The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-07-28
IiGa and Bedding FOR tie Sick.

If q bed is higher than 3 sofa, the pa
tient often prefers not to Get out al al,
rather than undergo the fatigue of getting
ont. j; tiie bed we're q low one, he might
often EEL like taking 4 few minutes cXcr-
else every day in another room, or even
in shc open air. Il is so very odd that
people never think OF th;s, or o: how many
more times q patient who is in bed for
twenty-faur hours is obliged tn ct IN and
ont of bed than they are who only get
into bed ant cat of bed perhaps once dur
ing the tTenty-fcur hours.
a PATIENTS bed should always be in the
lightest spot in the room, and &c should
be able to sec out of q window
Il is scarcely necessary - say that The
old fourp0st bed, with curtains, is utterly
inadInissable, whether tor the sick or for
the well. Hospital bedsteads axe III many
respects vcTy much better than private
ones.
There is reason to believe that not ?
few of the cases apparently resembling
scrofuia among children proceed fcoGl the
habit o. sleeping 18th the head under the
bed clothes, aud so inhaling air already
breathed, which IS further contaminated
by exhalati0ns from the skin. Patients
are sometimes given to a similar habit,
and it often happens that the bed-ciothe5
are 50 disposed that tie patient must nee
essarily breathe air more OF less poisoned
by exhaiati)ns from his skin. Il good
nurse viii be careful To- attend TO this. IL
is On important part, SO to speak. OF ven
tiiation.
1t may be worth while to remark that
where there is any danger Of bed sores
blanket should never be placed usder the
patient. It retains damp, and acts like
poultice.
Never use anything but light blankets
| as bed covering for Inc sick. Tnc heavy
cotton and imperyious counterpane Is bad,
for the very reason that it keeps IN the
cmanaticls from The sick person, while
the hlanket allows them to pass through.
| Weak patients are invariably distressed
| by g great areight OF bed clothes, which
often prevents their getting any sound
sleep whatever
Oae word about pillows. Every weak
patient, be his illness what il may, suffers
more or less from difficulty in 5reathing
To take the weight Of the body from oil
the poor chest, which st best is hardly mp
to it's work, ought therefore to be the OBJ
iect Of the nurse in arranging his pillows.
| Now what does che 40 and what are the
consequences? 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 crpcnd. The
| pillows. in fact, lean upon the patient, not
The patient upon tie pillows, 1t is i'm
possible TO give rule Tor this, because it
must vary with the figure of the patient.
Tall patients suffer much more than short
ones, because of the drag o; Tho long
limbs upon the waist. But the object is to
support, with the pillows. the back below
the breathing apparatus, ard above the
| hips; so as 10 allow the shoulders room
to fall back, and to support the head, with
out throwing it forsoard. The suffering
OF exhausted patients is greatly increased
by neglect of these points. Aud many
an invalid, too weak Ia drag about the
pillow himself, slips his book or anything
at hand behind the lower part OF his back
To support it.-BOSton journal IF Chem's-
| tFg