Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18
CARE OF THE HANDS.
Shirley Dare Tells How to Make Them
Like Those of Fairies.
A SIMPLE AND EASY TREATMENT.
The Emery Wheel of the Sewing Machine
an Aid to the Manicure.
OVAL NAILS AND TAPERlNG FINGERS
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

is of French origin. The chiropodist was
indispensable to great people before, as
large, obese and gouty personages found il
difficult often to see their feet, let alone the
care OF them. The chiropodist to Louis
Philippe, M. Slit. clever artist in his way,
conceived. that it would be an excellent
thing to expend the same skill on the hands
of high personages which were always in
evidence, and history tells US not always as
well kept as they might be, a. was given to
the toe nails of his least Christian majesty.
That the idea was inspired, and added
Que more charm to the existence of nobility,
is evident, for no one, however bourgeois OF
plebian, ever submits his hands to skill
full manicure without signing to have the
operation repeated as part of the daily rou-
tine. So readily does luxury lay hold on
human taste, and so true is Rousseau's say
ing that "the superfuous is the only indis-
pensable." Monsieur Slit was thorough
in his craft. for his methods remain in favor
day. They differ in several points from the
practice Of American manicures, and secure
the best results in preserving the comeliness
of the hands and finger nails. Maricuring
proper includes the attention to the hands
fully as much as the nails which are all the
ordinary operator spends much care upon
So many lovely things have been said and
sung about the beauty of the hand; such a
spell lies in the touch, the sight of fine
hand, smooth as curd, white as bisq1e. soft
as chamois, that most men and women covet
to add it to their personal graces. For even
a mans hand eau be strong and quick and
clever, while yet shapely, smooth and pre-
sentable.
A MOTHERS HANDS.
A woman needs fair hands to charm with,
and not more for this than to pursue her
feminine arts of needlework, painting, and
above all, of caring for children and the
sick. The sweetest memory of q mother is
her gentle look, the next her kind voice, the
third the tender, silky touch of her hands
in wesriness or illness. We talk of
magnetic touch, because the same warmth
ond vitality which conveys feeling keeps
the skin fine and thin, because often re-
newed. Constant growth, renewal and
throwing off of tissue, is the condition of
fine muscle and skin. This growth may be
stimulated and aided by the skill of the
toilet and the bath.
A neglected hand, which is solely con-
venience to its owner, may be surprisingly
by continuous care. The first point
is to make and keep it clean. You may
think your hands we'll washed, yet after
submitting them to manicure they come
out so much whittier that one feels they never
were clean before. To put careless hand
in good condition may require half an
hours work three times week for fort
night, in which time the new skin should
grow whittier and finer than before True, 1
can quote the example of one of the Four
Hundred, a gentleman who counts his de-
scent from Eric the Dane, whose wife is
proud of the fact that he spends an hour
daily caring for his hands which are unde-
niably aristocratic and fsultless in condi-
tion. But with most of US, life is too short
and full of pressing duties to allow more
than the minimum of time for cares which
must be repeated daily, and Is minutes
day for the hands is wanton waste. Five
minutes spent once a week trimming the
nails of fingers and toes is all that most of
US can afford time being scarcer than money.
But the daily toilet should be made with
military dispatch and military neatness.
GETTING RID OF CRIME.
Soak ill-kept hands in hot bathing soap
suds with half teaspoonful of borax in the
water, which acts wonderfully in removing
CRIME. The hotter the water the sooner it
will remove CRIME and old particles. I
think the use of stiff brush on the back OF the
hands, as we'll as the use of vaseline at night,
fosters the growth of hair. Those who have
used the rubber handbrusbes will never
want an ything else. Rubber clings to the sur
face with a sort OF suction, and carries away
every trace of CRIME with it. The common
washing powders of different names quickly
bleach the haads, but leave them harsh and
dry unless rubbed with lemon juice or vine
gar and water. A strong solution of oxalic
acid should be kept to remove deep stains
which result from cutting fruit or veg
etables, though there are lew which resist
washing soda. There are some which defy.
cyanide Of potassium. which will take out
stains Of iodine, aniline or nitrate of silver
ITSELF Being o most powerful poison, its
use should be confined to such stains as
nothing else will remove.
Having whitened the hands and dried
them well, let us proceed TO soften them.
Half OF the harshness OF the skin comes OF
half drying hands after washing them, and
the best use OF almond meal comes In. II Is
nice to rub on the hands while rinsing them,
rubbing the backs with II as II 1t were soap.
But while the hands still feel moist from
The towel, rub the dry almond meal over
hem, giving the backs little friction, and
they are left In delightful state from the
Soupcon Of oily powder, worked into the
pores The callous growth round the nails
Is to be rubbed down with pumice stone or
till better q fine sandstone.
GRINDING THE HANDS.
Or start the emery wheel Of the sewing
machine and rub the fingers down with IL.
In time the little sandstone, worked by loot
power will be one OF the manicure's indis-
aids. The small grindstones for
kitchen use serve good purpose In rubbing
iown rough or horny hands TO smoothness.
Not only do they wear away roughness, but
he friction stimulates the skin, and supplies
he hands. The Romans knew most that
was worth knowing about the toilet, and
.hey used pumice and sandstone all over
heir bodies TO secure the marble smoothness
,f flesh we hear OF but seldom see.
Warts are 80 easily destroyed, 1t is need
less TO suffer from them. Touch them re-
with the colorless tincture Of iodine,
DR. with nitrate OF silver, retouching with
The latter rs fast as the stain wears away.
Nitric acid also serves the same purpose,
but makes the wart sore awhile. A strong solu-
lion OF salicylic acid is said to destroy warts,
noles or any unhealthy growths Of the skin,
without pain or injury to the healthy parts.
Erasmus Wilson relates that crop OF warts
we're removed by subjecting them to sue
cession OF sparks from an electrical machine.
The modern practice is to pierce the warts
with long needles and connect these with an
electric battery. A crop of warts calls for
course OF internal medicine.
The best way to treat agnails is cut them
close with fine sharp scissors, soak the first
JOINT of the finger in very hot soap suds for
i've or ten minutes, keeping it hot as can
be borne, and touching when dry with cold
cream.
TRAINING FINGERS TO TAPER.