Abergavenny Chronicle

TALKS ON HEALTH. I By A FAMILY DOCTOB. I AN APOPLECTIC FIT. I An apoplectic tit is the same as a paralytic stroke; a blood-vevse! bursts in the brain, lu youth the blood-vessels are soft and M:pple, like india-rubber. but in old ago thoy are chalky and brittle, like indiarubbec ih.it has perished. The pumpiug action of fhe heart is very powerful, and the pressure of the blood again-t the walks of the arteries is considerable. Arteries sometimes burst in other parti of the body, but the brain is the rornmnncst cite of rupture. because the brun-sub^tanio is so soft that it affords no outside support, to the vessel walks. The amount of bio: that escapes may I)f, any- thing. from drop to J. teacupful—the larger the ;:¡mi)l'lt 1 h.. more complete t'ae paralysis down 1 he whole s'dc of the body. Recovery takes place through the absorption of the blood, and if you have seen a swollen black eye gradually reas.sume it" normal condition you have a picture of what occurs inside the brain during- recovery from a fit. 0-:0, TREATMENT OF THE SUFFERER. I Tf the haemorrhage i-= very severe install* inneoua death results, but more commonly the fit is accompanied by uncoiiM/ion.sne.sjj that is merely temporary. One of the dangers is that the man in falling may Ptrike hi*; head against a sharp corner. He may fall into the lire, or off a railway plat- form in front of an advancing train. If you are standing bv when a man has a fit, try to t-;tteh him and lay him gently down; undo his collar alld place a low piilow under his liead. Do not thrust a high pillow undr Iiiin, as that depresses the chin on to the chest and obstructs free respiration. If the fit takes place during a meal b oo-k the particles of food out of the mouth with your finger; they may be sucked into the wind-pipe during unconsciousness. Oprn the windows to revive him with fresh air. hut do riot let him get cold; cover him with warm clothes and place a couple of hot-water bottles against his legs. The bottles must hI' covered with flannel or a towel I once a bid burn of the leg caused by putting a stone hot-water bottle against the bare leg of an unconscious patient. Someone in a responsible position should take care of hia watch, money, and ether valuables. -:0: A WARNING. I If the breathing is of the snoring type and the face is b'ue. the tongue should be puiled well forward. If the patient is deeply onconscious lie will not be able to swallow nnything: but, in any case, do not give brandy or any form of alcohol. The effect of alcohol in "to make the heart beat more forcibly, and that would make the blood pour out of the torn blood-vessel faster than ever. Our object is to keep the heart as quiet as possible and encourage the blood to coagulate and stop up the rent. You must tend for a doctor, as the ease may be fatal, you would be blamed if you were pre- sent and forgot to summon medical aid at the first possible moment A man shortly before an apoplectic fit may have partaken freely of alcohol, and his breath may smell Mrongly of whisky. Do not be deceived into thinking that the man is drunk and that's all. He is drunk, but has a ruptured blood-vessel as well. A man wlio is merely drunk mav be roused by shouting in his car or flapping his face with the corner of a wet t.owel. A man who has had a fit cannot be roused to consciousness. I strongly urge you not to accept the responsibility of deciding whether a man is drunk or dying. Act as though he were dying an then you are on the safe side. -:0: PEftfL OF EXCITEMENT. I In the process of recovery the coarset movements of the legs return first, the finer movements of the fingers, a^ in writing or playing the piano, return last. A man who has had one fit is always liable to have another, and there is urgent need for him to avoid all forms of mental or physical excite- ment. A fit of temper, a sharp run for