The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-04-11
NURSERY COOKERY.
GENERAL CARE OF CHILDREN IN
ILLNESS.
CONTINUED from last week.)


BILE than when they are ILL.,
Disobedience, or delay In obedience,
always inconvenient, to say the least,
assumes the dignity of calamity when |
a child is seriously ILL., There are times
when his very life may depend upon the |
promptness with which he will take
medicine, will submit to treatment or
conform to rules.
A mother of the old school, whose chill |
dren had early learned the law of i'm
plicit obedience, wondered a little at q |
certain proviso that always accompa-
MED the doctors directions for remedies |
to 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 trihe of irritation why do you
invariably say, Give her so and so, If she
will take it?' OF course she will take 1t
If tell her to do So
ut is by no means a matter of course
In most cases, madam" returned the
physician. "Ysur 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 that
makes it tremendously difficult to induce
them to take unpalatable medicine. Only
last week had as a patient little boy
who was in a dangerous condition from
bowel trouble. He not only absolutely
refused the remedy 1 wished to give him,
but actually fought against 1t so fiercely
that his mother and nurse were obliged to
hold him down in the bed while poured
the medicine down his throat. really
no he hat hn NV
his struggles offset any benefit he gained
from the medicine"
This may have been an extreme case
but 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
to 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 1 saw
my mother coming towards the bed with
that cup Of doom in her hand, I used to
shut my eyes and pray, with all the fer
vor of my childish soul, that 1 might die
before it reached me. But it never &C.
CURED to me that could possibly re-
fuse to take It,"
Even with the most obedient children
It Is better sometimes, as a measure of
consideration, to vary the simple COM
mands by a little gentle diplomacy that
may bring a trihe 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 the small boy when his turn
oame,-comparisons greatly to the ad-
vantage of the junior. Mere triviality,
no doubt, but after long siege in a sick
room even trifles 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
he 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 a 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 invalid's tray. His milk should
20 t,,o rfrtoG
and this should be changed from time to
time If he seems to weary of the one de-
voted to this purpose. recollect one
invalid who would willingly drink pep
tonized milk from red glass, although
he turned from 1t In distaste when 1t 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 if her tray were furnished with
a gold handled knife and fork that were
among Che 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 1t further by lay
| ing a flower or two on the napkin or be-
| side the plate. Hunt up amusing stories
| to tell the little invalid while he eats. so
| that he Will 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.
| or to the fish or bird hawk. Each vic
tim makes remark as he is about to be
devoured Or there Is gulf to be filled
and each spoonful has its especial place
| In stopping the chasm. Or the milk Is
stream that must be swallowed In order
to 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
! grows with practice. and certain helpful