NUKSING THE SICK. 385 



by way of surprise, two or three teaspoonfuls of jelly, or as many 

 fresh grapes as he may consume at once, or the segment of an 

 orange; or, if it be appropriate to his condition, a small cup of 

 beef -tea, covered with one or two narrow slips of toasted bread, 

 just from the fire. This is very much preferable to offering even 

 a less quantity from a basinful that has been kept for many hours 

 within reach of the patient's hand and eye. 



Information upon Moderation in Convalescence, Change of 

 Aw on Recovery from Illness, etc., may be found in the section 

 on " Typhoid Fever. " 



Bathing The nurse, before commencing to bathe the patient, 

 should provide herself with water, two towels, a sponge, a piece of 

 soft flannel and a sheet ; the temperature of the room should also 

 be observed. Use cold or warm water as may be more agreeable to 

 the patient's feelings. Before using the sponge to bathe, a sheet or 

 fold of cloth should be spread smoothly over the bed and under the 

 patient, to prevent the bed-linen on which the patient lies from be- 

 coming damp or wet. 



Apply the wet sponge to one part of the body at a time, as the 

 arm for instance. By doing so, liability to contracting chills is 

 diminished. Take a dry, soft towel, wipe the bathed part, and fol- 

 low this by vigorous rubbing with a crash towel, or, what is better, 

 a mitten made of this material ; then use briskly a piece of soft 

 flannel, to remove all moisture that may exist on the skin, and par- 

 ticularly between the fingers and the flexions of the joints. In this 

 manner bathe the entire body. 



The sick should be thoroughly bathed at least once in twenty- 

 four hours. Particular attention should be given to the parts be- 

 tween the fingers and toes, and about the flexions of the joints, as 

 the accumulation of the excretions is most abundant on these parts. 

 In bathing, these portions of the system are very generally neg- 

 lected. The best time for bathing is when the patient feels most 

 vigorous and freest from exhaustion. The practice of daubing the 

 face and hands with a towel dipped in hot rum, camphor or vinegar, 

 does not remove the impurities, but causes the skin soon to feel dry, 

 hard and uncomfortable. 



Food It is the duty of every woman to know how to make 

 the simple preparations adapted to a low diet, in the most whole- 

 some and the most palatable way. "Water-gruel, which is the 

 simplest of all preparations, is frequently so ill-made as to cause 

 the patient to loathe it. Always prepare the food for the sick in 

 the neatest and most careful manner. 



When the physician enjoins abstinence from food, the nurse 

 should strictly obey the injunction. She should be as particular to 

 know the physician's directions about diet, as in knowing how and 

 when to give the prescribed medicines, and obey them as implicitly. 



When a patient is convalescent, the desire for food is generally 

 strong, and it often requires firmness and patience, together with 