a train, or a very heavy meal washed down -with copious draughts of alcohol will very likely brinj on another fit. It not infre- quently happens that the blood-vessel bursts in tho nose instead of in the brain, and a severe attack of nose-bleeding in an elderly patient is a sign that he has just escaped having a fit. The old-fashioned pian of Weeding a patient was undoubtedly some- times beneficial to full-oiooded. thick- jieeked. free-living old topers. Gout, kl-diiev disease, and chronic lead-poisoning are all associated with degeneration of the blood- vessels. Sudden death is always sad, but personally I have always hoped that I should be able to work up to the last, and pass away as the result of hsemorrliage in the brain during sleep. EOW TO KEE1' WARM. I We are all feeling the cold and longing for the warm spring. It is difficult to know how to keep warm. Orie plan is to avoid big rooms. If you have a little sitting-rooin you can use. instead (if the bi-ger parlour, go to the sitting-room. The small cubio -.pace takes much less warming. It is not always welcome advice, but the best way to get warm is to take exercise; the muscles make heat when they are worked. A brisk walk round the houses will promote the circulation better than crouching over the lire. I know you cannot, go out in the slush and wet. but on dry, cold, frosty nights all evening walk does not come amiss. You arrive back with rosy cheeks and laugh at the folk sitting with their heads up the chimney trying 10 god warm A SCREEN FOR CRANNY. Old folk are the most dithcult to keep I warm: we hardly know what to do. Warm shawls and mittens and thick. lined slippere ail help. A screen round the back of the chair is a great help. The lire attracts all th# draughts naturally; all the air is sucked towards the chimney; that is why our backs are frozen when we sit in front of the fire. But the screen keeps off the cold air from lwhmd, and also prevents the heat from the tire dispersing into the room. Granny wiil he very grateful for a screen. A thick tabie-cloth hung on the clothes- horse wtnild do. Eat as much fat as possible. Fat is heating. The animals that live in the sea have quantities of fat to keep them ■warm Whales have th(-ir blubber to act aa a nice warm overcoat. And whales are warm. bioodt?d creatures  yoa and me. blooded creatures like you and me. BABY'S GYMNASTICS. You promised me you would give baby his daily gymnastics; I wonder if you have )C ou put a warm blanket on the flool ill front of the fire; then you place the ■precious babv thereon and ict him kirk and wave hid arms. The whole question is, Do you want a great strong. baby with broad shoulders and a deep chest or do you want a rickety baby with feei)le linll)s? Well, '• of course I know your answer, only you are not the right way if you keep the precious ?mb swathed in a multitude of clothes ail dav I?n?. ? H? must ?-c hi3 freedom Women have votes, and one day babies will have, votes, and they will all g-i V their ?uffra?M to <? eandtd.ttps who ?dl .? that all the bah.es have daHy gym- nastics You have ollv to look at the little man enjoying the wriggling in con-1piete freedom to know it is th.' right thing to do. Do it twice a day if v,,il like. Remember that all his joints, all his muscles, all his tunes. all his nerves and bgamente are de- v-eloping and exer- cise hl must have if tmy are all to be healthy structures. Never again do I want to see cripples standing at the corner of the street asking for plumes. Cripples must vanish. Cripples ore a disgrace < to England. Cripples must disappear- and England should be tl". first flmntry to make the proud boast W e have no crippiea in our land.

The Crov-(IOn T t?oi'r Partv ha? decided J t ? ?,t?t- ?ut Croydon a ad "to sW a?ide for both parti. A fre in the Cit-idel of Lille damaged ? ? ? f the ??.? destroyed large qu?atity of iBunitJo!?.

[ OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. I DISCOVERED • r The belle of the nursery, Miss Dolly Dutch, Went walking with Golliwog gay; And he murmured, "Dear Dolly," I love you so much I could go on a-walking all day!" But her father, the etern Mr. Jack-in-the- Box, Popped up with a terrible glare, Gave poor Mr. Goilv the hardest of knocks And scared the aiiectionate pair! THE TEDDYNGTON REGATTA. The toys thought it would be very nice to have a regatta, so they asked people to come and row races. And the only kind of boats that the toy people had were a very large cup and saucer, and the only kind of oars that they had were very bright silver-looking tea- spoons. And when the people saw the kind of beats that they would have to row in, they coughed, and said that they would watch bè- cause they had very nasty cold. Then were the toys very desperate be- cause there wasn't anybody to row in the regatta. at all, and they decided that they would draw lots who should row. And the lots came to the Teddy Bear and the Golli- wog. And the Teddy Bear had the Blue Duck to help him, because he had the large kind of cup, and it liked going round and round better than going straight along. But the Golliwog had the saucer, and he knelt on his knees and shivered because he felt so wobbly. And all the people on the bank got, very excited, and rushed along the side waving things with their hands. But the Teddy Bear and the Golliwog both felt very nervous inside because of their wobbly boats. And they spent so much time looking at one another to see which was winning that they did not get along very fast. And just round the corner of the river there lived a bounding wave, and when it heard all the exciting noises it thought that it would go round and see what was hap- pening. And just as it bounded round the corner it ran right into the Teddy Bear and the Golliwog' And it upset them all into the water. So nobody won the race after all. THE SCHOOL FOR OWLS. Early to bed and early to rise 1; a motto for fish, flesh, and fowl! It makes a bird healthy and wealthy and wise, And the wisest of birds is the owl. When even the lark is asleep in its nest, Or waiting for daylight to break, The owls and the owlets who always see best In the dark are all widely awake. To sleep in the night-time instead of the day, Of time they would think it a waste; And as soon .'I s 'tis dark enough owls brown and grey z And speckled go hunting in haste. A clock with some sort of alarum attached L., hung on a branch overhead, And every owlet, as soon as 'tis hatched, On hearing it hops out of bed. While Father and Mother Owl both as a rule, Go hunting for rats and for mice, The good little owlets all hop off to school- A night-school, of course—in a trice. And there they are taught to "tu-whit" and tu-whoo, As well as a number of things, By a very Wi0 owl, old and baldheaded, who Is crippled in both of his wing3. For an owlet to be even five minutes lata At school is considered a crime, And seldom occurs, I'm happy to state, Unless he's mistaken the tune. You'll wonder no more why this queer-look- ing bird Iti known as the wisest of fowls, As I thillk I have mentioned before, now vou'vco heard Of this excellent night school for owls. THE HIGHWAYMAN. One day Arthur the Owlet thought that it would be nice to run away from home and be a highwayman. So he tlressed himself up in a three-cornered hat and a big overcoat, and he took a very fierce-looking pistol and he set out. Presently he came to a very lonely road, and he thought that he would wait there for people to come, so that he could rob them. So he held the pistol very firmly with hid hand and waited. And after he had been waiting for some time he heard somebody coming just round the corner of the road. And he didn't at all like hearing people coming that he couldn't see; ana he shivered with his body, and became very frightened indeed. Nearer and nearer did the footsteps come, and more and more frightened did Arthur the Owlet get. And he shut hid eyes very tightly, and lie pointed the pistol very jerkily, and he called out, and said that ii the person didn't stop he would shoot him 'then did the footsteps stop, and somebody made a very angry kiud of noi se with their mouth. And when Arthur the Owlet heard the angry kind of noise he got more frightened than ever, and he dropped the pis col and tied. ( And the person that made the angry kind of noise ran after him and caught hold of him. Then Arthur the Owlet opened his eves and screamed, and he saw that the per- I sn catching hold of him was his father, I who had come out to find him. So he was [ taken home and smacked very hard, and he never wanted to be a highwayman again. REVENGE! Jane Cluckit -had not been asked to the Orpington's party, and so she went about in as bad a temper as it was possible to be. But her sister had been asked. Yes; they had actually had the impertinence to ask her sister and to leave her out! Jane Cluckit's head turned addled with revenge. For one whole day she sat broody in a ditch and hatched one bad thought after another. When s he'd hatched one that was bad enough, she ran into the house, c licking -vickedlv. The day of the party came. At an early hour the sister oi Jano Cluckit went to dress. Her frock-the wonderful party frock which Mother Cluckit had -made on pur- poe-wa.s gone So also was her bonnet, the beautiful green bonnet with the pink satin strings at fourpence three-farthings a yard. No wonder they were not to be found. The bad, the revengeful Jane Cluckit was wear- ing them herself, and being very fashion- able in them at the far side of the wood. Now, it happenoo that as Jane Cluckit went a-prirking along in her bister's party clothes, as proud as a peacock, whom should she see, with terror, coming towards her but Benjamin Brush, the fox! 0 She turned with a screech, and began to run home. Faster and faster she ran' And faster and faster raced the fox. Next day the farmer found a little heap of feathers, a. smart party frock all torn to tatters, and a mush of i beautiful green bonnet with a musli of lj.au t il? satin strings. And that is what happens to those who go about being fashionable in other people'* clothes!

