20 life hacks from a century ago

In the late 1880s, cigarette manufacturers began inserting rigid cards into paper packages to make them more durable and convenient. A little later, these cards began to print pictures, photos of famous people and pretty girls, grouped by series. This continued until 1940, and now these cards sell for a lot of money: one of the most expensive was sold in 2007 for $2.8 million.

But we are not interested in the age of the pictures, but in the content of some of them. In 1910, Gallaher Ltd in Belfast and London, and the Imperial Tobacco Co branch in Ogden, printed a series of How-Tos with cool life hacks, from crossing a raging stream to how to escape a rabid dog. Some of them may still be relevant today.

(Total 20 photos)

Source: lifehacker.ru and lifehacker.ru

1. Fire extinguishing agent

Take 500 grams of salt, 250 grams of ammonia and stir in 2 liters of water. Pour this mixture into glass bottles. If a fire breaks out, throw one or more bottles into the fire and the flames will go out.

2. How to get a splinter

Fill a wide-mouthed bottle with hot water and hold it firmly with your hand. The suction force will pull back the skin of the hand and pull the splinter out.

3. How to preserve eggs

Immerse the whole eggs in salt, this will keep them for a long time. The main thing is that air does not enter the egg.

4. How to cut down a tree

After you decide which way the tree should fall, cut it from two sides: one above, the other below, as shown in the figure.

5. How to protect yourself from a rabid dog

If a dog attacks you, any objects that can be placed between you and the dog will help: a hat on a cane or the cane itself, located horizontally.

Before biting you, the dog will try to remove the obstacle in the form of a hat or a stick, and at this time you will have time to kick him.

6. How to organize watering plants without your participation

If you are going on vacation, this life hack will be very useful. Weave three to six strands of wool together to make a relatively thick cord.

Dip one end of it into a basin of water located above the level at which the plant pots stand, and the other end into pots with home flora.

7. How to light a match in the wind

In order for the match to flare up normally in the wind, before lighting it, make small notches on it, as if removing chips, but not completely.

8. Cross a stormy river

If you have to cross a turbulent stream, and one or more people from the tourist group cannot swim, you can ferry them to the other side using a rope.

One person - a good swimmer - swims to the other side with the end of the rope, ties it to the nearest tree. From another rope, make a loop to be used as a seat, and with the help of the two ends of the rope, drag a person who cannot cross the river on his own.

9. How to save a person from electric shock

If a person grabs a live wire, do not try to help him, unless your hands are protected by rubber gloves, a waterproof raincoat, or several layers of dry cloth.

To avoid electric shock, stand on a piece of glass or dry wood and only then provide first aid to the victim.

10. How to make a water filter

Take a zinc container, such as a galvanized bucket, in the bottom of which a hole is made and a small tube is installed. Fill the bucket with fine and coarse sand, gravel and pebbles. Water will pass through all layers of the filter, be cleaned and flow out through the tube.

11. How to determine cardinal points by hours

If you need to determine the cardinal directions, but you do not have a compass with you, then it is quite possible to do this using an ordinary watch. To do this, position them so that the hour hand points to the sun. After that, you need to find the angle between the hour hand and 12 o'clock and mentally divide it in half. The line dividing this corner will point to the south. Please note that before noon the south will be on the right side of the sun, and after - on the left.

12. How to detect a gas leak

A gas leak is a very dangerous situation, which is fraught with poisoning or even an explosion. Therefore, everyone should know a simple way to check pipes and connections for damage. It is necessary to apply a soapy solution to the suspicious area with any brush and carefully observe it. If you see the appearance of bubbles, then you need to urgently contact the gas service.

13. How to remove a long nail

If you need to pull out a long nail, then the easiest way to do this is to place a small block of wood under the tool as a support.

14. How to put the cork back in the bottle

If you have ever tried to cork a bottle with a cork, then you know that this is not so easy to do. The base of the cork is usually wider than the neck of the bottle and does not want to climb back into any. Do not rush to cut the cork with a knife, but simply lay it on the floor, press down with the sole of your boot and move your foot back and forth several times. Obviously, to maintain hygiene, it is better to pre-wrap the cork in a napkin.

15. How to save an expensive vase

Vases dear to your heart have a magical property to attract children and animals to them, who strive to shatter them. To at least protect your fragile jewelry from damage, pour some sand into them. So they will become much more stable, especially for those products that have a narrow bottom and a shape expanding upwards.

16. How to cut fresh bread

So that fresh bread does not fall apart under the knife, and its pieces remain even, you must first lower the knife into boiling water for a couple of minutes. Then it is advisable to wipe the blade with a napkin, and you can cut the bread.

17. How not to get dirty when painting

When you paint high-placed objects with a brush, sooner or later the paint will still flow along the handle of the brush and further onto your hands and clothes. To prevent this from happening, take a small piece of cardboard and cut a hole in it. Insert the brush firmly and get to work.

18. How to draw an ellipse

Everyone knows how to draw a circle with a thread and a carnation. It is no less easy to draw a regular ellipse. You only need one more nail for this.

19. How to separate stuck glasses

If the glasses nested one inside the other are stuck so tightly that you cannot separate them without fear of breaking, then try the contrast temperature method. Heat some water in a bowl and place the glasses there so that the water heats only the bottom of them. Pour cold water into the top glass or even put some ice. After that, you can easily pull one glass out of the other.

20. How to Boil a Cracked Egg

When boiling an egg with a cracked shell, the protein usually leaks out, which leads to disastrous results. To prevent this from happening, just add a little vinegar to the water, which helps to fold the protein and prevent it from leaking out. The same effect can be achieved with a spoonful of salt. It does not affect the taste of the egg.

Yes, today we can easily buy a fire extinguisher, a good gas lighter that does not go out in the wind, and pepper spray from dogs. The problem is that few people care about such “little things” until an emergency happens. Most of the old life hacks will come in handy in an emergency. It remains to be hoped that in which case you will remember them.