The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-04-25
NURSERY COOKERY.
GENERAL CARE OF CHILDREN IN
ILLNESS.
BY Christine Terhune Herrick.

BY Christine Terhune Herrick.
When a child is i'll with scarlet fever or
measles, the chief danger to others is
from Infection from the germs scattered
during desquamation. The principal
risk to the patient is from a chill that
would mean a check in the eruption, or
a development of some of the dangerous
sequalae of these diseases. To prevent
chances of infection, which is especial
ly serious in measles or in scarlet fever,
too much care cannot be taken. Curtains
should come down and carpets come up
as soon as the disease positively de-
clares itself. The furniture should be
reduced to its smallest dimensions,-a
bed for the child a cot for the mother or
nurse, a table upon which to keep medi-
cines, another at the head of the bed for
the child's food or toys. The nurse should
wear wash dress, and is safe in pro-
tecting her hair with a cap. The cloth
ing the child wears and the bed linen
should be thrown into a disinfecting So
luton and allowed to steep in this COW
cred for long enough to destroy all germs
before 1t is sent to the laundry. A disn-
fectant should also be mixed with the
water with which the floor is wiped up.
When possible the attendant should eat
her meals in an adjoining room, but she
should not go into any other part of the
house without changing at least the out
err clothing she wears while in the sick
room.
Happily the time has gone by when ev-
erything that had been used in an in
fectious disease had to be burned. The
carbolic spray can disinfect clothing,
etc, as well as can sulphur fumigation,
and is infinitely less unpleasant
Against the risk of the child's catching
cold, every precaution must be taken. 1
have known Of case of nephrltis fol-
lowing scarlet fever for which the only
cause that could be guessed was a chill
that must have come from the floor of the
room in which the sick child lay having
been wiped up with wet cloth one day
when he was supposed to be fairly con-
valescent. have also known long-con-
tinued deafness coming after measles
because the patient sat five minutes in
draft between the door and the window
on one Of the hottest days of the year.
Both children were In the last stages
of the disease and were thought to be
past all danger. AS matter of course,
even more attention should be showed
when the disease is at its height. Espe-
cial care must be exercised when the
child Is submitted to a homemade
Turkish bath. This is given by putting
him in a cane-seated chair placed over
a pail Of boiling water, and enveloping
child, chair and pail in blankets. No
less precaution is necessary If the pa
tient is given a sweat in bed by means
of hot water bags placed upon him and
heavy coverings heaped upon him.
When such expedients are resorted to
in order to bring out the eruption or sup
plement the action Of the kidneys, the
danger of q subsequent chill Ia most
serious.
Never should the mother allow her
self to lose heart or become discouraged
about the little patient. This Is much
easier to preach than to practice, but
hard though 1t may be, the mother
should always strive for cheerfulness.
In these days, when we are learning
more and more the power Of psychical
conditions. who can say how much eff
feet the attendants attitude of mind
may have upon the sick person7 To help
the mother keep up courage, there is the
knowledge that childs recuperative
forces are so great that he may appar-
entity be at deaths door one day, and be
up and playing the next The physi-
clans dictum is backed by wide and wise
observation when he says, Never de-
spair of childs life until the breath is
actually out of his body"
(To be continued next week.)