6209. How to Treat a Burning Chimney

6209.      How to Treat a Burning Chimney. If it is desired to extinguish the fire in a chimney which has been lighted by a fire in the fireplace, shut all the doors of the apartment so as to prevent any current of air up the chimney, then throw a few handfuls of common fine salt upon the fire in the grate or stove, which will immediately extinguish the fire in the chimney. The philosophy of this is, that in the process of burning the salt, muriatic acid gas is evolved, which is a prompt extinguisher of fire.

6210. To Prevent Glass from Cracking by Sudden Heating

6210.    To Prevent Glass from Cracking by Sudden Heating. Probably more articles of glass in daily use are broken by being suddenly heated than by blows or other acts of carelessness. Glass is a very poor conductor of heat, and when hot water is poured suddenly into a tumbler or goblet, it is almost certain to break unless the glass itself is quite warm. Tepid water should be first used, or a little cold water be poured into the glass on which the hot water may be drawn. Lamp chimneys frequently crack when placed upon the lighted lamp, especially if taken from a cold room. The proper remedy is to turn up the flame slowly or by degrees; this will gradually heat the glass, and prevent its fracture.

6211. To Restore the Color of Window Glass

6211.    To Restore the Color of Window Glass. Window glass constantly exposed to the action of the sun and rain soon deteriorates, as the potash or soda it contains combines with the carbonic acid of the air. A whitish opaqueness is the result of this action; and in order to restore the pane to its original clearness, rub it with dilute muriatic acid, and then clean with moistened whiting. It is said that glass, in an extreme state of decomposition may be restored by this means..

6212. To Clean Discolored Glass

6212.    To Clean Discolored Glass.

Glass that appears smoky may be cleaned by applying dilate nitric acid, when soap, turpentine, alcohol, or scouring with whiting would make no impression on it. Water of ammonia is also effective.

6213. To Remove a Ring from a Swollen Finger

6213.    To Remove a Ring from a Swollen Finger. A thread should be wound evenly around, beginning at the extremity of the finger, and bringing each coil close to the preceding, until the ring be reached. A needle is then threaded on and passed under the ring, and the thread is care-fully unwound from the finger. The ring follows each coil as it is successively unrolled, and by almost imperceptible degrees is brought over the knuckle and removed. Care must be taken that the thread is wound on evenly, particularly over the swollen knuckle, or an entanglement will occur in the unwinding. A curved needle will pass under the ring more easily than a straight one.