The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-05-05
DIET FOR THE SICK.
1t Ought to he n Good Deal the Same -
tho Person Takes W hon Well.

tho feroOn Iake9 " non WE'LL
In old times it was customary when
one became i'll to prescribe a diet of
toast, broth. Cruel 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
80 many adverse conditions, there was
delicate and susceptible tempera ments
usually succumbed to this formida bic
array of adversaries.
Modern medical common sense die
ia ties that people shall not be starved.
art least, whatever other trca tment
may be necessary. su fticient 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 .indigestible
dishes those that will conflict with
a sick person requires YER much less
food than a well one, although this is
not always the case. People of seden-
tary habits, those who take little or no
exercise to exhaust the physical forces,
might need almost much food when
sick when well.
There are few follies more extreme
than that of putting sick people on a
diet OF toast-water and thin Cruel 1t
would make well person sick, and
how one can be expected to recover
health and strength on such pa bulum
is more than ordinary intel
ligencc can conceive. a small guam
tity Of good meats, the veReta blcs 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. 1t 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 tho
temperature of springwater. is most
desira BILE. Coffee, tea and chocolate
are better when used of regular
strength such n S is taken during health.
The quantity may be a good deal les
sened, but the quality should remain
the same. If people in ordinarily good
condition get Il cup of tea and coffee,
such as invalids are supposed to re-
quire, 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 arc more or
less dcran ed?
1t is frequently the case that bit
of broiled chicken. steak Or bird with
a little dry toast and cup Of good
coffee will relish and bc satisfying
when nothing in the way of invalid's
food, ordinarily given, can be toler.
atcd. 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 he car
ried on during the meal. 1t is IL we'll
established fact that amusement dur
ing eating, especially that provocative
of laughter, is of the greatest posi- bic
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
ma Ike it a point to a1nuse and enter
tain their patients quite much as to
prescribe drugs and diagnose the cases.
IN. y. Ledger.