The Cecil Whig., 1882-10-28
DIET FOR INVALIDS.

OF every thoughtful nurse, especially dur
by loss Of appetite or impaired digestive
activity. The invalid is fortunate indeed
| if the physician has given some consider
alton to the subject of iietetics; but the
fact must not be forgotten that too many
medical men content themselves with
directing i'll general way that the diet
shall be low" or Light and nourish-
ing" or exceedingly nitritious," as
the case may demand, while the dishes
which meet the desired conditions are
not specified. 1t has been my good for
tune to share the dietetc experiments
and profit by the conclusions of several
| physicians. during the past two years, in
connection with lectures on diet and hes
sons in cookery given before the Nurses
| Training Schools of Washington, d. c.,
the Charity Hospital of New York, and
the City and Maternity hospitals of
Brooklyn. Without attempting to give
these experiments in detail, some of the
advantages derived from them maybe
placed before the reader in 4 form sutii-
cienty definite to apply to the ordinary
requirements OF the sick room.
Setting aside the fact that at tine be-
ginning of almost every serious Illness
the digestive system is disordered to a
greater or less degree, we must remem-
Der that every hour of physical suffering
seriously encroaches upon that reserve of
strength which must be relied upon to
carry the patient through the vicissitudes
of even an ordinary indisposition; there
fore far more earnestly at such times
than under normally healthy conditions
should We endeavor to understand the
actual nutritiye value of food, and it's
capacity for renewing the vitality which
wastes SO rapidly under the exhaustive
pressure Of disease. The usual disturb
ance of the digestive system renders the
appetite capricious, if it does not entire
ly destroy it. Almost invariably sick
people would eat but little if the matter
sight and smell Of food are totally re-
pugnant to them. Under such circum-
stances, the first natural feeling of the
attendant would be to leave the patient
without nourishment until it was craved;
but experience proves the fallacy of that
course, for by following it strength is
lost too often which can not be regained
Unless the physician positively orders
that no nourishment whatever is to be
given to patient, it should be frequent
ly and regularly supplied in small guam
titles, and always i'll 4 tempting form,
lest it excite disgust which might pos
sibly culminate in nausea. | would
scarcely advise the course suggested by
an anxious friend, eager to stimulate the
appetite of beloved invalid for Bird
"A nice little bird it might have bit
of blue ribbon put on its neck, and be
given to her to look at for while, and
then she might want to eat it, Rather
the preferable course would be to offer
without any previous suggestion very
little delicate nourishment, in the incest
available china dish or cup, on plate or
tray covered with a daintily clean nap.
kin. If the patient can not move the
sead to take food, it should be cut fine,
and given III small quantities, not so fast
as to interfere with its proper mastica-
tion and admixture with the saliva be-
fore it is swallowed When the food is
given in a liquid form, it is easy to use
glass tube rather than spoon, because
the patient can readily draw the liquid
into the mouth through it. Where COM
p'ete exhaustion prevents any voluntary
attempt to take food it should be placed
in the mouth with small spoon, and
very slowly allowed to reach the throat.
When there is any resistance on the part
of the patent, the simple expedient can
be resorted to of holding the nose. This
will make it necessary to open the mouth
in order to breathe, and then the food
which should be liquid or semi-liquid,
may be placed far back in the mouth.
near the throat, in small quantities, when
it viii generally be swallowed.
In cases of extreme and depressing i'll
ness the best food is that of liquid or
semi-hquid form, and of the most nour-
ishing character; for instance, beef tea
made without coagulating the albumen
by boiling it, milk used alone or beaten
with the yolks of raw eggs, mayonnaise,
and the different combinations of egg and
wine or spirits. When the yoke of an
egg can not be digested, the white may
frequently be used if it is beaten very
still and mixed with sugar or milk, or if
it is beaten into milk: in the latter
form it is lighter and less perceptible to
the taste than when beaten to still
froth. Pure sweet cream is an nvalua-
ble nutriment, either unmixed with other
substances or given in the form of ice
cream; am not speaking o. the ice-cream
usually sold, but of pure cream sweeten-
ed and favored and frozen at home
Milk and cream should never be allowed
to stand in the sick-room, for they quick
ly absorb every disagree 9ble odor and un-
healthy eXhalation; even water and the
more solid foods rapidly absorb every
faint in the atmosphere; they should not
be kept i'll or near the sick-roem unless
it is temporarily absolutely necessary,
and then they should be very closely
covered; these remarks apply even to
cracked ice and fruit. If milk and cream
disagree with the patient, a tablespoon
full of lime water may be stirred into
each glass; the lime-water added to quite
fresh milk keeps it sweet longer than
plain milk. To prepare lime-water, mix
slowly together one ounce Of quicklime
and a quart of cold water, stirring the
mixture for five minutes; let the solution
stand for three hours, and then put it in.
to glass stoppered bottle; when it is need
ed for use, strain it, and use the pure So
luton
Usually great thirst accompanies the
loss of appetite; this condition favors the
administration Of those foods known rs
nutrient drinks, such as barley water
nonrishng stimulants, such as milk
punch, the slightly heavier gluels, and
such sub-acid beverages made from fruit
are permitted by the attending physi-
clan.
A very thin boiled custard is an excel
lent form in which to give the abundant
nourishment of milk and eggs, food SO