1913. 
THE R.U R.-A.E NEW-YORHER 
1387 
Caring For the Sick in the Home. 
Of course everyone knows that to 
have an illness, especially if it be a ser¬ 
ious one, treated in a hospital where 
trained care and the latest innovation 
in instruments and appliances are all at 
hand, is always desirable, and when this 
cannot be accomplished, to bring some 
of the devices and methods of modern 
nursing into the home sickroom in the 
person of the capable trained nurse, but 
there are many households which would 
iind even the expense of a professional 
nurse a serious drain on its financial re¬ 
sources, if not an absolute impossibility. 
So the family must undertake the care of 
its own sick, sometimes in ignorance, and 
more often without the necessary appli¬ 
ances. 
TriE Home Nttbse. —There is usually 
one in a home who will display some ex¬ 
cellent qualities as a nurse when put to 
the test. Every woman feels a pity and 
a tenderness for those who suffer, and 
sympathy with a degree of firmness, and 
a disposition to perform anything in the 
range of duty cheerfully and well, are at¬ 
tributes of the good nurse, whether she 
be hospital trained or simply homemade. 
In fact the amateur nurse is quite apt 
to become overzealous in the care of her 
patient, particularly if it is a loved one, 
neglecting to take her meals regularly, or 
go out in the fresh air as often as she 
should. This should be guarded against, 
and the home nurse as well as the trained 
nurse should slip out for a short walk 
morning and evening. If the illness is 
such that the patient cannot be left alone 
there is sure to be some member of the 
household who can be trusted to relieve 
yon for a half hour or so, or a kind 
neighbor living near who would be glad 
to be of service. Meals should not be 
eaten in the room of a very sick patient, 
and when it is impossible to take them 
at the family table there may be a small 
room or a hall adjoining the patient’s 
room, here you can have a tray brought 
in and enjoy your meals regularly while 
still within call of the sick one. 
TriE Sick-Room. —Plenty of sunshine, 
fresh air, and cleanliness are the three 
first principles of modern nursing, if we 
have these we have the very best possi¬ 
ble means for the eradication of disease. 
Although it is not always convenient, in 
the average home, to choose a room ex¬ 
actly suited to the needs of the patient 
or the comforts of the nurse, there is 
usually one more fitting than the rest 
As a rule the patient will prefer to re¬ 
main in his own room whether conditions 
are favorable or not, but with quiet firm¬ 
ness and tact he can generally be coaxed 
into changing his for the more com¬ 
fortable one. The ideal sick-room is 
large, sonny and well ventilated, easily 
darkened in Summer and heated in Win¬ 
ter, with an open fireplace whenever it 
is possible, for a chimney is a most de¬ 
sirable medium for ventilation. 
The arrangement of the sick-room 
should always be simple, softly tinted 
walls are better for sensitive nerves and 
weak eyes then figured papered ones with 
a tendency to glare. Soft gray, greens, 
and tuns are the best colors. Hardwood 
floors with a few small rugs scattered 
over them, which can be easily removed 
and shaken when dusty, are more sani¬ 
tary than a carpet or one large rug. 
Heavy upholstered chairs and couches 
are dust and germ collectors, and there¬ 
fore have no place in the modern sick¬ 
room. If the illness is likely to be a 
long one it is better to remove all un¬ 
necessary furniture and furnishings. 
Groups of bric-a-brac and pictures are 
apt to tire the eyes of a very sick pa¬ 
tient, plain, unbroken lines are far more 
restful. It will be a pleasant way of 
passing some of the time during couvales- 
cency to have them brought back one 
piece at a time, and rearranged in their 
accustomed places. 
Bed and Bedding. —The ideal bed is 
either a brass or white enameled iron one. 
The three-quarter width is best, with 
fine woven wire springs, and without 
drapery of any kind, placed far enough 
from the wall to give easy access on all 
sides, and a free circulation of air, and 
so arranged that it will not face a win¬ 
dow. A strong light falling directly on 
the eyes of an invalid for any length 
of time is far from being pleasant, and 
often injurious to the eyes. If this can¬ 
not be avoided a screen, which is always 
an indispensable article in the Sick-room, 
should be placed between the light and the 
bed. 
The bedding is important, too, a hair 
mattress is far and away the best to 
have, a thin one better than a heavy one. 
