The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-08-31
Little Precautions to Re-
member So as Not to
Irritate the Patient.
BE CHEERFUL AND ORDERLY.
Comforts That Will be Gratefully
Received-How to Freshen
the Sick Room.

the latter were to speak from the pal
ace of truth the reply would often be:
There is not much that you car do
but much that you may leave undone.
First. do come in less noisily; shut the
door after you; sit or stand in front
where l can see you without straining
the muscles of my neck, and above all
do not shake the bed. Pain is bad
enough, but worries are far worse"
Not one in a hundred knows how to
behave in a sick room, so as to leave
the patient no worse for the visit.
This may sound a very sweeping as
sertion, but it is borne out by expert
ence and NAV be applied to protested
nurses as we'll as to unprofessional
friends. But suppose some N calls
-one of those (of whom many are
happily existent) whose presence Is
welcome as the flowers in May"
who comes in with a smile, speaks
softly, listens with sympathetic a to
all the tale of woe and is able to sug-
gest many little things to make one
more comfortable.
Nothing is so irritating as to see
from your bed crooked blinds, dirty
cups or glasses, or tables Uttered with
unnecessary trifes. One of the first
duties in O sickroom is to move all
'knickknacks out of the way, never
leaving a thing in the roc when
done with, especially any evidence OF
food or drink. Flowers may be in the
room by day, but should be removed
at night. and should always have the
lower leaves stripped off the stalks be-
fore putting them in the vase. 1t is
these leaves, left in the water, which
make it so disagreeable, especially in
wall1owers. Hyacinths, daffodils and
make the water unbearably nasty.
After the patient has been washed,
had breakfast and been generally
tidied, the door of the room should
be fastened wide open to air it. This
can be done eve in winter if there is
a fire. A few drops of EUCALYPTUS oil,
Sanitas or toilet vinegar poured into
a saucer and left to evaporate are
very refreshing.
Then there Ire many small things
bIldt dI0 RICdl COAllOIGSs OIG6ll JULIUS
for instance (only those who have
tried them know the rest that they
are to weary eyes,, a loose shawl in
bed to tuck into odd corners, and in
case of serious illness the Goals in the
scuttle each wrapped in a piece of pa
per to Ia the noise oftongs or scoop.
1t would seem superdnous to add that
the nurse or attendant should wear
c,,iaf cl1oG Doj n 1porc khn& J1oc 49,
rustic, were it not that even trained
nurses have been known to sin in this
matter.
Ones Obligations to Friends.
1 wonder if the majority of people
realize the full necessity of meeting
obligations to friends. Those of US
who gladly break our costly boxes,
giving our all in some supreme mo-
ment of alteration, may be great sim
ners when we meet the small demands
of friendship. Do we comprehend the
need of the steady purpose to show
the one for whom we have a real re-
gard that she is not forgottens
1t is a fact that the mere withhold
ing of expression works often towards
delicate sensitive natures a greater
disaster than some sudden seemingly
cruel act unprecedented would. Per-
haps the greatest danger in neglect is
related to those who are far away. be-
yond the reach of our voice or sight of
our eyes.
A little lapse, If they were close at
hand, might be explained, and the
shadow that fitted above the relation
ship dispelled by a look of love; but
distance bars out these signs, and so,
for the friend who must depend upon
the latter for communication, there
needs to be a careful purpose ana a
sready loyalty to fulfil the obligations
of correspondence. 1t happens often
that one of the two friends is more
happily situated and more favorably
conditioned with respect to general
social life than the other. 1t is some
times the case, 100, that the one with
the greater social opportunities finds
herself pressed by numerous duties,
and, naturally, she seeks excuse for
little neglects in this fact.
Let this one, however, try to realize
the situation of the one at the other
end of the line who waits and trusts,
but who at length, as the weeks pass,
finds her heart sick through hope de-
ferred. 1t is not necessary that full
sheets, with recrossed pages, should
be sent. A few lines penned frequently
might hold the ~reassuring message.
The letter would cost little to the
writer, and would save the aroma of
the friendship.
The letters that we intended to
write, how many they arel The letters
that we might have sent if we had
possessed the true sense of obligation
to a friendship, stand against us upon
the record of unfulflled pledges.
But we say if love is worthy its
name it will trust on and always.
Yes, it will; but does there not come
a time when the weakening effects of
neglect force away the barriers that
love has built against the tide of loss?
There comes al hour when self
respect, too, clamors for its rights,
and insists that the one-sided relation
ship is essentially lost. And, the
blessed aroma of friendship! This is
what sweetens life, giving to the
weary heart new strength, offering
inspiration, helping almost to create
pos0eg in service. 70 some OF Us the