The modern housewife or ménagère : comprising nearly one thousand receipts for the economic and judicious preparation of every meal of the day, with those of the nursery and sick room, and minute directions for family management in all its branches ... / by Alexis Soyer.

  • Soyer, Alexis, 1809-1858.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The modern housewife or ménagère : comprising nearly one thousand receipts for the economic and judicious preparation of every meal of the day, with those of the nursery and sick room, and minute directions for family management in all its branches ... / by Alexis Soyer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    been was a long hole, exactly as if it had been cut out. I was certain it could not have been done on purpose, and it occurred to me that it might be some preparation used in the washing, which had an effect on the caustic or acid used in the ink which rotted the linen round it. It being a fine day, I drove off at once to the laundry, and a most excellent establish- ment it is; and I must say that the proprietress had no idea of the harm she was doing in using the kind of alkali she did, but this I was also convinced of that she would never be able to clean the variety of articles sent to her without it. But I have since found out that it was the peculiar nature of the ink which was used. * On my way home I reflected seriously on the matter, and happening to pass the baths and washhouses in the New Road, I stopped and examined them, which gave me those ideas I have since carried out.—In regard to the choice of the day, it is one that ever since I have been married, Mr. B. consi- dered his own in dining out or going to the play, and it is very rarely either of us dine at home on that day. One of the maids takes it in turns along with a charwoman, and they manage to get all washed and mangled on the Wednesday, and the char- womau irons alone on the Thursday. We will now go and see it through this window, as it has a door which opens into the garden; the place it occupies was formerly a passage from the area to the stables, as you see the basement floor is on a level with the original ground and not sunk as in many houses—a plan I prefer considering it more wholesome, therefore this slope is made ground. Here we are; you will perceive it is rather narrow, but I make up for it in height, it is but eight feet by sixteen ; these are the four troughs for hot and cold water, sup- plied from the circulating boiler in the kitchen. On the day the laundry is not used, the water is turned off, and then only supplies the baths at the top of the house. I had an idea of putting up a slate bath for the servants, as I am a great advocate for the hydropathic system, and think there is nothing like cleanliness for health : as it will not cost much, I shall do so, and place it under the ironing board. This is my new washing machine, and this the drying machine, which I had made after my own design. Fhis is the honing stove, which likewise heats the drying apparatus. As you have now descended into the lower regions of my establishment, I must show you the improvements I have made in the kitchen since yon were here last. In consequence of the introduction of my new apparatus, or stove, I have entirely done away with the kitchen range; its place, as you perceive, being closed; and I have likewise done away with the hot plate and the charcoal stove, which we only used once or twice a-year, and in its place I have got a gas stove, which is a great economy, and the fire in the new stove