Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-12-15
Conyalescence and Its Trials.


The early part of conyalescence is oft
en- trying time to the feeble invalid,
The fr ends about you have heretofore
fearing you were slipping away from
known, that now, the crisis past, their
light-heartedness, their hustle and talk,
their slight relaxing of attention, is too
sudden change. and seems to your fee
BILE and weakened senses much like care
lessness, Indifference and lack of heart.
The only trouble is, they do not quite
comprehend how feeble and ill and
nervous you still are.
Sometimes in this first part OF conva-
lescence that patient who has hereto
fore been quiet rs a mouse, grows all at
once ''touchy' and hard to suit. The
nerves were at first perhaps too weak
to rebel; now they are jaded and sore,
and no one but those who have had eX-
perience can understand how tritiing
thing win hurt and jangle them.
Something similar 10 these eXpe-
riences is often felt b. the young and
rather feeble mother in the trying after
days. When those about her are re-
ioicing that ''the worst is over,m it often
seems to her that the worst has us. ar
rived, and she lies with strength spent
and nerves Mt once weak and tense. and
weighted down with such varied and
accumulated discom rorts as it seems 10
her she cannot endure. and often, un-
fortunately, with no one about her who
po 'sesses the wisdom = to understand
the miseries of her case. Under these
conditions all hustle should Re strictly
prohibited; visits to her and the little
stranger deferred; and all exertion and
anxiety on her part carefulls guarded
against. What she Graves is rest quiet
and soothing influences. and these she
should have. INV tt4 is. I..t
With convalescence comes an effort
to return to the ordinary habits of life.
among which is the habit of eating. At
this stage the nurse re uires not little
discretion and tact. Sometimes the APP
petite is feeble; sometimes it is rapa-
cious, and re uires curbing and re-
straint. In the latter case it is inju-
dicious and cruel TO bring within sight
of the convalescent things which cannot
be allowed, or to bring heaped-up
plates of goodies and expect self-con-
troll. The better way is to bring into
the sick-room at each meal only what is
permitted. E ~
When the appetite is feeble, and it is
desirable that it be gently coaXed, it is
quite rs desirable that the plates should
not be overloaded as be ore; an over
flowing cup on piled-up platter will
often produce the opposite effect from
that desired. and turn what was before
only ind erence to food, into absolute
loathing of it. 1t is better too, not 10
harrass the patient with questions as TO
what would be preferred, but rather
make. trial Of this and that which seems
suitable; often something coming unex-
pectedly will relish much better with
The sick than what is foreknown.
Also it is desirable that the dishes, or
some one Of them. shall have an agree
able and appetzing smell. This may
seem foolish and unimportant. but 1t is
not. II scarcely need lie said that each
article should be prepared so as not
only to have an agreeable taste. but an
agreeable lo,k also; that the dishes, II
not new, should ut least be free from
hicks or cracks; that the knives and
silver should be shining. and the nap
dns clean and white. = Country Gentle
man.