Handy Hints
pp. 79-80 · Read in the full issue
By an Islands Missionary
A DOZEN years in a tropical outpost mission-station (where a man has to be ready for any job from medi cine to preaching, or from engineering and navigating a small launch to settling a free fight) inevitably add a lot of handy wrinkles to one’s practical know ledge and resources. Some of these, which the writer believes might be useful to others, are given here.
For fish-poisoning: I learned from a trader neighbour that the natives of New Caledonia used to use an infusion of the breadfruit bud as the cure for the dang erous and distressing symptoms of this common tropical emergency. Having seen its quick and beneficial effects on an old native, who had been in misery for weeks both with stomach and skin symptoms, I can recommend this simple remedy.
For Prickly-heat: Two hints found use ful oy myself are, first, not to drink milk while suffering; and second, to cut out soap in the daily bathing.
To solder brass or copper: This is in credibly easy. Before I was told how to
do it, I used to spend hours of perspir ing toil trying to put brass taps on to copper tanks, etc.; and the usual result of such work was solder, solder every where —except around the tap. All one does is: 1. Put your iron into first-class order (by filing till the whole point shines, and then re-tinning it according to the simple directions on the Fluxite tin). Pile (or glass-paper) the actual surface of the job to be soldered, till they also shine. 3. Rub a candle around these surfaces. As soon as the hot iron touches the job, the candle-grease runs right around it, and, with it as the flux, the solder runs and sticks neatly. It has to be tried to be believed.
To pour any fluid from a (4-gallon) drum: Probably everybody already knows that the only way to do this simple thing is to pom* with the opening of the drum at the highest point. If you tilt the drum over in what appears to be the natural way—i.e. with the top opening nearest to the other receptacle, and therefore on
the lower side of the tilted drum—the liquid (whether benzine, linseed oil, or anything else) will gush out and much of it will be lost. If you follow this useful hint, you will never lose a drop, for the receptacle can be kept close to the drum opening, ready for the first appearance of the liquid contents of the drum.
Actual brazing of metals, not mere soldering, can be done anywhere, v/ith “E'esiflo” brazing sticks, the special flux supplied with them, and a blow-lamp.
It is a simple operation, even in a re
mote outpost.-