Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-04-01
CARE OF THE HEALTH.
Hints on Nursing.

=
ture in q sick room is of course the bed
and where the illness seems likely to be
protracted it is well worth taking a lit
tie trouble to procure an easy and con-
venient one. The bedstead should, if
possible, be of iron and not too low. It
is much easier to wait upon the occu-
pant when each trifling service does not
entail bending nearly to the ground, as
would be the case were the bedstead in
use one of the ordinary, fashionable
kind. The best foundation is q wire
woven mattress with q thick hair one
over it. Feather beds should be alb
jured as an abomination. They are not
comfortable for more than short time
after they are made. The weight of the
body pushes the feathers into hills on
each side, leaving it lying in veritable
valley of humiliation. If a wire woven
mattress can not be obtained a common
excelsior or husk one will answer,
though it is not so good. An oblong piece
of rubber sheeting is great protection.
Over it spread cotton sheeting and
tuck it well under the mattresses, as it
ought not to require changing for sew
eral days. A draw sheet, which is SIM
ply large one folded once lengthways,
should be placed across the bed and the
ends firmly secured by thrust
ing them under both mattress
es. This can be taken off with
much less trouble than is necessary to
remove the under sheet, and can be
kept tight and free from wrinkles,
which are one of the most fruitful causes
of bed sores. Enough pillows must be
used to support the shoulders and head
comfortably, some persons liking sever
al, others not more than one. If
number are used, the one next the back
must be put on first, and the others
each one behind the next, to prevent
their slipping down. Little need be
said as to the upper bed-clothes, except
that they must be of kind that can be
easily washed. Thick comforters, quilt
ed with cotton wool, are quite inadmis-
sible. In surgical cases where pillow
is required to support limb, it is adj
visable to cover it with piece of India
rubber cloth made into case. In long
illness one or two small pillows or
cushions will be found very useful to
put under any part of the body that
may require support, and also tiny
round one to slip under the back of the
neck.
Sickness entails so much extra wash
ing that every possible means should be
adopted to lessen the laundry work
While it is absolutely necessary not
only to comfort, but sometimes even to
recovery, that the most perfect cleanli-
ness should be maintained, there are
many little devices by which the suffer-
er may be kept fresh and tidy without
wasteful expenditure of linen.
When the upper end of clean sheet
has become crumpled and creased, the
lower, that has been tucked evenly under
the foot of the mattress, is still smooth,
and it may be turned round with little
trouble. One that has been in use dur
ing the day may be taken off at night,
hung in an unoccupied room to air and
be ready for use again in the morning.
When pillow has been under the head
for several hours it should be taken
away, fresh one substituted, the case
pulled off and shaken out of the window
of an adjoining room. The pillow should
always be changed the last thing at
night; the cool one will assist in pro-
curing a good nights rest. Blankets
should not be allowed to remain I'M
changed more than week. They must
be hung in the sun for several hours and
aired in a warm room before being
replaced on the bed. If the invalid is
not too ill to be removed it is well to
have him lifted on a couch, lounge or
other bed every two or three days, that
the mattress may be turned and aired.
If this is impossible it is quite prac-
ticable to change every article of bed
clothing while he is still lying in bed,
and that without the slightest diff
Guilty or inconvenience. The clean
under sheet should be laid on the floor
with the draw sheet folded across in the
same way in which they will lie on the
bed; taking hold on one side, roll them
both together, forming a long roll.
Pull out one side of the soiled under
sheet and push it with the soiled draw
sheet toward the middle of the bed.
Lay the fresh roll on the bed and open
it enough to tuck the side under the
mattress, spreading it smoothly toward
the center. The sick person may now
be lifted on the space thus prepared,
the soiled sheets pulled away and the
clean ones drawn to the other side and
tucked in. To change the upper sheet,
fold it crossways and lay it under the
clothes, securing it at the foot; then
draw it up, unrolling it before removing
the others. Another way is to take off
the Counterpart and spread the sheet
with one blanket over it on top of the