Little House on the Ponderosa
Part Eight
By Sara and Valerie
Albert turned from his wrestling with the mangle, and looked at Hoss. "I think I have a receipt for it in here - Ma gave me lots. Let's look," he offered, wiping his hands dry first.
Hoss was grateful, and looked over Albert's shoulder at the pages, as Albert turned the pages of copperplate handwriting, looking for the right page. He found it, right after the one that had directions for cleaning hairbrushes. Albert thought to himself, at least I don't need this one much here - no girls with long hair so no need to deal with the piece of soda the size of a walnut dissolved in a quart of hot water for dipping the hairbrushes in.. "Here it is," Albert said, coming out of his memories. "You melt one pound of common asphatum, and add gradually to it a half pint of linseed oil and one quart oil of turpentine. Then you just need to apply it to the stove and grates and let it dry," he instructed Hoss.
"Thank you," Hoss said, and went about the chore of making the polish so he could get his assigned job done, and maybe get a chance to grab a snack before being given more chores.
Albert finished getting the mangle set up, an dstarted putting hte sheets, towels, and table-linen through it, one item at a time. It was much faster than the ironing he would have done for Ma, but it took him a few tries to get the hang of the machine. He didn't feel comfortable enough with it yet to do anything with buttons, and he hoped Hop Sing would come down in time to help him with that so he wouldn't have to use the iron. Albert wondered if Pa could make one of these for Ma too - he'd have to remember to write to Pa about it.
As Albert was putting the last piece through the mangle, Hoss returned. "Albert, does that book of yers have a way to remove rust spots from the grates?" he asked hopefully.
Albert nodded his head, they had a lot of problems with rust, and he knew that recipe pretty well. Without opening the book, he finished the last sheet, folded it and put it away on the pile before starting to gather the tools for removing rust from grates - he got a piece of emery-paper, and a large smooth pebble from outside. "Which grate has it?" he asked Hoss.
Hoss had been watching Albert, wondering what he needed a stone for. "It's here," Hoss said, leading Albert to the troublesome grate.
Albert kneeled down, and started rubbing the spot with emery-paper. When the rust was gone, he rubbed the spot with the smooth pebble. Hoss watched as if it were magic. Then Albert handed the two items to Hoss, "Here, if you find another spot, just rub it with the paper first until the rust is gone, then rub over the spot with the pebble to smooth it."
Hoss gratefully took the items, glad that at least one chore didn't have any smelly things involved. He went back to work as Adam came down the stairs. "Albert, Hop Sing told me to ask you about some polish for steel so I can do the steel in the house," he directed at Albert, glancing at Hoss with the pebble, and figuring he didn't want to know.
Albert nodded, wondering how Hop Sing ever got anything done if he was always being questioned like this. "Sure, I think it's on the page after the blacking in the notebook. Let's go look," he said, leading the way to the kitchen, and hoping to soon get a chance to do the weekly sweeping, and maybe make something up for lunch. The stew had been on the stove since before breakfast, but some bread or something would sure go good with that stew.
They reached the kitchen, and Adam looked in the book, finding the receipt and wrinkling his nose at it - a tablespoon of turpentine mixed with a tablespoon of sweet oil, then adding enough emery powder to make the thickness of cream. Then he wrinkled his nose even more at the thought of having to actually touch the stuff with a soft flannel - rubbing it on with one cloth and off with another, and finally having to polish it with dry emery powder and a piece of clean leather. He was so glad it was twice a year - he almost wished Joe had stayed home to do some of these horrendous chores. Still wrinkling his nose, Adam resignedly went about the chores, to the accompaniment of thuds and bangs from the bedrooms.
Albert finished with the laundry and went to sweep the carpets, as was done on a weekly basis, by first sprinkling the carpets with tea-leaves and then sweeping up the whole mess on the floor. While he was doing this, he thought how weird it was to make a mess to clean a mess. He was just glad that Hop Sing had not yet asked him to deal with the chamber pots. He knew it was a necessary chore that had to be done daily, but Albert was not sure if he could deal with it. Having to empty them was bad enough, but then leaving the scalding hot water in them for a minute with a bit of turpentine, and then having to just touch them gave him the creeps.
