No. 6. 



The Sick Chamber. 



193 



stomach, and sense of nicety, is the concomi- 

 tant of disease, and, therefore, the nurse and 

 all around, should be particularly careful, not 

 only as to the neatness of their own persons, 

 but that every dose of medicine, and all food 

 be presented in the most tempting, clean, and 

 delicate way. To promote this, it may be 

 desirable in long illnesses, to have a variety 

 of small vessels: '• Sick-mess basins," of dif- 

 ferent sizes, to be included. 



Avoidance of Exciting Subjects. — Those 

 only who have suffered from severe illness 

 can well judge of the importance of preserv- 

 ing a quiet mental atmosphere, how little lan- 

 guor and pain are competent to sustain the 

 pressure which a tale of woe may impose. 

 The subjects of conversation should be much 

 guarded, while a cheerful demeanour and in- 

 nocently lively manner, may help to assuage 

 or lessen the sense of distress. 



Protection from Light, and from the blaze 

 of Fire and Candle. — Diseases are so varia- 

 ble in their effects, that no minute plan is 

 suggested for any particular case. However 

 cheering the light of the sun, in many in- 

 stances, there are affections where a judicious 

 nurse would be called upon to screen the in- 

 valid from the blaze of day. She should re- 

 member, that by a little arrangement of shut- 

 ters and curtains, a room may still be made 

 cheerful by a sort of subdued light, while in 

 some distressing affections of the head, &c., 

 from severe fever, the patient can hardly be 

 too much indulged by the darkening of the 

 room ; in such a case the blaze of the fire 

 must greatly augment suffering. Screens 

 ought to be at hand, as well for that as for 

 the candle. 



Important that the Nurse be taken care of 

 — Any nurse who is much engaged in night 

 service, ought to be very carefully spared in 

 the day. She must have rest, or she cannot 

 long hold out. When sitting up at night, 

 some strong coffee, ready made, should be pre- 

 pared, that it be warmed, and taken without 

 the least disturbance to the sick person. 

 Some nurses make a great noise with the 

 clattering of tea-things, which ought to be 

 avoided. 



Temperature. — On removing the patient 

 into another room, the said room ought, if in 

 the spring, autumn, or winter, (not to say part 

 of the summer,) to be very carefully prepared 

 with not only a good fire, but an attention to 

 the doors and windows, that all be shut, and 

 the temperature brouirht up to the state of 

 the room about to be left. When at any time 

 a patient's room is aired, the curtains should 

 be drawn closely round the bed ; just raising 

 the window for an inch or two, will be useful, 

 if it be for a short time, but rather than run 

 any risk to the invalid, throw on an addition- 

 al blanket ; it is most important to keep the 



air of the room in a fresh and wholesome 

 state. 



Fomentations. — A piece of very stout linen, 

 say about fourteen inches by nine : at the two 

 narrowest ends, enclose a lath in a deep hem, 

 and let the said lath extend about four incheiB 

 on each side the hem, then twist the flannels 

 as they are wrung out, it will spare the hands 

 of the nurse. 



To prevent Pressure on any particular 

 Part. — Circular cushions in the form of a 

 ring, made of old linen and stuffed with bran. 

 A patient, obliged by disease to lie contin- 

 ually on one side, will find great relief to the 

 ear or prominent bones, by the .said "ring 

 cushions." 



Leeches. — On taking off leeches plunge 

 them into quite warm beer, they will in most 

 cases immediately disgorge themselves. Ap- 

 ply a succession of warm poultices made of 

 bread and water, or linseed meal. The lin- 

 seed meal should be stirred quickly while 

 boiling water is poured upon it. 



Island Cotton. — This, as it comes in sheets 

 from the South, is a very desirable shelter from 

 the cold, and admirably adapted for a local 

 affection ; it should be thick and considerably 

 extended over the diseased part. Fasten it 

 on muslin. 



Gentleness and Kindness. — All who sur- 

 round the patient should be kind, and meek, 

 and gentle, and patient, not a sound of harsh- 

 ness, or evidence of discord should reach his 

 ear. Any discussion of the nearest relatives 

 or friends, as to whether this or that be best, 

 should be avoided in his presence. Some per- 

 sons, with the greatest desire to do right, do 

 too much, and without intending it, interrupt 

 a sufferer by unimportant questions and in- 

 quiries, and by moving about the room, when 

 they would often do a much greater service 

 by sitting quietly beside the bed, attending to 

 requests emanating from the patient, whose 

 feelings and preferences should always be 

 consulted and accorded with, if not in any 

 way interfering either with medical direc- 

 tions, or being in themselves palpably impro- 

 per and injurious. There is, perhaps, scarcely 

 any situation in which the call is greater 

 upon the Christian virtues than a sick cham- 

 ber, for it very oflen happens that disease 

 makes a great impression upon the nervous 

 system, and pain and suffering disturb the ac- 

 customed placidity of the invalid, who, with 

 every desire to bend patiently under the 

 affliction, may now and then seem scarcely 

 able to appreciate the kindest efforts to min- 

 ister to his need. 



To avoid Unseasonable Interruption. — 

 Particularly guard the sufferer who has just 

 fallen asleep. The person having the chief 

 responsibility should be instructed to pass the 

 feathery end of a quill through the key-hole, 



