The Portland daily press., 1900-04-13
NURSERY COOKERY.
GENERAL CARE OF CHILDREN IN
ILLNESS.
Nv CHRISTINE Terhune Herrick.

habits Of obedience prove more valua-
bic than when they are i'll.
Disobedience. or delay in Obedience
slways inconvenient, to say the least
Assumes the dignity Of calamity wheh
n child Is seriously i'll. There are tunes
when his very life may depend upon the
promptness with which he VIII take
medicine, will submit to treatment or
conform to rules.
A mother OF the old school. whose chill
aren had early learned the law OF I'M
plicit obedience, wondered little at
certain proviso that always accompa-
MED the doctors directions for remedies
10 be given to her small girl, who was
suffering from an attack OF measles
attended with throat complications.
Doctor" finally asked the mother,
with a trine of irritation, why do you
Invariably say. Give her so and so. If she
will take it% OF course she will take II
IL I tell her to do So"
at is by no means matter of course
In most cases, madam" returned the
physician. Your child may have been
unusually well trained, but 1 can as
sure you that the majority of children
have their own way to an extent tnat
makes it tremendously difficult to induce
them TO take unpalatable medicine. Only
last week had as a patient little boy
who was in dangerous condition from
bowel trouble. He not only absolutely
refused the remedy wished to give him.
but actually fought against II so fiercely
that his mother and nurse were obliged TO
hold him down in the bed while / poured
the medicine down his throat. really
believe that the harm he did himself by
his struggles offset any benefit he gained
from the medicine"
This may have been an extreme case.
hut there are others almost as fragrant.
Contrast with this the testimony of an
other person, now a woman grown, who
In her childhood used to have to submit
10 generous doses of castor oil. given in
the old barbarous fashion, mixed with
hot milk.
1.-The mere sight and smell of 1t turned
my stomach" she says: When ! saw
my mother coming towards the bed with
that cup Of doom in her hand, used to
shut my eyes and pray, with all the fer
vor of my childish soul. that I might die
before it reached me. But ii never oc-
CURED to me that ] could possibly re-
fuse TO take it,"
Even with the most obedient children
II is better sometimes. as measure Of
consideration. to vary the simple COM
mands by a little gentle diplomacy that
may bring a trifle of diversion into the
monotonous succession of dosing. re-
call well one genial physician, always
remarkably successful In his treatment
of children. who would go through the
form of presenting a tablet to each per-
son in the room, winding up the perform
ance with the small patient who was to
be benefited by the dose. drawing the
while comparisons between the docility
with which the grown-ups took their
medicine and that which would be dis
played by tho small boy when his turn
came. greatly TO the ad-
vantage of the juniSe Mere triviality
no doubt. but after long siege in sick
room even trines assume the Importance
of events.
Diplomacy of the same order must be
practiced when 1t is necessary to coax a
child to take food. The sense of duty
that induces an adult to eat, because If
ne does not his strength will fail, is
lacking in a child. He has not the grasp
on the perspective that sustains one in
present discomfort with the thought OF
future good. To the child, the immedi-
ate discomfort Is everything Mention
has already been made in these papers of
the desirability of having pleasing va
riety in order to tempt the weak appetite
of the patient, but while this is much, 1t
IS not enough. Nothing in the way of
dainty appointments should be wanting
on the invalids tray. His milk should
be given to him in pretty cup or glass,
and this should be changed from time to
time IL he seems to weary of the one de-
voted to this purpose. I recollect one
invalid who would willingly drink pep
tonlzed milk from a red glass, although
he turned from 1t in distaste when it was
offered to him In a clear tumbler. An
other person-this one grown woman
suffered from utter lack of appetite for
DAYS until she took fancy that she
could eat II her tray were furnished with
a gold handled knife and fork that were
among the family heirlooms. The knife
and fork were brought and the invalid
straigtway turned in and ate her food
with enjoyment. Sick people are hardly
sane In every point, and the least little
thing will make or mar meal.
So let the tray be all that there Is OF
daIntiness In Its appointments, so far
as napery, china, glass and silver are
concerned. Brighten it further by lay
ing a Aswer or two on the napkin or be-
side the plate Hunt up amusing stories
TO tell the little invalid while he eats, so
that ne wiz take one mouthful after an
other, almost unconsciously. Or, for a
change, a play may be made of the
meal. The morsels cut up on the plate
may be small chickens or minnows, or
little birds about to fall prey to the fox,
(r to the fish or bird hawk. Each vic
Jim makes a remark as he is about to be
levoured. Or there is gulf to be filled
and each spoonful has its especial place
In stopping the chasm. Or the milk is a
stream that must be swallowed in order
10 make the way clear for the hero to
pursue the wicked giant. or to open the
path for the heroine into fairy land The
facility in making up such table talk
\, att -knfx n n1wsFs. Il