Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-01-22
Amateur Nursing Of the Sick.

In discussion on domestic topics a
writer in the Saturday ReUte,o has this to
say concerning amateur nursing:
The tact required for sick-room
differs from all other kinds of experience.
Amateur nurses seldom possess it. Now
and then q lady is to the manner born
and without instruction or previous ex.
perience blossoms into a full-grown
nurse at moments notice. The doctor
who finds one ready in house rejoices
heartily. His own credit as well as the
recovery of his patient is probably as
sured. Seldom, however, has he this
good fortune. His ordinary experience
is very different. If he wishes the sick
room kept at a certain temperature he
cannCt have it managed The fire is al
ternately y half extinct and blazing up the
chimney. There is no care to have it
warm at sunrise and sunset, and moder-
ate when the sun is shining and the air
warm. The invalid is awakened from a
priceless sleep by hearing the cinders
fall on the unprotected fender or by the
noise of n clumsy hand putting on Goals,
which might easily have been wrapped
in pieces of damp paper and left ready
for noiseless use The morning meal is
perhaps delayed until the patient has
passed from appetite to faintness. Per.
haps, when it comes, the tea is smoked.
Household troubles are freely discussed
in the room. Mary has given warning
because there Is so much more going up
and down stairs since missus was ill the
cook is 80 eXtravagant, and yesterdays
dinner was spoilt; Johnny has cut his
finger, and Lucy has tumbled down stairs (;
such things are told as if they would
amuse the invalid. But worse than this
is the mysterious whispering at
the door and the secrets obviously
kept to excite the nervous patients
suspicious. The irritating creak of dry
boot, the shuffiing of loose slipper, try
sick persons patience unreasonably;
and the amateur nurse argues against
such silly fancies, and thinks they are
matters In which reasoning can be of anv
avail. The unframed nurse never COM
mences her arrangements for the night
until the patient is just beginning to
grow a little sleepy. She then arranges
the pillows, moves the chairs, stirs the
fire, and perhaps makes up her own bed.
Such fuses at sleeping-time produce
fever in most unaccountable way, and
the amateur is amazed and beWildered
because the patient lies awake all night.
Besides all this, and no matter how noisy
and elaborate the preparations for the
nights campaign, several things are for
gotten downstairs; no beef.tea is to be
had in the middle of the night, no spoon
for the medicine, no boiling water. Anna
teurs do not know that sick people
should not be asked what they will have,
but should be saved even the mental ex-
ertion of making choice. However de-
sirable 1t may be that they should
arrange their affairs, business matters
should not be discussed before them.
Sometimes man who has not made his
will before his illness will be anxious
and uneasy till he has made it, and will
get better when the matter is off his
mind. But to arrange such things re-
quires nicely and tact such as the anna
teur, who perhaps shares the sick mans
anxiet y, cannot show.
The writer thinks that in convalescence
even more than in illness it is important
to have experienced nursing:
" If the invalid has been well nursed
he is still amenable to the discipline of
the sick-room, and will probably do
what he is bid But if he had not
learned unquestioning obedience to a
benevolent but irresponsible power he
has many things to suffer before he gets
well. At first, perhaps, he will be
allowed to sit up hours when minutes
were the doctors orders. He ia able TO
persuade his nurse to give him a tumbler
of claret when the medical allowance
was wine.g glass. He is allowed to see
newspaper for few minutes, and he
reads an exciting novel, He is permit.
ted to see a visitor, and has a room full
OF company, He is overloaded with
muti1ing when he takes his first walk,
and is allowed to sit ON cold garden
seat. When he goes home no nourish-
ment is ready for him, and the chances
are his house-clothes are unaired. And
as he gradually emancipates himself
from the bondage of illness and returns
TO ordinary life it is seldom that his re-
yiving appetite is properly humored.
The sequetB, as they are called, of many
fevers are both induced and aggravated
by the carelessness by which nnwhole-
some food is offered to the recovering
Invalid. This is even more often the
case where there is chronic illness or
delicacy OF constitution. 1t is amazing
to see a man suffering from q deadly |
complaint set down TO dinner where he |
has to choose between stewed kidneys
and salt bee If he is cautious, which |
Is not often the case, his hostess will |
wonder to ses him prefer bread.and- |
water diet, But the entire ignorance of
what constit tutes wholesomeness In food |
Is curious feature in the character OF |
many housekeepers." .,t. 't... .r
--Old Bachelor Uncle---aWell. Charlie