these separately. Add sufficient of the prepared solution to warm water to make it lathery. Place the corsets flat on a table, and, using a sm-all brush, scrub thoroughly all over and on both sides with lathery water.

Rinse the corsets in two or three warm waters, and then in cold water

containing a little blue. AfteT squeezing them, being careful not to bend them, they should be rubbed well with a dry cloth, and then dried quickly in the open air. Finish by pressing gently with a hot iron on both sides.