The reader should be warned that under no circumstances should the skin be opened, even though it may be quite obvious that there is a bluish mass of blood immediately beneath. Where this mistake is made, infection of the injured tissues with the germs that produce pus inevitably results, and as a consequence the patient suffers with a discharging wound for a considerable period of time. In rare cases germs get into the injured parts without the skin having been opened, and there results under such circumstances a condition which closely resembles that of an ordinary abscess. The probability that this undesirable complication has arisen is shown by the swelling becoming greater and more painful some days after the injury has occurred, and under such circumstances a good physician should be at once consulted, as it will be necessary to make an incision into the diseased area.

Soothing Burns.—One of the most common and painful of injuries are burns. Small superficial burns require no particular treatment. Where, however, they are of sufficient severity to merit attention, the simplest and best of all treatments is to immerse the diseased part in cold water, and here it should remain at least some hours, or until competent medical aid can be secured. Medical treatment of injuries of this kind is not particularly satisfactory, though there are some drugs that may be used with more or less benefit. Chief among them is picric acid, which may be applied by means of a cloth wrung out of a one per cent. solution of this substance in water. Another treatment which has some merit, and which has long enjoyed a certain vogue among both medical men and the laity, is a combination of equal parts of lime-water with either olive or linseed oil; this is called carron oil and is applied in the same way as the picric acid solution. All three of the remedies referred to act largely by preventing the access of air to the burned surface, and they, therefore, may be replaced by any bland and non-poisonous substance which accomplishes like results.

Accidents from Heat and Cold.—The climate of the United States is characterized by extreme variations—there being over almost its entire extent during the winter months a series of "cold waves," during which excessively low temperatures are often experienced,—particularly in the northern and western portions of the country. During the summer, on the other hand, we have almost everywhere periods during which the temperature goes very high—often accompanied by excessive atmospheric moisture. As a consequence of these extremes in temperature it could only be expected that we would often experience bad effects, so that serious illness, and even death, occasionally result.

Of the two extremes, excessive heat is much the more dangerous, and is by far more frequently followed by fatal results—particularly in crowded cities. Fortunately for the dwellers in rural districts the precise conditions under which excessive heat is followed by serious consequences are not so frequently encountered as in the more populous centers, and as a result we find that serious ill effects from high temperatures are by no means so common in the former as in the latter. There are, however, two quite well defined and distinct morbid conditions that are the result of high temperatures, and inasmuch as they differ in their symptoms as well as in their treatment, it will be necessary to consider them separately.

Sunstroke.—Sunstroke is characterized by a rapid onset, the patient usually complaining of an uncomfortable sense of burning heat and a feeling of dizziness and depression. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are common, frequently an intense headache, and sooner or later a muttering delirium. The patient's skin is dry and hot, the face is flushed, and the eyes suffused, and a thermometer will show a bodily temperature of from 105 deg. to 110 deg. or even 112 deg.F. In fatal cases it is usually some hours before the patient dies, though sometimes he succumbs almost instantly.

When attacked, the patient should at once be removed to some shady place, and should be held in a sitting posture against any suitable object that may be at hand. The clothing should be loosened at once, and every endeavor should be directed towards lowering the temperature of the victim. This is best done by pouring ice-water or the coolest water that can be secured freely over the entire body of the patient. This treatment should be continued until the temperature approaches the normal—the vigor of the measure employed gradually decreasing, as the patient shows signs of getting better. Improvement is shown by a gradual return of consciousness.

Heat-Prostration.—Like true sunstroke, heat-prostration comes on with an extreme suddenness. The patient becomes suddenly dizzy, and sinks to the ground in a state of collapse. The skin is pale and cool, the pulse limp and weak, and the thermometer shows the temperature to be somewhat below normal. The patient should be laid on the ground in a cool, shady place, and stimulants at once given. By far the most efficient of them is a hypodermic injection of morphine and atropine, to which strychnine in appropriate doses may be added.

Guarding against Sunstroke and Heat-Prostration.—Excessive heat is the basis of both of these conditions, but there are many contributing causes which play a more or less important part in their production. Notwithstanding the fact that they are regarded as being different, and that the treatment and symptoms of the two conditions vary widely, there can be no doubt that certain depressing influences, in every way similar, play an important part in their causation.

Foremost among such influences alcohol claims first place, and unquestionably not only predisposes to all diseases brought on by heat, but lends much greater gravity to an attack—the drunkard rarely recovering from true sunstroke, and frequently dying from the much less dangerous heat-prostration. It is said that the latter condition is particularly prone to occur after freely indulging in beer or other malt liquors. Not only does alcohol predispose to these morbid states, but other influences that depress the general vitality are more or less apt to predispose to the production of both, such as loss of sleep, overwork, worry, excessive eating, and insufficient food. The danger is greater when there is excessive moisture in the air, so that at such times we should particularly avoid excesses of all kinds, and as far as possible, keep out of the direct rays of the sun.

Frost-bite.—In the extreme northern and northwestern portions of the United States frost-bite is not uncommon in winter. The part attacked becomes suddenly bloodless, presenting much the appearance of the skin after death. The victim is usually not aware of the fact as at first there is no pain. As soon as a condition of this kind is observed,—and in cold countries persons are quick to inform the victim when they notice it,—the place should be vigorously rubbed with a piece of ice, or with a handful of snow, and this should be continued until the circulation again returns as evidenced by the parts becoming reddened. A rapid warming of the affected parts is not advisable, the result being not unlike that of a burn.

Chilblains.—Many persons suffer during the winter from chilblains—this being a state in which more or less pain and itching is produced in a part as the result of poor circulation. Such a condition is usually the result of a combination of cold with the affected part being more or less compressed, and as a consequence, we find that troubles of this kind are more frequently in the feet—particularly where tight shoes are worn. The remedy for troubles of this character is to wear loose-fitting shoes, and to thoroughly protect the parts by appropriate woolen socks. It is particularly of importance to change the socks often, since as soon as they become moistened with perspiration a tendency to a recurrence of the trouble is very great. Drugs are of no particular use in conditions of this kind. Chilblains are more commonly suffered in Europe than in America. One young American lady in Paris acquired them one winter, and "knowing no better," as she told the writer, cured herself by "boiling the chilblains"—soaking her feet in the hottest water she could endure. The affliction did not return; and the novel recipe was delightedly followed by all the art-students of the neighborhood.

Blisters.—Small blisters on the feet are not uncommon as the result of wearing tight, or ill-fitting shoes. Wherever possible, they should be quickly relieved from all compression, and should under no circumstances be opened.

The treatment is very simple and quite efficient, provided it be instituted while the skin is still intact, and consists simply in placing over the affected area a small piece of mole-skin plaster, which should extend for a short distance out on the normal skin surrounding the blister; the same sort of plaster should here be used as was recommended for supporting sprained joints, and is an article so useful that it should be kept in every house. Where blisters have ruptured, the better plan is to apply some antiseptic, like tincture of iodine, and after having allowed it to dry, stick on some plaster as already directed. If no antiseptic be at hand the plaster should be used any way, but it should be frequently removed in order to see that no suppuration is occurring beneath. Small blisters, the result of burns, may be treated in a similar way with good results.

Tooth-ache.—Tooth-ache is a condition for which there is no excuse in the present state of knowledge. As soon as decay begins in a tooth it should receive the attention of a competent dentist, and where this is done a true tooth-ache never occurs. Where one has been so neglectful as to permit the exposure of the nerve of a tooth, he can only be saved from much suffering by going at once to a dentist. In the meantime, various measures may be adopted to diminish the pain. A piece of cotton dipped in dilute carbolic acid and thrust into the cavity will almost immediately relieve the suffering for the time being. Oil of cloves, or a mixture of this substance with chloroform, applied in a similar way will bring about a like result. The reader cannot be too often reminded of the fact that bad teeth not only cause much suffering, but likewise lead to many digestive disturbances, and as a consequence little could be of more importance to the health of the body than to see to it that they be kept in perfect order. Where teeth are knocked out, they will often grow back and render good service for many years afterwards if replaced immediately in their sockets.

Bites of Animals.—Wounds of this character, particularly those produced by dogs and cats, are not at all uncommon. Where it is definitely known that the animal is not rabid, the treatment should be that of punctured wounds,—to the chapter on which the reader is referred for further information.

Where there is reason to suspect that the animal has hydrophobia, it should be, if possible, at once confined, and watched for developments. Under no circumstances should it be killed. If the animal is rabid, it will be unable to eat or drink, and will die in the course of a few days; should it survive not the least fear need be felt as to it having had hydrophobia, as no instance is on record where the disease was followed by recovery. For further information on this subject, the reader is referred to the special article on hydrophobia (page 211).

Hiccough.—Hiccough is a condition caused by a spasm of the diaphragm. All methods for the relief of this somewhat annoying condition are based upon the idea of having the patient hold his breath as long as is possible. The remedy is best applied by the sufferer holding his breath and leaning as far backward as is possible, and in the meanwhile distracting the attention by pointing the index finger of one hand towards the nose, and bringing the former toward the latter as slowly as is possible. Sticking the tongue out and holding the breath at the same time will often relieve hiccough, or if the victim can be induced to sneeze the distressing symptom will at once cease. The slow swallowing of a few sips of water will frequently put an end to the trouble.



