St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-19

The object of this paper Is not TO con-
vey the instructions necessary for the
education of an accomplished nurse-a
difficult task-but to enumerate few
small points which should be avoided,
as tending greatly to the patient, and
for the guidance of those who, without
previous experience. find themselves
suddenly thrust into the most response
BILE position.
Quietude is a great thing, of course
but real auietude means the absence of
all excitement. and it must be remem-
bered that anything out of the common
will tend to excite the mind of a suf-
ferer. Do not, therefore, walk on tip
toe for this. in addition to its unusual
elaboration of the gait, invariably
causes a certain amount of creaking.
Speak in low tones, but don't whisper;
whisper will often awake IA sleeper
who would not he disturbed by Ordi-
nary conversation and never say
"Hush - Let your clothes and foot
covering he of as nOiseless and unOb-
trusive a character as possible, and IN
stead of gliding and lettering about
like rickety ghost. do not hesitate to
walk. If yOu have occasion to say any
thing in the room, say it so that the
patient can hear it if he wishes, and do
not let him he aware of your conspIrIng
privately with the. others, especially ut
the door. That door has much to an
swcr for. If it be visible from the bed
people open it cautiously, put their
heads in, and slowly withdraw again.
If, as is more frequently the case, 1t Is
screened by the bed curtains, mYsteri-
Ous openings and shuttings are heard,
unattended with any apparent ingress
or cgress and soto vuce colloquIes 90
on outside. When You enter do so
honestly and ut once: do not spend
five minutes in turning the handle, like
Il house breaker, thereby producing Il
series of irritating little clicks, finally
terminating in II big snap, with which
the door flies open. If the latch he at
all rusty. il handle that is slowly wound
back in this way will often stick, and
either require to be ratified back into
position, or, if left as it is, may start
back suddenly, after time, of its own
accord, with Il report like a pistol shot
1t is always well to recOllcct that it by
no means follows that Il sick person is
asleep because his eyes are shut he
may be acutely conscious of all that Is
passing in the room, though unable or
unwilling to make any sign; and moth
ing can bc more maddening, under the
circumstances, than to have people
hush h- shing and whispering around
and crcaking about on the tips of their
toes. We have all sympathized i'll our
hearts with poor Leicester Deadlock
when his tongue was smitten with pa
ralysis with his sister bending over
him with clasped hands and murmur-
ing, "He is asleep" till, goaded to des-
peration, he makes signs for his slate,
and writes, IL am not
Never stand ut the foot of the bed
and look at the patient. While talk
ing to him, it is better to sit by the
side of the bed, and as near the pillow
as possible, so that you may converse
easily, while your face and body are
| turned in the same direction as his. BY
this means you can make all necessary
observation of his features without en-
forcing the arrest of his eyes to yOul
own, which is so embarrassing and dis
agreeable to one lying in bed, and is
almost unavoidable when facing him
Keep him in as comfortable il position
rs possible, by all means, but don't he
too demonstrative in smoothing the
pillows and little offices of that sort
Fidgety attentions will worry him, and
do him more harm than downright neg
lect.