The sweeping done, Albert went to help with the bedrooms, making the beds, as it sounded like the beds had already been taken apart for fall cleaning and rubbed all over with turpentine to get rid of the bed bugs. For some reason the smell of turpentine really turned him off, and he could not stand any chore requiring it. He went up, and saw Hop Sing alone, making the beds.
Hop Sing turned and saw Albert. "Good, you here. Help Hop Sing make beds, Mr. Ben need go do business in town."
Albert readily went to help Hop Sing, taking the mattresses downstairs to empty, wash, and refill. Hop Sing quickly explained to Albert that there were spare mattresses, so that the washing could be done later and the beds made immediately. Albert was impressed, and went with Hop Sing to get the spare mattresses. Soon, the two had the mattresses refilled, and were making the beds. First the under blanket and sheet were tucked under the bottom mattress. Then, they put on the bolster, the top sheet rolled around the bolster, and tucked everything in all around again. Finally, pillows, more blankets and quilts, and the counterpane to cover all were placed on, and the next bed begun.
Hoss came upstairs, "Hop Sing, I did all ya asked. What next?" he asked with a groan, he hated all these household chores.
Hop Sing kept working while he thought. "You do sweeping under all beds, then wash all washing table things with mix of soap, water and little soda. When done, time eat lunch. Have good stew - work fast, get eat fast."
Hoss groaned good naturedly, and started on the washstand appartus, figuring it would be better to get the smellier one done first. "How often ya do this Hop Sing?" he asked wonderingly.
Hop Sing answered, "Every week, need clean bedroom," matter-of-factly.
Hoss groaned, "You are amazing Hop Sing," he said in admiration of how
much the little man did every day on his own. No wonder he was so happy
to have Albert around to help. And not once did Hop Sing ever complain really,
- just his threats to go to
Finally, lunch time came. The table was set, and all the men sat down with a groan to do justice to the wonderful stew and bread made for the meal. Adam waited until after grace was said before bringing up the notebook of Albert's. "Pa, you've got to see it, it's got all these great things in it - almost like Hop Sing's head," he said in awe.
Albert was blushing at this praise of Ma, "Aw, it's not much. Just some things Ma wrote down for me before I left home so I would have the knowledge available," he said.
Ben looked at Albert, "If Adam's amazed by it, it must be something really special. Would you mind if I took a look at it?" he asked.
"Of course not," Albert said, wiping his hands and rising to get the precious book of Ma's hints and tips.
Albert quickly returned from the kitchen, carrying the book. He handed
it almost reverently to Ben, who realized the value of this little notepad
to Albert. "Thank you," he said, flipping open the book at random. He saw
a wonderful bit of information that he wasn't even sure Paul Martin had
all the knowledge of:
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Common Cures |
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Symptoms |
Illness / Problem |
Treatment |
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hoarse, croaking, ringing cough, usually at night, usually between 3-10 years of age, langour and restlessness, hoarseness, wheezing, short dry cough with occasional rattling in the throat during sleep, patient plucking at throat with fingers, difficulty breathing which quickly becomes hard and laboured causing great anxiety of the countenance and the veins of hte neck to swell and become knotted, speaking voice becomes sharp - crowing - or croupy sounding while sinpirations have a hard metallic intonation. After a few hours, a quantity of thick, ropy mucus is thrown out, hanging about the mouth and causing suffociating fits of coughing to expel. |
Croup |
very hot bath, followed by emetic (tartar-emetic, croup-powder, or a teaspoon of ipecacuhana) and wrap the body warmly in flannel after the bath, hot bath up to throat, emetic f antimonal or ipecacuanha wine. After vomitting ends, lay a long blister down front of throat. Administer one powder every 20 minutes to a child of 3-6 years of age (12 grains of calomel, 2 grains tartar emetic, 30 grains lump sugar - divide into 10 powders) - for children of 6-12 years of age, divide above mix to 6 powders, giving one every half hour. Mustard plaster round throat for 5 minutes. When relief is obtained, a dose of senna tea should be given. |