CHAPTER XV

WHAT TO DO WHEN POISONED

The vast majority of cases of poisoning occur in children, and are, almost without exception, due to carelessness of their elders, and therefore preventable.

As soon as it is recognized that anyone has swallowed a poison of any kind, a competent physician should be summoned with the utmost haste, and in the meantime much may be done, in most cases, to minimize the effects of the substance taken. The patient should at once be urged to drink as much water as is possible, in order that the poison may be diluted, and every effort should be made to induce vomiting; this may often be brought about as soon as the stomach is full of water, by tickling the throat with the finger, or with any other object that can be readily introduced through the mouth. As quickly as possible, some warm water should be secured, to a quart of which either a teaspoon of salt or mustard should be added, and the patient urged to drink until the stomach is thoroughly distended; following this, particularly where aided by tickling the throat, vomiting may be generally induced, with the effect, of course, of expelling a greater or less proportion of the poison from the stomach. If it be known that the poison is an acid, ordinary cooking soda should be added to the water that the patient drinks, as in this way all acid substances are at once neutralized.

If the patient has taken an alkaline poison, he should immediately be given diluted vinegar, or water into which the juice of lemons or oranges has been squeezed; such harmless acids neutralize poisonous alkaloids just as harmless alkalies antidote poisonous acids.

Arsenic poisoning usually results from the accidental swallowing of rat-poison or some insecticide, as Paris green, or else some sort of green dye, many of which contain salts of arsenic in some form. An emetic should be at once given, to be followed by the whites of several eggs dissolved in a small amount of water; sweet milk may also be administered with benefit.

Accidental poisoning by phosphorus, results usually from children eating the heads of matches, and it is rarely the case that enough of the substance is taken to produce serious results. The poison, however, is a deadly one if taken in sufficient quantity, and where it is found that substances containing it have been swallowed the most energetic measures should at once be resorted to. Warm water containing mustard or some other emetic should at once be given, and this should be followed by whites of eggs and sweet milk. It is well also to try to get rid of any of the phosphorus that might remain in the stomach by giving the patient some saline purgative like Epsom salts.

Where carbolic acid has been taken, the fact can be readily determined by noting the characteristic smell of this substance on the patient's breath, and by observing that the mouth and throat present a more or less whitish appearance. The treatment to be of any avail, should be of the most energetic character. The patient should at once drink largely of water, and vomiting should be induced as quickly as possible. Either milk or the white of an egg should then be given. Ordinary quick-lime, or even plaster from the walls of the house, may be stirred up in water and administered to the sufferer, as both have a distinct value in antidoting the effects of this poison. Burns of the skin with carbolic acid are rarely followed by serious consequences. As soon as the accident occurs the part should be thoroughly washed with water, and if at hand a little alcohol may be rubbed over the part; the affected tissues return to a normal condition in the course of a short time in the vast majority of cases.

Strychnine poisoning is comparatively rare, except when this substance is given with suicidal or murderous intent. Water should be given, immediately followed by an emetic. A mass of crystals of permanganate of potash as big as a pea may be administered in a glass of water, if this substance be at hand. After the poison has been absorbed nothing is usually of any avail if the amount was originally sufficient to produce death.

One of the commonest forms of poisoning is from opium in the form of morphine, paregoric or laudanum. When this happens the stomach should be washed out by water frequently, even where the drug was administered hypodermatically. This is best accomplished by causing vomiting by warm water to which a small amount of mustard has been added. The patient should be given strong coffee or tea at frequent intervals, and artificial respiration should be practiced. Where it is possible to obtain it, permanganate of potash in a watery solution should be given, enough of the chemical being used to make the water a deep purple color; this may be frequently repeated, as the substance is not poisonous in ordinary doses, and destroys morphine and other alkaloids of opium very rapidly.

It should never be forgotten that infants and children are poisoned by comparatively very small doses of opium, and consequently nothing containing any derivative of this substance should be given them except on the advice of a competent doctor.

Many soothing syrups advertised for the relief of the minor ailments of children contain opium, and there can be no doubt that many deaths have occurred as a consequence of taking such nostrums.

Mushroom poisoning in this country is relatively rare, but there are quite a number of popular notions on this subject that are totally incorrect, chief among which is the idea that there is a difference between mushrooms and toad-stools, the former being generally regarded as edible, and the latter poisonous. As a matter of fact, those conversant with this subject make no distinction between the two, using the terms toad-stool and mushroom as interchangeable. It is likewise a common error to suppose that we possess any tests by which the poisonous toad-stools can be told from those that are wholesome. Although a skilled student of the subject can almost at a glance determine which are poisonous and which are not, it is hazardous in the extreme to consume those selected by one who is inexperienced. As a matter of fact, for all practicable purposes, there is only one species that is generally eaten,—the Agaricus campestris, or meadow mushroom. This grows for the most part in open fields, and in many parts of the world may be gathered in great number throughout the warmer seasons immediately following rains. This mushroom has also the great advantage that it is the only one of the edible species that can be cultivated.

Just as we have only one common mushroom that is ordinarily eaten, there is only one common species of these plants that is highly dangerous,—the Amanita phalloides, which contains one of the most deadly poisons known—and one for which we possess no adequate antidote. This mushroom is very common, being frequently seen along the roadside, and at the edges of fields; it also grows in forests, and is occasionally encountered in treeless areas.

It presents a rather attractive appearance, being rather large, and having a glistening white cap with a long stem, around which there may always be seen a distinct collar; on carefully removing the soil from around its roots, it will be seen that its stem is surrounded just below the surface of the earth by a sheath-like structure, the so-called "death-cup," which, together with the peculiarities already mentioned, clearly stamp this mushroom as being one of the most deadly of all known natural objects. In addition to the rather inviting appearance of this toad-stool, its flavor is agreeable, thus in every way insidiously inviting, it would seem, the unwary to their doom. Less common than the species just considered is another closely related fungus known as the Amanita muscarius, or fly-agaric; this handsome mushroom presents the same peculiarities of structure exhibited by the Amanita phalloides, but differs from it in the fact that the tip of its cap is scaly, and is of a reddish-yellow color. The fly-agaric is quite as poisonous as its more common relative, and is equally to be shunned. The reader should be warned that even handling either of the fungi just considered may result in poisonous symptoms—probably as a consequence of multitudes of the tiny spores of the plants being carried into the nose and mouth by the air.

Some hours after eating the Amanitas, the patient is taken with vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps, and extreme prostration; in children, convulsions may occur. Most unfortunately evidences of this poisoning do not usually develop until some hours after eating it. As a consequence, a considerable amount of the poison has usually been absorbed into the body before the victim is aware that anything is wrong, and it, therefore, becomes impossible, as a rule, to greatly help matters by attempting to remove the offending material from the stomach by emetics. Notwithstanding this it would be proper to administer warm water, into which a small amount of mustard had been stirred, in order to assist nature by washing out of the stomach whatever portions of the fungus might remain. When exhaustion begins to appear, it should be combated with doses of aromatic spirits of ammonia, and by the external application of heat. As it is believed that atropine possesses some antidotal powers to the poison of the Amanitas, this substance should be injected hypodermatically in the usual dose as quickly as possible, and an experienced physician should be called at once.

Ivy Poisoning from Touch.—One of the two species of Rhus, is exceedingly common in all portions of the United States, producing a severe inflammation of the skin when handled, or even in some persons by merely being near the plants or in the smoke of a fire where they are burning. There are two varieties of the Rhus toxicodendron, one being the shrub commonly called poison oak, and the other a climbing vine generally known by the name of poison ivy. The Rhus venenata grows in swampy localities all over the United States, and is known as poison-sumac, swamp dog-wood, poison-elder, and poison dog-wood. About twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the exposure, the skin begins to itch, and this is shortly followed by an inflammation accompanied by the formation of numerous small blisters, and still later by scaling. It should not be forgotten that the berries and other portions of these plants are poisonous when taken internally, giving rise under such circumstances to vertigo, faintness, dilation of the pupils, trembling, confusion of the senses, and, in some instances, convulsions. Should it be discovered that anyone has been exposed to poisoning by these plants, the skin should be washed as quickly as is possible with alcohol, or some substance like whisky that contains it; where this cannot be obtained, hot water and soap should be liberally applied—the object, in either case, being the removal of as much of the poison as is possible. After the irritation of the skin has begun, the parts may be bathed in a one per cent. solution of carbolic acid, to be repeated every few hours, as the necessities of the case may demand. Lead-water is also frequently used with benefit, lime-water also appears to be of use, but the various powders and salves sold in stores rarely help the patient much. The best thing after all is soap and water as hot as it can be borne; and ordinarily the itching and inflammation will disappear in four or five days, followed by scaling.

VENOMOUS SNAKES AND SNAKE BITES.

Much popular misapprehension exists on the subject of snakes, both as to the results of their bites and the appropriate treatment under such circumstances. It is not generally understood that a very large percentage of our American snakes are entirely harmless—the poisonous ones being decidedly more the exception than the rule.

