The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-03-07

should ne starved IS, IN my opinion, ct ~
;. medical absurdities The most absurd You
patient will not BE able to take food in tn,
same form as ia health, but We must anc
= should have the same in quantity, if not, in
{ deed mere, although in different form
Let your patient have milk in abundance, ..
many raw eggs beaten up with little whis
ky as can be stuffed into him. beef-tea, ar
rowroot, sago, tspioca, &c. Ordinary tea
and coffee, of moderate strength, you viii
{ find pleasant stimulants, and these should be
given, remembering, however, that If given
: IN too large quantity they have a tendency
to prevent sleep. To relieve thirst, cold
, water is usually the best and the most pleas
ant to the patient, and he ought never to be
refused this lou Will find, however,
amongst some nurses and patients friends a
decided objection 70 giving much cold Wa
ter. Always combat this notion There is
nothing more pleasant to a parched mouth
and dry tongue than pure cold water
Efervescing drinks, such as lemonade, soda,
and potash waters, are very refreshing.
For hest Of slim the nntiont rnar 10 snnnraa
with tepid water two or three times
daily. Indeed, in all cases of smallpox the
whole body should be sponged daily. Ii
there be restlessness, or sleeplessness, the
following, repeated in half an hour if needed
will be found of great service: Tincture Of
opium, fifteen minims; spirit of ether, fifteen
miuims; camphor water, one ounce. Or,
what we lave often found to succeed when
drugs proper failed, WAS two or three ounces
Of whisky in warm water, and little sugar
Of course the dose must be modified accord
ing to the sex; but in rcstlessness, seepless-
ness, and delirium We have found the latter
most useful. In the early stages, with the
last mentioned exception. avoid stlmulants
as a rule; but remember them about the tenth
day, when the patients powers will be taxed
to the utmost There is no special drug to
be given; and | would advise you not to
bother your patients much with mixtures
Feed them. If salvation be present, you
had better let it alone; and be careful Of
giving sec ative., us the mouth aud air pass
ages become more or less choked up with
serious if bronchitis were also present. Sore
ness Of he throat is ALWAYS more or less
troubles ome OieGginouS and mucilaginou-
drinks, ami black current jelly. may be given
as an anlusement; but the only remedy l.
time and patience. Try the following
which we have found heueicjsl in this con-
dition: Tincture Of percLoride Of iron ami
glyceriHc, Of each thirty III nims; three times
IA day.
Towards the eleventh day look out fer
laryngitis; and wuen it occurs. wrap 4. iargs
hnseed poutise rolnl the throat and keel
i there, changing ii three or four times il
the twenty-tour hours. Raise the tempera-
;ure of the room, and surround the patien'
with AN atmosphere Of steam Avoid anti
mony. mercury, and such like; and do not
exhaust your alret dy exhausted patient with
euetics. | suppose l need hardly caution
you against bleeding. Warmth, steam, feed
ing, and some stimslants. are in my opinion
the best and safest remedies. Ii the din
celye commencing exhaustion. perform trach-
eotony 1T once unless there be reason to be
lieye that the patient will die Of smallpox
II there be no re asonuble chance Of recoy-
eiy from this, prolone CATION Of few hours
is only pr,longation OF hum n suffering
Still, one can readily imagine cases
where proiGngat,In Of life for an hour, .,
even for a few r4uu'cS. mi Lht be Of the great
est Importance. 0fthree tracheotomies per-
formed here one recovered.
Deiiriam is present in some stage of the
disease in a considerable proportion Of cases
aud it requires very c-reful arrangement.
1t is usually most violent and dangerous III
the carly stage Of the illness. See that your
patient is not left alone for moment, other
wise you may find him through the window
.l. I.l, Jl,h. a..
are very cunning, aud watch anxious!y 70,
he sb~ence of attendants in orlcr to carry
out here wishes They bear contradiction
badly. therefore see III It the nurse does no.
oppose them. or argue with them. II pa
ticut will get up, let him do so. snd walk
hin about the room or into the staircase, and
after that you will prob bly, find him gled to
get to bed again. IIumor him always
if you can. and de not treat him on the sup
position rhet 10 i poor stut id fool fur
whom any kind OF story VIII 10. Remember
that such ratierts are very cunning, ana
that their reason always remains intact. The
objective world, IS it presents Itself to then
Consciousness, is distorted. but their reason
ing on it is always sound. Always agree
with your patients. therefore. and try T."
convince them that YOU are taking the neces-
sary steps to accomplish what they wish, or
70 pr vent what they fear, Try to di cover
the WAY in which the objective world pre-
sents itself to their consciousness, remember
ing that in the highly irritable condition OF
the nervous system present IN dclrinm, oh
lects are far more wildly concelTed, and
produce IA much stronger impression than
they do in health If your patient thinks he
is going to be murdered, and that his nurse
is in league with some one for this purpose
Dc not try to convince him 10 the contrary.
You will only irritate him. and produce Il
conviction in his mind that You are in league
with his enemies Send awsy the nurse
put your patient into another room; command
absolute darkness and absolute silence. aad
in the majority of cases this will succeed
FeN#re Of using force, or Of tying your pa.
ticnt down have ag in and again seen
slightly delirious patients driven frintic by
this means Patience. eenticncss, and firm
ness will almost always succeed, but above
all things gentlencss Remember you can
never hnnAe sick person too gently. nor
speak to one too softly To shattered or
highly sensitive nervous system, the slight
est sound the faintest light. the gentlest
touch are sometimes almost unhe&r'b'e. If
therefore. patient viii get out Of bed and
walk about, and pIe.ist IN throwing about
lis arms and legs, let him do so. 1t is far
better that he should exhaust himself than
himself and one or more attendants. Of
conrse, if suicide is attempted in any form.
force must be usei; but proper nursing will
never give an opportunity for IN attempt OF
this nature.
F The preventing Of pittire has exhausted
, the ingenuity Of ali who have thought about
1t. TO assist in preventing this deplorable
result, common olive oil should be used:
) but all means employed Cor this purpose fill
where most wanted. In the severe cases
nothing viii prevent pitting: and | would
no. advi4e you to try any Of the ordiaa ry
: mn hoas. To use nitrate of silver effectively
In continent small pox would give rise TO
mnch irritation az TO enaanger the patient
life. Tn fazous emp Virgo Is. in my opin-
ion. hunbug. Tincture Of iodine, Gala
mine with oil We oil, sulphur ointment, &c,
t have been employei vi more or less success
as the practicner argued ergo proDter or
er2o post | believe yoa will only annoy your
patient by using them
I hout the eleventh day yoJ; NAV find iIarr.