Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-04-15

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good home nurse must stand like rock
against all such absurd speculations.
She must be possessed of but one idea,
and that to pull through" The DOM
inant thought has mighty influence. 1t
is not so much what the nurse or the
family say which uplifts or depresses the
sick one as what they think.
An intelligent use of the means at
hand in an emergency may often save a
prolonged illness. The household nurse
has two faithful allies at hand, the
kitchen fire and the water supply, whose
ministrations are always palliative and
often curative.
Let us take, for example, heavy
cold, aching limbs, obstructed air pass
ages, throbbing head, nauseated stom-
ach. What is the matter9 A cold is
always congestion. Some function of
the body has been suspended, and the
others are doing extra work to restore
an equilibrium, hence. the congestion or
overlooking of some of the organs. In
this case some organ of elimination,
whose duty it was to clear the body OF
it's wastes, has stopped work. The mil
lions of little sweat glands which open
in spiral tubes upon the surface of the
skin are closed, and the waste which
should pass off in the perspiration is
forced inward upon the mucous mem
brane which lines the cavities OF the
body. The legitimate secretions OF this
membrane are loaded with poisonous
matter, which it is hard to take care Of.
So the stomach gets foul, the liver is
loaded, the bowels are sluggish, the
lungs ard air passages frightened, the
head congested, while up against this
frightened skin the faithful heart ia
pounding its pulses to fever heat to
break the distractions and set the
sweat glands free.
Shall we run for the doctor? Not nee.
es Sarily. Let us first battle the fevered
flesh in hot water in which a little bak-
ing soda has been dissolved. Let us
give copious draughts of water, hot or
cold, for interna, cleansing. The CRATE
full acid of glass or two of hot lemonade
will work upon the alkaline "bile"
which overflows into the stomach. The
wet compress applied to the head or
chest, we'll covered with dry flannel to
retain the heat and moisture, is always
soothing and helpful, and if persisted in
will cause copious sweat.
Have we to deal with painful rheu-
matte or neuralgia conditionsP There is
nothing better than dry hot flannel,
heated in the oven as hot as it can be
handled. Wrap it in paper that it may
not cool inltranspOrtatiOn to the bedside,
bind it about the painful limbs, chang
ing for another well-heated piece before
it gets cool. slot and often" is the rule,
and the pain will cease. There is great
virtue in the dry hot wool.
One of the sensible fads of modern
medical practice is the increased use of
water as a beverage Good cold water ia
rature's solvent. There Is nothing like
it for cleansing the digestive tract OF its
acid secretions and clinging slime.
1t is important that one person, II
possible, should have the care OF the
patient and of the sick room. What is
everybody's business is nobOdy's bust
ness. If the mother of the family is the
nurse, which is most frequently the
case, her position as working house
keeper should be subordinate to her
duties as rurse. She should have help
in the labors of the household in order
to give proper attention to the sick one.
A clean, well-aired room is neces-
sity. There is a right way to keep clean
and wrong way, also. All work about
the sick room should be performed with
as little annoyance to the patient as is
possible. A nervous temperament will
follow the nurse, mentally, in her work
of tidying, and be as weary as II actual
labor had been performed. To sweep
the carpet is not the best method OF
cleansing. Put, according to directions,
some antiseptic into few quarts OF
water. Wiring out cloth quite dry from
this, and wipe the carpet thoroughly,
under the bed, and under the furniture,
that there may be no collections OF dust.
Go over the furniture and the wood
work in the same manner. If there is a
stove to be cared for, close the drafts
when the CRATE is shaken, wet the ashes
before removal, fill the paper bags with
coal to replenish the fire, and drop
nOiselessly into the stove.
At least twice a day cover the patient
we'll and let in a good supply of fresh,
outdoor air. Never mind cold or damp
ness, any kind of outside air is better
than the confined air of the sick room.
1t is a wonderful reviver and costs
nothing. In diseases of a respiratory
character it is doubly important, since
the exhalations from diseased air pass
ages are of poisonous character.
An Over-crowded, upset, sick-room is
most depressing. Let the space under
Al LII ~ haraI on RI hovQ
a free sweep of air. Pull the bed out
from the wall that there may be circu-
latiOn behind it. Do not leave unused
articles of clothing upon the chairs.
Pick up and put out of sight all books
and papers when not in use. Remove all
extra bottles and glasses, all extra brio
a-bric from the mantels and tables. In
short let nothing remain unless it has
legitimate use. Food and medicine
should be kept out of sight until the
time for serving. Fruit and flowers are
grateful during the day, but at night
should be removed to a cooler and
cleaner place. Put the clock in the next
room, and keep the watch out of sight.
1t is annoying to feel that in so many
minutes the dose is due. Any assump-
ton of responsibility is wearisome, and
should be guarded against.
Keep your own person tidy and the
bed clean. Do not hesitate to put on
now and then some new bit of personal
adornment. A new pin to fasten the
collar, strange ring, bit of bright
ribbon about the dress, are all new ele-
ments in the narrow world of the sick
room A fresh cloth on the table, the
unexpected gift Of few flowers, take
the mind Of the patient from himself.
Callers need looking after. It is sur
prising how few people know how to
visit the sick. Put your foot down firmly
that there is to be no talk of sickness.
A cheerful caller is vital impulse
from the busy, live world from which
our invalid Is debarred. Bring In the
outdoor freshness, talk of bright things,
diffuse mental atmosphere of whole
someness these are tho remedies to
root out the morbid ideas of disease, and