Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10
Different Uses for Salt.

From the New York Tribune.
There is no article Of common use more
often put on the table in a slovenly way
than the ordinary salt. 1t should be pull
verified, and in order TO do this the salt
should be frequently dried and sifted Spe-
cial table salts which are sold at the stores
are usually prepared by mixing a certain
percentage OF corn starch with the pure
salt. The starch acts as an adulterant
and. while it is harmless in the salt for
ordinary table use, IL would not improve
the seasoning qualities, and In the case
of clear soup would add enough thickening
to partly destroy its clearness.
The same objection applies to adulterat-
ing salt in this way, though it be harmless,
that there is to adulterating all other con-
diments. Considered all in all, pure salt.
dried in the oven and sifted occasionally,
is the very best for all purposes. Heat the
salt as hot as possible in the oven for at
least ten minutes. Then crush il fine with
a potato masher and sift II through flour
sieve. Store it in a wooden box and set il
on n high shelf in dry closet. Treated
this way, it will not cake. The only rea-
son for its caking is the presence of damp
ness. Salt which Is exposed TO the air in
a common salt cellar is quite likely to be-
come lumpy, and for this reason the salt
box kept in use in the kitchen should be
covered.
cles for salt in the kitchen. which are COW
cred to protect the contents from dust as
well as moisture, and are placed again ST
the wall near the kitchen stove in order to
keep il dry and be convenient for its fire.
quent use in cooking. But the German
kitchen is In many ways an ideal one. Salt
sugar, flour and all the articles which are
in hourly need are kept in boxes of blue
and white stone ware, which are much
more wholesome and easily kept clean than
the receptacles of Japan ware or tin, and
are much more picturesque
There are many uses for common salt be-
sides seasoning. Rock salt, which is by no
means the purest salt for culinary uses
is excellent in the bath. The purest salt
for table use is that prepared from salt
springs. Ordinary rock salt is too ant 10
be mixed with other substances to be safe
ly pulverized for table use. Bathing the
feet and limbs in hot salt water is said to
soothe the suffering from rheumatism and
neuralgia. There is nothing more soothing
in case OF nervous restlessness than a hot
salt bath taken just before retiring The
efficacy of a simple gargle of salt and
water has long been proved in ordinary
sore throat. The poison of MOSQUITO bites
or bee stings may be removed by strong
solution OF salt water A dose of salt fire.
quently repeated. is the ordinary remedy
for hemorrhage OF the lungs or stomach.
In the laundry and in house cleaning salt
is scarcely less efficacious than Il is medic
nally. 1t is the simplest means Of setting
the color in printed cottons. though Il NAV
be used in the small quantity of a cupful
to two ordinary pailfuls of clear, cold water
to prevent injury to the fabric. for a power
full brine tends to rot the material There
are various plants. like asparagus, which
originally came from the seashore which
require a certain amount in the soil to
make them grow while on most vegetation
salt acts a blight. There is no surer
way to destroy grass and weeds which will
spring up uncalled for in the gravel paths
than to SOW them with salt.