THE BOOK OF

HOME NURSING
  A Practical Guide
  for the Treatment of
  Sickness in the Home

FRANCES CAMPBELL 
S-«*"=*-■
 
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
       Bethesda. Maryland

             Gift of
 The New York Academy of Medicine
 
 
 
 
 
Uniform with this Volume
INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD
   A Popular Book on the Care of Children

                   By
   WALTER REEVE RAMSEY, M.D.
  Aast. Prof. Diseases of Children at the Univ. of Minnesota,
    Med. Director of St. Paul Baby Welfare Assoc, etc.
Fully Illustrated.   $1.25 net
E. P. DUTTON  & CO.
       NEW YORK 
 
When your Patient can Eat from a Tray, Make the Meals
                 Dainty  and  Attractive
                                                [Page 59] 
THE  BOOK  OF

HOME   NURSING

  A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE
    TREATMENT OF SICKNESS
        IN THE HOME
/
              BY  '
              \
    FRANCES CAMPBELL
      (MRS. GEORGE E. CAMPBELL)
GRADUATE OK HOSPITAL OK ST. BARNABAS, NEWARK, N. J.

         THE N^TaCADEMY
            OF  MEDICINE

             SEP 1 'I  1917
              ioqi<f^

           NEW^TORK    r  "
  E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
         681 Fikth Avenue
             1917
U J 
       Copyright, 1917
             BY
E. P.  DUTTON &  COMPANY
Printed in the United States of America 
            Go
         G. E. C.
      AND IN MEMORY OF
 ISABEL GORDON CURTIS
at whose suggestion this book
        was written 
 
      A WORD WITH THE READER

  It is quite impossible to tell where one learns
everything, and in making this little book, I know
I have been more or less of a pirate.   No book
on  nursing could be entirely original, just  as no
arithmetic or grammar could be original.  Each
book tries to put the same facts in a simpler or
more interesting form.  Some of the ideas  are
my own, things I worked  out for myself while
nursing; some I received with my hospital train-
ing; some from friends who are hospital nurses
or superintendents, and many others from  books
written by doctors and nurses, who, like myself,
have tried to help a little  in this world where so
much help is needed.
  For  many helpful suggestions I wish to thank
Miss Amy Ames Bliss of the Henry Street Settle-
ment House, New York, and Miss Emma H. Mc-
Gall, superintendent of The Hospital of  St. Giles
for Cripples, Brooklyn.
                        Frances Campbell.
  Match 30,'1917.
Vll 
 
                CONTENTS
                                        PAGE
A Word witii the Nurse   .    .     .    •     i
General Care of the Patient  ...     8
The Sick-Room......25
Making the Patient's Bed                  32
Baths for the Sick.....44
The Tray.......56
Preparing the Patient for the Night    .   61
A Record for the Doctor .    .    .    .   65
The Medicine Closet                      74
How to Give an Enema and a Douche.    .   92
Poultices, Applications to Relieve Pain:
  Ointments and Liniments     ...   98
Children.......Io6
Special Cases and Contagious Diseases   .   120
A Stitch in Time.....J46
Before the Baby Comes   .    .    .    •   I51
Feet........J59
                      ix 
X
CONTENTS
The Fallen Arch
What to Give in Case of Poisoning
Home-made Articles  .
Nuisances .
Keeping Well   .
Diet for Children
What to Feed your Patient
Liquid Diet
Gruels
Soups Made with Milk
Light Diet .
A Few Helpful Recipes
Eggs ....
What to Do in Emergencies
Index ..... 
             ILLUSTRATIONS
                                       PACK
When your Patient can Eat from a Tray
  [Page 59].....Frontispiece
Combing the Hair in Bed  .    .     .    .16
Folding the Blankets in a Chair.  [Page 23]   16
To Make a High Bed.....33
Ready for the Patient    ....   34
Waiting for Breakfast.  [Page 176]  .    .   34
The Way to Roll a Blanket or Sheet    .   46
Make the Tray as  Attractive as Possible
  [Page 57].......46
Ready for the Bath.....48
With her Feet in the Bath Pan ...   48
Many Times the Bed must be Raised at the
  Foot.  [Page 127].....I03
Stupes on Back or Abdomen   .    .    .103
Paper Toys  Cut  from   Old Magazines
  [Page 116].......J44
The Croup Tent.....J44
Black Broadcloth Liberty Cape      .    .  154
                     xi 
xii
ILLUSTRATIONS
                                       PAGE
An Easy Way to Nurse the Baby    .    .   157
Wash the  Apple  before  you Give it to
  your Little Girl  .    .    .    •    •   T57
Home-made Bedpan.....I72
Home-made Ice Cap and Ring of Cotton   .   175
An Easy Way to Shade the Light.  [Page 17]   175
To Make a Knee Rest from a Box    .    .176
Cradle for Broken Leg       .    .    .176
Bandaging.....263, 264, 265 
THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING 
 
The  Book  of  Home  Nursing
       A WORD  WITH THE  NURSE

  A little girl came home from kindergarten one
day, chanting,
    "Politeness is to do and say,
      The kindest thing in the kindest way."
A parody on this for nurses might be,
    '' Nursing is to do each day,
      The kindest thing in the cleanest way."