Within the confines of the United States there exist only two families of venomous serpents. By far the most numerous are three genera of viperine snakes, including the rattlesnakes and moccasins; all of these have a pit-like depression between the nose and eyes, and hence are called pit-vipers. In the southern portion of our country there are two species of a colubrine genus closely related to the dreaded cobra of the East, one of them being called the coral-snake or harlequin snake, and the other, which occurs in the southwest, is known as the Sonoran coral-snake.

While there are three genera of vipers in America, two of them are so closely related, and present characteristics that are so similar that the ordinary observer would regard them as being identical, and inasmuch as the character of their poison seems in every way similar, for practical purposes it would seem desirable to include them under one head; in both genera, the species have rattles on the tips of their tails, the more common being the ordinary rattlesnakes (genus Crotalus), of which there are twelve species in the United States, and the ground-rattlesnakes (genus Sistrurus), of which there are two species.

Closely related to the rattlesnakes are the true moccasins, of which there are two species, one being the cotton-mouth or water-moccasin (Ancistrodon piscivorus), and the other the highland moccasin, pilot-snake or copper-head, (Ancistrodon contortrix).

The two species of poisonous colubrine serpents already referred to are known respectively as the Elaps fulvius, and the Elaps euryxanthus, both of which occur in the southern portions of the United States. These snakes are fortunately of a very mild disposition, and rarely attempt to bite, even when handled. That their poison is exceedingly deadly is attested by the fact that out of eight instances where it was known that persons were bitten by them, six died, and they should, therefore, be looked upon as among the most deadly of North American serpents. Mention should be made of the fact that there are at least six harmless reptiles that resemble the coral-snakes very closely, and as a consequence of the former being mistaken for the latter, the assertion has been frequently made by the ignorant that our elapine serpents are harmless.

A short description of the really deadly reptiles encountered in this country that would enable even the novice to distinguish them from those that are harmless would seem not inappropriate here, for where a person is bitten by a snake it becomes at once a matter of vital importance to determine, if possible, its true character. Most non-venomous serpents will viciously bite when cornered, and while they may produce slight wounds, with a small amount of bleeding, such injuries are entirely devoid of danger, and need occasion no fear on the part of the victim. There now follows a brief description of our venomous snakes, by means of which it will be easy for any one to distinguish them from their innocent relatives.

True Rattlesnakes.—There are twelve species of these reptiles in the United States, all of which, with but two exceptions, live west of the Mississippi. They vary very greatly in color, but the common eastern forms generally have alternate transverse yellow and brownish-black marks over their bodies. All possess rattles. The body of the snake is thick in proportion to its length, and the head, which is more or less diamond-shaped, is much larger than, and is quite distinct from the neck. The pupils of the eye are elliptical—a peculiarity which the pit-vipers alone possess of all the North American snakes. Between the eye and nose there is a comparatively deep depression or pit which gives to this group of snakes their name. There are two large, exceedingly sharp fangs in the front of the mouth, in the position of a dog's canine teeth, that are folded up against the roof of the mouth when the snake is in repose;—being brought forward in a position for stabbing as the serpent strikes. The scales on the under surface of the body back of the anus do not divide along the middle line into two rows, as in harmless snakes.

Ground Rattlesnakes.—There are two species of the pygmy or ground-rattlesnakes. They attain to a length of only about twenty inches, and present the general characteristics of the true rattlesnakes, with the exception that the rattle is small, consisting of but one single button at the end of the tail. These serpents are exceedingly vicious, and usually bite without warning. Contrary to the general opinion, however, the wounds they inflict are rarely, or never, followed by serious consequences in man. One species is southern. The other occurs from Ohio to Nebraska, where it is called massasauga.

Cotton-Mouth Moccasin.—The largest specimens of the cotton-mouth moccasin attain to a length of about six feet. The full grown reptile is of a dingy brownish-black color, but the young are pinkish, with coppery bands running transversely across the body. With the exception that this reptile has no rattles, it answers in its general peculiarities to the description already given of its near relatives the rattlesnakes. The cotton-mouth moccasin is semi-aquatic, being found around the edges of streams and other bodies of water.

The Copper-head, or Highland Moccasin.—This serpent is found from Florida and Illinois to southern Massachusetts; also in parts of Texas. The largest specimens have a length of about three feet. They resemble the cotton-mouth moccasin in their general peculiarities, being, however, somewhat lighter in color. The head has a coppery tinge, from which the snake gets its name, while the body is of a brownish color, with transverse Y-shaped bands of reddish-brown. Its favorite habitat is rocky hill-sides and the banks of mountain water-courses.

Coral-snakes.—The two coral-snakes resemble each other very closely, and are long slender serpents, whose heads are quite small, and scarcely differentiated from their bodies. The pupils are round, and the head has no pits. They possess two short permanently erect fangs, which are by no means so well developed as those of the viperine reptiles—though perhaps capable of inflicting more deadly wounds than any of the latter,—with the possible exception of the diamond-back rattlesnake of the extreme southern portion of the country. Their coloration is exceedingly beautiful, and when properly interpreted, entirely characteristic. From the head to the tail their skins exhibit alternate rings, or encircling bands of black, red and yellow—each band of the two former colors being bordered by yellow; in other words there are as many yellow stripes as there are both black and red together. Stress is laid upon the characteristics just mentioned, for the reason that half a dozen species of harmless serpents that greatly resemble them may, without exception, be differentiated from the true coral-snakes by the fact that there are as many black bands as both red and yellow. Where a snake has been killed, it is of course quite easy to determine whether or not it is venomous by a search for the fangs, which are never present in the non-poisonous reptiles. Fortunately, the coral-snakes are only found in the extreme southern portion of the United States, live under ground for the most part, and are rarely encountered.

Treatment of Snake-Bite.—As soon as a person has been bitten by a poisonous serpent, a tight bandage, or ligature of any kind, should be applied above the wound if the injury has been received on any of the extremities,—which is fortunately the case in the vast majority of instances. The part bitten should be at once exposed, and search made for the point of entrance of the fangs. It should be particularly noted as to whether there are one or two wounds, as it is true in about one-half of the cases that only one fang enters the flesh,—in which case, of course, the probabilities of serious consequences resulting are largely diminished. With a pocket-knife or other sharp instrument the wound should be enlarged, and, if possible, someone should be persuaded to suck the wound; this should not be done by one with decayed teeth, as under such circumstances the poison might be absorbed and produce unpleasant consequences. A doctor should be summoned as quickly as is possible, but it must be confessed that in the present state of knowledge, unless he should happen to possess—which he probably will not—some antitoxin for the particular snake doing the damage, his services will likely be of no great value.

It has been asserted by some that very large doses of strychnine are directly antidotal to snake venom, but more recent experience does not tend to confirm this view; still there is no harm in making the trial, and if the services of someone capable of giving the injections can be secured, the treatment is certainly worth the trial. The immediate injection into the tissues around the wound of a one-per-cent. watery solution of chromic acid or potassium permanganate is thought to be of value by destroying the poison, but in order to be efficient it must be administered within a short time after the bite has been received. Should the patient's condition become serious, and the breathing finally stop, artificial respiration may be resorted to. As soon as the remedies suggested have been tried, it is time for us to go back to the ligature, which cannot be suffered to remain around the limb indefinitely, as by cutting off the blood-supply it will sooner or later produce death of the tissues. From time to time we should slowly loosen the bandage, thus allowing a little of the poison to pass into the body, and at the same time permit the entrance of a small quantity of blood into the tissues of the limb beyond the ligature; the bandage should of course be tightened at the end of a half a minute, and it should be alternately loosened and tightened every half hour until the patient is considered to be out of danger.

The reader cannot fail to have observed that nothing has been said concerning the use of alcohol in the treatment of snake-bite, and the matter is only here referred to for the purpose of condemning it as being unsound in theory and bad in practice.

The idea that this drug is of value in snake bite doubtless originally arose from the fact that those bitten by poisonous serpents were depressed, and, as in the past alcohol was considered the best of all stimulants, it is not surprising that its use was generally considered to be essential. As we now know, however, that alcohol is a depressant rather than a stimulant, and as numerous experiments carried out on animals have clearly shown that it does harm in snake bite rather than good, there is every reason why we should cease to endanger the lives of those already poisoned by adding to the trouble by using this drug. There is but little doubt that many more persons have been killed by the alcoholic treatment for snake bites than have died from the effects of snake venom. Inasmuch as there is a deep-rooted superstition among most people that alcohol is the panacea for snake bite—and such notions die hard—it may be well to say that all of the authenticated cases of this character that have occurred in this country have recently been collected, with the result that it was shown that only about one man in ten dies who is bitten by a venomous serpent, and it is, therefore, quite easy to understand why alcohol has maintained its reputation as being an antidote in such cases—the chances being nine to one in the victim's favor without any treatment whatever.

As soon as the patient's needs are attended to, it is well to find if the snake that inflicted the wound was killed, and an examination of it should at once be made as by determining the size and character of the reptile an accurate forecast to the probable results may be made. In many instances it will be found that the snake was not venomous, it having made only a few scratches which are of no more consequence than the prick of a brier. If it be found that the serpent inflicting the wound belongs to one of the groups already referred to, the probabilities of a serious result will depend upon the size and character of the snake, and also to a considerable degree on whether one or both fangs entered the victim's body. A full grown diamond-back rattlesnake, which may attain the extreme length of eight feet, is perhaps the most dangerous of all the American poisonous reptiles, though a fully grown coral-snake may be regarded as almost, if not quite as, deadly. Next to these a large sized cotton-mouth moccasin is perhaps most to be dreaded, to be followed, depending upon their size, by the other varieties of rattlesnakes, the copperheads, and finally the ground-rattler. The larger the serpent inflicting the wound the greater is the result to be dreaded; naturally it also follows that the larger the individual bitten the less the danger.