The feather bed should never be consid¬ 
ered at all. A heavy mattress is often 
difficult to handle, and is therefore not 
apt to be turned or aired as often as it 
should. Have plenty of pillows, large 
ones and small ones, square, long, nar¬ 
row and round ones. A change of posi¬ 
tion, if only for a few minutes, is very 
restful for one who must lie in bed for 
any length of time, and a pillow just the 
right shape and size slipped in here and 
there, at the back, hips, or shoulders, 
helps wonderfully in supporting weak 
and aching muscles. A pillow made in 
the form of a lung, and stuffed with ex¬ 
celsior, placed between the knees, under 
the hips or elbows often prevent bed 
sores when the skin becomes sensitive at 
these points of pressure. The bed blank¬ 
ets should be light weight. Wool pro¬ 
tects the body against cold better than 
cotton, and two thin ones are more de¬ 
sirable than one heavy one. In cases 
where the patient is too ill to sit up long 
enough to have the bed aired, it is a 
good idea to have two sets of blankets, 
so that one may be airing while the other 
is in use. 
Making The Bed. —An uncomfortable 
bed adds mneh to the discomfort of the 
patient, therefore, one of the essential 
things the home nurse should learn is 
how to make the bed well. To do this 
the lower sheet must be put on and 
drawn tight without a wrinkle, and 
tucked firmly as far under the mattress 
as possible, with the corners folded neat¬ 
ly. Over this place what is called a 
“draw sheet,” which is simply an ordin¬ 
ary sheet folded lengthwise and laid 
straight and smooth across the middle of 
the bed. Fasten one end well under the 
mattress, then pull the other firmly, and 
tuck under likewise. Put on the upper 
sheet, allowing plenty of fold over at the 
top, and enough extra fullness at the bot¬ 
tom to prevent drawing over the feet. 
Upper sheet, blankets and spread should 
be put on separately, and the corners 
folded smoothly at the foot of the bed in 
the same manner as the lower sheet. 
Should the spread happen to be a heavy 
one it is better to use a sheet instead. 
If it is necessary to protect the mat¬ 
tress a washable pad. or a piece of rub¬ 
ber sheeting, about 30 inches wide and 
long enough to reach across the mat¬ 
tress, should be put on first and pinned 
securely on either side with safety-pins. 
White double-faced rubber sheeting is 
best for home use, there is, however, a 
single-faced quality that comes much 
cheaper that would answer the purpose if 
economy was needed. In cases of emer¬ 
gency white table oil-cloth, or several 
thicknesses of newspaper may be used 
as substitutes. 
The changing of soiled sheets for fresh 
ones with the patient in bed, often too ill 
to help himself, usually presents a diffi¬ 
cult problem to the amateur nurse, but 
this is very simple when once you know 
liow. With clean sheets well aired and 
ready, loosen the blankets and sheets 
around the bed and remove the pillows. 
Roll the patient to one side of the bed, 
and on the opposide side fold the soiled 
under sheet as small as possible and push 
it well under the back; tuck the fresh 
under sheet smoothly along the side of 
the bed; if a draw sheet is used it must 
be placed on it the same time. Now 
fold the sheets to and fro in folds, push¬ 
ing them closely against the soiled ones, 
then roll the patient towards you onto 
the fresh ones. Remove the soiled ones 
from the other side, and unroll and 
straighten out the fresh ones, tucking 
them firmly and smoothly in place. Ar¬ 
range fresh pillows under the head, put 
the top sheet on over the soiled one, 
fasten it well under the mattress at the 
foot of the bed. then with the left hand 
hold the top of the fresh one while you 
remove the soiled one quickly from un¬ 
derneath with the right. 
Sick-Room Accessories.— When the 
patient is able to sit up in bod some sort 
of a back rest must be provided. The ad¬ 
justable ones with arms, made on a fold¬ 
ing frame covered with canvas, are a lux¬ 
ury that is not expensive, and when one 
of these is not obtainable an inverted 
straight-back chair with pillows placed 
across it may be made to serve the same 
purpose. Bed tables are much nicer than 
a tray for the patient who must eat in 
bod. There are little folding affairs with 
tiny legs that rest on the bed over the 
patient’s knees, and others that stand 
on the floor with the top extending out 
over the bed. When there is neither a 
bed-side table or a tray with legs, three 
or four thick books piled on either side 
of the patient, for the tray to rest on, 
answers very well. 
When the sick-room is at the top of 
the house, a small japanned refrigerator 
or ice-box in Summer, and the cold air 
closet built outside a window in Winter, 
save many tiresome trips up and down 
long flights of stairs. A large tin pail 
or can with a piece of ice wrapped in 
newspaper laid in the bottom, the bot¬ 
tles of milk, broth, and drinking water 
placed on top, and the can covered close¬ 
ly, then wrapped in a blanket, takes the 
place of an ice-box admirably and a 
small packing-box nailed to the sill just 
outside the window makes a good cold air 
closet. 
