HOME DRESSMAKING .sx Hints on the Trend of Fashion .sx By " JANETTE , " .sx Tighter Skirts .sx It is rumoured that tighter skiers are likely to be worn now that the tunic has become so popular .sx Let us hope that they will not be too tight so that they are uncomfortable .sx It must be admitted , however , that a moderately narrow skirl looks much better under a tunic than a full one .sx For instance , under a plain tunic a flared skirt will be quite out of place , though under a circular cut tunic it will be smart , as both will flare in pretty curves .sx Evening Shoes .sx Shoes for evening wear should match the frock in material , if possible , as well as colour .sx Little flat bows of the material of the shoe decorate many , though some smart kinds show jewelled buckles , or little shaped jewelled trimming outlining the curve in front ; in some very smart models the buckle is placed hear the outer side .sx Two Pretty Vests .sx The softening influence of a dainty vest and jabot is so fully realised that dressmakers are using them on the majority of frocks , or for wearing under costume coats .sx These two models are dainty and quite suitable for wearing either with an open fronted frock or with a tailored suit .sx The first is of crepe de Chine trimmed with insertion and lace , the upper one in georgette with picot edging round the jabot .sx The length of material needed for each is stated in the leaflet sent with the patterns .sx Dressing Gown .sx Nearly all dressing gowns are now made much longer than we have had them for some time past .sx It is a wise fashion , for they are more protective and better suited to the cold weather .sx This is typical of the style .sx It may be made up in moleton , ripple cloth , or corded velveteen .sx The length of 38 inch wide material required is 3 yards for 34 , 36 , 40 or 42 inch bust sizes .sx Evening Petticoat .sx Now that so many evening frocks have a bodice cut in a low V at the back , the petticoat , to be correct , should be similarly cut .sx Here is a correct model that may be made up in taffeta , crepe de Chine , or silk stockinette .sx The fitting bodice is edged with lace insertion , the flared edge of the skirt part being trimmed in same way .sx Skirt fits well on the hips and joins bodice without fulness .sx The length of material needed is 2 yards 38 inches for 34 or 36 inch bust , 2 yards for 40 or 42 inch bust .sx HELPS TO HEALTH .sx BY A FAMILY PHYSICIAN .sx Inquiries addressed to " PHYSICIAN , " should be written on one side of the paper only , age and sex must be stated , and full name and address given .sx " Physician " cannot examine specimens of any kind , and does not reply by post .sx HOW TO AVOID INFLUENZA .sx And What To Do If You Don't .sx " Though most people who have to work cannot always avoid crowds and shun the company of all who have coughs and colds , they can usually diminish the number of such contacts ; they can refuse to go to places of amusement and to fulfil social engagements , and they can avoid paying unnecessary visits to sick friends .sx This is part of the advice given by a medical authority in an article in the " Lancet , " which deals with the prevention of influenza .sx Influenza is nearly always transmitted by the minute droplets that are sprayed into the air from the breath of an infected person .sx Isolation should , therefore , be a useful means of preventing the spread of infection .sx The remarks on the use of vaccines are not encouraging .sx " The value of vaccine prophylaxis in influenza from the first seems doubtful .sx " Few benefits seem to acrue to inoculation .sx " The victim of influenza who does not go straight to be is both fool and knave , " adds the writer .sx What To Eat .sx The advice of the NEW HEALTH Society may be summed up as follows :sx Avoid the microbes , raise your individual resistance to them , consider other people when you are infected , and breathe only through the nose .sx Resistance comes first and foremost .sx " The prime cause of the weakening of the resistance is constipation , " says Sir W. Arbuthnot Lane , Bart .sx " It is , therefore , vital to everyone to avoid excess of sugar and meat , and to eat wholemeal bread , fruit , green vegetables , salads , rye bread , fresh butter , and milk every day .sx These foods ensure perfect nutrition , with the maximum of resistance , and the essential elimination of the waste products of digestion .sx " It was an even coarser diet that gave the Danish people during the war almost complete immunity from the terrible influenza epidemic and lowered the death-rate to a figure hitherto unheard of in any civilised country , adds the eminent medical authority .sx Exercise In the Open .sx For the rest we can do much to avoid infection and to reduce the risk of it .sx Close contacts , both of persons and of things infected , can be reduced to a minimum .sx The sufferer who has just sneezed , coughed , or merely spoken , spreads infection for a considerable distance .sx He should not speak into the mouth or nose of the other persons .sx Rooms should be kept dry , cool , and well aired .sx We should sleep with our bedroom windows open , but avoid direct draughts .sx Sunlight , even in the winter , is a splendid germicide .sx Cool air and cold sponging are excellent for developing resistance in the skin .sx Exercise in light clothing in the open air should be regularly taken .sx Scarves , neck-wraps , and heavy overcoats should be avoided .sx One must always breathe through the nose .sx Deep and energetic breathing through the nose for a few minutes each morning is simply invaluable .sx If colds recur chronically a medical man should be consulted .sx Physician's Replies .sx R.E. ( Halifax) .sx - The last molar tooth is called the wisdom tooth , and it comes through about the age of twenty-two .sx If the teeth overcrowd the jaw , the wisdom tooth may not have enough room to get through .sx Or it may press on the next tooth and cause