Part balance of the war fund of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle, £ 38 Is. has been sent to the Royal Naval and Marine Orphan Home, the Nore. A Dublin Labour Conference decided that the Government should be asked to procure passports for Mr. Larkin, and, in the event -0 ^'iilu^e, to declare a strike. Charges for Press telegrams are to be ad- vanced on January 1. On an average, 1,000 cases of champagne are being landed daily at Folkestone from France for London.. The Supreme Council has decided that the first meeting of the Executive Council of the League of Nations shall be held in Paris. I

HOW TO OBTAIN j Paper Pattern of the above PETTICOAT. Fill in this form and send it. with remittance in ?'arrr«. to MISS LISLE, 8. La Belle Sauvale, LONDON, E.C. 4. 'Wrife clearIV. I Name Address I PATTERN No. 312. PAPER PATTERNS. Price 9d. each, post free. PATTERNS cut to special measure, 1/6 each. MISS LISLE will be pleased to receive suggestions and to illustrate designs of general use to the HOME DRESSMAKER. ————————— fe

FASHION OF THE WEEK. A SMART WINTER COAT FOR THE I I LOUNGER GIRL. Have you seen the new winter outfits that are being shown just now for school- girls and children? They arc well worth a careful inspection, for the great majority ire simply charming in shape, colour, and style. Nor are they only nice to look at, for they are cut on practical and sensible ines, are made of durable material, and are as warm and cosy as they are smart. Practically all the best models are quite simple in style, and have comparatively ittle trimming, depending for their effect lpon their excellence of cut, their charm of :olour. and their beauty of finish. Though all, or practically all, these new garments are most attractive, the coats, I think, are specially nice; they look so cosy, and seem so well fitted to keep out all win- try blasts. These coats are carried out in various materials, such as cloth, serge, gabardine, velours, frieze, and velveteen, and vary greatly in price according to the material used and the amount of work put into them, though none, I regret to say, are at all cheap. Many of the smartest models ire trimmed with fur, usually a short- haired pelt, such as musquash, beaver, oquirrel, nutria, and opposum, the fur, in nine cases out of ten, taking the form of a large collar and ample cuffs. Our sketch shows one of the very newest of these delightful winter coats, a particu- larly pretty model suitable for a girl of from six to twelve years As sketched, it is carried out in soft velours in a specially pretty shade of blue. This coat closes tluite up to the neck, and fastens straight down the front with large bone buttons dyed to the shade of the material. The front "of the coat is treated as a broad panel which run from shoulder to hem. A pleat is concealed beneath each outer edge of this panel, and is released a little below the waist. The sides of the coat are quite plain as far as the waist, but below that point they are ornamented by three broad tucks set rather far apart. A plain belt of the material holds the coat in very slightly at the waist- line, and fastens in front with a button similar to those on the coat. The neck is ) [E. 276.1 I finished by a broad collar of grey squirrel. The sleeves are quite plain and are of the usual coat shape. At the wrist they have big, turn-back cuffs of the squirrel. Pa-per patterns can be supplied, price is. 1 1<1. Enclose remittance and address to Miss Lisle, 8, La Belle Sauvage. London, E.C. 4. Note: The price may vary from week to week. j

Before boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt ) to them. I A small bag of camphor placed inside a } piano will protect the felt from moths. )

C-   HOME.  MOTHER AND HOME. Useful and Economical Hints on Domestic Management. \y 49 ) It ii well for mothers to remember that manners are formed before the age of seven. and any tricks, such as biting the nails, picking the nose, cracking finger joints, and so on, should be checked before this. Much as they may be deplored in later life, one will give way to them in moments of ner- vousness, even after having tried to cure oneself of the habit, unless broken from them during childhood. Boys especially find it much harder to learn habits of grace and gentility after they have turned seven, but before this age they are as ea^y tAg train as girls. Shy children should never he allowed to look upon themselves as shy. but. should be carefully treated and brought out upon every