The Somerset reporter., 1885-07-22
Farm, Garden, Home.
Nursing In Country Homes.

| Florence SutiuSoiS says hheN :" 1890
| mus, be taught "to nurse the room as well
| as the patient" When it is known before
| hand that room is to be occupied by
| sick person, it Is well tn have the carpet
| taken up and the floor scrubbed, II there Is
| time for it to dry thoroughly. Usually an
| attack comes on too suddenly to admit OF
this being done, or is so slight at first that
there is no suspicion of its developing Into
serlous illness. Under these circum-
stances. the carpet must be left down, and
kent "a clean as possible II a carpet
sweeper can be used 10 sweeping, no dust
will rise into the air to annoy the sufferer.
When one Is no: to be had, damp cloth
wrapped around the broom Is the best SUD-
stitute. The furniture and WOODWORK
ought to be busted every day, but 1t Is
sometimes difficult for the house mother 10
find time to do this, when, beside, the care
of the invalids, she has many other duties
to attend to, and so 1t must be done the
more thoroughly when she sets about the
task 1t ia useless to flick the dust off
with dry buster; this only dislodges 1t
from one place to settle 10 another. Every
article should be wiped with piece OF
damn flannel, and il the disease is infec-
tious. the flannel must be burned, as the
dust In such sick room Is filled with
poisonous germs. In these cases the apart
mppt should contain as little furniture as
possible. to make the labor of caring for 1t
tighter: there should be no curtains at the
windows, nor any merely ornam' Dted
drapery
The nearest approach to perfection In
bed for the sick is "A wire. woven mattress,
with soft hair one over it, THIS can De
lain on for many DAYS without becomgin
uncomfortable for want Of being turned
over, which Is great advantage when
person Is TOO III to be moved easily. Mat
tresses have many advantages over feather
beds from sanitary point of view. Chill
dren and young people should always be
made to sleep on them, but when an elder
w person Is accustomed to feather bed,
It would be cruelty to substitute mattress
for 1t In case of illness. The bed linen
should be changed twice week in some
cases much more frequently-snd we'll
aired before it Is put on. BY attending
carefully to the following directions, the
updersheet can be taken Off and fresh
one nut In its pls ce without moving the
occupany out Of bed: Place the sick per-
son on one side OF the bed, as near the
edge as possible; come around to the other
sipe, and push the soiled sheet away, leav'
Ing the mattress exposed; take the clean
sheet and roll 1t lengthwise for about nall
its width; tuck the free side under the
mattress along its whole length, and spread
1t smoothly, having the roll 10 the middle
O. the bed; lifl the sick person over this
on the smooth place, draw of the soiled
sheet, unrol the rest of the clean one, and
tuck it In on the other side. Ii Is most
convenient to cover the sufferer with
double blanket, and remove the upper bed
clothes before beginning, also to take OF
all the pillows except one, as they inter-
ferh with the operation. II the person Is
perfectly helpless, 1t will require two per-
sops to change the sheet, but II able to
move alone from one side to the other, one
person can manage 1t with ease.
Nothing that can contaminate the air OF
the room should be left In it for moment.
If food is not eaten, 1t must he removed In
short time. A shelf outside the window
10 an adjoining room is II great conven-
fence; milk. ice, or anything that Is cou-
stantly required, can be kept there In small
quantities, and spare an expedition up and
down stairs every time 1t Is wanted. Ap
arrangement should be made to wash the
cups, glasses and spoons used 10 the sick
room near 1t, to save the labor Of carry ing
them back and forth. A good nurse will
make her head save her feet many step,
and economic her strength for the benefit
OF her patient. II there Is sunny win
dow, few plants may be kept in l., be-
cause growing plants absorb carbonic acid,
which is poisonous to men, and give on
tb. oxygen that be needs. Cut flowers
should be admitted very sparingly: few
may be kept In a glass by the bedside, but
the water must be changed every day and
little salt added to keep 1t sweet In sum.
mer, when fruit is permitted, 1t must be
placed over bowl Of ice and be perfectly
sound.
When the disease is infectious, two
rooms ought to be given up to the use OF
the sick; if possible, there should be
door between them. In this case the door
leading into the hall from the room where
the patient Is, should be locked, and the
one opening out OF the other room covered
with sheet tackled to the door frame like
a curtain. This sheet must be kept con.
stantly wet wi h strong solution of car
bolic acid, and can be pushed aside to pass
into the hall: 1t will help to disinfect the
air coming from the sick room, as 1t passes
through 1t, instead of the coDtagion being
carried into the rest of the house. A tub
containing some of the same solution
should stant here, and all clothing used
about the sufferer should be thrown in 1t to
soak before being taken to the laundry; IL
must be emptied every night and filled
again. 1t is better, as far rs possible, to
use pieces of cotton instead of pocket
handkerchiefs, and old clothing that can be
burned instead of being washed. strong
solution Of copperas should be put in any
vessel containing discharges, or shovel
full of lime thrown in before 1t Is emptied,
which must be done as quickly as possible.
Great care should be used In this respect,
as some diseases are more quickly cOmmu-
MI cd hu thta yran than in n her