, 1876-03-18
HOUSEKEEPING.
Eerviur Food to 1nvnlids.

Serving Food to Invnlids.
TO tie Editor # 1he Chicago 7y,bunei
CntcAoo, March 17.-1,cforc proceeding TO
constdor tho art Of cooking for tho sick, IL may
not bo hmse to offer few suggestions In TO.
gard to tho proper manner Of scrying food 10
an Invalid. Amy ono who laa had tho misfor-
tune to fall Ill At hotel or boardlnR-houae will
bo, apt TO recall do!efnl experiences, am,lsng
porIapn in tho retrospect, but which wc.e act
ual torture to aeuetbi!itios made morbid BY H.
moss.
Eycu kind and attached ftlouis homettmes
fall OF perfect service to tie invalid through
oarelessnosB or thoughtlcsfnesa, or a mental
inability 10 "put themselves In Ills p,aca."
They arc vol; Mcir noryes arc strong thoy
have e1cellent appesitcs; aud. II tboy hnppon
neyes to hare audered from 90 attack Of acute
so :" nervous" 20 "uotionai, E 40 "fastiiIIous.T
Lam not epeaking now Of thoao swoet. self.
sacrificing souls Who Wear ont youth. and lifo,
and hope. In patient attendance upon M M
reasonable and unreaaoning solfalnoss, Which
| grows by what 1t fecde on. until 1t becomes
something 20 monssrous rs 10 shame human
nature. have kuown these ut,canonizod saints
in rusty alpacas and ru1nplcd collsrs-~uncrowno
martyrs without tho martyrs Inspiration. The
aureoio about thoso faded browa ia but dim to
mortal eyes, but resp1cndent enough, wo daro
| oA9i ~ tAUHV " klC AHBHlH.
| fortunately, perhaps. NO sro not. moat Of ~.
made Of material :" tuo good for human a,asurc'6
daily food, md NO mod to bo reminded not
seldom Of cur duty.
reasonable 1itnitB, sca porBons layo right to 10
uotyons, notlonn|, and fastIdous. What mny be
doilnod Az reasonable limits 1t may not DO al
Ways easy to soy. but It 10 safo to asaume that
to assign them. It is alNaya bost 10 gtyo the
patieut the benefit Of tho doubt. Let your falling
lean 10 tho Bldo Of patience and forLearance. "
I Ilo sick man s horizon ia limited to tho tour
waking hours hls thoughts arc concentrated up-
On lis puny, auf1ortng seif. Tho physician'a
regular visit aud tho three or moro daily monla
arc tho only events Of a lifo which, perhaps, a
tivitloa and intoresta. iii that part is A. IL II
had mover been. 1t is tho day OF ama1l things
with him, Ttitles assnmo Amazing proportions.
1temembor beiug once served, during whole
months illncas, With ton In q cracked cup. There
were dozons Of other cups In the house, wl.te
aud without law. but by q horrible fatality this
ono, with the ueEy dark limo, beginning 1T tho
brim and zig-zagging tts way downward, catnq
hioted 10 ny dsnynleda that I thought tho tos
would taato better from whole cup, eAc cried
out, With cheerful snrpEiAe, that she had never
thought Of that. or course she lad never
thonElt Of 1t. but to be good nurses no musl
tLiuk.
Let US, tlcp, 800 that the utopsils taken tc
tho sick-room IRE sound md Immediately clean
TINT tho cruel las not been spilled Oh tho edge
OF tho bowl; that tho tea has not run over into
tho saucos; tho pepper been sprinkiod nil ovel
tic margin Of the plate contatpsng tho beef
sseak. Lot tho naplins 10 OF tho whitest, tht
kniyes, aud alvos, and glassea cicar and bright
| II tlefo Ia any quaint old or ptotty mouern clint
tn tho houAo It is noue too good for the iuyalidi
use.
a tete.a.tete service is vcry convenient. A
any rate, the sngar-howl md cream:juK slloult
order that tho taste OF tho patient may be pro
ciBely suited, without tho AtteudAnt being obGet
to toturn 10 tho kitchen. II tho tea eau bo mad'
IN small teapot, and poured into the cup At tl'
bedside, 1t will DO all tho better.
Doot-toa cruel. and tic like should ba light,
aohsoued, aud whatever condiments arc uBci
should bo at hand for further uss II necessary
All tho details shonll be arranged deftIy and il
carved, not hacked into ragged. uuaightly bits
tho bread should bo in t!in, symmetrical slices
nost, smooth pat Of butter 4honla 10 bEough
on q tiny plnto.
room whom tho nurso brought in tho invalid
supper. The ten waS but lukewar1n, aud til,
saucer lslf full Of a!ops. 4 0accid usasa OF but
ter meandered woakly over . breakfast plate
broken biscuit, wodgeB OF dry Hpouge cake, otc.
byidpntiy gathered up from tue flnlilY tAblo.
shall not csaily forget the patients look Of dis
gust: Tho moa1 sas sont away almost untastcd
| aAA u6so " 4Vlot tAAt AAe Autoo ueAt uaJ 70
ported to tho doctor that the rick woman bad
worry poor appetite. but don't think the doc
tors qulnine could develop an eage1ness fo
such dismal Ola podrfda.
Food should 10 served In moderate quantittco
Tho ordera OF tho physician should bo regarded
In tho amount taken, but so much should not b.
OIerDd nt ono time rs to rcDel or dscouraK
tho pasons. Abundant timo should b
allowed for the meal, but when onco l
Is taken. tho empty dlshos md debris should no
bo allowed to remain within tlo eght OF the m
tlent, but should DO 1t once removed.
| Tho character OF the food aud drink adminlt
tatod to tho sick depends mainly upUn tho cil
! cnulstances OF tho caeo. It should however,
borna in mind tlIRt broths nicelY-cookcl meatl
and IN general dishes that admit OF d dcgree Q
pupgeut seasoning Ia hotter re1lshcd by the hic
: than sweets Or blandly ins,pid coucootions. Iii
affection OF frionds aud the ollcious kindness O
neighbors often supply the invalid's table wit
. q kind OF food not only unBuited to his condtio
" but unpalatable to his taste.
A. friend OF mtno. suffering from jaundice, be
came, as was quite natural, quito ayerse to q
ordinary food. young lady, eagss to contribut
something towards bis recovery, ono day broupE
In plato Of pluu1-pndding mado EXCEPTIONAL
rich, upon which, ID her tnnoocnt ignorance s.i
had wastod an intihite amount OF pains. al
afraid sho ws1 sadly ohaRrinod at bis holpless Ii
ability TO appreciate the luxury. but this Was ha
! auced by hia modification at being compellod
perhaps. unique erzor, but It scrvca to illu'
t1ate my point.
:, Tho preparation OF light dict fer the sick vi
bo the subject Of tho noxt paper.
ANNE III. HALL. II. D.
I Economical Housekeeping.
| Tys fA& El|,kur 0f Yks ChieddS Tribune.