occasi on. Gradually the habit of shyness will drop, and the child lose the self-consciousne.ss which, unless checked, will be a nightmare in later lify. I No WOMAN NEED BE Cor/r. No woman need he If there is a soul in her body. it has but to begin be- times to show through. From her earliest girlhood the thought she thinks, the feel- ings to which she gives way. the tones she utters, the wishes she indulges in. are sculpturing lines in her face that are capable of making a beauty all their own— lines whose writing will remain when bloom I fades and sparkle fails. CLEANSING THE SKIN. j There is no agent more effective in aiding 11 the whole structure of the slsin to perform its work and to become less sensitive than the careful cleansing at night with hot water, a pure white ,OJr, and a complexion brilsh. Rinse in warm water, and apply a skin food of a good cold cream. J FOB YELLOW COMPLEXIONS. Cucumber milk is the bt thing for a complexion that is yellow. Slice, but do not peel, three good-sized cucumbers; add half a cup of water and boil until pulp is soft; strain and cool. To 1 £ ox. of cucumber I juice, or rather, to three table-poonsful, add an equal amount of a lcohol. This makes 3oz. of cucumber juice. In this dissolve ioz. of powdered soap. Then let it stand over- night, next morning adding Soz., or IB I tablespoontiful, of cucumber juice, }oz. of oil of sweet almonds, and l^Soz. of tincture ■>i benzoin. Pour in the oil very slowly, shaking the bottle well. Keep in a cool I place. Apply to the face with a sponge or soft cloth twice a day. &. GOOD SKIN LOTION. A very fine sedative lotion for the skin, ilnd one which will remove the oilv shine, is made by combining l}oz. of witch hazel, Iloz. of rose water, OZ. of boroglvseridc, :loz. 1 of pure oxide of zinc, arij ',oz. of the pure J essence of rose. Apply night and morning. ——— I ro REMOVE FRECKLES. I Take loz. of lemon juice, idr. of borax [ (powdored), and I dr. of "¡gar. Mix well, j and let it stand in a bottle for three days, [when it will be fit for use. Rub this mix- iture on the hands or face occasionally. HOME-MADE ENAMEL. I When the following mixture is not in use oare should taken that it is well-covered over, or the contents wili become hard. The ingredients are: Uae quart white spirit varnish, one gill raw linseed oil, 21b. zinc white, and loz. ultramarine blue. Put the zinc white and blue into a jar, a 31b. jam jar is excellent, pour on the linseed oil, and mix the whole with an old knife—or a piece of wood is just as good—until it becomes a stiff mass. Then gradually add the spirit varnish. Have another jar of the same size ready, over which a piece of muslin has been fixed, pour contents of the first jar into the second, and let it slowly filter through. When this is done the enamel IS ready for immediate use, and will dry hard in a few minutee with a beautiful gloss. It should be applied with a camel-hair brush. This is much cheaper than the ordinary bought enamel, and if made in the above way makes more than there is in six ordi- nary tins of enamel. POTATO CROQUETS. Boil some good potatoes and mash them well with a little milk, some butter, salt, pepper, and a. little grated lean bacon. Mix with an egg, mould into shapes, and fry the croquets a nice bro?n colour. Serve with well-seasoned bronva gravy, which may be made of meat extraet if no gravy from a joint is available. MAIZEMEAL PANCAKES. Take two gills maizemeal, tablespoonful or lfour, one pint of milk, a little fat for fry- ing, one and a-half teaspoonsful egg powder, half a teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda. Pour enough boiling water on these to make a thick dough. Let it cool. Then add a tablespoonful of flour, the egg-powder beaten up in half a pint of milk, and as much more milk added as will make a bat- ter. Fry the pancakes in a well-greased pan. HOW TO BURN COAL DUST. The amount of coal dust which collects in the cellar is enormous, and, if this can be burned, a great saving id effected. A very good method of accomplishing this is as fol- lows: Save all the thick paper bags in which you get sugar, currants, etc., and fill them with coal dust, and place them aside in a box kept for the purpose. As these coal- bags are required for use, open the top and allow a little water to trickle over the dust, re-close the bag, and lay it on the fire. If the fire is not touched, the coal dust and water will form into a solid lump with the action of the heat, and will give out as much warmth