The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-27
In Woman's World.

The newest of comfort-giving inventions
for a travelling invalid is a transfer lift.
In it the illest patient can be moved with
out discomfort, direct from bed to train or
steamer.
This lift consists of a heavy but soft
lick sheet, which, after being slipped
under the invalid, in the same manner
that fresh sheets are put on their beds, is
fastened to an iron frame which is sus-
pended to a curved iron post on q rolling
pedestal.
This has a sort of cord and tackle ar
rangement, by which the sheet and it's
load is gently raised from the bed and, II
need be, rolled across the room.
The carrying couch or bed is then placed
under the patient, the sheet is detached
from its frame, and the invalid has ex-
perienced none of the discomforts felt as
when the transfer was made by lifting i'll
the arms of one or more persons, or by
dragging on the mattress, as was hereto
fore done.
The carrying couch or bed is also new
and a vast Improvement on the old time
stretcher. 1t is wide enough for any par-
pose of lifting, and may be made WIDER
by simply raising the sides.
In this way it makes a thoroughly COM
Portable bed that might be used in state
rooms or palace cars, if such were neces-
sary.
1t has comfortably long legs for thls
purpose, which shut down when it IS not
in use or when it is desirable that II
should occupy the smallest posslole
space.
When the Journey can be made, or at
least begun, sitting up, there is an al
most unlimited number of carrying chairs
and lifts.
OF these the lift is the latest and best.
1t is a sort of a canvas strap, very
wide. of course. with handles for the
bearers and a strip to support the back.
Its advantages lie in its lightness, the
small space it occupies in the baggage,
and it's comfort for the person beng
transferred.
Once on the train there is no end Oh
comfort-giving contrivances.
Rubber air mattresses, more comfortable
than down, almost if not entirely counter
act the lars of the railroad for the IN
valids who must lie fiat on their backs.
while those who can recline or SIT up
there are air cushions and patented props
which can be raised or lowered 10 SUIT
the convenience of the sick person, ana
when not in use folded and stored away
with as much ease as a towel.
The newest arrangement for reading o.
writing is an adjustable desk designed to
screw tot he arm of the seat or edge OF
the bed.
This has a -non-explosive lamp with a
pulpit hood, and to prevent al chances OF
fire this lamp is SO arranged taat II IS
instantly e~xtinguished by a fan or i gar.
These reading and writing desks teh
be used as eating tables, and for extra
convenience, invalid plates are sold with
them.
These plates are to be mad il n
quality of porcelain or china, ard some
of them are beautifully DECORATED.
They are about the SIZE 81 "a large dinne'
plate and divided into Ave compartments,
four with little dishes, as it were, around
the outer edge of one side, w.lise The CEN
ire and one side are fat and Undivided
like the ordinary plate.
1t is in this part that the food is cut
and from which it is eaten.
There is a new shaped water bag-long
and round, ike a big sausage-nhich, il is
claimed, is most convenient for travellers.
as well as much more comfortable.
Then there are basins of sheet rubber in
silvered folding frames.
These can be had in any number Of sizes
and are certainly convenient for others
than invalids.
Another new article of rubber is an air
cushion with a back and arms.
This is used, it is needless to say, by
invalids who tire from sitting 50 long IL
one position or in one chair.
Not content with all these arrangement
for the invalid's comfort while actually
travelling, there is a new device for
them to take the air.
1t is the chair or couch cycle. This con-
sists of an adjustable rolling chair with
a cycle attachment.
This attachment can be removed when
not in use, and the chair becomes, like
other rolling chairs, to be used in the
house.
Recently, while lying awake in a sleep
ing car, I thought long and earnestly on
the subject of insomnia, says "Pearson's
Magazine Every one must have, noticed
that there are mornings when every in
mate of the house announces at the
breakfast table that he or she has been
unable to sleep a wink.
I nave passed nights in country places,
where the air was perfectly pure, and ret
a sound could be heard, and l have
tossed sleeplessly on my bed until morn
ing when half a dozen other people, com
ing down to the breakfast room with red
eyes have mentioned that they, too, had
passed a sleepless night. Then again l
have slept soundly in the roar OF Broad
way. with a party of musical young peo-
pie torturing a piano in the next room I'M
til one o'clock in the morning. Facts
such as these nave led me to believe that
sleep is neither ndulged nor withheld by
%extraneous things. You sleep because a
sufficient amount of sleep has been served
out to the u Or the room in which you
happen to be. Or you lie awake because
the house or room is insufficiently provid-
ed with sleep.
1t was long ago discovered by an emf
nent scientific man that every place has
a certain fixed amount of weather served
out to it at the beginning of the solar
year. It is entitled to so much heat ana
so much cold, and it gets them. II the
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