Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-08-03
COOKING FOR THE SICK
Physicians Employ Women to Pre-
pare Special Foods for Their
Patients.

There was a knock on the door OF
the reception room Of physician who
rents his office IN a fashionable house
and an invitation to come in" It
was out of Office hours, but a reporter
was waiting for a talk with the doc
tor, relates the Washington Star. A
well-dressed, cheerful-looking woman
came in, followed by boy with a COW
cred basket filed with patent stop
pered bottles. The bottles were filled
with various colored fluids, some OF
them transparent and some Of them
not. The doctor took them to the light
and examined each critically.
Seldom have to find any fault with
your work, Mrs. -" he said, but
I'm afraid to send out the barley wa
ter you brought me yesterday. Let
the boy take it back. l am afraid you
did not use the pure pearl barley. In
structions must be followed strictly,
you know, or we shall be compelled
to part. Five more bottles Of raw beef
extract tomorrow, please"
When the woman had gone the doc
tor said: THAT woman, and many
others like her, make a comfortable
living with comparative ease. You
understand, Of course, that a great
many people come from outside points
to consult specialists of one kind or
smother in my profession. For in
stance, take my own case as a special
list in stomach diseases, Of which there
are 40 or more, each requiring radi-
cally different treatment. Nervous
prostration almost invariably results
from some form of stomach trouble,
and we have to remove the cause be-
fore we can restore the nerves.
"a patient comes to me and l see
at a glance that it would be out of the
question for him to take his meals at
a hotel table. In fact, | must cut of
solids altogether and feed him with
medically prepared juices Of meat and
such things.
Physicians know the women who
can prepare the foods they want, and
send for them just as they do for
trained nurses whom they regard as
most advisable for any particular pa
tient. The diet woman gets her in
structions. She must buy only the
best beef or mutton for juice from the
raw meat. She must use only so much
salt to the grain, so much of the yolk
of an egg, and must take such precau-
tons as are specified by the physician.
She must not make barley water from
ordinary barley, but from the best
pearl barley. Everything must be
cooked Just so long and strained. The
patients supply Of food Is ample in its
variety, but it must be prepared in a
manner to suit his particular case.
"The prepared food is brought in
quart bottles with patent shoppers.
The physician examines them very
carefully before they are sent to the
patient, and bottles sent back are not
paid for. A woman who persists in
orders is dropped. But |
there are number of woman who are |
only too ready to prepare the food pre-
cisely as the physician insists on hay |
ing it, and these are women who earn |
good money.
THE patient? Oh, well, specialist |
cannot follow a man around his hotel |
to see that he does not disobey orders.
II one Of my patients INDUCES in for
hidden food he cannot hide it from
me. If man convalescent from rheu-
matism drinks beer, or man suffering
from mental decisions takes opiates
Or treads in paths that are forbidden
there is no use trying to hide it from
his doctor. Such men or women would |
better save their money and go their