nless orders are given to the contrary.

Keep all medicines tightly corked.

Buy medicines only in small quantities, as most of them lose their
strength in time.

In buying vaseline or cold cream it is better to have it in a tube than
in jars. Being opened and dipped into constantly soon makes the contents
of a jar unclean.

Common Remedies

Such remedies as the following are to be found in many homes.

Castor oil, clove oil, vaseline, baking soda (this is the same thing as
bicarbonate of soda or saleratus), salt, lime water, alcohol,
camphorated oil, spirits of camphor, flaxseed, aromatic spirits of
ammonia. Do not confuse this latter remedy with ammonia water used for
cleansing things.

Castor oil should be taken in these doses:

Baby: 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls.
Older children: 1 tablespoonful.
Adult: 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls.

There are many ways of taking castor oil. Heat the glass or spoon, put
in some orange or lemon juice, then the oil, then more juice. Open the
mouth wide and put the oil far back. Have more juice at hand to swallow
immediately after. Chilling the mouth by holding a piece of ice in it
for a few minutes also helps to disguise the taste. A couple of
tablespoonfuls of lemon or orange juice with a quarter of a teaspoonful
of soda mixed thoroughly with the oil will make it effervesce so that it
is not unpleasant to take.

If the dose is vomited, wait a little while, then give another. Do not
give directly before nor directly after a meal.

_Olive oil_ is often taken in doses of one or two teaspoonfuls after
meals to regulate the bowels or to help people gain weight or when the
appetite is small. It is also used to rub into the skin of
under-nourished babies and to rub sick people, especially if the skin is
very dry. After rubbing with oil always wipe the skin with a towel.

_Vaseline_ is used to grease sore and chafed parts. A little may be
inserted into the nostrils for a cold. Camphorated vaseline is
especially good for this. In case of an irritating cough that keeps a
child from sleeping, a little plain pure vaseline may be put in the
mouth, and it will be found very soothing.

Vaseline is also used to grease such utensils as nozzles and to put on
the parts to which poultices or fomentations are to be applied.

_Soda_ may be used for burns (moisten and apply as a paste), as a gargle
(one teaspoonful to a pint of water), as an enema (the same proportion),
fo