Part 253

«Artificial Horn.»—To prepare artificial horn from compounds of nitro-cellulose and casein, by hardening them and removing their odor of camphor, the compounds are steeped in formaldehyde from several hours to as many days, {397} according to the thickness of the object treated. When the formaldehyde has penetrated through the mass and dissolved the camphor, the object is taken out of the liquid and dried. Both the camphor extracted and the formaldehyde used can be recovered by distillation, and used over again, thus cheapening the operation.

«Dehorners or Horn Destroyers.»—The following are recommended by the Board of Agriculture of Great Britain:

Clip the hair from the top of the horn when the calf is from 2 to 5 days old. Slightly moisten the end of a stick of caustic potash with water or saliva (or moisten the top of the horn bud) and rub the tip of each horn firmly with the potash for about a quarter of a minute, or until a slight impression has been made on the center of the horn. The horns should be treated in this way from 2 to 4 times at intervals of 5 minutes. If, during the interval of 5 minutes after one or more applications, a little blood appears in the center of the horn, it will then only be necessary to give another very slight rubbing with the potash.

The following directions should be carefully observed: The operation is best performed when the calf is under 5 days old, and should not be attempted after the ninth day. When not in use the caustic potash should be kept in a stoppered glass bottle in a dry place, as it rapidly deteriorates when exposed to the air. One man should hold the calf while an assistant uses the caustic. Roll a piece of tin foil or brown paper round the end of the stick of caustic potash, which is held by the fingers, so as not to injure the hand of the operator. Do not moisten the stick too much, or the caustic may spread to the skin around the horn and destroy the flesh. For the same reason keep the calf from getting wet for some days after the operation. Be careful to rub on the center of the horn and not around the side of it.

«Staining Horns.»—A brown stain is given to horns by covering them first with an aqueous solution of potassium ferrocyanide, drying them, and then treating with a hot dilute solution of copper sulphate. A black stain can be produced in the following manner:

After having finely sandpapered the horns, dissolve 50 to 60 grains of nitrate of silver in 1 ounce of distilled water. It will be colorless. Dip a small brush in, and paint the horns where they are to be black. When dry, put them where the sun can shine on them, and you will find that they will turn jet black, and may then be polished.

«To Soften Horn.»—Lay the horn for 10 days in a solution of water, 1 part; nitric acid, 3 parts; wood vinegar, 2 parts; tannin, 5 parts; tartar, 2 parts; and zinc vitriol, 2.5 parts.

HORN BLEACHES: See Bone and Ivory.

HORN, UNITING GLASS WITH: See Adhesives.

HORSES, THE TREATMENT OF THEIR DISEASES: See Veterinary Formulas.

«Household Formulas»

«How to Lay Galvanized Iron Roofing.»—The use of galvanized iron for general roofing work has increased greatly during the past few years. It has many features which commend it as a roofing material, but difficulties have been experienced by beginners as to the proper method of applying it to the roof. The weight of material used is rather heavy to permit of double seaming, but a method has been evolved that is satisfactory. Galvanized iron roofing can be put on at low cost, so as to be water-tight and free from buckling at the joints. The method does away with double seaming, and is considered more suitable than the latter for roofing purposes wherever it can be laid on a roof steeper than 1 to 12.

Galvanized iron of No. 28 and heavier gauges is used, the sheets being lap-seamed and soldered together in strips in the shop the proper length to apply to the roof. After the sheets are fastened together a 1 1⁠/⁠4-inch edge is turned up the entire length of one side of the sheet, as indicated in Fig. 1. This operation is done with tongs having gauge pins set at the proper point. The second {398} operation consists in turning a strip 1⁠/⁠4 inch wide toward the sheet, as shown in Fig. 2. This sheet is then laid on the roof, and a cleat about 8 inches long and 1 inch wide, made of galvanized iron, is nailed to the roof close to the sheet and bent over it, as shown in Fig. 3.

A second sheet having 1 1⁠/⁠2 inches turned up is now brought against the first sheet and bent over both sheet and cleat, as shown in Fig. 4. The cleat is then bent backward over the second sheet and cut off close to the roof, as in Fig. 5, after which the seams are drawn together by double seaming tools, as the occasion demands, and slightly hammered with a wooden mallet. The finished seam is shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that the second sheet of galvanized iron, cut 1⁠/⁠4 inch longer than the first, laps over the former, making a sort of bead which prevents water from driving in. Cleats hold both sheets firmly to the roof and are nailed about 12 inches apart. Roofs of this character, when laid with No. 28 gauge iron, cost very little more than the cheaper grades of tin, and do not have to be painted.

