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and the beef and mutton hung as long as the weather will permit. The best part of the sheep for chops is the leg of a two or three-year-old wether; and for steaks, a well-hung rump or the inside of the sirloin. In the early days of practice, and in the race itself, great distress sometimes occurs; there is considerable blueness of the face from congestion, and the breathing is laboured and difficult. The best remedy for this state is a glass of warm brandy and water, and plenty of hard friction on the feet, legs, and thighs; or, if it still persists, a warm bath at 98 degrees.

TREATMENT OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING IN TRAINING.

Blisters of the Hands and Feet.-These troublesome little companions occur either on the hands from rowing, or on the feet from walking; in both cases without due preparation. They also occur in a still more troublesome situation, either from the thwart in rowing, or from the saddle in riding; but in the latter case only in the very raw and young equestrian. Should they arise on the hands, they should be pricked with a fine needle, if this can be done before they have burst. The needle should be inserted obliquely, and the watery fluid contained in the blister should then be pressed out; and this should be repeated as soon as the blister has filled a second or third time. In this way the contact of the air is avoided, and in two days the true skin becomes protected by a new cuticle or scarf-skin. If, unfortunately, the blister is broken, the best plan is to apply some collodion with a brush; but it gives considerable pain, and seldom remains on more than six hours, after which time it requires renewal. If the pain of this is objected to, then apply either finely-carded (medicated) cotton in a thin layer under a kid glove, or finely-powdered gum arabic; but, in either case, the hands must be kept from water carefully until the expiration of twenty-four hours. If possible, three days should elapse before the oar is again taken in hand; but if the oarsman cannot be spared, a kid glove should be put on over the collodion. When the feet are the seat of the mischief, there is the same necessity for the preservation of the cuticle, and the needle should be used in the same way; if, however, this protection is removed, a piece of fine kid should be spread with soap plaster, and applied over the skin, extending for at least half an inch beyond the blister in every direction. This treatment answers on feet, while on the hands it is wholly useless, because the friction of the oar soon rubs off the plaster, while under the shoe it remains tolerably well, if smoothly applied. Where the blister exists on the seat of honour, in consequence of the friction of the thwart, it is very difficult to manage, and I have seen hundreds of men with their flannel trousers extensively stained with blood from this cause. Collodion is the best remedy, but even that is of little use, and the only plan that I have ever known at all effectual is to wear a pair of tight wash-leather drawers, extending only a few inches down the thighs. If these are made to fit very nicely, and are well oiled with neatsfoot oil, they will afford astonishing relief, and enable a man with extensive "raws" to row in tolerable ease and comfort; they require, however, to be carefully cleaned and oiled cach time they are worn, without which attention they are worse than uscless.

Corns and Bunions.--Blisters are troublesome enough to the pedestrian, but corns are a thousand times worse. The former are only temporary evils, whilst the latter are a perpetual cause of discomfort and misery. Corns are of two kinds, hard and soft; and this distinction is not only dependent upon

situation, as some people imagine, for the essence and even the cause of a soft corn are entirely different and distinct from those producing the hard variety. The soft corn occurs only between the toes, and partakes more of a warty character than of that of the true corn.

Bunions are different in appearance and character from either hard or soft corns. In all cases they are soft, pulpy, bag-like projections, often, though not always, without hardness or roughness of skin. They are attended with great pain and tenderness, and cause considerable lameness. The treatment of soft corns should be as follows: With the nail, pick off as much of the cheesy matter as can be removed; then, if the next day can be given up, apply a piece of lunar caustic to the surface, rubbing it pretty well in, but avoiding contact with the adjoining skin. After this, keep a piece of carded cotton between the toes night and day, and it will be found that after twentyfour hours' rest all pain will have disappeared, the surface will have lost its moisture, and will have become hard, black, and dry. If the cotton is renewed daily, this state of ease will be maintained for a week or ten days: but then it is necessary to pick off the blackened surface and re-apply the caustic, again using the carded cotton. This second application will probably last a fortnight, but by that time the edges of the blackened cuticle become loose, and the application should be repeated, but not, in all probability, till three weeks have elapsed. In this way, by three or four applications, the most obstinate and painful soft corns yield to treatment and become permanently cured; but the skin between the toes should be kept constantly washed and rubbed with a soft towel, so as to remove every particle of secretion daily.

With regard to hard corns, nothing will be effectual as a cure unless the pressure which caused them is discontinued. In that case they require very little treatment; but if it is continued, as it must be when they occur on the sole of the foot, the only remedies are palliative, and require constant and careful repetition.

