The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-06-01
RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, MD- FRIDAY, JUNE L,
HOUSEHOLD CHAT.
A Few Timely Words of Advice About
Nursing the Sick.

a rev TlmelY words OF ADVICE ADOuA
Nursing the Sick.
Some people who are untiring in
their care and watchfulness while a
patient is very sick, relax their vigil
lance so soon as they are considered
out of danger"
They are like a teamster who, hav-
ing ''scotched" the wheels of his wagon
up steep grade, pulls away the blocks
before he is fairly ''on the level;" the
load slips back, and the work has all
to be done over again.
A sick person must be welI-advanced
in the plateau of convalescence," be-
fore the nurses care lessons. They
must be guarded against themselves,
as well as against others, and their
strength should never be estimated by
their ambition.
1t is very natural for one who has
been shut in from seeing and hearing
what is going on in their small world
to over-exert themselves in their anxi-
ETY. to ''catch up'' again.
On the other hand, the good friends
and neighbors who have submitted
gracefully to the mo admittance" sign
while there was danger, think when a
person is able to sit up: "Surely 1 may
go in and see them; 1 won't stay too
long, or talk too much, or do anything
to hurt them"
And one, perhapz might not; but if
Mrs. A. goes in, she is sure to tell Mrs.
B. when she sees her, and if Mrs. B. is
not admitted she feels hurt, and if she
is admitted Mrs. c., D., E. and all the
rest troop in after her, and the patient
has relapse which no one can account
for.
There is no rule to be followed, how
ever, in this matter, for while enc per-
son thrives on company" and enjoys
two or three callers a day, another
tires with one, or even with too much
conversation among members of her
own family. 1t is case where previ-
GUS experience and good judgment
must rule.
A convalescent needs food often,
when they hardly know what they
want; or when they refuse it fearing
to make extra trouble for the nurse;
that is something to learn; to discrim-
mate between such times, and those
other times when the mere mention of
food sickens them.
1t is not necessary to keep patient
on diet of ''sweet slops' as a certain
invalid tapioca Oatmeal, geiatine and
other like preparations to be eaten
with sweetened cream. Any wholesome
food, well-cooked and not too hearty
for digestion that can not be aided
fn avtant hy ovaroica ic c,1ifu h1o
for a convalescent, and no doubt every
householder knows how to suit the
taste of her particular "sick folk' in
this respect; but whatever is given
them, it must be daintily served, and.
if it is supposed to be eaten hot, have
it piping hot when you carry it to
them; it will cool fast enough after
they commence eating, and if their ap-
petite is not very good, a ''smut on
dish or napkin, or sickness on the
handle of fork or spoon will spoil the
incest cookery for them; and it will be
the same if they have to wait, even so
few minutes over the time when they
expect, and should have, their meal.
This will seem ''finicky' to hearty
person, by whom such trifies would
never be noticed, but to an invalid, one
whose vigor is barely equal to the task
of living, and whose Whole interest
centers in this food, as the means of
giving back his strength, mole-hills are
mountains, and a delayed lunch mat
ter of Importance.
Nursing is largely labor of love, or
should be; for the most skillful of
trained purses can not do for us what
one of "our own," prompted by love
and desire to help us can do.
Remember that; be patient with
their fretfulness, bear with their
whims, make them think the care you
take of them is no care, but a pleasure;
keep cheerful face before them and
have always CHEEKY ring in your voice;
it can be done if you really try, and will
have better effect on your invalid
than all the stereotyped words of en-
couragement to be thought of; and
may success attend your efforts. To
iedo Blade.