APPENDIX

RECIPES FOR COOKING COMMON FOODS

By DR. MARY E. LAPHAM

PREPARATION OF MEATS

Roast Beef.—The problem of roasting beef is to have it sufficiently cooked in the center without hardening and over-cooking the outside. Burned edges and a raw center testify to a lack of intelligence.

The English way of baking beef is to allow nine minutes to the pound for a rib-roast and eight minutes for a sirloin. Sprinkle pepper and salt over the meat and sprinkle with flour. Pour a little boiling water into the pan and bake in an oven hot enough to crisp and brown peeled raw potatoes cooked in the same pan. Do not forget to baste often. This method gives a rich flavor to the beef and the gravy, but the outside is apt to be cooked too hard while the inside is not enough cooked. Too hot a fire tends to make meat tough and dry.

The French have a safer way, especially for small roasts. The beef is cooked in a cool oven—so cool that a peeled, raw potato will cook tender without browning. Allow about an hour and a quarter for a four-pound rib-roast. In this way the heat penetrates to the center without hardening the outside. When properly done the outside is very little more cooked than the inside, and the roast throughout is tender, rare, and juicy, with no hard-burned edges. This way of baking makes inferior beef more tender and juicy than the English way. It has the disadvantage of not leaving any gravy in the pan. When baked after the English method the fat fries out into the pan, and a delicious, rich, brown gravy may be made by adding flour and water. Strain the juice through a fine sieve and allow to stand a few minutes so as to be able to skim or pour off all the grease. Do not serve gravies with half an inch of pure grease on top. It does not require a scientific education nor a herculean effort to remove the grease.

Pot Roast.—If the beef is of an inferior quality, the best way to cook it is in a heavy iron kettle, preferably with a sloping bottom. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper; place a little fat in the bottom of the kettle—enough to keep the meat from sticking—and allow the roast to brown slowly for half an hour. Now put a pint of boiling water in the pot. Cover very closely and let it simmer on the back of the stove for about four hours, adding small quantities of hot water as necessary, and turning often. When cooked take up the meat; skim the fat from the gravy and thicken with flour.

Hamburg Steaks.—Another way of preparing inferior cuts of beef is to make Hamburg steaks. Chop the meat in fine pieces. Season with salt, pepper and a little onion juice, and shape into thin cakes. Put three or four slices of fat salt pork into a frying-pan, and when brown remove it and place the steaks in the fat. Fry four minutes; turn, and fry three more, and serve on a hot platter. Put a tablespoonful of flour into the fat and stir until brown. Gradually add a cupful of water or preferably milk and boil three minutes; season well, pour over the meat, and serve immediately.

Broiled Beef.—Broiling is the simplest, easiest, and most delicious method of cooking meats, but, as a rule, ignorance instinctively turns to the frying-pan, and broiling is unknown in many homes. This is partly due to not knowing how to manage the fire. It seems so much easier to fry on top of the stove than to plan beforehand an adequate preparation of the coals. It is necessary to have a bed of clear, hot coals with no smoke. Have the steak cut three-quarters of an inch thick; place in a wire broiler; put over the coals and cover with a baking-pan. Turn every minute or two until the meat is sufficiently cooked. When done, place on a hot platter, and season well with salt, pepper, and butter. Serve immediately. It should take about ten minutes to cook a steak or thick mutton chop.

Fried Beef.—If beef must be fried, have a hot fire; heat a thick iron frying-pan and grease it just enough to keep the meat from sticking. Have the meat three-quarters of an inch thick; place in the hot pan and turn as soon as it is well seared. Turn often until done and then season well and serve at once. There should be no gravy in the pan; all the juices should be in the meat.

Beef Hash.—Take equal parts of beef and cold potatoes, chopped moderately fine. Chop a small onion and fry in plenty of butter until brown; add the meat and potatoes and just enough milk to keep from sticking. Cook for half an hour, stirring frequently. Serve with thin, dry toast or toasted crackers. Poached eggs are a very nice addition.

Veal.—Veal, when properly cooked, is delicious and delicate. Like pork it should be cooked slowly for a long time to develop its full flavor. Unfortunately it is usually half-cooked, tough, and insipid. The housewife who can cook veal properly has a distinct advantage over her less fortunate neighbor.

Leg Roast of Veal.—Take out the bone and fill the space with stuffing made as follows: Take one half-cupful of chopped fat pork, or unsmoked bacon, and fry with a finely chopped onion until delicately brown. Add two cupfuls of bread crumbs; season with salt and pepper and moisten with a little milk. Tie the veal closely; sprinkle with pepper and salt; rub thoroughly with flour and cover with buttered paper. Into the baking-pan put a generous number of thin slices of unsmoked bacon, an onion and half a can of tomatoes. Add just enough boiling water to steam the veal. Cook gently in a moderate oven, allowing twenty-five minutes to the pound, and baste very frequently, turning the meat about every half-hour. When done, put it on a hot platter in the warming oven, and add enough water to make the requisite amount of gravy. Thicken with browned flour, strain, and pour over the roast.

Fried Veal.—Fried veal steak or cutlets are delicious, but very difficult to prepare properly. As a usual thing veal cutlets are either half raw, or cooked until dry and hard. When properly cooked veal should be spongy, soft, and velvety. The chops should be not quite a half inch thick. Melt a little lard in a hot frying-pan; sprinkle some salt and pepper on the veal and fry quickly until brown on both sides. Then cover tightly, and place on the back of the stove and steam until thoroughly tender. It requires from forty to forty-five minutes to fry veal.

Broiled Veal.—The veal should be cut thin, broiled quickly until brown, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and melted butter, to which a little chopped parsley and lemon juice have been added. Serve on a hot platter and eat at once. If the veal is fat, tender and nicely broiled, it is almost as good as game.

Veal Stew or Pot-pie.—Cut the meat from a knuckle of veal into pieces not too small; put them into a pot with some small pieces of salt pork, and plenty of pepper and salt; pour over enough hot water to cover it well, and boil until the meat is thoroughly done. While the water is still boiling drop in, by the spoonful, a batter made as follows: Two eggs well beaten, two and a half or three cupfuls of buttermilk, one even teaspoonful of soda, and flour enough to make a thick batter. Cover the pot, and as soon as the batter is well cooked serve it.

Veal Stew.—This is an exceedingly nutritious, economical, and appetizing dish. Cut the veal into small pieces about an inch square; add three or four thin slices of salt pork; one or two onions and potatoes cut up fine, and a little turnip, carrot, parsley and celery, if you have them. Cover well with boiling water and cook over a brisk fire until the meat is tender and the water pretty well cooked away. This will require about an hour. Cover the meat well with fresh milk; season to taste with pepper, salt, and a generous quantity of butter; let the mess simmer on the back of the stove about twenty minutes, and serve it in a hot covered dish.

Jellied Veal.—Jellied veal gives the impression of an expensive preparation, and yet nothing is cheaper or simpler. Put a knuckle of veal into a pot that can be tightly covered; season well with two or three slices of unsmoked bacon, the heart of an onion, salt, pepper and a little butter, adding just enough water to steam the meat thoroughly (replenishing it from time to time as needed), and cook over a slow fire until tender—probably about four hours. When done there should be about two teacupfuls of broth. Prepare three cold hard-boiled eggs. Cut the veal into pieces the size of a walnut. Now choose a dish just large enough to hold the meat, the eggs and the broth. Slice the eggs and place a few pieces on the bottom of the dish. Now put in a layer of veal; then more egg and continue in this way until the veal is used. Strain the broth over the veal and set it away in a cool place, preferably on ice, until quite firm. When about to serve it, loosen by slipping a knife, warmed in water, between the meat and the dish. Garnish with parsley or lettuce, and serve with salad of any kind.

Roast Pork.—Pork should be thoroughly cooked in a medium hot oven. For the leg or the shoulder allow twenty-five minutes to the pound. For the spareribs allow fifteen minutes. Sprinkle the spareribs well with salt, pepper, sage, and a little chopped onion, or bake a few onions in the same dish. Put a little water in the pan and add to it as it cooks away. The leg, the loin, and the shoulder may be stuffed with well-seasoned sage stuffing. To make this, cut a few strips of fat pork into small dice and fry over a slow fire. Add a finely chopped onion and cook until brown. Crumble as many slices of dry bread as you will need, and fry with the onion and pork over a slow fire until nicely browned. Moisten a little with milk or cream, and fill the space left by removing the bones. Sew tightly together and bake thoroughly. Peeled, raw potatoes are very nice baked in the same dish with the pork. A medium sized potato will require a little over an hour to bake in a moderate oven. Apple sauce, sauerkraut, or cabbage cooked with a little vinegar, are nice to serve with pork.

