, or
spirit of salt; nitric
, or
aquafortis; sulphuric
, or
oil of vitriol
.)
1353. Chlorine (gas)
1354. Lead
(
Sugar of; red lead; wine sweetened by; and water impregnated with
).
1355. Phosphorus
1356. Lime
1357. Alkalies
(
Caustic potash; soda; ammonia
.)
1358. Baryta
(
Carbonate, pure
, and
muriate
of,
See
Lime
para
.
1356
.)
1359. Nitre
1360. Narcotic Poisons
(
Bane berries; fool's parsley; deadly nightshade; water hemlock; thorn apple; opium, or laudanum; camphor, &c.
)
1361. Vegetable Irritating Poisons
(
Mezsreon; monk's-hood; bitter apple; gamboge; white hellebore, &c.
)
Take Care of Pence, Pounds will Take Care of Themselves.
1362. Oxalic Acid
1363. Spanish Flies
1364. Poisonous Fish
(
Old-wife; sea-lobster; mussel; tunny; blower; rock-fish, &c.
)
1365. Bites of Reptiles
(
Viper; black viper; Indian serpents; rattle-snake.
)
1366. Mad Animals, Bite of
1367. Insect Stings
(
Wasp, bee, gnat, hornet, gadfly, scorpion.
)
1368. Cautions for the Prevention of Accidents
The following regulations should be engraved on the memory of all:
If You are in Debt, Somebody Owns Part of You.
1369. Accidents in Carriages
It is safer, as a general rule, to keep your place than to jump out. Getting out of a gig over the back, provided you can hold on a little while, and run, is safer than springing from the side. But it is best to keep your place, and hold fast. In accidents people act not so much from reason as from excitement: but good rules, firmly impressed upon the mind, generally rise uppermost, even in the midst of fear.
1370. Life Belts
An excellent and cheap life belt, for persons proceeding to sea, bathing in dangerous places, or learning to swim, may be thus made:—Take a yard and three quarters of strong jean, double, and divide it into nine compartments. Let there be a space of two inches after each third compartment. Fill the compartments with very fine cuttings of cork, which may be made by cutting up old corks, or (still better) purchased at the corkcutter's. Work eyelet holes at the bottom of each compartment, to let the water drain out. Attach a neck-band and waist-strings of stout boot-web, and sew them on strongly.
1371. Another
Cut open an old boa, or victorine, and line it with fine cork-cuttings instead of wool. For ladies going to sea these are excellent, as they may be worn in stormy weather, without giving appearance of alarm in danger. They may be fastened to the body by ribands or tapes, of the colour of the fur. Gentlemen's waistcoats may be lined the same way.
1372. Charcoal Fumes
The usual remedies for persons overcome with the fumes of charcoal in a close apartment are, to throw cold water on the head, and to bleed immediately; also apply mustard or hartshorn to the soles of the feet.
Economy is the Easy Chair of Old Age.
1373. Cautions in Visiting the Sick
Do not visit the sick when you are fatigued, or when in a state of perspiration, or with the stomach empty—for in such conditions you are liable to take the infection. When the disease is very contagious, place yourself at the side of the patient which is nearest to the window. Do not enter the room the first thing in the morning, before it has been aired; and when you come away, take some food, change your clothing immediately, and expose the latter to the air for some days. Tobacco smoke is a preventive of malaria.
1374. Children and Cutlery
Serious accidents having occurred to babies through their catching hold of the blades of sharp instruments, the following hint will be useful. If a child lay hold of a knife or razor, do not try to pull it away, or to force open the hand; but, holding the child's hand that is empty, offer to its other hand anything nice or pretty, and it will immediately open the hand, and let the dangerous instrument fall.
1375. Directing Letters
It may sound like being over particular, but we recommend persons to make a practice of fully addressing notes, &c., on all occasions; when, in case of their being dropped by careless messengers (which is not a rare occurrence), it is evident for whom they are intended, without undergoing the inspection of any other person bearing a similar name.
1376. Prevention of Fires
The following simple suggestions are worthy of observation:
Add one ounce of alum to the last water used to rinse children's dresses, and they will be rendered uninflammable, or so slightly combustible that in event of coming into contact with fire, they would only smoulder away very slowly, and not burst into flame. This is a simple precaution, which may be adopted in families of children. Bed curtains, and linen in general, may also be treated in the same way. Tungstate of soda has been recommended for the purpose of rendering any article of female dress incombustible. Any chemist will intimate to the purchaser the manner in which the tungstate of soda should be employed.