Any one who has the use of his hands may readily treat his own corns, if he will attend to the following directions: In the first place, the cuticle should never be allowed to grow to such a degree as to occasion pain; it should be carefully removed before that time, and the best instrument for its removal is a pair of nail-scissors; with these a small piece of the thickened cuticle should be caught hold of and raised from its bed at the same time, then gradually closing the blades, it is removed without any great pain; for if much is given, it is only necessary to raise the scissors still more, and, as it were, drag the corn out of its bed, when the pain ceases, and the excision of that portion is effected. After removing this small slice, another adjoining slice is to be taken hold of and removed in the same way, till all vestige of the hardened cuticle is gone; after which the part may be either covered with a piece of wash-leather spread with soap plaster, or left to its fate. The former is of course the better plan; but, if the corn is remove i as often and as fast as it grows, there is no necessity for adopting it. On the sole of the foot the scissors cannot be used, and this is the most unmanageable situation by far. It is almost impossible for the sufferer to cut these himself, either with a knife or scissors; and he should remove them either, when dry, with a piece of coarse sand-paper fixed on a rounded surface, or, when soaked, with a piece of pumice-stone. This treatment will suffice for corns which are troublesome while training; but when rest can be given they should be removed, either with caustic, as described for the soft corn, or with tincture of iodine

applied with a paint-brush. In either case the cuticle should be first pared down, and then one or other of the above remedies should be applied; but the inflammation, especially after the second application, is considerable, and rest must generally be given. They are both, therefore, inadmissible in training. Bunions should have two or three leeches applied to them every other day for a week, after which they may be left alone till the bites are well, and then they should be brushed with tincture of iodine every third day. This treatment will generally suffice, but not in very obstinate cases.

Boils. The only remedy is either the application of some stimulating greasy application, such as a linseed poultice, or the division by means of the knife. Either of these remedies more or less speedily puts an end to the inactive condition, and then a healthy suppuration goes on to remove the cell, and by throwing up fresh granulations, as they are called, to restore what has been removed. Such is the nature and ordinary treatment of a boil; but in training it is almost impossible to bear the use of the knife if the boil is on any part which is subjected to much friction. In other situations it may be used; but if a boil occurs on the seat of the rower, as is so often the case, if the knife is used, at least a week or ten days must be lost before the patient can expose the raw surface to the friction of the thwart. Here, therefore, the best plan is to apply a plaster, spread on leather, and composed of equal parts of mercurial and opiate ointment. This stimulates and relaxes the inflamed vessels, and the opiate relieves the pain to a great degree; but even this is only a partial remedy, as without rest it is impossible entirely to relieve boils. To those who are known to be subject to boils I would recommend, as a prevention, the use of a wash of nitrate of silver of the strength of fifteen to twenty grains to the ounce. This should be painted over the part every night, and will, of course, turn it more or less black; but it seems to give tone to the vessels, and to prevent that low and congestive state which precedes the death of the cellular membrane; at all events it prevents the formation of boils.

Chapped Hands.-In cold weather rowers are sometimes terribly annoyed by their hands and arms becoming chapped, often to such a degree as to cause them to bleed; and pedestrians often suffer in the same way about the hands, wrists, arms, and behind the knees. For this state there is no remedy to be compared with glycerine, which should be freely smeared over the whole surface which is chapped, by means of a brush or feather. The application may be made night and morning.

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Carpentering is a useful and healthy employment, and every boy will do well to give some of his time to learn the use of the tools required in this branch of mechanical art.

Fig. I is a perspective view of a carpenter's working-bench. A is a "jaw" for holding wood when planing the edges; R is a square block of wood, or rest, called a stop or bench-dog, which can be shifted up or down to any required distance above the surface of the table, to keep the wood firm when being planed. An improved kind of bench-dog is made by Bailey & Co. (See Fig. 20.) A very good size for a bench is 5 ft. long by 2 ft. 6 in. broad, and 2 ft. 6 in. above the ground, that is, 2 ft. 6 in. cubes. A second-hand bench can generally be obtained from a carpenter for about 10s.

Do not buy a box of tools, but go to some respectable maker and buy them separately.

In describing each tool and the way to use it, it will be best to begin with the hand-saw (Fig. 2), which is used for cutting wood from the plank: it should be about 20 in. long, with teeth about eight to the inch. This saw will cut crossways, as well as lengthways, of the wood. When buying it, say it is required for

cutting soft wood. The price of this tool is 3s. 9d. Always mark out the wood that is to be cut, with pencil and rule. When cutting, look on both sides of the

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saw at once; this will ensure a straight cut. The saw is held at an angle of about 45°. If it should bend or not work easily, put a little common tallow on the blade. On no account try to set or sharpen the saw, or the result will be more harm done than good. This can be done properly for about 3d. at a tool-shop.

The tenon-saw (Fig. 3) is made to cut across the grain of the wood, so as to leave the ends neat; it is also used for cutting "dovetails." It has ten to fifteen teeth to the inch. It has a stiff brass rib to hold the blade straight when cutting. A good length is about 12 in. Price about 6s.

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Fig. 4 represents a smoothing-plane. This tool is used for smoothing the wood to a nice flat and even surface; it is also used for finishing up the ends. of the wood. The size required is about 8 in. long by 21⁄2 in. broad. When buying it, specify that it shall have double irons. In all probability it will have a pretty good edge when purchased, and will only require a rub on the hone to make it fit for use. To a boy who has a limited amount of pocket-money it is advisable not to buy a hone, but to obtain a good piece of writing slate, which makes a first-rate hone when used with a little oil.

To sharpen the iron, unscrew the pinching-screw, A, Fig. 5, and you can.

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