Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-08-04
Bed and Bedding FOR the Sick.

IF a bed is higher than a sofa, the pa
tient often prefers not to get put at al,
rather han undergo the fatigue of getting
out. If the bed were q low one, he might
often feel like taking a few minutes exer-
else every day in another room, or ever
in the open air. 1t is so very odd that
people never think of this, or OF how many
more times a patient who is in bed for
tw~enty-four hours is obliged to get in and
out of bed h they are who only get
into bed aud out of bed perhaps once dur
ing the twenty-four hours.
A patients bed should always be in the
Hghtest spot IN the room, and he should
be able to see out of a window.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that the
old four-post bed, with curtains, is utterly
inadmissable, whether for the sick or for
the well. Hospital bedsteads are in many
respects. very much better than private
ones. A"n a,sf2f -a
There is reason to believe that not a
few of the cases apparently resembling
scrofulA among children proceed from the
habit of sleeping with the head under the
bed clothes, and SO inhaling air already
breathed, which is further contaminated
by exhalations from the skin. Patients
are sometimes given to a similar habit,
and it often happens that the bed-clothes
are SO disposed that the patient must nee
essarily breathe air more or less poisoned
by exhalations from his skin. A good
nurse will be careful to attend TO this. 1t
is an important part, SC to speak. of ven
tilation. sy@5sH bsi0e3ss 81 z
1t may be worth while to remark that
where there is any danger of bed-sores a
blanket should never be placed under the
patient. 1t retains damp, and acts like a
poultice. u ~
Never use anything but light blankets
as bed covering for the sick. The heavy
cotton n impervious counterpane is bad,
for the very reason hat it keeps IN the
emanations from the sick person, while
the blanket allows them to pass through.
Weak patients are invariably distressed
by a great 1oeig6t of bed clothes, which
often prevents their getting any sound
sleep whatever.
One word about pillows. Every weak
patient, be his illness what 1t may, suffers
more OF lees from difficulty in breathing.
To take the weight of the body from off
the poor chest, which at best is hardly up
to its work, ought therefore to be the OBJ
ject of the nurse insarranging his pillows
Now what does she do and what are the
consequencesP She piles the pillows one
upon. the other like a wall of bricks, the
head is thrown upon the chest, AND the
shoulders are pushed forward, so as not
to allow the lungs room to expand. The
pillows, in fact, lean upon the patient, not.
the patient upon the pillows It Is inn
possible to give a rule for this, because it
must vary with the figure of the patient.
Tall patients suffer much more tina short
ones, because of, the drag of the long
limbs upon the waist. But the obtectis .
support, withsthe pillows, the back below
the breathing apparatus, and above the
hips; so as. to, allow the shoulders room
to fall back, and to supports the head, with
out throwing it forsadTd THE suffering
of exhausted patients is greatly increased
by neglect of these points. And many
an invalid, too weak to drag about the
pillow himself, slips his book or anything
at hand behind the lower part of his back
tofsupport h-RostOn Journal Of MeusSs-
tTH.