Farmers^ Week in Agricultural College. 271 



That which effects the patient's comfort most is his bed. Choose 

 from among your beds the iron frame with firm springs so there will 

 be no sagging of thq mattress. The bed should be firm but not hard, 

 and, for your own sake, should be put up on 8-inch blocks to prevent 

 the distress of stooping over a low bed. Have your blocks the same 

 height and hollowed in the center to hold the castors from slipping. 

 Suffer a word as to the protection of your mattress (the feather bed, 

 please understand me, is impossible) — the best protection, is, of course, 

 rubber sheeting of a high grade, but this is difficult to obtain except 

 through a hospital supply-house. Not having the rubber sheeting, get 

 two one-yard pieces of the softest oilcloth you can find and pin one 

 firmly on the bed covered with a folded or draw-sheet snugly tucked 

 under the mattress. Use the two pieces on alternate days, wiping them 

 off with weak carbolic solution and hanging in the air when not in use. 

 Bring out your best and softest blankets and do not use heavy, dark 

 covers on the bed. The dark color depresses the patient and you will 

 find a fresh white sheet, over the blankets, preferable to a heavy bed- 

 spread. 



One member of the family should be set apart to care for the sick 

 one — or if he requires constant attendance, two who can give their un- 

 divided attention to the patient. The physician will probably make two 

 calls daily so the watchers should arrange their time for rest in such a 

 way that the night-watcher will remain on duty for the doctor's morn- 

 ing call and be able to give a clear history of the night, while the other 

 will be present in the evening and give an account of the day's doings. 



Too often the burden of the home care of the sick rests almost en- 

 tirely on the already over-weighted shoulders of the faithful mother, 

 and many a brave life has been needlessly sacrificed on the altar of 

 unselfish devotion. 



Mother, when there is illness in your home, try and remember your 

 life is the most precious in the household and be unselfish enough to 

 ^]lare, in a large way, the care of the sick one with some one else. This 

 IS liard to do but the family should insist on your doing it. 



The mouth is frequently neglected in the home care of the sick. 

 Through a small breach in the dyke the country is flooded to its destruc- 

 tion. Through neglect to keep the mouth clean in many of the germ 

 diseases serious complications set up that are fatal. 



"For the want of a nail the shoe was lost. 

 For the want of a shoe the horse was lost. 

 For the want of a horse the rider was lost, 

 For the want of a rider the kingdom was lost — 

 And all for the want of a horse-shoe nail. ' ' 