neuralgia .sx It is sometimes necessary to remove the second molar , even though it be sound , in order to give the wisdom tooth enough elbow room to come through .sx Before the tooth has erupted , it cannot be seen with the unaided eye , but the X-rays will reveal the exact position of the tooth , and will disclose the cause of the neuralgia .sx ETHEL .sx - Roughness of skin may be caused by using hard water for toilet purposes , or long exposure to chilly winds and hot sun combined .sx A little pure lanoline applied at night , after washing the face in warm water using a good pure soap - will soon effect a cure .sx RAMBLING REFLECTIONS .sx Discomfort in Motor-cars .sx MAKERS of modern motor-cars will do well to study the following complaints , which are made by a correspondent who urges the necessity for a more open class of vehicle .sx " Low-roofed cars have the following disadvantages :sx - 1 .sx The difficulty to get in and out without bumping the head .sx 2 .sx The impossibility for men to wear a tall hat or uniform head-dress , and for women any but the smallest and most close-fitting hats .sx 3 .sx The oppressive feeling due to reduction of head room and air space .sx 4 .sx When closed cars are involved in serious accidents they sometimes over-turn .sx The struggle of the occupants to get free must be intensified in a low-roofed car , and if the car , as may happen , gets on fire , the horror is added to .sx And yet the manufacturers are giving us 'tanks .sx ' " Australian Eggs .sx POULTRY farmers will be interested in the fact that since October last two hundred thousand cases , each containing thirty eggs , were imported into this country from Australia .sx This number compares with one hundred and fourteen thousand cases last year .sx It is claimed for these eggs that they come on the British market at a time when home supplies are at their lowest .sx Moreover , despite the fact that they have to be transported over twelve thousand miles , the eggs arrive in such perfect condition that they are sold for table purposes and not as cookers .sx Australian eggs are all graded under Government supervision before export ; and the demand for this season's shipments has been far in excess of supply .sx " Howlers .sx " THE record of schoolboys' errors , made intentionally or otherwise , still goes on , and the fun still keeps fresh .sx Here are a few from Mr. H. Cecil Hunt's " Book of Howlers " - .sx " An octopus is a person who hopes for the best .sx " " The emu is the name of the noise made by a cat .sx " " The smallest bird known is the ladybird .sx " " An ibex is where you look at the back of the book to find out anything you want .sx " " What does a bat do in winter ?sx It splits if you don't oil it .sx " " Snakes are of two sexes , poisonous and non-poisonous .sx " " A dromedary is a man who tests car drums .sx " " The father of the famous Black Prince in English history was Old King Cole .sx " " General Smuts are what all the different black races are called in the north-western quarter of Africa .sx " " The Wars of the Roses were so called because so many people rose up in defence of their country .sx " " The Cingalese are people who never marry .sx " " Holland is a low-lying country and is damned all round .sx " " The Isle of Wight is noted for its cows , of which Queen Victoria was very fond .sx " " Among the islands of the West Indies are the Pyjamas , noted for toilet sponges .sx " The Guardian of the Public Purse .sx THERE is an official of whom the public seldom hear , but whose duties are of considerable importance .sx He is Sir Malcolm Ramsay , the Comptroller and Auditor-General , and is the guardian of the taxpayers' contributions to the revenue .sx In certain circumstances he could prevent the Treasury or the Cabinet from drawing a shilling of money which lies to the account of the Exchequer , if he were satisfied that the money was required for a purpose that was not authorised by the law .sx By the terms of his appointment he is independent of the Cabinet and Parliament ; he holds office by letters patent from the Crown , and his salary is not voted annually by the House of Commons , but is a fixed charge upon the Consolidated Fund .sx The Traffic by Air .sx SOME remarkable disclosures have been made by an official of Imperial Airways as to the nature of the freightage which is carried by aeroplanes in the course of business .sx During the Round Table Conference some of the Indian delegates had palm leaves , delicacies of which they are extremely fond , sent to them from India , packed in moss , to keep them fresh .sx Live lobsters have been sent to Egypt from London , and consignments of brussels sprouts are regularly sent there every week .sx From Paris there frequently comes to London vast quantities of mushrooms which have been picked in the French fields early in the morning , and which are served , at lunch-time , in the London restaurants ; while early strawberries are flown from Holland and the south of France .sx Recently , ten thousand tennis balls were sent by air to Germany , and to that country there was sent by air a load of 5 cwt .sx of coal and half a ton of pig iron , which was needed for a special casting .sx Wild beasts are also occasionally conveyed by air , among recent consignments being , in one aeroplane , a bear , several monkeys , and about fifty parakets , which were sent from the Dutch East Indies to a private zoo near London .sx An Interesting Model .sx THERE has recently been added to the exhibits at the Science Museum , South Kensington , a model , complete in every detail , of one of Queen Elizabeth's great ships .sx The construction of the model has been based on plans of masts and rigging obtained from manuscripts which Samuel Pepys , the Diarist , collected nearly two hundred and fifty years ago , when he intended to write a history of the Royal Navy , and which are still preserved in his library at Magdalene College , Cambridge .sx