Evening star., 1927-06-03
Efficiency in the Sickroom
Ways in Which Home Nursing and Care of
Those Who Are III or Convalescent
May Be Made Most Effective.

The care Of a sickroom Is a matter
Of common sense rather than techni-
cal knowledge. All busting, and espe-
cially the cleaning of the floor, should
be done with damp cloth, and there
should be nothing in the room to
accumulate dust except the absolutely
necessary things.
1t is a treat to see a really good
nurse make a bed for a sick person
but il is not a professional secret and
any one can. learn to do it. 1t is not
even necessary to wait for some one
TO become i'll, as two members of a
family can practice on each other until
they become perfect in the art.
II is possible to change a sheet un-
der a sick person so clumsily as to
upset him for hours, but it is also
possible to DO II so deftly that he is
hardly aware of the process. Only
practice can make perfect in this as
in other arts, but you can master the
general rules easily by watching some
one who knows how do it.
Light NourisIlment.
Diet during illness is directed by the
doctor, but ii is we'll to know some
thing of the value OF cooking for the
sick and convalescent. During illness
when a patient is not allowed to take
solid food, eggs, milk, brothS and
gruelS are depended upon for nourish-
ment. Even a very sick person is
affected by the appearance of things.
IIe can face detested and oft-repeated
nourishment q little better il it is
brought to him in a pretty tumbler
and on an attractive tray or plate
accompanied by snowy napkin.
The most easily digested form of
food is egg albumen. Unless this is
ordered to be given pla.n-that is,
with only water-it may be made a
very palatable drink by the addition
of sugar and different flavorS, such as
strained lemon or orange juice, grape
Juice or ginger ale. To make the egg
albumen put the white of an egg in a
thick tumbler Fill the tumbler half
full of water, add a spoonful of
cracked ice, turn an aluminium shaker
or another tumbler over the glass and
shake hard until the egg is thoroughly
mixed with the water. Strain through
a fine wire strainer and add sugar and
fiavoring. Do not give the patient the
froth The *egg may be put in a
saucer and we'll broken up with fork
If a shaker is not handy.
Milk contains more nouriShment
than any other liquid form of food
and may be given in a variety of
ways. For very delicate digestion,
dilution with one-third water is help
full. This separates the curds and
allows the gastric juice to act upon
them more easily. Milk should al
ways be taken slowly. Encourage the
patient to take it in small sips. If
five or ten minutes are taken for
drinking a glassful, so much the bet
ter. Hot milk is more easily man.
aged by a weak stomach than cold
as the heat stimulates the stomach
somewhat. It should not be allowed
to boil. 1t is made more palatable
for some people by the addition of
salt, cayenne pepper or celery salt.
Milk shake may be Favored with
a number Of different things, and the
variety often makes it easier for a
sick person to take it. Vanilla,
almond or two or three spoonfuls of
coffee or coca would be acceptable.
Albumenized milk is highly nutri-
tious. This is made by adding the
and preparing it in the same way
as egg albumen.
Beef juice comes next to milk and
eggs in food value. AS it is very
perishable, a large quantity should
not be made at one time. 1t should
be kept directly on the ice until
ready to use. To make, cut one
pound of thick round steak in blocks
about one inch square, removing all
fat. Drop two or three blocks at a
time into the pan. When slightly
broiled, press the juice out with a
lemon squeeZer or meat press. Ihls,
seasoned with salt, may be given cold,
or it may be warmed by placing the
to xryar or
1t should not be heated enough to
coagulate.
Broths are low in the scale of nu-
tritive values, but they are useful for
varying a long diet of liquids. The
following recipe may be used for max
ing beef, veal, mutton or chicken
broth: Chop two pounds Of lean meat
in small pieces, adding some crushed
bone. Add one quart of water and a
pinch of salt. Heat slowly and SIM
mer for three hours. Add hot water
if necessary. There should be only
one pint when done. Strain through
cheesecloth and when cold remove all
fat. A delicious broth is made by
thickening this with little cornstarcn
or flour. cooking it for 10 minutes,
then adding three ounces OF milk TO
each half-pint of broth. oysters or
clans also make excellent broth.
Gruels are made from grains or
flour. Their main ingredient is starch,
which is not easily digested unless II
is well cooked, so that the time ior
boiling gruels should be exact. Thev
are best made with a certain proper
ton of milk, but this should not De
added until the grain has been wen
cooked in water. Some OF the mate
rials used for gruels are Dariey' nour,
arrowroot. Indian meal, farina, cracker