Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
coNvENIENcEs FOR lNVALlDs


make things tempting enough to coax
the appetite. The pretty invalid trays
for sale in the china shops are 81 great
help in making the meal tempting
The most elaborate has tea, cof-
fee and chocolate pot, each with cup
and saucer to match; covered dish,
a toast rack, an egg cup, a plate, and
salt and pepper shakers-all in gold
and white. The soup set is a good
sized covered bowl with a plate for
crackers, and salt and pepper shakers.
Besides these two are coffee sets with
or without the covered dish, and sets
for tea alone. With each comes tray
of light wood, painted white, with two
handles. One can buy the tray by it
self and stock it with china to suit the
individual Leeds and purse.
The comfort such an outfit can be the
busy housekeeper alone knows. With
it on the shelf she no longer has to
hunt for the small teapot, only to find
it has mysteriously disappeared. All
she has to do is to heat the lovely in
valid dishes, put the small snowy nap
kin on the tray and arrange the meal,
and the effect would give the worst
dyspeptic a digestion.
The table is another thing that is
quite a problem. No one can eat COM
fortably when the tray is placed on the
bed. The best invalid table is white
iron one with foot which turns di-
rectly under the bed so that 1t cannot
possibly trip up the nurse, and top
which can be raised or lowered by a
screw, which turns at any angle. This
top, which is about foot and a half
by two feet, does not rest on the bed
at all, and so is always level, and since
it can be raised or lowered it accom-
modates itself to the position of the
patient; if he is lying down fiat, it can
be brought directly over his chest, and
if he is propped up with pillows, it lies
across his lap.
The next best thing to this is table
with short legs. If the clothes are
spread smooth before it is put on the
bed, the table should stand quite firm;
otherwise there is always the danger
that it will slightly tip. One can be
easily prepared at home by shortening
the legs of a folding sewing table.
When not in use, it can be set against
the wall. Even if one has the more
substantial table, this homemade sub
stitute is excellent for convalescent
child, as he can push it about the bed
and on it cut paper dolls, or paint
pictures.
There is that most useful utensil, the
individual chafing dish. This is small
inexpensive and wonderfully conven-
lent. At night it will quickly heat a
cup of milk or broth, and in the day
time one can scramble an egg and serve
it piping hot, to the amusement of the
invalid With a child this dish is an
unfailing source of joy and comfort
Then there is the little refrigerator In
a city house where the patient is on
the third floor for the sake of quiet and
the ice is in the basement, there are
endless trips UP and down stairs day
and night, and the cost in wear and
tear is greater than the cost of the re-
frigerator. 1t should not stand in the
sick room, but out in the hall. Besides
the ice itself, it will easily hold day
or a nights supply of milk, eggs, soup
custards and jellies.
If one cannot have this, however, the
next best thing is a large-sized red
flannel cozy, lined with asbestos; this
slips on tightly over a pitcher OF
cracked ice and keeps it from melting
for ten hours; with fever patient this
is a valuable help. OF course the cozy
keeps hot things hot quite as we'll as it
keeps cold things cold, so it serves a.
double purpose.
One more useful thing for the conva-
lescent's comfort is the individual ice
cream freezer. Pure ice cream is great
ly favored by doctors as palatably con-
Yeying a large amount of nourishment
The little freezer which holds pint, or
a still smaller size, costs but dollar
and takes little ice. With it one can
make a dish of ice cream in only few
minutes; and experience proves that
nothing is better liked by patient.
Study carefully the diet prescribed by
the doctor, and use as much variety as
possible 1t may seem difficult, but you
can get cook book prepared especially
for the benefit of nurses which gives
many ways of preparing the same