THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11544, 1 December 1900, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

HOW TO'AVOID LAMP ACCIDENTS. Mb. Edward Phillips, of the Hackney Vestry, fias drawn up the following instructions for users of oil lamps: — 1. Take care that the vessels used tor keeping lor sending to be filled with oil are free from dirt and water. 2. Keep dry the wicks before using, so as to get out any moisture. Dip the end to be liehted into, the oil. ; - "'.'■'. 3. "See the wicks fit the wick tubes. Not too tightly, and especially not too loosely. 4. The wicks should not be much longer than to reach the bottom of the oil container— 12in long. It is well to change wick after two months' use. Bear in mind that wick acts as a strainer. 5. Once a week thoroughly clean the burner, remove all burnt pieces of wick, flies, dirt, etc. Every two months boil the burner- in strong soda water. 6. Before" lighting, remove the burner crust on wicks with the fingers. .Turn down wick on level with wick tubes and rub the fingers across the wick. This will give uniformity to the flame and is better than cutting. • ' 7. When lighting, turn up wick slightly, let remain for a few minutes, then turn up to full power, so long as the flame is white; when the edge of the flame is orange colour proper combustion is not taking place; burner must then be examined. 8. Do not use a chimney after it is cracked. It might fly to pieces when no one was present; the result would cause the flame to smoke, and in a short time heat the burner until the oil ignited. Metal oil containers are safer than glass or china, but if the latter are used, see they are always sound and thick. The more oil they hold the thicker the material should be. It is essential that lamps have a wide solid base to prevent them being easily knocked over. 4 See that the burner easily takes to pieces for the purpose of cleaning; that it screws or fits tightly to the collar, and that the collar is securely fixed to the body of the lamp. It is most important that the slits in the burner (cone) are exactly over the wick ! tubes, so that the flames come clearly through without touching the metal, otherwise great heat is conducted to the oil. 9. If a lamp has been freely used, refill before it is used again. It is best to keep the lamp well filled; do not continue to burn the oil until it is completely exhausted. 10. The unpleasant smell generally noticed when the lamp is first lighted is caused by pieces of burnt wick and other matter inside the burner, and from oil spilt en the outside when filling, or from the oil filtering through the wick when left above the wick tube. Well wipe the lamp before using, and especially after filling. 11. It is best to lower the wicks before using the extinguishers. If the lamp is without them, gently lower the wick and leave the small blue flickering flame, which will quickly die out. It is better neither to blow down or across the chimney. 12. In the event of the- oil taking fire through the burner, a sharp puff of the breath will frequently put it out. ' If this fails then take a wet towel, blanket, mat," or something of a similar substance that is at hand, and so smother out the flames. MOTHER HINTS. Puttin-g Baby to Bed: Never let baby get into the habit of expecting to be rocked or sung to sleep. Teach him from the very first tc do without attention of this sort, or latei on you will probably have to waste hours teaching him to go to sleep like a rational human being. Besides, it is exceedingly bad for him to be shaken up and down just after a meal, as one's commonsense would tell one if one took the trouble to think. For Rickets: Cod liver oil is a valuable remedy for rickets, and may be given to the tiniest child. The dose is" about 20 drops, twice daily, increasing gradually to a tea- . spoonful as the child can digest it. It must not exceed this unless ordered by a doctor. Always remember that the sooner a child suffering from rickets is properly treated the better, as it simply goes from I bad to worse.

A Poisoned Finger: If either of the little ones i.i unfortunate enough, tc get this, make him hold it several times a day, for ten minutes at a time, in watei as hot as he can bear, in which a little Condy's Fluid has been added. The Condy-and-water "should be a bright pink coloui. As soon as it turns brown it has lost all its purifying power. As soon as it is taken out of the water, wrap the finger in a bit of clean rag spread with boracic ointment. Bind a piece of oiled silk over, or use one of the indiarubber binds sold by chemists. ■ Cold-water Sponging: After a healthy child is a year old, it is an excellent plan to quickly sponge him over with cold water directly after giving him his bath. Do it as rapidly as possible, and give him a brisk rubbing afterwards till he is all aglow. The little one soon grows to like it, and the sponging, besides strengthening him, will make him far less susceptible to cold. Children's Food: Milk and eggs are the mainstay of children's dieting, being a whole and complete «food, either being quite enough to support life without anything else. Eggs should be lightly boiled and eaten with bread and butter, or broken over boiled rice. Milk is always safer when boiled, and should be taken at every meal by young children, it being the most healthy drink a child can take.

NURSERY NOTES.

Swallowing Fish Bones : A child sometimes swallows a fish bone, with painful results. As soon as possible give an emetic made of a spoonful of mustard dissolved in lukewarm water, and immediately afterwards the white of two or three eggs. This will be speedily ejected from the stomach, and the bone will come with it. Worms in children frequently indicate a debilitated state of the system. A tonic or a little steel wine will generally be found beneficial. Thread-worms are the kind children suffer most from, and the best and most simple remedy is an injection of warm salt water. The injections may be repeated daily for three 0.. four days until the child is cured. As soon as a child has got any teeth (and they usually appear about the seventh or eighth month) artificial food can be safely increased in strength and quantity. If the child has hitherto lived upon cow's milk and water, the latter may be discontinued, and pure milk alone given, to be continued for a month or two longer. When one or two of the larger grinding-teeth have appeared, beef tef. or chicken broth may be given once a day. Strumous children are liable to a discharge from the ear, which may continue on after an attack of scarlet fever or measles. This is not often attended with pain, but now and then it is rathei offensive. The treatment of such cases should be sea air and constitutional treatment with cod liver oil; in addition, the ear? should be carefully syringed with a little warm alum water two or three times a day, and great care should be exercised to prevent the child taking cold. HOUSEHOLD HINTS. Home dressmakers who have difficulty in pressing curved seams will find a common kitchen rolling-pin a very good pressing board, if a piece of paper be wrapped around it. To keep the sinkpipe sweet, pour a strong solution of soda and water down the pipe once a week. It is an excellent cleaner, and removes all unpleasant odour. Where paraffin lamps are burned, keep a large box of sand in the house, as a little of it thrown on to burning paraffin will quickly extinguish it. Dubbin should be applied to leather when quite wet. It will then penetrate through the leather. This plan is adopted by 'firemen, who should know something about book. A loop of elastic sewn on the under side of the dress sleeve lining tc slip over the cuff stud is recommended to hold the tuff in place. Cane-bottomed chairs should be washed on the under side with a sponge and hot water, , using soap if much soiled. The cane should be completely soaked and c'ried in the air. When using celery seed, instead of celery, for which it.is an excellent substitute, do not put in too much. If an excess be used, the decoction, instead of tasting like celfjy, will taste like varnish.