Broiled Pork.—Very thin slices cut from a leg of pork, or the cutlets, or the chops, are extremely nice and delicate when broiled. They must be cut thin; the coals must be bright and hot; and the meat turned very often. Serve on a hot platter.

Fried Pork.—For frying, pork should not be cut over a half an inch thick: Cook slowly from forty minutes to an hour, with the pan closely covered, to keep in the steam. Pork requires a long, slow process to develop its flavor and tenderness. Nearly everyone cooks it too fast, and for too short a time. When thoroughly steamed and nicely seasoned with salt, pepper, sage and a little onion, well fed pork is as toothsome and dainty as turkey. Make a brown gravy and pour over the meat. Serve with apple sauce.

Boiled Pork.—Take a leg of pork, or a shoulder, and remove the bones. Tie closely together and let it cook slowly in a tightly covered pot for half an hour, adding a little fat if necessary to keep the meat from sticking. Now sprinkle with salt, pepper and sage. Put two whole onions in the pot, and just enough boiling water to thoroughly steam the meat. Place it on the back of the stove and cook over a slow fire for four or five hours until thoroughly tender and velvety. When done put on a hot platter in the warming-oven. Thicken the gravy with flour, adding a little water or milk if necessary, then let it boil for five minutes and strain. When properly cooked this is delicious cold, and almost as good for salad as chicken or turkey. If desired, peeled raw potatoes may be browned in the pot with the meat. These will take about an hour to cook.

Curing Ham and Bacon.—To have good ham and bacon the meat must first be properly cured so that the lean part is pink, tender and soft to the touch, while the fat is clear and white. In many country homes the lean meat is about as tough, hard, and indigestible as sole leather. A good recipe for curing is as follows: For every gallon of water take two pounds of coarse salt and one-half ounce of soda. Boil all together and skim well, and, while hot, pour over the meat. Put in a cold dry place with a stone to keep the meat well below the water. After three weeks, hang the meat and let it dry for two or three days before smoking.

Broiled Ham.—Nothing is more appetizing for supper than broiled ham, served with mashed potatoes, milk toast, or a poached egg on dry toast. Cut the ham as thin as possible, and broil quickly over hot coals, turning constantly until the fat begins to shrivel. Have everything else ready so that it can be eaten immediately. Cold cabbage salad is nice with this.

Boiled Ham.—If quite salty, soak the ham twenty-four hours. Put it in a large kettle with a generous supply of water, and allow twenty-five minutes to the pound for boiling. Take the pot from the fire and let the meat remain in the water until nearly cold. Sprinkle with pepper and rub thoroughly with brown sugar; put the ham and the fat from the liquor into a baking-pan and brown for about an hour in the oven. Cut as thin as possible when serving.

Frying Ham.—Cut the ham in the thinnest possible slices, with a large, sharp knife. Have the frying-pan hot, and cook the meat just enough to give the fat a delicate brown, turning frequently. To cook ham too much is to make it tough, hard, dry, and indigestible. Put the ham on a hot platter in the warming oven. Add a cupful, or more, of fresh milk to the grease and thicken with flour. Serve with boiled potatoes. Instead of making a gravy, eggs may be fried in the fat. To do this nicely the fat must not be burned. The eggs should be dropped in one by one, allowing them plenty of room to spread out. Cook slowly and with a spoon baste the yolks with the hot fat until they sear, being careful not to cook the egg too hard. These eggs are very nice served on thin, dry toast, or one may be placed on each slice of ham.

Fried Bacon.—Cut the bacon into very thin slices, and cook in a hot frying-pan just long enough to turn the fat to a delicate brown. If cooked too long it is hard and indigestible, besides losing its delicacy of flavor. A very nice way to cook bacon, instead of frying it, is to roll the slices up into curls, skewer them with toothpicks, and place them in a baking-pan on the grate of a hot oven until they are slightly brown. Serve on dry toast. They should be eaten at once.

Broiled Bacon.—Bacon can be broiled like ham. A very nice way to serve it, especially for an invalid, is to toast it before the fire; split a hot biscuit and make a sandwich with the bacon. Bacon toasted this way and eaten when very hot has a peculiarly appetizing flavor.

Unsmoked Bacon.—Cut in thin slices; roll in flour or meal; dust lightly with pepper; fry over a moderately hot fire until delicately brown and crisp, and put on a warm platter in the warming closet. Add sufficient fresh milk to the fat to make the requisite amount of gravy. Season with a little salt and pepper, and thicken with flour. Do not pour over the meat. Serve in separate dish.

Boiled Mutton.—Mutton should be cooked very much like beef,—just enough to leave a faint pink, but not enough to make it hard and develop a strong taste. For boiled mutton allow ten minutes to the pound. Add a little rice to make the meat whiter and tenderer. Cover with boiling water and cook rapidly for fifteen minutes; then place on the back of the stove where it will simmer nicely for two hours. Young turnips, boiled with the mutton are a very nice addition.

Mutton Cutlets.—The chops should be thick. Grease the bottom of a hot frying-pan just enough to keep the chops from sticking; place over a hot fire, and turn the meat constantly to keep it from burning until the center is a faint pink. Season with salt, pepper, and melted butter to which a little lemon juice and parsley may be added.

Roast Mutton.—The French roast mutton in a slow oven in order that the heat may penetrate to the center without injuring the outside. Allow twenty minutes to the pound, or, if a very large roast, twenty-five minutes may not be too much, providing the oven is not too hot. Season with salt and pepper, and put a generous supply of boiling water in the pan. Baste frequently, and turn the meat every half hour. Place two or three peeled raw potatoes in the pan, and watch them; if they begin to brown, the oven is too hot. The potatoes should keep pace with the mutton, and when the latter is half done the former should be cooked to the same degree.

Broiled Mutton Chops.—The chops should be cut an inch thick. Trim off the fat and scrape the bones. Roll in a little melted butter or oil, and broil over a hot fire, turning constantly until just pink within. Have ready a mound of hot mashed potatoes and lay the chops around it. Pour a little melted butter over them and serve with green peas.

PROPER COOKING OF CEREALS.

Starchy foods in any form must be well cooked. Gluey, slimy oatmeal, full of hard lumps of half-cooked grains, the whole forming a raw, horrid mass, is very different from the smooth, well cooked, easily digestible, oatmeal prepared by a good cook. Rolled oats are more easily cooked than oatmeal, as they are already prepared. For four people, put a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt into four cups of hot water and stir in slowly one cup of rolled oats, being careful not to allow lumps to form. Cook for an hour in a double boiler.

Hominy.—Hominy is seldom well cooked. It is often lumpy and raw, and yet has a burned taste which comes from being cooked in too little water, while if too much is used it goes all to soup and can never be made good. Salt a quart of boiling water, and very carefully stir into it a cup of hominy. Stir often and add a little water from time to time if it gets too dry. Cook until every grain is thoroughly done.

Rice.—Rice is rarely well prepared, the greatest trouble being to get each grain well cooked without making it mushy. When properly cooked each grain will be firm and distinct, and at the same time soft and tender. Wash half a cupful of rice thoroughly, put it in a quart of boiling salted water, and let it boil for half an hour; then drain it thoroughly and steam it in a colander for an hour.

Corn-Bread.—Corn-bread should be something like rice: every particle thoroughly cooked and soft, and yet not sticking together, so that the inside is dry and crumbly while the outside is crisp and nutty. The thinner corn-bread is baked the more perfectly it cooks. It should not be more than an inch thick and preferably less. A cannon-ball of raw meal, with only the thinnest of surfaces decently baked, is an insult to a man's intelligence as well as to his digestion. This is the way to prepare it properly. Sift a teaspoonful of baking powder into a pint of corn meal. Mix in a piece of butter the size of a walnut and add sweet milk until you get a dough that can be kneaded into a cake. Bake in a hot oven until brown and well done. A little richer corn-bread is made by heating a pint of sweet milk and pouring it over a pint of corn-meal. Melt a piece of butter the size of a walnut, beat two eggs, add a little salt, and mix well into the meal. Put in a shallow dish, and bake about a half hour in a quick oven.

Biscuits.—Biscuits should be thin, crisp, delicately browned and free from flour. The inside of a biscuit should be flaky and dry. Thick, soggy, heavy biscuits impose a severe task upon digestion. Make the biscuits about two inches in diameter, and three-quarters of an inch thick. Bake them brown on both the top and the bottom. It is much easier to make light, wholesome biscuits with baking-powder than with soda. Buttermilk biscuits are very delicate and palatable, but not quite so certain to turn out well. If soda is not properly used you will have a yellow, evil-smelling compound, or else there will not be enough soda to make the biscuits rise, and they will be dangerously heavy. To make soda-biscuits sift one level teaspoonful of soda, one half-teaspoonful salt, and one quart of flour together three times so as to get the soda thoroughly well mixed in. Now rub two tablespoons of lard into the flour and add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Roll out into a sheet, cut into small thin biscuits and bake in a hot oven until well browned. Baking-powder biscuits are made in the same way, by using two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder in place of the soda, and sweet milk instead of buttermilk.

Yeast.—Put three hops in a pot containing two quarts of cold water. Place on the stove and see that it boils twenty minutes. Have a pint of flour in a large bowl and mix into it a tablespoonful of sugar, one of salt and a teaspoonful of ginger. Strain the water from the hops into this, stirring constantly. Allow it to cool. When lukewarm put in a cup of yeast or a yeast-cake.

