NOTES FOR WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20710, 7 May 1929, Page 17

NOTES FOR WOMEN.

By PrauuDA

“ WHEN FEMALES CATCH FIRE.” Last night I made an exciting find at the tail end of an ancient cookery book, just after sundry messy recipes for making one’s own household brews of blacking. It explained what to do , “ when females catch on fire.” Great-great-grandmamma wore so many things, and such a lot of each, that really intricate fires could start, and smoulder and creep about the pleats and gussets and gores and frills and embroideries, without the uuinstructed bystander knowing what to do for the best. Even sher herself was not infrequently flummoxed when her steadily increasing warmth and ominous swirls of smoke began to lead her to realise that she was now a conflagration. Well, this is what had to be done before resorting to extreme measures and putting in a heavy call for the brigade:— 1. Let, it be early and diligently impressed on the mind of every female that flame uniformly tends upward; that every article of her dress will consume much more rapidly if held upright than if laid along the floor: and that her life may depend on her presence of mind should her, clothes unhappily catch fire. 2. Give instant alarm by pulling the bell (which is generally near the fireplace), by screaming, or any other means; but, if possible, avoid opening the door, for both the movement of the figure and the current of air admitted will increase the rapidity of the flames. 3. The alarm may be given while the female .is at the same instant sitting down by the rug, attempting to tear off the articles of dress which are on fiye, and rolling herself in the rug or carpet, if the latter is nailed down she may easily, when on the floor, tear it up. She may also catch at any piece of baize or vessel of water within reach; and, if very active, may even turn her clothes over her head, to her shift, and thus arrest the progress of the flames. 4. The most ready and effectual assistance a spectator in general can give will be to turn the clothes of the sufferer to her shift over her head, and hold them firm thus, till ■wrappers, cold water, etc., are procured. 5. A man may quickly strip off his coat and wrap it round the female. 6. Let the sufferer, even if she fail to pull away the burning articles, or to extinguish the fire by rolling on the floor and wrapping herself in the hearthrug (which is generally always ready), still protect her bosom and face by lowering her face and crossing her ha’rds and arms over those parts. 7. A piece of green or scarlet baize, called a fire extinguisher, is kept in some sitting rooms arid nurseries, and should be in universal use while thin muslin and cotton dresses continue to be worn. As its name and uses are familiarly known, though it serves,as a table or pianoforte cover, it can be instantly seized ■in an emergency. 8. If, in spite of all exertions, the person is injured, let one assistant, or the sufferer herself, throw cold water plentifully over the parts, while another supplies water, and a third cuts off the clothes. Continue the effusion, or apply wet clothes constantly to the parts—if they cannot be wholly immersed in water —till medical advice is obtained. So that’s that.