Enquire Within Upon Everything Part 121

xxii. Keep lucifer matches in their cases, and never let them be strewed about.

xxiii. Kick into the gutter any piece of orange peel that you may see on the pavement or the roadway. By so doing you may save many from meeting with dangerous accidents.

xxvi. Never allow your servants to leave brooms, brushes, slop-pails, water cans, &c. in outside doorways, or at the head of a flight of stairs when engaged in house-work.

[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 s.p.a.ce 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 a.s.sistance 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 k.n.o.bs 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.