CENTURY AGO: Times are tough, folks, so we figured we’d pass
along some health and beauty tips from the April 5, 1909, edition
of The Era.

We can’t vouch for their effectiveness but we can assure you
they’re cheap!

We quote: “Borax snuffed up the nose is good for catarrh.”
(Catarrh, Webster says, is “inflammation of a mucus membrane.”)

“A mustard plaster for a young child should be half flour.

“It is said very strong tea will stop bleeding from a cut.

“A dab of eau de cologne will often remove a slight red spot
from the face.

“A couple of soda mints or a teaspoonful of cooking soda in
water will often slave off a sick headache.

“One ounce of sage in a pint of boiling water is a fine
preventive against gray hair. Use an effusion of this once in 24
hours.

“A teaspoonful of strong black tea tied up in a piece of muslin,
with boiling water poured over it, may be left on the eye all night
for a sty. (NOTE: pour the boiling water over the tea before
putting it on the eye!)

“A teaspoonful of Jamaica ginger gives quick relief for a pain
in the stomach or cramp colic. Half a teaspoonful of soda may be
added.

“Often when one has a cold, the eyes feel hot and are red and
inflamed. The best way to effect a cure is to bat the eyes
frequently with a solution of boric acid and water.

“A woman who would be beautiful should avoid worry and anger,
for it is a well-known fact that they write fine lines, which
deepen into wrinkles on the face. A season of rest and freedom from
violent emotions will do more to efface them than all the toilet
creams ever invented.

“To lull the tired one to slumber there is nothing like the odor
of lavender flowers. The sheets and pillowcases should be kept in
lavender, and on very stifling nights, the strongest of the sheets,
those that have lain directly upon the lavender pads, should be
brought out and spread upon the bed.”

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Lately, when I tell people I work for a
newspaper, I’ve detected subtle signs of disapproval: the dirty
looks, the snide remarks, the severed animal heads in my bed.” So
said Dave Barry, humorist, 2003.