1377. Precautions in Case of Fire
The following precautions should be impressed upon the memory of all our readers:
1378. Fire!
Should a Fire break out, send off to the nearest engine or police station.
1379. Water
Fill Buckets with Water, carry them as near the fire as possible, dip a mop into the water, and throw it in showers on the fire, until assistance arrives.
1380. A Wet Blanket
If a Fire is violent, wet a blanket, and throw it on the part which is in flames.
1381. Chimney Fire (1)
Should a Fire break out in the Kitchen Chimney, or any other, a blanket wetted should be nailed to the upper ends of the mantelpiece, so as to cover the opening entirely; the fire will then go out of itself: for this purpose two knobs should be permanently fixed in the upper ends of the mantelpiece, on which the blanket may be hitched.
1382. Curtains on Fire
Should the Bed or Window Curtains be on fire, lay hold of any woollen garment, and beat it on the flames until extinguished.
1383. No Draughts
Avoid leaving the Window Or Door open in the room where the fire has broken out, as the current of air increases the force of the fire.
1384. Burning Staircase: Escape
Should the Staircase be burning, so as to cut off all communication, endeavour to escape by means of a trap-door in the roof, a ladder leading to which should always be at hand.
1385. Avoid Hurry and Confusion
Avoid hurry and confusion; no person except a fireman, friend, or neighbour, should be admitted.
1386. Dress on Fire
If a Lady's Dress takes Fire, she should endeavour to roll herself in a rug, carpet, or the first woollen garment she meets with.
1387. Handy Baize
It is a Good Precaution to have always at hand a large piece of baize, to throw over a female whose dress is burning, or to be wetted and thrown over a fire that has recently broken out.
Little Sticks Kindle the Fire, but Great Ones Put it Out.
1388. Use Pearlash
A Solution of Pearlash in Water, thrown upon a fire, extinguishes it instantly. The proportion is a quarter of a pound, dissolved in some hot water, and then poured into a bucket of common water.
1389. Buckets and Mops
It is recommended to Householders to have two or three fire-buckets and a carriage-mop with a long handle near at hand; they will be found essentially useful in case of fire.
1390. Check before Retiring
All householders, but particularly hotel, tavern, and inn-keepers, should exercise a wise precaution by directing that the last person up should look over the premises previous to going to rest, to ascertain that all fires are safe and lights extinguished.
1391. To Extinguish a Fire in a Chimney (2)
So many serious fires have been caused by chimneys catching fire, and not being quickly extinguished, that the following method of doing this should be made generally known. Throw some powdered brimstone on the fire in the grate, or ignite some on the hob, and then put a board or something in the front of the fireplace, to prevent the fumes descending into the room. The vapour of the brimstone, ascending the chimney, will then effectually extinguish the fire.
1392. To Extinguish a Fire in a Chimney (3).
To Extinguish a Fire in the chimney, besides any water at hand, throw on it salt, or a handful of flour of sulphur, as soon as you can obtain it; keep all the doors and windows tightly shut, and hold before the fireplace a blanket, or some woollen article, to exclude the air.
1393. Escaping from a Fire
In escaping from a fire, creep or crawl along the room with your face close to the ground. Children should be early taught how to press out a spark when it happens to reach any part of their dress, and also that running into the air will cause it to blaze immediately.
1394. Don't Read in Bed
Reading in bed at night should be avoided, as, besides the danger of an accident, it never fails to injure the eyes.
1395. Warming a Bed
To heat a bed at a moment's notice, throw a little salt on the hot coals in the warming-pan, and suffer it to burn for a minute previous to use.
1396. No Plant Life
Flowers and shrubs should be excluded from a bed-chamber.
1397. Swimming
Every person should endeavour to acquire the power of swimming. The fact that the exercise is a healthful accompaniment of bathing, and that lives may be saved by it, even when least expected, is a sufficient argument for the recommendation. The art of swimming is, in reality, very easy. The first consideration is not to attempt to learn to swim too hastily. That is to say, you must not expect to succeed in your efforts to swim, until you have become accustomed to the water, and have overcome your repugnance to the coldness and novelty of bathing. Every attempt will fail until you have acquired a certain confidence in the water, and then the difficulty will soon vanish.