as would large pieces of coal. If the dust is shovelled on in the ordinary way it simply falls through into the ash- pan and is wasted, whereas every particle is burned if used as described above. FOR A LEATHER BAG. Polish a' leather bag which has begun to look shabby with this mixture: One table- spoonful of boiled linseed oil and two of vinegar. Shake well. Rub in a little, and then polish with a soft duster. I REPAIRING ENAMEL WARE. I Enamel ware is expensive these days and very difficult to procure, so do not throw away old pails just because they have holes in them. The holes may be filled up with the following mixture: Procure some build- ing cement and mix it with cold water to the consistency of a thick cream. Spiead this evenly over the holes and leave it to dry for a day or two, when it will be fr) Ind to be quite solid. Jelly will not go mouldy if a piece oi fresh butter is mixed with it when hot. Line your clothes basket with white American cloth, and you will always be able to keep it perfectly clean and free from dust and gravel. If the colour has been taken out of silk by fruit stains, a little ammonia will usually restore it. Varnished paper Oil walls can be cleaned with a flannel dipped in weak tea and polished with a dry cloth. To prevent a tumbler cracking when boil. ing water is poured into it. place a teaspoon in the tumbler before pouring in the water. Leather that has become dull and shabby- looking may be very much improved in ap- pearance by being rubbed over with the white of an egg, well beaten. A very simple test for tinned meat or fisu is to ehake the tin. If it sounds as though the tin is full of water, refuse the goods, or have them opened before leaving the shop. The contents of any "tins" of meat or fisn should be quite firm. I EVILS OF FOUL AIR. Foul air causes many cases of insomnia among people whose heart action is feeble. Such pcrsoIL. will sleep better if the air id kept fresh by having at least one window in the bed chamber open at night. A. DISINFECTING PERFUME. A gocd disinfecting perfume is this: Mix OZ. each of gum-benjamin, storax, and galban with oil of myrrh. Set a small quantity to smoulder on a hot shovel. I FoR WEAK EYES. An excellent wash for tired, weak, or in- flamed eyes, a wash approved by leading oculists, is composed of one pint of boiled water, one teaepoonful of refined borax, and fifteen drops of spirits of camphor. Flusfl the eyes with this three times daily. I To TAKE NAUSHOUS MEDICINE. Eat a tiny piece of lemon peel—the yellow part only—just before taking the medicine, and it will not taste nearly so nasty. I AN EMBROCATION FOR RHEUMATISM. Tako half a pint of oil of turpentine, ioz. of extract of lead, and add one egg. Mix together by shaking in a welbcorked quart bottle, and then add gradually half a pint of white vinegar and Aoz. of spirits of ivine. This embrocation id invaluable foi rubbing into the joints for rheumatic pains, >r on the chest for a cold. I I VALU-IBLE FUUIT. The valuo of tho fruit currant as a nutri- ;ive and health food is almost without equal. L well-known physician says: "Many arc the ways in which currants can enter into daily use in the household with great advantage to health and pocket." It is peculiar of -this fruit that while it can be adapted so excel- lently in the Making of eo many various I foods and pastries, it is available all the year round, and the housewife with a good I store of currants can be absolutely indepen- dent of the season's fruits. I SOME USEFUL RECIPES. I MACARONI WITH BAOON.—Cook 4oz. of macaroni, broken into small pieces, in slightly salted water, for fifteen minutes; drain carefully away any liquid remaining. Cut two rashers of bacon into small squares, fry until nicely crisped and brown, put on a very hot dish. Put the prepared macaroni into the bacon fat, make very hot, season nicely, mix with the bacon squares, send to table with squares of dry toast or pieces of oat-cake. MARROW WITH CHEESE.—Cook a nice marrow until tender, after peeling and cut. ting into rather thick slices. Grease a pit dish, put in a layer of marrow, then some grated tasty cheese, continue until the dish is full, letting the top layer be the grated cheese, add a small teacupful of milk. Cook in a moderate oven until the cheese toasts. RACBIT JELLY.