ACCIDENTS. 327 



There should be day and night watchers, and one would 

 better not watch more than six hours at a time. 



Sweeping the Sick-room. Do not allow the room to 

 be swept with the ordinary broom. The room should have 

 rugs that can be removed and shaken, and the floor wiped 

 with a moist cloth. If the room is carpeted, it may be 

 swept with moist salt, tea-grounds or coffee-grounds, saw- 

 dust, etc. Any dusting should be avoided ; furniture may 

 be wiped with a damp cloth. 



Do not Whisper. In the effort to be quiet many make 

 a mistake ; do not whisper, as it disturbs more than talking, 

 and also has an air of secrecy that rouses suspicion in the 

 patient. 



Walk Flat-footed. In walking on tiptoe often floors 

 and stairs are made to creak when they would not in ordi- 

 nary circumstances. It takes little reflection to see that 

 in walking on tiptoe one brings more weight than usual 

 on a smaller part of the floor, and is therefore more likely 

 to spring a board in the floor ; it is best to walk flat-footed. 

 Wear an easy pair of shoes ; an old pair are likely to be 

 quiet. 



Food for the Sick. Raise the head with the hand, or 

 bolster the patient up, when giving drink ; or if the patient 

 is very weak, use a rubber tube, so that he will not have to 

 lift the head. The nurse should know how to prepare any 

 food that may be needed during the night. An oil stove 

 or gas stove is very desirable for cooking, or heating poul- 

 tices, as an ordinary wood or coal fire is likely to die down, 

 making it impossible for the nurse to do this work quickly, 

 as is often necessary to take advantage of a favorable 

 time, as when the patient wakens. 