Rolls.—At night take one half-cup of lukewarm water, one half-teaspoonful of salt, three-quarters of a cup of yeast, and enough flour to make a thin batter. In the morning add to this a pint of milk, a teaspoonful of sugar, a half-cup of butter and beat in flour until it is no longer sticky. Set it in a warm place to rise and when well up knock back. Repeat this process, and when it comes up the third time make it into rolls. Let it rise once more and then bake it.

METHODS WITH CHICKEN.

The simplest and easiest way to cook chicken is to fry it. A poorly fed chicken is better stewed. For baking and broiling the chicken must be fat. In whatever way the chicken is cooked there is danger of its being tough, dry, stringy, and tasteless. Plain, artless, boiling results in insipidity. Quick, superficial frying means tough stringy fibres; and a hot oven frequently dries the meat until it is not fit to eat.

Fried Chicken.—All housewives think they can fry chicken, but the results are vastly different, according to the way it is done. You may have a tender, rich, delicious morsel, or tough masses of meat, stringy, tasteless and almost impossible to chew. Of course the condition of the chicken has a great deal to do with the results. A tender, well-fed chicken will fry far better and much more quickly than a thin, scrawny one. The thinner the chicken the greater the necessity for care in cooking it. It must be cooked slowly, over a moderate fire, in a tightly covered pan, until it is perfectly tender. Melt a little fat in the frying-pan; flour, salt, and pepper the pieces of chicken and fry them in the fat until nicely browned on both sides. Now cover closely and place on the back of the stove where the chicken will steam for half an hour. When tender take up on a hot platter and put in the warming oven. Make a rich, brown gravy and pour over it.

Boiled Chicken.—Chickens may be boiled whole or cut into pieces. To boil whole place a few pieces of unsmoked bacon in a stew-pan that is deep enough to hold the chicken and can be tightly covered. Cook slowly for an hour without adding water, turning it often until it is evenly browned. Now add a small onion, some raw peeled potatoes not larger than an egg, and a little boiling water. Cook over a brisk fire for three-quarters of an hour. Salt and pepper the chicken and put it and the potatoes in a baking-dish in a hot oven while making the gravy. A couple of hard-boiled eggs chopped very fine, and a little chopped parsley, improve the gravy.

Baked Chicken.—A properly baked chicken is tender, juicy, and has a rich flavor, while one improperly baked is tough, dry, stringy, and tasteless. To bake a chicken properly the oven must not be too hot; the chicken must be repeatedly basted, and cooked until it is tender, but not until all dried up. Stuffing the chicken improves the flavor. To make the dressing, melt enough of any kind of wholesome fat in a hot frying-pan to keep the bread crumbs from sticking, and fry in it a large onion, chopped fine, until it is tender. Place the dry bread-crumbs into the fat, and cook for half an hour over a slow fire, stirring often to keep from sticking, until the crumbs are slightly browned and well dried. Season with salt, pepper and a little celery-salt, and moisten with just enough milk to make it stick together. Always taste the dressing to see if it is properly seasoned. A well-fed chicken can be baked more rapidly than a thin one. If the chicken is thin add plenty of fat to the water in the baking-pan; cover closely and cook slowly and carefully until it is tender, turning very often; if it is fat and well-fed put plenty of wholesome grease in the baking-dish, and without covering it, cook in a hot oven, basting frequently. A young, fat chicken will bake in an hour. An older fowl may require two or three hours. It is a good plan to allow the chicken plenty of time and then, if done too soon, to cover it closely and keep it warm on the back of the stove. Use just enough water while baking to keep the fat from sputtering. If the water is cooked out towards the end, and the chicken is thoroughly basted, the skin will take on a rich, thick glazing that is highly creditable to the skill of the cook. Delicious gravy can be made of the fat by adding milk and thickening with flour.

Smothered Chicken.—Use a frying-size chicken. Split it down the back and rub with a little salt. Put it in a pan with a slice of bacon and a pint of water. Cover the pan closely and let it simmer on top of the stove from one to two hours, or until the chicken is thoroughly tender. When done sprinkle with flour and baste well. Add a small tablespoon of butter, and put in the oven and cook until brown.

Broiled Chicken.—A young, tender, fat chicken is better broiled than any other way. It has a finer flavor; is tenderer, more juicy and more easily digested; in fact broiled chicken is one of the most delicious dishes that can be served. There is no earthly use, however, in trying to broil a chicken that is not fat and nice. If the chicken is a little too old to broil whole the breast will still be tender. Flatten the chicken by pounding it. Have a bed of clear, bright coals and a hot gridiron well greased to prevent sticking. Cover with a baking-dish and turn often, allowing the bony side to stay down longer than the other side. From fifteen to twenty minutes should be enough, but it is always best to test with a fork by pulling the fibres apart to see that they are not raw. As soon as the raw look has disappeared the chicken is done. The least over-cooking injures the flavor. Serve on a hot platter. Pour over a little melted butter, seasoned with lemon juice and chopped parsley.

To bake or boil a turkey proceed the same as for chicken, simply allowing more time. An eight-pound turkey will require three hours to roast.

MAKING GOOD SOUPS.

Vegetable Soups.—The simplest and most easily prepared soups are those made from peas, beans, tomatoes, asparagus, celery, carrots, onions, and potatoes. They require neither meat nor any previous preparation, but can be made and eaten at once. These soups are somewhat paradoxical because they are both cheap and rich; deliciously simple and simply delicious. Take enough of any of these vegetables to furnish sufficient soup after they have been rubbed through a strainer and thinned with milk or cream. Cook the vegetables thoroughly until perfectly soft, so that they can be easily rubbed through a coarse strainer. Add enough milk to this puree to make it about the thickness of cream. Season with salt, pepper, and a little celery-salt, and serve with bits of bread browned crisp in the oven.

When the vegetables can be got fresh from the garden nothing is more delicious than these soups, and in winter, canned peas and dried beans make excellent substitutes. In making potato puree two onions boiled with the potatoes improve the flavor. Potato soup without onion is tasteless; a little celery boiled in with the potatoes and onion, makes it still nicer. Tomato soup is also better slightly flavored with onion and a little carrot. A little cold boiled rice, simmered for a half-hour in the soup after the milk has been added, is an excellent addition. These soups are also delicious when made rather thin with milk and then thickened by putting the well-beaten yolks of two eggs into the hot soup-tureen, and stirring vigorously while adding the soup; this last soup must be served at once, as it cannot stand after the eggs are added.

Meat Soups.—These soups should always be made the day before required in order to thoroughly remove the fat, which cannot be done until it hardens on the top of the soup. Nothing is more disgusting than greasy soup. The foundation for an infinite variety of soups is made by boiling about a pound of meat in three pints of water. After the meat is cooked to pieces strain it out and keep the well-skimmed liquor, or "stock," as it is called, in a stone jar in a cool place. It should form a jelly, and in order to prepare a different soup for each day, it is only necessary to heat some of the jelly and flavor it differently. For instance: Chop fine one small onion to each person and fry it in butter, or in some of the grease taken off the soup, until tender and slightly brown. Pour over enough stock and let stand for half an hour. Serve with a little grated cheese. Cabbage soup is made in the same way except that it takes longer to cook the cabbage. Instead of one vegetable several may be used. Turnips, cabbage, onions, and carrots in about the same proportion, chopped fine and fried tender, without any water, and added to the soup, make what is known in France as Julienne soup.

EGGS IN SEVERAL FORMS.

Coddled Eggs.—The most delicate way to cook an egg is to coddle it. Put six into a vessel that will hold two quarts. Fill with boiling water, cover closely, and let it stand in a warm place for ten minutes. If you desire them better cooked let them stay in the water longer. If you want to do but one egg, put it in a quart of boiling water, cover and let stand five minutes.

Shirred Eggs.—To shirr an egg break it into a saucer or any small dish that has been well greased. Put into a hot oven and leave until glazed. Season and serve at once.

Scrambled Eggs.—Heat a teaspoonful of milk to each egg in a sauce-pan not more than a quarter of an inch deep and about the right size to hold the quantity of eggs desired. Add a little salt, pepper, and butter. When hot put in the eggs, and as they lie on the bottom of the pan, scrape off with a spoon letting the raw part take the place of those portions already cooked, and continue this until a creamy custard is formed. Be careful not to cook the eggs so long that this custard is changed to a hard mass.

PROPER COOKING OF VEGETABLES.

The general tendency in cooking vegetables is to use altogether too much water so that they become soaked and tasteless. The ideal way to cook most vegetables is to use as little water as possible; just a little in the bottom of the pot so that the vegetables will not stick and burn, but steam through in their own juices until thoroughly tender and full of their own flavor. The fire should not be too hot; the pot should be tightly covered; a sufficient amount of butter must be added when the vegetable is about half done; and plenty of time given to allow it to simmer and steam until thoroughly flavored. Onions, beans, carrots, and cabbage are most delicate when chopped fine, cooked until tender in a very little water, seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter, covered with milk, and allowed to stand on the back of the stove for twenty minutes until the flavor is thoroughly developed.