—Take the remains of one rabbit, one pint of gravy, one egg, loz. of gelatine, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pick the meat from the bones, put it loosely into a mould, with slices of hard-boiled egg at the bottom and round the sides. Soak the gelatine, warm the gravy, and dissolve it in it. Then pour into the mould, and leave to set. Turn out when cold, and garnish with parsley. If you have not enough rabbit you can eke out with scraps of any cooked meat, finely minced. BACON BALLS.—Cut any oddments of bacon left in small dice, and mix with rather more than its weight in mashed potato. Dredge the balls in a little flour, dip into a beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fry. APPETISING Soup.-Slice thinly lib. of potatoes, one large onion, one stick of celery, cut into small pieces. Melt a little dripping in a saucepan, put in the veget- ables, and cook for five minutes, but do not brown them. Season with pepper and salt, pour on a quart of stock, and simmer gently for one and a-half hours. Serve with toasted bread, cut in dice. VEGETABLE STEAK AND ONIONS.—Cook and mash together four potatoes, two carrots, and one large onion; add a little chopped parsley, half a cupful of flour, salt and pepper to taste, and the pulp of a large tomato. Turn on to a floured board, and mould into cakes half an inch thick. Dip each in dry flour, and fry in boiling fat until brown both sides. Pile lib. of nicely- fried onions in the centre of a hot dish, arrange the steaks round, and garnish with parsley and sliced beetroot. SAUSAGES. Sausages are a general favourite, and this is the best way to cook them in these days, when they contain more bread than usual. Put them into sufficient salted water to just cover them the day be- fore they arc requirod, and bring them gradually to the boil. This will swell the bread, and make them much larger. Allow them to simmer a few minutes, then remove them and let the water get cold. The next day bring the fat that was removed from the water to boiling point, and fry the sausages in it. Cooked this way they are far nicer, and keep a better shape than when fried straight away. The water in' which they were boiled should be added to the stock-pot. Although it docs not contain much nourishment, it has a nice herby flavour that blends well with the stock.

< PENSION PROBLEMS: HOW TO SOLVE THEM. By AN EXPERT. About the Newly-set-up Medical Appeal Boards—Dissatisfaction With the Assess- ment o? Disablement to be Dealt With —Some Advice to Officers and Their Relatives—Disabled Nurses and the King's Fund. FREE ADVICE TO OUR READERS. Arrangements have now been completed whereby a Medical Appeal Board will be established at each Regional Office of the Ministry of Pensions. The setting up of Buch Boards was foreshadowed in a speech made in the House of Commons, on July 31, by Sir L. Worthington-Evans, and innovation is designed to deal justly with the grievances of disabled men who feel that their pensions have been under-assessed. Each Board consists of a Deputy Commis- sioner of Medical Services as Chairman, one appropriate Medical Specialist, and one Medical Assessor. In each case the Chair- man is fully acquainted with administrative requirements, whilst the Medical Assessor is experienced in the assessment of degrees of disablement. The Medical Specialist will be an approved specialist in the class of dis- ability from which the man who makes the appeal is suffering. The Medical Appeal Board will deal with applications which are based on dissatisfac- tion with the assessment of disablement by a previous Medical Board. They will ex- amine the appellant, and will have before them all the relevant documents, including those relating to the previous proceed- in D'S aloHO" 0 with medical information which the man himself may furnish. In this way they will be in a position to give an authoritative decision. This will be binding during the currency of the previous award —provided that the assessment may be re- viewed during that period if the man claims that his condition lias become substantially worse since the Board's decision. It will be open to the Medical Appeal Board to raise or lower an assessment, and in every case the appellant will be informed of the de- ën-at the tiine of hearing. Notice of in- tention to appeal must, in the first instance, be o-iven to the I.occ.l War Pensions Com- mittee. The procedure explained above does not in any way interfere with the speedy dealing with a man's case by the Medical Referee and the Local War Pensions Committee, when it can he shown that the man's health has become definitely worse since his last Board. # '# # Although most # of my attention is tôil, fined