The Portland daily press., 1890-07-25
THE HON e.
FOOD FOR THE SICK.

FOOD FOR THE SICK.
Every careful observer of the sick will
agree in this, that thousands of patients are
annually starved in the midst Of plenty from
the want of attention to the ways which
alone make it possible for them to take food
For instance, to the large majority of very
weak patients it is quite impossible to take
any solid food before II A. NJ, nor then if
their strength is further exhausted by fast
ing till that hour: for weak patients gener-
ally have feverish nights and in the morning
dry mouths, and If they could eat with these
dry mouths it would be the worse for them.
A spoonful of beef tea, of arrow-root and
wine ,ofeg Zip every hour will give them the
requisite nourishment and prevent them from
being too much exhausted to take at a late
hour the solid food which is necessary for
their recovery. Again, nurse is ordered to
give patient a teacupful of some article of
food every three hours. The patients
stomach rejects it. If so, try tablespoonful
every hour; if this will not do, teaspoonful
every quarter of an hour To leave the
patients untasted food by his side from meal
to meal in hopes that he will eat in the inter
val, is simply to prevent his taking any food
at all. have known patients literally in
capacitated from taking one article of food
after another by this piece Of ignorance. Let
the food come a, the right time and be taken
away eaten or uneateD, at the right time
On the other hand, / have known patient s
life saved (le was sinking for want of food
by the simple question of the doctor, But
is there no hour when you feel that you can
eatT oh, yes" he said, L could always
take something at-o'clock and-o'clock.'
VIC 10 fHin md 1nI Daks1 a.,
very seldom can tell this; it is for you to
watch and find out A patient should if
possible not see or smell the food of others,
or greater amount of food than he himself
can consume at one time, or even hear food
talked about, or see in the raw state. |
know of no exceptions to this rule. When
a person is compelled by the pressure of oc-
cupatiOn to continue his business while sick.
it ought to be rule, without any exception
what ever, that no one shall bring business
to him or talk to him while he is taking food /;
nor go on talking to him on interesting sub
jects up to the last moment before his meals
nor make an engagement Immediately after,
so that there be no hurry of mind while TAX
ing them. Milk, and the preparations from
milk are most important article OF food for
the SICK but the least change or S0urneSs in
mix makes 1t of all articles perhaps the
In3st injurious. Diarrhoea is common re-
sun from fresh milk allowed to become at
an sour. The nurse ought therefore to exer-
$500 a.oi ulhosI care In this, The nutritlVe
PJ;mWeL Oh milk and Of the preparations of
nllk are very much underyalued There is
nearly as much nourishment in half a pint
OF nlik as there is in quarter pound of meat.
DuI Ihe main question is what the patient's
stomach can assimilate or derive nnnrish.
ment from, and of this the patients stomach
Is the sole judge. Chemistrv csnnot teii
this Inc stomach must be its own chemist
The diet which will keep health man
healthy will kill the sick one Tbe s nian
beef which is the most nutritiye Of all maa3
and which nOurishes the healthy man is ma az
least nourishing of all Il cd to the siclt roa,7
whose half dead stomach can assimilate no
part of it.
have known patients TO live for MANY
months without touching bread, because
they could not eat bakers bread. Home
made bread or brown bread is an important
article of diet for many patients. and the use
of aperients may be entirely superseded by
it"-FlOrence Nightingale,
PoLITENEss AT HOME.
True polteness is founded on coDsidera-
tion for others, yet 1t is so much matter OF
form or habit, that politeness is sometimes
shown where is no consideration; it is some
times neglected where there is affection and
NVery reason for kind consideration. Thus,
the intercourse of near relatives made
liar with each other by daily meetings