The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-03-12
CARE OF THE HEALTH.

Hints ON Domestic Nursing.
by E. B. Scovil, Of the Massachusetts, General
Hospital
woman, simply because she is q woman,
is therefore fitted to take upon herself
the care of the sick. A physician isnot
permitted to practice until after long
and careful training he has shown HIM
self worthy to be entrusted with human
life, while any well-meaning woman,
without preparation or experience, is
expected, merely by virtue of her sex,
to be fully competent to assume an
Office only less responsible than his. In
these days, when training-schools for
nurses are connected with many of the
larger hospitals, and manuals of nurs-
ing abound, there should be no lack of
information on the subject; yet few
women think much about it until the
need arises in their own homes, and
then, while intensely anxious to de the
very best for the sufferer, they have the
vaguest idea either of what ought to be
done or the proper way to do it. In
many cases recovery depends almost
entirely upon skillful nursing, and doc
tors could tell sad tales of valuable lives
lost, humanity speaking, through the in
efficiency of those who. it might be,
would cheerfully have sacrificed their
own to redeem them.
It is very important that disease
should be detected in its earliest stages;
and while it is absurd to watch the
health too closely and be nervously alive
to the slightest variation from the usual
state of feeling, there are symptoms
which should by no means be neglected,
and the timely observance of which may
prevent serious illness.
If there is sleeplessness, q feeling of
weakness and WEAKNESS, pain in the
back or limbs, flushed face, headache
and loss of appetite, the invalid should
have perfect rest, o tepid bath, and
simple, easily digested food-the less
the better. He should not be allowed
to take any exercise, should be put in a
bed by himself, as much fresh air as
possible being admitted to the room. If
the bowels are constipated they may be
relieved by an enema of warm water,
from one to two pints being used.
If the patient does not improve the
doctor must be sent for, with the full
assurance that he is in the most favora-
BILE condition for further treatment.
If the disease is pronounced an infec-
tious one, every article of furniture not
absolutely necessary, and all books, or
naments and papers, must be removed
from the room. If possible, the carpet
should be taken up and the hangings
removed from the windows. An inner
curtain of dark green linen will be found
very useful to moderate the light. Ex-
cept in cases of injury or disease of the
brain, or in affections of the eyes, the
sunlight should be freely admitted.
An open fireplace is the greatest pos
sible boon in q sick room and the best
promoter of ventilation. If there is one
a fire should be kept constantly burning
in it, or if the weather is too warm to
permit this a few sticks should be light
ed there two or three times day. If
the house is heated by that most de-
testable, health destroying invention
a furnace-the bed must be placed as
far as possible from the register. If the
grating is in the floor, tin basin half
full of water should be kept standing
upon it, or if, as is sometimes the case,
it is in the wall, cloths wrung out of wa
ter should be pinned in front of it. This
must not be done without the doctors
as in some diseases a dry
atmosphere is necessary.
A thermometer is an indispensable
article; the temperature should be care
fully regulated by it and kept at from
68o to 70o unless otherwise specially
ordered.
Ventilation does not mean exchanging
hot for cold air, but impure for fresh.
1t is best effected by keeping the win
dow farthest from the bed open an inch
or two at the top. A piece Of baize or
any coarse wooden cloth may be tackled
over the opening to prevent draught.
Nothing can take the place of the d.
rect admission of pure external air, but |
where this from any reasons absolutely |
the windows of an adjoining
room may be raised and the connecting
door opened.
If at any time during the day the