Housewife's Guide

I have a love for old books. I love the tattered covers and the yellowed pages. I love the word choice, the characters and how they show how far people have come with the knowledge we have now. I came across this book at our thrift store yesterday when I was cleaning.

"The Standard Book of Recipes and Housewife's Guide," from 1901.

"Cookery, Family Medicine, Home Decorations, Domestic Plants and Animals."

The pictures are amazing and this book has everything you needed to know as a housewife at the beginning of the 20th century! The first part of the book has recipe after recipe for meals such as, Ox-Tail Soup, Steamed Plum Pudding, Rolled Rib Roast with Riced Potatoes and Medallions of Mutton with Green Pea Salad. Then it has ideas for party decorating, table settings, how to clean furs and lace. Home decor such as sofa pillows, embroidery and china painting.



The most interesting section of this book is the Medical section. It has information on how to apply leeches, how to use a croupe-kettle and meeting sick-room standards.  There were pictures of how to wrap a bandage and instructions on performing artificial respiration by moving the person's arms up and down...totally different from today's CPR. There was even a photo of 'Removing the Irons from the Insane.' This has to be one of the most interesting books I have ever looked through, I had to share it. Oh how things have changed...