388 NURSING THE SICK. 



the utmost importance that it be given with scrupulous punctuality. 



In the case of a large majority of very weak patients it is quite 

 impossible to take any solid food before 10 or 11 A. M., nor then, if 

 their strength is still further exhausted by fasting till that hour; for 

 weak patients have generally feverish nights and in the morning dry 

 mouths ; and if they could eat with those dry mouths it would be 

 the worse for them. A spoonful of beef-tea or arrow-root and wme, 

 or of egg-flip every hour, will give them the requisite nourishment 

 and prevent them from being too much exhausted to take, at a later 

 hour, the solid food which is necessary for their recovery. Again, 

 a nurse is ordered to give a patient a teacupful of some article of 

 food every three hours. The patient's stomach rejects it. If so, try 

 a tablespoonful every hour; if this will not do, a teaspoonful every 

 quarter of an hour. 



It should be better known that there are many lives lost for the 

 want of proper care and ingenuity at these momentous times. 



Patients' lives have been saved when they were sinking for the 

 want of food, by the simple question put to them by the doctor, 

 " But is there no hour when you feel you could eat? " " Oh, yes, I 

 could always take something at o'clock and o'clock." Patients 

 very seldom, however, can tell this it is for you to watch and find 

 it out. 



A patient should, if possible, not see or smell either the food 

 of others or a greater amount of food than he himself can consume 

 at one time, or even hear food talked about or see it in the raw state. 



The above is applicable mainly to patients who are in a very 

 feeble state of health from exhaustion through the want of nourish- 

 ment. Hence in all these cases there are much judgment and dis- 

 cretion to be exercised by the nurse. The general rule is, " never 

 urge a patient to eat; " he will know better than you when he needs 

 food. Also, as to what he should eat, he may know better than you. 

 If he crave any particular thing the chances are that it will not 

 hurt him. The diet should be light, nourishing and easy of diges- 

 tion. But recollect that the patient does not need much food. I'his 

 will apply to all cases of acute disease. In diseases of long stand- 

 ing, where there is little or no fever, the rule will be somewhat 

 different; a light diet may not be so necessary. In cases of recent 

 attacks of fever or acute diseases of the bowels, food, especially ani- 

 mal food, urged upon a patient simply because it is thought he 

 ought to eat something, is likely to do more harm than for him to 



fo without food for three days. Indeed, the abstinence from food 

 >r that time, or even longer, might be the best possible way to save 

 the patient's life. The best rule in all cases of recent or acute dis- 

 eases is, never to give the patient food unless he desires it; and 

 then to let him have what he wants or prefers, if you know it 

 cannot hurt him. 



Moisture and Impurities Produced in the Room 

 There ought to be nothing in the room, besides the patient, that can 



