i 7 4 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



possibility of self-command, that has led the mother to flee from the 

 bedside of her dying child, the wife to turn away from the failing 

 sight that yearns to gaze upon her face while life yet lingers ! The 

 contemplation of pain could not be borne, because the mind was weak- 

 ened and enervated by a selfish habit of yielding to the dislike of 

 bravely facing anything disagreeable. Let all true women train 

 themselves to possess self-control, calmness, and patient courage ; let 

 them strive to acquire a certain amount of knowledge of the cares 

 and duties of the sick-room: let them not shrink from hearing- the 

 details of this or that form of suffering and disease, and gladly and 

 readily offer help (when they rightly and safely can) outside the 

 bounds of their own immediate home circle. Let them rejoice in any 

 fitting opportunity that may come in their way of perfecting them- 

 selves in this, the highest and holiest of woman's duties, so that when 

 their own time of trial comes they may not fail ! 



Taking it for granted that there are many who will gladly take 

 a few plain and practical hints on this subject, I shall condense the 

 result of a somewhat long and wide experience into a short space. 



And, first : It is in things which of themselves appear trifling, and 

 even insignificant, that the comfort of a sick-room is made or marred. 

 For instance, an energetic and amiably-intentioned person places a 

 cold pillow beneath the shoulders of a patient suffering from pneumo- 

 nia, that is, inflammation of the lungs ; a fit of coughing, perhaps a 

 restless night, is the result. Five minutes' warming of the pillow at 

 the fire woidd have prevented all this mischief, and even conduced to 

 sleep. 



Dress, again, is a matter of great importance in a sick-room, and 

 here I must enter a protest against that very common practice of the 

 amateur sick-nurse making a " guy " of herself. I really have seen 

 such startling and unpleasant costumes donned "for the occasion," as 

 seemed to me enough to cause delirium in the patient, if long contem- 

 plated shawls, and dressing-gowns, and wraps, of such an obsolete 

 and awful character, that the shadow of the watcher, cast upon the 

 wall by the dim light of the night-lamp, must form a horrible " old 

 granny," and be by no means a pleasing reflection to meet a sick 

 man's eyes, as he wakes weak and confused from an opiate-won 

 sleep ! 



The best dress for a sick-room is plain black for the simple rea- 

 son that no stain shows upon it an old silk is the most economical, 

 but silk rustles, and is therefore objectionable. Black lustre is very 

 serviceable not made long enough to trail, upset chairs, and get 

 under the doctor's feet ; and not having hanging sleeves, but fitting 

 close and neat at the wrist, so as to be finished off by nice white linen 

 cuffs. (I have seen a hanging sleeve catch on some projecting point 

 of chair or table, and convert a glass of egg-flip into a " douche" ex- 

 ternally applied, swamping the patient in a yellow sea, besides send- 