Boiled Potatoes.—Potatoes should not be peeled before boiling, but should be thoroughly washed and rinsed. They should be put in an abundance of boiling water, well salted, and covered tightly. When tender pour off all the water, cover the pot with a towel and let it stand on the back of the stove for ten minutes.

Baked Potatoes.—If baked potatoes stand they lose their flavor. A baked potato, eaten as soon as done, is sweet, dry and mealy. Allow them to stand even for ten minutes and the flavor is lost, and they become wet and tasteless. A pleasant change is to peel the potatoes before baking. These must be eaten as soon as they come from the oven or they lose their crispness.

Beans.—Nothing is more valuable for winter food than beans. They give as much strength as beefsteak and are far less expensive. Soak them in plenty of water over night; add a generous piece of unsmoked bacon; let simmer on the back of the stove until they are tender and the water is well cooked away; cover with milk, and either let them stand on the back of the stove until the milk is thickened, or put them into a shallow baking-dish and bake until nearly dry. Serve either hot or cold.

SOME CAPITAL DESSERTS.

Apple Pudding.—Peel and slice enough apples to nearly fill your pudding-dish, sugar to taste, and grate over them a little nutmeg. Also add a little water. Now make a batter as follows: Three quarters of a cup of sugar; a piece of butter the size of a small egg, one half-cup of milk, one egg, a pinch of salt, a teaspoonful of baking-powder, and one and one-eighth cups of flour. This is an extremely nice, wholesome pudding, which can be served with either cream or hard sauce.

To make hard sauce take a half-cup of butter and cream it with a fork; add a cupful of sugar and beat until nicely mixed and creamy. Flavor to taste and sprinkle a little nutmeg over it.

Cottage Pudding.—One cupful of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one half-cupful of milk, two eggs, one and one-half cupfuls of flour, and one teaspoonful of baking-powder. For the sauce, take three and a half cupfuls of boiling water and stir in it a cupful of sugar, and a tablespoonful of either flour or corn-starch rubbed smooth with a little cold water. Cook well for two or three minutes; take the pan from the fire, add the butter and flavor as you prefer.

Batter Pudding Boiled or Baked.—One quart of milk, six eggs beaten separately, six tablespoonfuls of flour worked gradually into the yolks of the eggs, and a pinch of salt. Bake or boil about three-quarters of an hour. Serve with sauce.

Cream of Corn-starch.—One quart of milk, four eggs, one half-cupful sugar, four tablespoonfuls of corn-starch dissolved in a little milk. Into a pint of the milk put the sugar, and place on the stove to heat. When very hot gradually stir in the corn-starch and beat well. Have ready the whites of the eggs, and beat them into the milk; flavor as preferred. Take the other pint of milk, the four yolks and four light tablespoonfuls of sugar, and place them over the fire, stirring constantly. This makes a nice custard. Just before serving pour the custard over the pudding.

Caramel Custard.—One egg for each person; also one teaspoonful of milk for each person. Put the yolks and milk together with a tablespoonful of sugar to each egg. Have ready some caramel, and stir in enough to give a decided flavor. Put this into cups or baking-dishes, and set in a pan of hot water on top of the stove for twenty minutes; then in the oven until the custard sets. Serve cold. For the caramel, take two cupfuls of sugar (preferably brown) and put it in a frying-pan with a teaspoonful of water. Cook until well burned. Add a cup of water, and, when cold, put it in a bottle or fruit-jar. This quantity will last a long time.

Brown Betty Pudding.—Take a cupful of grated bread-crumbs, two cupfuls of finely chopped, tart apples, half a cupful of brown sugar, a teaspoonful of cinnamon, and one tablespoonful of butter. Butter a deep pudding-dish, and put a layer of apples on the bottom; then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and bits of the butter. Put in another layer of apples, and proceed as before until all the ingredients have been used. Cover the dish and bake for three-quarters of an hour in a moderate oven; remove the cover now and brown the pudding. Serve with sugar and cream.

Rice Pudding.—One cupful of boiled rice (better if still hot), three cupfuls of milk, three-quarters of a cup of sugar, a tablespoonful of corn-starch, and two eggs; add flavoring. Dissolve the corn-starch with a little of the milk, and stir it into the rest of the milk; also add the yolks of the eggs and the sugar beaten together. Put this over the fire and when hot add the rice. Stir it carefully until it begins to thicken, then take it off and add the flavoring. Put it into a pudding-dish and bake in the oven.

THE END



INDEX

A

Accidents, 223.

Acid, carbolic, for Rhus poisoning, 260; in wounds, 231; poisoning by, 253; of fruit, 133, 146; picric, 241; uric, 149.

Acrodinia, 9.

Agaricus campestris, 256.

Air, 181.

Air-space, 45.

Albumin, 105.

Albumins, 98, 104, 117, 131.

Alcohol and its effects, 155; for Rhus poisoning, 260; of no value in snake-poisoning, 270; predisposes to consumption, 183; predisposes to heat-prostration, 244.

Amanita muscarius, 258.

Amanita phalloides, 257.

Ammonia, aromatic spirits of, 259.

Anaphylaxis, 204.

Ancistrodon contortrix, 263.

Ancistrodon piscivorus, 262.

Animals, bites of, 249; location of quarters, 61.

Anopheles, 41, 171, 174.

Antidotes for poisons, see under names of poisons.

Antiseptics, 231, 247.

Antitoxin, for diphtheria, 198, 203; for lockjaw, 233.

Apples, 147.

Arrowroot, 112.

Arsenic, 252.

Arteries, 229.

Artichokes, 136.

Asparagus, 142.

Atropine, 259.

B

Bacillus tuberculosis, 179.

Bacillus typhosus, 186.

Bacon, broiled, 282; curing of, 280; fried, 282; importance of, 121, 122; unsmoked, 282.

Baking, process of, 166.

Baths, for sick people, 221; hot and cold, 13; importance of, 12; sea, 5.

Beans, bad, give lathyrismus, 9; how to cook, 294; value of, 133, 134.

Bed-bug, 9.

Bedmaking, 219.

Beef, broiled, 275; fried, 275; Hamburg steak, 274; hashed, 276; pot-roast, 274; roast, 273; value of, 20.

Beer, 162.

Beets, 136, 138.

Beri-beri, 113.

Beverages, 30; alcoholic, 32; medicinal, 33; "soft drinks," 32.

Biliousness, 93.

Biscuits, 285.

Bites of animals, flies, mosquitoes and snakes, see under several subjects.

Bleeding, how to stop, 228; in consumption, 180; in typhoid fever, 187.

Blisters, 247.

Blood-vessels, 95.

Bottle, for infants, 73.

Brandy, 160.

Bread, and its relations, 104; baking of, 166; corn-bread, 108, 111, 285; diseases derived from decomposed, 9; graham-bread, 107; rye-bread, 108; why wheat-bread is the best, 106.

Bricks, 40.

Bright's disease, 95, 145, 156, 157, 158, 163, 173, 201.

Broncho-pneumonia, 201.

Bruises, 238.

Brussels-sprouts, 139.

Burns, 240.

Buttermilk, 150.

C

Cabbage, 138.

Cake, 115.

Calomel, 94.

Calories, 102.

Carbohydrates, 98.

Carron-oil, 241.

Carrots, 136.

Cat, conveys diphtheria, 10; harbors tapeworms, 10.

Cauliflower, 139.

Caustic, 213.

Celery, 141.

Cellulose, 131.

Cereals, 284.

Charlatans, 7.

Chewing, 29.

Chicken, baked, 288; boiled, 288; broiled, 290; fried, 287; smothered, 289.

Chickory (salad), 142.

Chilblains, 246.

Child, diseases of, 82, 89; exercise of, 79; hygiene treatment of, 88; ill-treatment of, 64; instruction in cases of accident, 223; sleep necessary to, 79; syringe for, 84.

Chills-and-fever, see Malaria.

Chocolate, 31.

Cholera, 8, 9, 140.

Chromic acid, 209.

Cisterns, 59.

Clams, 122.

Cleanliness, 220.

Clothing, 18.

Cocoa, 31.

Cod-liver oil, 125.

Coffee, 31, 151.

Cold, accidents arising from, 41.

Cole, 139.

Colic, cause of, 67; treatment of, 84.

Collodion, 232.

Color, in clothing, 21.

Constipation, 85.

Cooking, 164, 170.

Copper-head, 263, 266.

Coral-snakes, 262, 263, 267.

Corn, 110.

Corn-starch, 112.

Corrosive sublimate, 231.

Cotton-mouth, 262, 266.

Cows, carry tapeworm, 51; infected with tuberculosis, 182.

Crotalus, 262.

Croup, membranous, 198; treatment of, 86.

Cucumber, 141.

D

Dandelion, 138.

"Death-cup," 257.

Dextrose, 126.

Diarrhoea, reason for, 144; treatment of, 82.

Diet, for the sick, 221; vegetarian, 130.

Diphtheria, conveyance of, 9; description and treatment, 198.

Dipsomaniac, 157.

Dirt-eaters, 196.

Diseases, avoidable, 171; contagious, 89; contraction of, 8; digestive, 82. See also names of diseases.

Disinfectants, 192.

Dog, conveys diphtheria, 9; dangers of, 62; description of rabies in, 211; harbors tapeworm, 9, 10.

