The Portland daily press., 1876-04-17
Care of the Sick,


Why should the greatest attention be paid
to the bed of seek person?
Because, as he passes most Of his time in
bed, and the body is more susceptible OF inn
pressions during the period of sickness than
at any other time, his present comfort and
future recovery may be greatly influenced by
the regulation Of this matter.
Why should attendant upon persons suffer-
ing under contagious Diseases wear glazed
gowns and aprons of oil silk?
Because textures of wool, fur, cotton or any
loose or downy substance, have capabilities of
receiving and retaining the air, which being
charged with the poisonous exhalations, the
injection is by this means communicated to
the body.
Why should the curtains of the sick-bed,
or the paper of the sick-room, net have
patterns of prominent or monotonous char
acter?
Because when the eye of the sick person is
constantly meeting with certain figures his
brain becomes disturbed, and his mind wear
led by tracing and following them.
A gentleman who was i'll OF low nervous
fever, accompanied by fits of mental aberra-
intently on the opposite wall, muttering to
himself, ''Fourteen up, thirty-three across
fourteen up, thirty-three across" Notwith-
standing the best medical advice, and every
other effort that was made for his recovery,
he still continued to lie in the same dreamy
state, uttering repeatedly the same words.
At length it struck the physician that the in-
cessant reiteration of these words must be
connected with some image presented TO the
mind through the eye, and it further occurred
to him that the paper of the room might af-
ford solution. The pattern of the room
consisted of lozenge shaped figures, which
go1f on1, o. To- sv,<n n
counting these, the physician found that the
number exactly tailed with the patients
ceasless refrain, namely, fourteen lozengers
from the floor to the ceiling, and thirty-three
from one end of the room to the other. Act
ing upon this discovery, he Immediately Or
dered the removal of the patient to another
room, where the paper was of totally differ
ent pattern. This was done while the patient
was asleep, and when he awoke he COM
menced mechanically with "Fourteen," but
suddenly stopped, looked puzzled, and then
smiled. From that moment he never uttered
the old burden, his recovery came gradually
cent. This gentleman used aflerward to re-
late that he had an indstinct recollection of
certain figures which commenced with the
lozenger form, but afterward assumed vari-
ETY. of shapes and colors, never, however, los
ing the iedntity of number, namely fourteen
up and thirty-three across.
Why is wetting The floor of a sick-oom in
juriousp
Because the slow evaporation from the
boards operates in the same manner upon
the surface of the body as exposure to damp
or fOggy weather, and the increased sensi-
tiveness of the body to outward influences
during sickness, renders every evil doubly
dangerous.
Why should glasses from which medicines
have been taken be cleansed when they are
done with?
Because many medicines when they are ex-
posed to the air rapidly undergo changes
which alter their properties, and this altera-
ton having been undergone by the small por-
ton which is always left in the glass or cup,
communicates the tendency to decomposition
to that which may be next poured into the
cup; and thus the properties of medicines
may be altered, and their efficacy wolly neu-
tralized.
Why is speaking distinctly better than
whispering in sick room?
Because whispering stretches the atten-
ton to listen, or else gives the trouble to
asking what is said and it may be injurious
to the SUFFER- by exciting many inquiring
ideas.
Why should persons in sick room be
careful not to jostle the furniture, disturb
the curtains, rustic the leaves of book
etc?
Because trifing as these accidents may ap-
pear to person in health, TO an invalid they
impart the acutest pain; disease has awak-
ened in him high degree of nervous sensi-
bility, which extends the personality or iden-
tity of the invalid to everything he touches,
or which is nearest him; so that If, for in
stance, the sofa on which he may be laying is
rudely pushed against aud shaken, he feels
just as though he himself had been struck
Western R,fr1I