NUBSING THE SICK. 38? 



Never use anything but light Whitney -blankets, as bed-cover- 

 mg for the sick. The heavy, cotton, impervious counterpane is bad, 

 for the very reason that it keeps in the emanations from the sick 

 person, while the blanket allows them to pass through. Weak 

 patients are invariably distressed by a great weight of bed-clothes, 

 which often prevents their getting any sound sleep whatever 



Never place a patient on such a detestable thing as a feather- 

 bed. Mattresses should be used for this purpose, and those made 

 of hair are the best. 



As regards pillows, it must be borne in mind that every weak 

 patient, be his illness what it may, suffers more or less from diffi- 

 culty in breathing. To take the weight of the body off the poor 

 chest, which is hardly up to its work as it is, ought therefore to be 

 the object of the nurse in arranging his pillows. Now what does 

 the uninstructed nurse do, and what are the consequences? She 

 piles the pillows, one a-top of the other, like a wall of bricks. The 

 head is thrown upon the chest, and the shoulders are pushed for- 

 ward so as not to allow the lungs room to expand. The pillows, in 

 fact, lean upon the patient, not the patient upon the pillows. 



Beds for the sick, as well as for those in health, should not be 

 too low ; neither should they be at the other extreme that is, too 

 high. The height to the top of the upper mattress should not 

 exceed eighteen inches or two feet. 



If the patient is too high, especially if the ceiling is low, he 

 will be above the current of fresh air and in that which is heated 

 and impure. Care should be had also not to have the bed too low, 

 or the patient will be in the cold, damp and equally unhealthy air 

 which settles near the floor of the room. The best criterion is to 

 have the position of the patient as nearly as possible on a level with 

 the top of the fireplace, as he will then be in a current of the best 

 air in the room. 



The bed should never b& placed against the wall, nor in the 

 corner of the room, the reasons for which will appear to every intelli- 

 gent nurse. If possible, it should be in the lightest part of the 

 room and where the patient can look out of the window. 



If possible, the bed should be made night and morning. And 

 sometimes during the day and night the bed-clothes should be 

 raised up from the body and let fall again, so as to drive out the 

 confined air; or they should be thrown back towards the feet, to 

 allow a full airing. If possible, the head of the bed should be 

 placed towards the north. 



Proper Time and Punctuality in Giving 1 Food- 

 Punctuality in giving food is of the utmost importance. With 

 very weak patients, life itself may hang upon a few minutes. A 

 spoonful of nourishment, given at the right time, may turn the 

 scale and save the patient's life; whereas, if it had been delayed 

 fifteen minutes longer, it might have been too late. Where patients 

 are very weak and can take but little nourishment at a time, it is of 



