Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-02-07
HOUSEHOLD.
Nursing the Sick.

''Let him take teaspoonful once in
three hours" said the doctor as he was
about to leave the room.
eff he is asleep" asked the nurse
"when the time comes around, shall
wake him up for his medicine9"
mo, no, never. Sleep is, in almost
every sickness, better than any medicine
we can give
This was the opinion of learned and
prosperous physician of the old school,
and, as the opinion is doubtless sound and
good, it shall be the basis of brief pa
per on nursing the sick. The only point
to which | would draw attention is the
one almost universally disregarded and
never esteemed vitality important, as it
really is. 1t is the absolute Importance
of quiet, to insure the proper effect of
medicines and the steady Improvement of
the patient.
No one who has not gone through with
what is called fit of sickness, can under
stand the value and blessedness of quiet
in sick room. There are two ways of
learning it; one is by enjoying it; the
other is suffering the want of it. have
been in hospitals where hundreds and
thousands of patients were enduring the
pangs of wounds and bruises and sores,
and have seen the influence of distracting
noises upon PROSTATE army of sufferers.
l have been in the chamber of sickness
where single patient was soothed in all
his pains by the gentle power of tender
tone, and the still more potent spell of
perfect silence, that acts like healing
charm.
| was, years ago, prossrated by fever,
and brought very low, 50 that to others
it seemed the gates Of death would open
and let me in. At such times the voices
of loving friends, in conversation, were
so trying to my nerves, that longed for
wings to fly away. If they spoke low, l
strained every hearing nerve, to catch
their words; if they conversed in ordi-
nary tones, it was like harsh music, and
almost drove me out of my senses. They
would have given their right hands or
eyes to do me good; but, if they had
only thought of my ears and brain which
they were distracting, they would have
given me the precious boon of silence,
more valuable to me than gold, calomel
or love.
Directions-1 From tho sick-room
exclude all persons but the patient and
the nurse in charge. Whatever assistance
is required should be within easy reach,
but the less the number in the room the
less temptation to converse. If a ply
stefan is in attendance, let his directions
be obeyed. Discharge any nurse at once
who knows so much more than the doc
tor as to determine whether his prescrip-
tons are best or not; or, dismiss the
doctor and install the nurse in his place.
only one captain. If other members Of
the family besides the one in charge are
admitted, let them enter softly, admins
ter to the suffering their loving offices,
and retire; soothing, and not disturbing
him by their voices or steps.
2. Let your feet be shod with prep
aration of such peace as shall render your
footsteps inaudible as you move about
the room. S9ueaking or heavy shoes are
a most intolerable annoyance to a sick
person. If yours are not so soft as to be
perfectly noiseless when you tread, cover
the soles with wool. or with wooden cloth,
and be sure that no one comes into the
room, ON any errand whatever, whose
steps are to be disturbance to the quiet
you have ordered.
3. Shut out, as far as possible, the
noise of the street In the country, the
annoyance of the street noise is not suf-
fered, and the tiendish scream of the
railroad is now justly undergoing a pro-
test that we may hope in the interest of
common humanity, will lead to its final
suppression. Keep your poor patient in
the quietest room in the house, and fight
steadily against the intrusion of noise
from without.
4. Let in the sunshine. The sun has
healing in his beams. Keep the room
just as light, by day and night, as may be
pleasant to the patient. Regulate it so
as not to disturb his repose, but, whenever
his eyes are open, let them have none but
pleasant objects to rest on not horror
of great darkness, nor of grotesque shad
ows, which to him assume the forms of
monsters. Light is cheerful; darkness is
depressing. Light is like life. Darkness
is death-like. Open the windows for sun
shine and air.
l might make these hints many more,
but the only point l want to present is
the Importance of perfect quiet in the sick
room. "Haud ignaris mali" etc, which
means, Having been there, know how
it is myself. -Irenaus, in Ne,o York o.
serrer.