Drinks, see Beverages.

Drowning, 224.

Dry-closet system, 53.

Dysentery, 8, 9, 43, 140.

Dyspepsia, 145, 158.

E

Earth, diseases contracted from, 8.

Eating, 28; importance of, 92; over-eating too prevalent, 95.

Eggs, coddled, 292; in vegetarian diet, 130; nitrogenous food, 118; scrambled, 293; shirred, 293; value of, 123.

Elaps euryxanthus, 263.

Elaps fulvius, 263.

Emergencies, 223.

Emetics, 251-259.

Endive, 142.

Ergot, 108.

Ergotism, 9.

Ethers, compound, 98.

Exercise, 79.

F

Fabrics, 20.

Fats, 98, 103; in vegetables, 131; unwholesomeness of, 115; value of, 123.

Fever, malaria, see Malaria; scarlet, 90; typhoid, contraction of, 8, 9, 43, 140, 221; description and treatment, 185; yellow, 9, 41, 43.

Figs, 146.

Filaria, 9.

Fireplace, 47.

Fish, decomposed, source of ptomaine poisoning, 9; nitrogenous food, 118; value of, 122.

Fly, conveyor of disease, 9, 10, 43; sick-room, 219.

Fly-agaric, 258.

Flukes, 140.

Foods, 28, 99; albuminous, 119; amount necessary, 96; breakfast-foods, 113; diseases contracted from, 8; in sick-room, 221; Mellin's food, 86; nitrogenous, 98, 117; nutritive substances in, 98; raw, 105, 164; starchy, 104, 165, 168; tables, 100.

Formaldehyde gas, 192.

Frost-bite, 245.

Fruits, as food, 30; dangers in, 144; diseases contracted from, 9; not nutritious, 146.

Furnace, 46.

G

Game, 122.

Garlic, 140.

Gin, 160.

Glanders, 10.

Glucose, 126.

Gout, 156, 163.

Grape-fruit, 147.

Greens, 138.

Ground-itch, 195.

H

Haig, a physician, 148.

Ham, boiled, 281; broiled, 281; curing of, 280; fried, 281; wholesomeness of, 121.

Headache, 33.

Health, 5.

Heat, accidents arising from, 241; for house, 45; in sick-room, 218. See also Calories.

Heat-prostration, 244.

Hiccough, 250.

Hog, 51.

Hog-meats, 120.

Hominy, 284.

Hookworm, 8; method of transmission, 50, 52; description and treatment of disease, 193.

Horses, convey glanders, 10; killed by bad corn, 109.

House, materials for, 39; sanitation of, 35.

Husks, 107.

Hydrophobia, from dog's bite, 9, 249; description and treatment, 211.

Hygiene, 1, 6; of infancy and childhood, 63; of the person, 12; of the sick-room, 217.

Hypersensitiveness, 204.

I

Indigestion, 145.

Infants, hygiene and feeding of, 63; weaning of, 67.

Iodine, as antiseptic, 231; in blisters, 247.

K

Kak-ke, 9, 113.

Kala-azar, 9.

Kissing, 89.

L

Lathyrismus, 9.

Lead-water, 261.

Leeks, 140.

Legumes, 133.

Legumins, 98, 118.

Lemons, 146.

Lentils, 133, 134.

Lettuce, 139.

Ligature, 230, 270.

Lime-water, 71, 261.

Liquids, 148.

Liquors, malt, 162.

Liver, 93; cirrhosis of the, 158.

Lockjaw, 227; antitoxin for, 232.

Loeffler, discovered diphtheria germ, 198.

M

Malaria, conveyed by mosquito, 9, 41, 43; description and treatment, 171.

Maltose, 86.

Massasauga, 266.

Mastication, 96.

Meat, cooking of, 168; nitrogenous food, 118; source of ptomaine poisoning, 9; value of, 119.

Medicine, 221; patent, 91, 158.

Meninges, 207.

Meningitis, cerebrospinal, 206.

Micrococcus intracellulais, 207.

Milk, an ideal food, 128; apt to promote indigestion, 150; as a drink, 31-32; in vegetarian diet, 130; infected with tuberculosis, 182; malted, 86; modified cow's, 67; mother's, 65; peptonized, 75; sterilized (Pasteurized), 74; table for calculating proportions of milk to be fed, 70.

Mint, 142.

Moccasin (snake), 261, 262, 263, 266.

Mosquito, 9, 41, 171, 173.

Mouse, 9.

Mushrooms, 256.

Mutton, boiled, 283; chops, 284; cutlets, 283; roast 283; value of, 120.

N

Necator Americanus, 193.

Nervousness, 88.

Nipple, 73.

Nose, 184.

Nursing, 217.

O

Oatmeal, 114, 284.

Okra, 142.

Opiates, 85.

Opium, 254.

Oysters, 118, 122.

P

Pains, rheumatic, 145.

Paris green, 252.

Parsley, 142.

Parsnips, 136.

Pasteur, 214.

Pastries, 115.

Peaches, 146.

Peanuts, 133, 134.

Peas, 133, 134.

Pellagra, 9, 109.

Peppers, green, 142.

Phosphorus, 253.

Pickles, 144.

Pieplant, 142.

Pilot-snake, 262.

Pit-vipers, 261, 265.

Plague, bubonic, 9.

Plasmodium malaria, 171.

Plaster, for blisters, 247; for sprains, 235.

Poison-dogwood, 260.

Poison-elder, 260.

Poison-ivy, 259.

Poison-oak, 259.

Poisons, acid and alkaline, 252; ptomaine, 9; treatment of poison cases, with antidotes, 251.

Poison-sumac, 260.

Pork, boiled, 280; broiled, 279; fried, 279; roast, 279.

Potassium permanganate, 254, 255, 269.

Potatoes, 135, 136; baked, 294; boiled, 294; cooking of, 167; disadvantages of, 112.

Poultry, 122.

Privies, 49, 52, 198.

Ptomaines, poisoning by, 9.

Puddings, apple, 295; batter, 295; brown betty, 296; caramel custard, 296; cottage, 295; cream of corn-starch, 296; rice, 297.

Pumpkin, 143.

Pus, 232.

Q

Quacks, medical, 4, 7.

Quinine, 173.

R

Rabies, see Hydrophobia.

Radishes, 136.

Rat, 9.

Rat-poison, 25.

Rattlesnake, 261, 262, 264; ground-rattlers, 262, 265.

Recipes, 273.

Resins, 231.

Respiration, artificial, 225.

Rest, need of, 22.

Rhubarb, 142.

Rhus, poisoning by, 259.

Rhus toxicodendron, 259.

Rhus venenata, 259.

Rice, boiled, 285; cooking of, 167; value of, 113.

Rochdale, system of, 53.

Rolls, 286.

Rum, 160.

S

Salad plants, 139.

Saliva, 29.

Sanitation, 35.

Sauerkraut, 139.

Scab, 233.

Schafer, Prof., system of artificial respiration, 225.

Screens, 41, 176, 219.

Sewage, disposal of, 49.

Shallots, 140.

Sheet, rubber, 219.

Sick-room, 217.

Sistrurus, 262.

Sleep, 26, 78.

Sleeping-sickness, 1.

Snake, harlequin, 262.

Snake-bites, 268.

Snakes, columbine, 262, 263; elapine, 263; non-venomous, 264; venomous, 261; viperine, 261.

Soups, meat, 292; vegetable, 290.

Sours, 147.

Spinach, 138.

Splints, 235.

Sprains, 234.

Sputum, 184.

Squash, 143.

Starches, 98, 104; changes in, 165; in cooking, 97; in vegetables, 131; raw, 105.

Steam, 46.

Stove, 47.

Streams, 60.

Strychnine, as antidote, 269; poisoning by, 254.

Sugar, consumption of, 126; from beets, 136; in vegetables, 131; kinds of, 125; raw, 105.

Sunstroke, 242.

Swamp-dogwood, 260.

Syringe, 84.

Syrups, 33; soothing, 255.

T

Tapeworm, 8, 9, 51.

Tea, 31, 152.

Teeth, care of, 80, 248; teething of infants, 80; tooth-ache, 248.

Toadstool, see Mushroom.

Tobacco, 34.

Tomato, 141.

Tonsillitis, follicular, 200.

Tooth-ache, 248.

Treatment, immunizing, 205; pasteur, 214.

Tricina, 18.

Tuberculosis, 94, 95, 156; description and treatment, 178.

Tubers, 135.

Turnips, 136, 137, 138.

V

Vaccination, 88.

Veal, boiled, 277; fried, 277; jellied, 278; roast, 276; stew or pot-pie, 277.

Vegetables, cooking of, 293; digestibility of, 132, 133; diseases contracted from, 9.

Ventilation, 48, 218.

Vinegar, 133, 136, 147.

Vipers, 262. See also pit-vipers.

Vomiting, 67, 87.

W

Waffles, 107.

Wall-paper, 41.

Water, as a drink, 30, 148; dangers of, 140; diseases contracted from, 8; for heating, 46; for poisons, 251; for wounds, 230.

Water-supply, 57.

Wells, 58.

Whisky, 160.

Wines, 161.

Work, 22.

Worms, 140.

Wounds, 227.

Y

Yams, 135.

Yeast, 286.

THE END