to the men and their dependents, the contents of my post-bag bear evidence to the fact that there are men of the higher ranks among my readers. For their sake, I wish to point out that disabled officers- ;iaval, Military, and Air Force-who desire information about disability retired pay should communicate personally or by letter with the Officers' Friend, at the Ministry of Pensions, Westminster House, Millbank, London, S.W. 1, or Regional Headquarters. Those concerned who live at a great distance should not travel specially for the purpose of an interview without writing beforehand, as it may be necessary to make inquiries and to examlno records. Discharged or demobilised personnel whc are entitled to the cliusp to the 1914 Star (for those who served under fire in France or Belgium between August 5 and November 22, 1914), can now obtain forms of applica- tion at any head or branch post office in a town, or at any post office in the country districts. The forms should be completed in accordance with the instructions which are printed on tliern, and should be forwarded to the "Officer in Charge of Records" of the corps with which -they last served. The scope of the King's Fund for the dis. abled is to be extended to include disabled nurses who are pensioned under the Royal Warrant in respect of war service. Appli. cations may boo made to the Secretary, Mill- bank House, London, S.W. 1, by such nurses. as may be eligible for the benefit under the new arrangement. Do not write to the Ministry of Pensions about payment of your pension at the in- creased rate, which took effect from Septem- tember 3. Adjustment will be made on the renewal of the allowance book, and arrears will be paid with the first issue of pension at the new rates. Application is unneces- sary. I ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. M. A. M. (ri limwell).-The pension may be transtferred on the death of one parent to the surviving one; but in the case of a widowed mother it ceases if she marriet after his dea-th. You should apply to the Secretary, War Pensions Committee (the pot, office will give you the address of the nearest committee). Our Pensions Expert is anxious to assist sailors and soldiers and their wives and de- pendents in dealing with intricacies of th. War Pensions System. Address your queries to "Pensions Ex. pert," clo Editor of this paper. All essen- tial facts should be stated as briefly as pos- sible, such as name, number, rank, regi- ment of soldier, name and rating of sailor, particulars of families and separation al- lowance and (in inquiries concerning civil liabilities) pre-war or pre-enlistment in- come, present or war income, and full lia- bilitiea. Do not send any documents, birth certificates, or discharge papers, etc. Will correspondents please make a point of sending their regimental number, rank, name, and regiment?

Beatty, Rawhnsoa, and Byng have taken their seats in the House of Lords. The Shaih visited cotton mills in Man- chester and had a trip up the Ship Canal. The question of making a further nicdifi- cation in the present whisky restrictions, a matter for the Cabinet to decide, is being considered, says the Food Controller. Super-tax unpaid for 1917-18 amounts to X566,672, and for 1918-19 £ 1,851,055. King Alfonso has left London for Spain, travelling home through France. Strike of brickmakera in Nottingham dis; trict has been settled, after lasting 15 weeks. Golf ball, a hat-pin, and a Sin. nail were found in a cow which died suddenly near Rugby. The Premier is to receive a deputation of M.P.s favouring the Channel Tunnel. Hull Customs authorities have refused permission to land fish from the German trawler Rhein, towed into the port in a disabled state. A Belgian pork butcher has been sen- tenced to 20 years' imprisonment for supply- ing 10,000,000 francs' worth of pork to tht, Germans during the occupation of Belgium. Dr. Jowett landed at Plymouth on his return from Now York. Five men are missing from the Norwegia" whaling steamer Knol, which was mined a sunk. The rest of the crew were reecuea b.Y a Grimsby trawler. A piece of white cloth taken fro!Il t white flag under cover of which the Cerm at Eeace envoys crossed to the French 1? 8at La Chapelle on November 7, 1918, h? been presented by France to Belgium. A verdict of "Accidental death" waB r; turned at an inquest on Staff-Sergeant C. h P. Spone, who was killed at WOOl"IC r Arsenal by the explofiion of a 12-p^u er gun, attributed to the breaking of the I tiring-rin..