GENERAL.

Waipa Post, Volume 52, Issue 3705, 10 January 1936, Page 4

GENERAL.

BITES AND STINGS. Midges, gnats and mosquitoes are the kill-joy of summer, but if a little care is taken over the toilet they can be checked from attacking the skin. Whatever would encourage them must be avoided in the daily toilet, and what they dislike must be used instead. Flies of any sort, as everything in the animal world, have very strong likes and dislikes. The scent of flowers is to assist in the fertilisation of plants by attracting insects, and so scent should not be used when flying foes are troublesome, unless it is one like oil of lavender, which they are known to dislike. A little of this sprinkled on your frock will help to keep them off. The morning bath must start the day’s warfare against bits and stings. An excellent thing to use is a good toilet carbolic soap; make a good lather and only slightly rinse off. This soap may be used for all parts, including the face, though the latter should be thoroughly rinsed off. If you do not eare to use such a soap add a suitable aid to your bath water, or else bathe your skin all over with a special solution immediately after leaving the bath, and let it dry on. A chemist would make up a very weak carbolic lotion, but he must be told the purpose for which it is to be used; or he would prepare a magnesium solution of suitable strength. During the day, whenever the face is cleansed, if gnats, midges or mosquitoes are on the wing, a dash of elder flower water should be added to the rinsing water; when it is possible to obtain the bloom fresh from the tree, drop a spray into a jug of water and keep that for washing | your face.

Menthol is extremely effective in keeping flies away, and just a little added to a dusting powder is the best way to use It. A chemist must do this for you as it is a troublesome matter to handle. A little of the powder must be dusted on to the forehead clase to the roots of the hair, and a touch of it upon the face, hands, arms and legs, especially on the instep, a favourite place for attack.

On a rainy day, or towards evening, are times when mosquitoes and midfges become extremely active. One mothed of keeping them off the face is to add a few drops of oil of Citronelle to your foundation cream, 3 drops of the oil to 2 drachms (2 teaspoons) of the cream, blended well. When this is rubbed on to the skin it will safeguard it against bites. Pepper dusted on the window sills is often effective in keeping all sorts of. flies out of the room, and a little may also be dusted on to the curtains. Ammonia solution is also excellent for the purpose, but unfortunately it is so volatile that the effect quickly goes off and it must be renewed frequently. Ammonia must not be used on curtains as it affects their colour.

After a sting from a bee, the first thing to do is to remove the actual sting Itself, and then an aid must be applied immediately. Solution of ammonia is the best thing. A convenient way to have it always by, even in the handbag, is to partly fill a very small wide mouthed bottle with small pieces of cottonwool. The bottle should then be filled with the ammonia solution. and when first aid is needed all that has to be done is to remove a piece of the wool and squeeze it on to the injured spot. When ammonia is carried in the handbag by this method there will be no liquid to do any harm should the bottle break, as the cottonwool will have soaked it all up.

If there is much inflammation after a sting or bite, the part should be bathed with warm boracic acid lotion, and a little starch powder dusted on is comforting and eases irritation.