There are times when a simple thing in amateur surgery goes a great way towards easing pain. On New England farms the women all know what to do with a cut or burned finger.

The materials for the operation are always close at hand. Under the shell of every egg there is a white gelatinous film that is in itself a perfect skin. If the cut is not very large a piece of this film, fresh and wet, laid over the wound, will prevent soreness and in a great measure hasten the growth of the new skin.

The film adheres closely, keeps out all foreign matter, and draws the edges of the wound together. It will not come off easily, and another advantage that women will appreciate is that it does not show.

There is a woman in New York who has another simple remedy for cuts and burns. When a member of the family has a burn or cut she drags forth a bottle of shellac varnish and industriously paints the wound. The varnish, drying, acts in the same manner as the egg film, and at the same time is almost as invisible. The remedy is an old one in carpenter shops, and has been proved by use to be an efficacious one.