The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-26

er the welfare of Father Knicker-
bocker's charity patients, is deter
mined, he says, to establish a dietary
in the institution under his control
that will meet the physiological require
ments as now understood by the best
modern teaching on that subject-a
dietary that will give sufficient variety
of food and the proper amount of each
kind of foods. In speaking of his OBJ
ject in bringing Miss Corbett into the
department, he said:
"One of my principal reasons for
appointing a dietician was that l was
confident we could get a good deal
better diet for the money we were
spending by purchasing materials
which, on account of conditions at a
given time, might be cheaper than
others and of equal food value. Miss
Corbett has undertaken a general
oversight over the question of prepar-
ing food at the different institutions,
and seeing that it is served hot when
ever possible.
"She began by going through each
institution and carefully studying the
whole question of food from the time
it is ordered to the time it is con-
sumed. As result of her investiga-
tions and Suggestions, we have taken
the initial step in the way of reform
by establishing new dietaries at the
City Hospital and the tuberculosis
Infirmary on Blackwells Island.
Eventually these Improvements will
cover all the institutions in our depart
ment and dietary will be arranged for
the employees as we'll as the patients.
There has never been any dietary for
employees, and one is greatly needed,
but necessarily the patients must be
our first care.
Miss Corbett, has thoroughly studied
the whole question and I shall leave
her quite free. to work out the prob
lens of her department in her own
way
To the tuberculosis Infirmary Miss
Corbett has given deep study. AS
everyone knows, consumption is
wasting away of the tissues, and to
give the patients proteid or muscle
! building foods is of the utmost i'm
portance in arresting the disease. The
diet list, as now arranged, is as good
as at a private institution. It includes
regular, special light and liquid diet.
The regular diet is a menu covering
the three meals for the seven days of
the week. There are no two meals
on the list alike. To get away from
the everlasting daily stew. Miss Cor
bett has made variety by roast beef,
pot roast, cornbeef and boiled NUT
! ton. Steak is included in the special
diet for bed patients who also have
more than the regular allowance of
eggs and milk.
BY this treatment is is hoped, if not
| to cure, at least to arrest the disease
| in a great many cases.
At the City Hospital the new die
tary arranged by Miss Corbett differs
| from the old in materially increasing
! the amount and kinds of cereal foods.
| 1t also increases somewhat the amount
of milk, and decreases the gross
amount of beef. Variety in the menu
is a feature.
A decided innovation is the glass of
milk served at o'clock p. m. to every
patient. AS they eat their supper be-
tween 4 and 5, bedtime refreshment is
acceptable. This is probably the only
one of the dietetic measures of which
they are aware.
Miss Corbett's ideal is that there shall
be established eventually at every in
stitution a building devoted exclusively
to dietary purposes. This would be
erected near the main building and
consist of dining rooms, kitchens, pam
tries and storehouses.
Under the present arrangement in
many public institutions there is one
large dining room for the inmates
while in others there is dining room
for each ward. Invariably there is
only one kitchen, which seems to have
been constructed with a view to get
ting it as far away from the dining
rooms as possible. In consequence
much time and strength is wasted in
merely getting the food to the dining
rooms.
The present mode of transporting
food from the kitchens to the bed pa
tents is open to improvement. Miss
Corbett thinks that instead of sending
it in cans and tubs, each of which re-
quires one and sometimes two persons
to carry it, special food car can be
constructed which would be heated and
so arranged that one man could operate
it.