Plenty of bed linen is always neces¬ 
sary in case of a long illness. This need 
not be of the best quality or new; sheets 
and pillow slips that have been used 
some time are softer, and therefore, more 
soothing than crisp new ones. It is not 
economy to use one’s best bureau and 
table covers in the sick-room, especially 
if they be fine and dainty. Accidents are 
often unavoidable, and some drugs and 
disinfectants leave ugly stains that will 
not wash out. Practical covers for these 
may be made from the best part of old 
sheets and tablecloths. The pure white 
Chinese paper napkins make excellent 
tray cloths, that may he used freely when 
fresh linen ones are not obtainable. 
Ventilating The Sick-Room.— In 
these days when the gospel of pure air 
is preached everywhere it is surprising to 
know that there are still some old-fash¬ 
ioned folk who positively refuse it when 
they are ill, and the question of ventilat¬ 
ing the sick-room properly often becomes ! 
a difficult one. In most cases a room can 
be easily ventilated by having a window 
down at the top and up at the bottom ; 
there must, of course, be no direct draft. 
If the relative position of the bed and 
window presents a possibility of expos¬ 
ure a tall screen can be placed between 
the bed and window. 
The Diet— The patient’s diet is al- I 
ways important, too. In special cases, or 
while the patient is very ill, the doctor 
•generally decrees whatever it shall be, 
as a rule, during convalescence he does 
not come frequently, and much freedom 
is left to the nurse when there may still 
be reason for extra care. In the home 
the tendency is rather to hurry the diet 
as soon as^ the patient shows signs of 
recovery, and the nurse often finds it 
necessary to use a certain amount of 
firmness in this direction. A simple diet, 
taken often, and at regular intervals is 
usually best; the amount increased and 
the intervals lengthen gradually as the [ 
appetite improves and the patient becomes 
stronger. bosamond lampman. 
Soused Tripe. 
Will you tell me the proper way to 
souse or pickle tripe like that we' buy 
that is pickled? mhs. s. t. b. 
The first step in the preparation of 
tripe is to clean it thoroughly. Of course 
that sold by butchers is already cleaned. 
Scald the paunch thoroughly with boiling 
water until inside coating is loosened, 
then scrape it thoroughly. Wash well 
through several boiling waters, then put 
into cold water and soak over night. The 
next day scrape again until white and 
clean. Put the tripe in a stewpan, cover 
with cold water, add one onion, a sprig 
of parsley, 12 whole cloves and 12 pep¬ 
percorns. Simmer gently for six hours. 
Tripe must be boiled in this way before 
any method of cooking, as without this j 
preliminary cooking it would be tough. 
To souse, for two pounds of honeycomb 
tripe take IS whole cloves, 12 pepper¬ 
corns, one pint of vinegar, one blade of 
mace, IS whole allspice, *4 teaspoonful 
of salt and one small onion. Cut the 
tripe into strips two inches long and one 
inch wide. Put all the other ingredients 
into a porcelain kettle to boil. Put the 
tripe into a glass or stone jar, pour the 
boiling vinegar over it, and set away for 
4S hours. It will keep two or three 
weeks. 
Mrs. Cornfield: “Good afternoon, 
Anty. Come in I was just hav¬ 
ing a laugh to myself remember¬ 
ing what Tom read to me this 
morning while I finished my 
washing. It was about an old 
rooster leaning up against a tree, 
saying to himself ‘Only an egg 
yesterday, and a feather duster 
tomorrow.’ I remember that’s 
just about as hopeless as I used 
to feel before you told me about 
Fels-Naptha Soap—but I’m a 
different woman now!” 
You can do your 
work easily and 
pleasantly with the 
help of Fels-Nap- 
tha Soap. You can 
have time for rest 
and strength for 
pleasure. 
Fels-Naptha 
makes dirt disap¬ 
pear, takes out all 
kinds of stains, 
even stubborn 
blood stains. For 
your weekly wash 
put clothes to soak with 
Fels-Naptha Soap in 
cool or lukewarm 
water for 30 minutes; 
then rub them lightly, 
rinse and they will be 
hanging on the line in 
less than half the time 
it used to take. 
Just as good for all 
kinds of housework 
and just as easy if you 
follow the directions 
on the red and green 
wrapper. 
Better buy it by the box or carton. 
Pels & Co., Philadelphia. 