«Applications for Prickly Heat.»—Many applications for this extremely annoying form of urticaria have been suggested and their efficacy strongly urged by the various correspondents of the medical press who propose them, but none of them seem to be generally efficacious. Thus, sodium bicarbonate in strong, aqueous solution, has long been a domestic remedy in general use, but it fails probably as often as it succeeds. A weak solution of copper sulphate has also been highly extolled, only to disappoint a very large proportion of those who resort to it. And so we might go on citing remedies which may sometimes give relief, but fail in the large proportion of cases. In this trouble, as in almost every other, the idiosyncrasies of the patient play a great part in the effects produced by any remedy. It is caused, primarily by congestion of the capillary vessels of the skin, and anything that tends to relieve this congestion will give relief, at least temporarily. Among the newer suggestions are the following:

Alcohol 333 parts Ether 333 parts Chloroform 333 parts Menthol 1 part

Mix. Directions: Apply occasionally with a sponge.

Among those things which at least assist one in bearing the affliction is frequent change of underwear. The undergarments worn during the day should never be worn at night. Scratching or rubbing should be avoided where possible. Avoid stimulating food and drinks, especially alcohol, and by all means keep the bowels in a soluble condition.

«Cleaning and Polishing Linoleum.»—Wash the linoleum with a mixture of equal parts of milk and water, wipe dry, and rub in the following mixture by means of a cloth rag: Yellow wax, 5 parts; turpentine oil, 11 parts; varnish, 5 parts. As a glazing agent, a solution of a little yellow wax in turpentine oil is also recommended. Other polishing agents are:

I.—Palm oil, 1 part; paraffine, 18; kerosene, 4.

II.—Yellow wax, 1 part; carnauba wax, 2; turpentine oil, 10; benzine, 5.

«Lavatory Deodorant.»—

Sodium bicarbonate 5 ounces Alum 5 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Potassium bromide 4 ounces Hydrochloric acid enough Water enough to make 4 pints.

To 3 parts of boiling water add the alum and then the bicarbonate. Introduce enough hydrochloric acid to dissolve the precipitate of aluminum hydrate which forms and then add the potassium bromide. Add enough water to bring the measure of the finished product up to 4 pints.

«Removal of Odors from Wooden Boxes, Chests, Drawers, etc.»—This is done by varnishing them with a solution of shellac, after the following manner: Make a solution of shellac, 1,000 parts; alcohol, 90 per cent to 95 per cent, 1,000 parts; boric acid, 50 parts; castor oil, 50 parts. The shellac is first dissolved in the alcohol and the acid and oil added afterwards. For the first coating use 1 part of the solution cut with from 1 to 2 parts of alcohol, according to the porosity of the wood—the more porous the less necessity for cutting. When the first coat is absorbed and dried in, repeat the application, if the wood is very porous, with the diluted shellac, but if of hard, dense wood, the final coating may be now put on, using the solution without addition of alcohol. If desired, the solution may be colored with any of the alcohol soluble aniline colors. The shellac solution, by the way, may be applied to the outside of chests, etc., and finished off after the fashion of “French polish.” {399} When used this way, a prior application of 2 coats of linseed oil is advisable.

«Stencil Marking Ink that will Wash Out.»—Triturate together 1 part of fine soot and 2 parts of Prussian blue, with a little glycerine; then add 3 parts of gum arabic and enough glycerine to form a thin paste.

«Washing Fluid.»—Take 1 pound sal soda, 1⁠/⁠2 pound good stone lime, and 5 quarts of water; boil a short time, let it settle, and pour off the clear fluid into a stone jug, and cork for use; soak the white clothes overnight in simple water, wring out and soap wristbands, collars, and dirty or stained places. Have the boiler half filled with water just beginning to boil, then put in 1 common teacupful of fluid, stir and put in your clothes, and boil for half an hour, then rub lightly through one suds only, and all is complete.

«Starch Luster.»—A portion of stearine, the size of an old-fashioned cent, added to starch, 1⁠/⁠2 pound, and boiled with it for 2 or 3 minutes, will add greatly to the beauty of linen, to which it may be applied.