The Forrest City times., 1894-04-27
DIET FOR THE SICK.
1t Ought to Re Good Deal tho Same as
 tho Person Takes When We'll.

tho Person Takes When We'll.
 In old times it was customary when one became ill to prescribe diet of toast, broth. gruel and the like, and keep the sufferer on the shortest kind of short rations even of this kind of food. No matter how long the illness continued this regime was kept up Exhausting and depicting medicines were given. and every effort seemed to be made to reduce the strength and vitality of the patient. To be sure, many people get well in spite of this treatment, but it must be said that it was more through good luck than good management When the constitutions were robust enough to triumph over so many adverse conditions there was a more or less complete recovery; but delicate and susceptible temperaments usually succumbed to this formidable array of adversaries.
 Modern medical common sense dic- tates that people shall not be starved. at least, whatever other treatment may be necessary. A sufficient amount of nourishing food is therefore given, and this food is quite likely to be the same that the person is in the habit of taking during health, barring, of course, all extremely sindigestible dishes or those that will conflict with the remedies given. As general thing, sick person requires very much less food than a well one, although this is not always the ease. People of seden- tary habits, those who take little or no exercise to exhaust the physical forces, might need almost as much food when sick as when well.
 There are few follies more extreme than that of putting sick people on a diet of toast-water and thin gruel. Ii would make well person sick, and how one can be expected to recover health and strength on such pabulum is more than ordinary intel ligence can conceive. A small quan tity of good meats, the vegetab ables that are most craved little light bread, the best of butter and the usual bev erages should be given if they are at all relished. It is one of the greatest of mistakes to give sick people sloppy drinks of any sort. If it is necessary to quench the thirst. an abundance of pure water, boiled and cooled to the temperature of spring-water, is most desirable Coffee, tea and chocolate are better when used of regular strength such as is taken during health. The quantity may be n good deal les sened, but the quality should remain the same. If people in ordinarily good condition get cup of tea and coffee such as invalids are supposed to re- Guire, it would be almost certain to upset the digestion. How much more need is there then of care when all of the functions of the body are more or less deran led?
 It is frequently the case that a bit of broiled chicken, steak or bird with little dry toast and a cup of good coffee will relish and be satisfying when nothing in the way of invalid's food as ordinarily given. can be toler. ated. Of course. the food should be eaten very slowly indeed and thorough. ly masticated. If the condition of the patient will permit, some extremely entertaining conversation may be car ried on during the meal. It is a we'll established fact that amusement dur ing eating, especially that provocative of laughter. is of the greatest possible benefit. Indeed the laughter cure, administered in a quiet way and with. out too much nervous agitation, has been of the most marked advantage in many instances. Several physicians make it a point to amuse and enter. tain their patients quite as much as to prescribe drugs and diagnose the cases. IN. Y. Ledger.