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preceded by moaning noise during sleep, followed by violent fits of coughing, slight oppression of breathing, thirst, quick pulse, hoarseness, hard-dry cough; When patient starts 'hooping', vomitting and bleeding at mouth or nose, start treating. |
Whooping Cough |
Fresh air, no draughts, keep warm, plenty of nourishing food, ipecacuanha and antimonal wines in equal parts once a day, cough mixture every four hours (1/2 ounce syrup of squills, 1 ounce antimonal wine, 15 drops Laudanum, 2 drachms syrup of toulou, 1 1/2 ounce water |
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unnatural craving for food, even after a full meal, Costiveness suddenly followed by reverse, fetid breath, livid circle under eyes, enlarged abdomen, picking the nose |
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call for the doctor |
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headache, restlessness, fretfulness, shivering fits, hot skin, pain in back and limbs, sickness, maybe sore throat, pain about jaws, difficulty swallowing, running at the eyes (red and inflamed), face hot and flushed, rash first appears on chest, cold chills, shivering, nausea, thirst, hot skin, quick pulse, difficulty swallowing, coated tongue |
Scarlatina (Scarlet Fever) |
dessert-spoonful of spirit of nitrite diluted in water at bedtime which will bring out rash, call doctor, give tartar-emetic powder or ipecacuhana while waiting for doctor, sponge body with cold vinegar and water or tepid water, same treatment as measles with the addition of hot bran poultice around the throat. |
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headache, restlessness, fretfulness, rash first appears on face, cold chills and flushes, lassitude, heaviness, pain in head, drowsiness, cough, hoarseness, extreme difficulty in breathing, frequent sneezing, defluction or running at eyes and nose, nauseau, sometimes vomiting, thirst, furred tongue. |
Measlesgive dessert-spoonful of spirit of nitrite
diluted in water at bedtime to bring out rash, call doctor, cool room,
diet of strictest abstinence, feet in very hot water for two minutes, three
minute warm bath, drink cold barley water with orange juice and sugar
candy.
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spots |
Chicken Pox |
warm bath, course of gentle aperients |
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clayey diarrhoea |
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give 3 grains of grey powder and 1 grain of rhubard twice - with an interval of four hours between to a child of 1-2 years of age; for 2 days after give 3 grains grey powder, 1 grain rhubarb, 2 grains scammony as aperient. |
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excessive diarrhoea |
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10-30 drops of tincutre of kino mixed with sugar and water every three hours. |
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overloaded stomach or acidity in bowels |
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magnesia dissolved in milk 2 or 3 times a day |
Ventilation is very important in all sick rooms.
But no draught. Open all windows from top.
To rid sickroom of bad smells - sprinkle liquid chloride of lime on
floor. Fumigate by burnign pastiles.
Never wake a sick person in the morning by noise or surprise.
Food for invalids should be a sppoon ful of beef-tea, arrowroot and
wine, or other light nourishment every hour.
Beef-tea is useful and relishing but has little nourishment. Arrowroot
is less nourishing than flour. Butter is the most digestible kind of fat.
Ben looked at Albert, "Would you mind if I showed this to the doctor in town?"
Albert shook his head, "I guess not sir, if you think he'd be interested." He really didn't want to let this wonderful item of Ma's out of his sight, but he also didn't want to anger Mr. Cartwright. Then he realized which page it had opened to. "Oh, that's not from Ma, sir, that's from the Doctor in town, Doctor Baker, he gave me some hints since he didn't know where I was going to end up," he said, not wanting to give the actual reason for all that information to be in the book. He still was reluctant to mention his medical knowledge, and he was happy doing what he was doing, so why bother?
THE END
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