Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-25

nurse Is attained. Wnen 10 urge
obedience and when to give way, when
to speak and when to be silent, or to re-
ceive unjust reproaches without resent
ment may seem but Insignificant things
of which to speak, and yet they are
relatively as important as the proper
noting of symptoms or the careful prepa-
ration of nourishing food.
There are few women who are not
called upon some time during their lives
to care fo- sick or suffering member
of their own households. In such an
emergency it is we'll to bear in mind the
following rules:
Be neither nervously apprehensive nor
studiously Indifferent.
Do not shake the bed nor fidget near
it.
Donot wear rustling dress or squeaky
shoes.
Be gentle in voice and manner and
cheerful in spirit.
Say nothing in the room, or outside
the door, which you do not wish your
patient to hear.
Do not joke with the patient; when
sick we become like children, more SEN
sitive than in health.
Do not disturb the invalid with solicit
Gus questions; in fact, ask none that are
not absolutely necessary.
Do not read aloud too much, as the
effort of listening is fatiguing.
Do not awaken sleeping patient, not
even to give dose of medicine, except
in extreme cases.
If the patient is critically i'll, admit
neither flo wers nor visitors to the sick
room. Contrary to the usually accepted
theory, these well-meant attentions an
noy the sick and do no good.
On the other hand, let gifts of flowers
and friendly visits be reserved for bright
ening the tedium of convalescence.
Do not talk religion unless the invalid
breaches the subject, and then never in
trude your own personal views. If the
patient has fighting chance for life ar
gumentative topics do not help and may
hinder recovery. Nature is merciful as
death approaches, and the sick one
generally lapses into Inconsistencies
before descending into the valley of the
shadow. AS DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes
says; Mature administers the black
drop before the end"
THE sIcK-RooM.
If you are so fortunate as to have
choice of rooms for your patient, select
one that is well-lighted, having at least
two windows admitting sunshine part OF
the day if possible, but do not let the
light shine directly in the patients eyes.
Sunshine is death to certain germs,
therefore a potent factor for good, hav-
ing an actual healing effect, while dark
ness or even dim light are conducive to
sadness and depression. The best-plan-
ned hospital wards are usually radiant
with light. If you have no choice of
rooms, however, and the one you must
use has only one window, and that near
the bed, it cannot be opened without the
patients feeling the draft. To obviate
this difficulty, turn the bed so that the
window will be at the side, and use a
screen to shelter the patient. If there is
no convenient screen at hand, improvise
one by lacking dark cloth over clothes
bars.
In regard to ventilation, the rule for
health is 1000 cubic feet of air for one
person. A room feet high with 10 feet
by II feet floor space gives 1000 cubic
| feet of air. A room occupied by nurse
and patient should contain 1900 cubic
feet of air. A grate-fire is great aid to
ventilation. To prove this, hold feath-
er or a handkerchief in front of the
crate fire and note how strong current
of air watts it toward the chimney. 1t
| is wise precaution to keep grate-fire
going constantly, unless it makes the
room absolutely too warm. If you have
double windows, keep the outer window
open all the time by means of a swinging
pane or slide in the sash, and open the
inner window part way. If there are no
double windows, get a window board
which fits closely between the bottom
sash and the casing when the window is
partly raised. By thus permitting the
outer air to enter between the upper and
lower sash, you have continuous sup
ply of fresh air crowding out the foul
air. In summer keep the window open
all the time. No system of ventilation
is perfect, however, and to keep the air
of the sick-room both warm and pure is
indeed a difficult problem. Therefore,
air the room twice day thoroughly,
covering the patient well with extra
bedding, and even covering the face with
veil if necessary. Especially in dis
eases of the lungs is pure air most
necessary.
To the novice in nursing, changing
the night dress or the sheets of bed
ridden patient without undue fatigue for
the latter often presents difficulties
which can be easily solved, for the rea-
son that person too i'll to sit up is sell
dom 30 weak or feeble that she cannot
be of some assistance in making the
necessary changes, If properly directed.
To remove the night dress, let the nurse
draw it up about the patients waist,
take the left arm out of the sleeve, then
draw the night dress up over the head,
removing the right sleeve last. Next
open the fresh night-dress, lay it across
the patients chest, putting both arms
through the sleeves before drawing it
over the head. Let the sick person raise
herself at the hips, so that the gown can
be drawn down smoothly to the feet.
In order to change the lower sheet, keep
the patient covered with the upper
sheet and blanket, and turn her 80 that
she lies on her left side; on the left side
of the bed lay the fresh sheet, folded
lengthwise along the right half of the
bed. Roll the patient gently over on to
the fresh sheet so that she faces the
right side of the bed. Draw the soiled
sheet out from under her, at the same
time drawing the other half Of the fresh
sheet over the left side of the bed. 1t Is
most essential for the comfort OF the
invalid to have sheets large enough to
tuck in under the four sides of the mat
tress, in order to keep them smooth. To
change the upper sheet and blankets, re-
move the white counterpart, lay the
fresh sheet over the blanket, and the
fresh blanket over the sheet. Have the
patient hold fast to the upper edge OF
both fresh sheet and blanket. Draw the
soiled sheet and blanket out from under
the fresh ones by taking hold of them at
the foot Of the bed. Then tuck in the
fresh sheet and blanket, leaving loose
fold across the feet. In changing pillow
cases, remove the pillows one at time.
In order TO, assist the patient in raising
her head, lei her place her army about