Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-07-17
Hot PIates and PIatters.

| The fitful caprici0us appetite OF an
invalid necessitates the utmost care In
the serving of meals. Unless recovering
from typhoid when one could give a
ravenous wolf odds in hunger) most
patients soon find 1t hard to eat the
proper amount of food required for the
speedy building up of strength. There
fore it is essential to give them dainty,
tempting meals. Even those ordinarily
the least squeamish will refuse to eat II
the service is uninviting.
In preparing q convalescent's meals,
many things must be considered. What
and when he eats is no more important
than to have every article absolutely
we'll cooked and served.
Invalids' diet has now become matter
of science; every hospital has its diet
kitchen, nurses are carefully trained to
prepare nourishing dishes to tempt the
faded appetite, while there are delicates-
sens where cooking for the sick Is made
a speciality.
1t has also been learned that the con-
valescent must eat Oftener than the per-
son in health, because he can eat less al
a time.
Thus the when and what as regards an
Iinvalid's meals is fairly easy; the ques.
ton of proper service is more difficult.
Unless one has extraordinary equip.
ments for illness, it is no easy matter to
serve meal in sick room with all the
food at just the right point of heat OF
cold-especially the former. Usually
the distance from the kitchen Is con
siderable; there is more or less delay In
Igetting the tray ready, and one article
lgets cold or else dried up while Others
are being prepared.
Fortunately modern ingenuity has re
Gently solved this problem very salts
factorily in plates that can be kept warn
indefinitely by means of hot water.
These consist of dinner or soup plate
set in hollow tin or nickel plated yes
lsel, with a small tube at one side
Through which boiling water is poured
The china plate is held by rim, and thu
tube is supplied with tight screw, sc
there is no possibility of slipping Of
leaking. Some of these have tin cover!
for further protection.
With such a continuance it is easy t.
keep food warm long time. Better yet
it may be kept fresh and moist, as is 81
hard to do when it is allowed to stant
on the back of stove or in the oven.
Nor are these dishes ugly affairs to OF
fend the dainty taste of the patient. TIT
china is either of the deep blue onion
pattern or in rich dark red, while tn
metal is so arranged underneath as to b.
Iquite inconspicuous.
So recognized is the usefulness o
these plates that they are largely uset
lin hospitals, as we'll as by individuals.
A chop plate heated in the same wa.
is also seen, and is found by many YER.
convenient for daily use. Its chic
objection is that the water makes it to-
hot for a maid to carry in serving, Will
it is apt to scar the table on which it j
set.
There are other cOntrivances for keep
ing food warm for the invalid.
Tea and coffee should be put in
pretty individual pot and inclosed in
cozy. Coffee may also be prepares
!; specially for the patient in one of the lit
tie alcohol tin cup arrangements ant
carried upstairs in that, where it can re
main till wanted.
Chocolate, as rule, retains its hea
long enough to require no care. The in
dividual chocolate pots of Dresden o
other fine china are very dainty on
tray.
Ii patient must take hot milk o
broths at rather frequent intervals, tn
arrangement used for keeping a baby
bottle hot over night will be found use
full and saving on the time and strengt
of the nurse and on the patience of tn
invalid.
These come either to hold one or tire
bottles. With the former the liqui
must be boiled in it eight minutes, whe
it will retain its heat over night. Th
latter is of copper, covered with heav
felt. 1t is filled with boiling water, an
keeps its contents warm for hours.
A tin heater to put on the gas,
chatting dish, or single-plate gas stove
are all found invaluable in sick ROOF
where there is long-continued illness.