=A Hard Cold.=--Whenever any one has taken a hard cold, it can often be speedily and completely broken up in the following manner: Take a hot foot-bath for at least half an hour. While the feet are still in the hot water throw a blanket completely about the limbs and body, in order to retain all the heat possible. At the same time drink one or two cupfuls of hot lemonade, or hot ginger tea. Then retire to bed, having the bed previously well warmed, if during the wintertime. Put on plenty of covering, keeping a hot flat-iron or a hot water-bottle at the feet, and in every way try to induce free perspiration. After an hour or two, gradually remove the extra clothing. Be careful about going out the next morning, for the body will be especially susceptible to the cold. In this way it is possible to break up a hard cold at once. If there is any tendency to cough, or any tightness or soreness in the chest, place a mustard plaster directly over the chest, and allow it to remain on until the skin is quite red. =Sore Throat.=--An old-fashioned remedy for sore throat, and a very good one, too, is to bind on each side of the throat a piece of salt pork. The surface of the pork may be slightly covered with black pepper, in order to increase its drawing power. This is allowed to remain on all night, but should be taken off in the morning. During the day a flannel is worn about the neck. A gargle for sore throat may be made by dissolving half a teaspoonful of chlorate of potash in a cupful of warm water. Gargle the throat with this every hour or two during the day, but do not swallow the mixture. After this has been used for a day or two, then a solution may be made by adding a teaspoonful of pulverized alum to a cupful of warm water; this is applied to the inflamed sides of the throat by means of a swab. Gargling the throat with a solution of ordinary extract of witch hazel, one part, and water two parts, also very useful. =Croup.=--As a rule, croup may be quickly cured by the use of either hot or cold water. Immediately the child begins to breathe hard and cough with a dry, hollow, barking cough, wring out a towel from cold water and apply around the throat, covering this with a dry towel. The wet towel should be changed in a few minutes, just as soon as it becomes a little warm. Often before the second cloth is removed the spasm will be broken, and the danger passed. _Cool_ water will not answer; it must be _cold_. If the spasm does not break, and the breathing does not become easy within fifteen or twenty minutes, then change to hot water. Wring out the cloth from water as hot as can be borne and apply about the neck, changing in a few moments, and so on.