  The kindest thing is not always the easiest thing
for either the patient or the nurse, but always the
best in the end.
  This book is not written for trained nurses or for
those who can send for a nurse whenever desired,
but for those, and there are many, who knowing
absolutely nothing about nursing still must care
for their sick and afflicted.  In many homes the
father of the family has only as much in a week for 
2    THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

all his expenses as it would take to pay a trained
nurse.
  Though my hospital days are far behind me and
I have been a  housekeeper for years, many times
I hurry out to answer some  agonized call on the
telephone.  One of my neighbors has burned her
arm or some child is to have adenoids removed and
the mother, losing the nerve which she so proudly
thought she possessed, just sends for me.  This is
not considered an  unusual service  in the village
where we have grown up together  and  where we
give our skill as gladly as we share the fruit and
flowers from our gardens.
  Sometimes a nurse who has been on duty for a
long time, without sleep, gets forty winks while I
watch her patient, or a baby is coming and the
nurse who has been engaged is not there to meet
him.  Will I not act as reception committee, until
she arrives?
  In many homes I have found absolutely no idea
of the simplest things to be done in sickness, and
they all say, "How do trained nurses make such
comfortable beds?"  "How  do you feed liquids
to a person who is flat on his back, without leaving
most of it on  the outside?"   Many ask, "What
shall I give him to eat?"  For in a  small  town 
A WORD WITH THE  NURSE
3
where there is  no nurses' register, and  where in
many cases a nurse could not be afforded, advice
is often sought.
  Very often all the nursing required is to give
medicine regularly, make the patient comfortable
in bed, and prepare food ordered by the doctor.
I cannot be too emphatic about obeying the doc-
tor's orders.  The best nurse is one who does not
try to diagnose cases and order medicine for her
patients, but  who  gives treatment, baths,  and
nourishment on time, keeps her patient comfort-
able and if possible happy.
  Because a woman has served a stated  time  in a
hospital, under a competent superintendent  and
many  doctors, because  she has  studied  books
written  for her instruction,  and put into practice,
day after day  in the wards of the hospital, the
theories  which she has  learned,  she  is called a
trained  nurse.  A trained  nurse never  takes the
place of a doctor  and does  not expect to diagnose
cases or recommend treatment, but many  times,
in cases  of  emergency,  she must be able  to act
promptly to save her patient's life.  She does not
do things because some of the neighbors advise it,
or because she has heard it is a good thing to do.
What she does is  done because she knows it is the 
4    THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

thing to do, is what the doctor would do if he were
present, and therefore because she is trained she is
allowed to use her  knowledge, sometimes called
using her judgment, and the greater her knowledge
or judgment and the quicker she acts  upon it the
more she is valued by the doctors who employ her.
Home nurses, not being trained, are not allowed this
latitude in judgment.  They must follow exactly
the orders of their doctor, and he will tell them what
emergencies may arise and also how to meet them.
  If food or  medicine is ordered for eight o'clock,
give it at that time, not before or after, unless
the doctor should say, '' If she is sleeping you need
not disturb her." Sometimes sleep is  better than
medicine, but the doctor must be the judge of that.
Then again the baths and the  care of  the patient
should be given as  regularly as  possible.  When
one is sick and weary, waiting for things is  very
hard, and no one but he who  has been sick in a
wrinkled bed and untidy night clothes knows the
perfect luxury of a bath, brushed  hair, and cool
smooth sheets  and pillow-cases.
  Prompt and cheerful service is  not only grateful
to the patient but  is  as good  as  medicine.  If
possible, one member of the family should be free
to care for the  patient and make his necessities her 
A  WORD  WITH THE NURSE
5
first  consideration.   Many times the  mother of
the house must be cook, housekeeper, and nurse as
well, and it is a strenuous task to perfonn the very
numerous duties of a house-mother, at the same
time keeping a convalescent child happy.  Every
mother  knows that  while she is not as worried
about her child during convalescence as when he is
very ill,  he is much harder to care for, to  keep
amused,  and covered in bed.
  The irritating things which occur in every house-
hold should be kept from the patient.  Do not tell
the sick  mother  that her favorite cup and saucer
are broken or that the baby across  the street has
died,  nor the father that the  kitchen  drain is
frozen up.  Try to manage the  uncomfortable
things without discussing them within the hearing
of the patient.  Things which he is not able to
help are doubly irritating, first, because of the
annoyance to the family and, second, because they
emphasize his helplessness.
  Never tell a patient how hard  it is to take care
of him and how  tired you get doing it.  This will
seem an unnecessary warning to people of  good
taste, but  I assure you it is done many  times
and  causes heartache and  depression to helpless
persons. 
6    THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

  Keep the air clean and fresh in the sick room.
Fresh air and sunshine are nurses in themselves.
Some diseases are cured by nothing but nourishing
food, fresh air, and sunshine.
  A thoughtful  nurse  watches her  patient  and
anticipates his wants.   Many people  will go with-
out a much-needed comfort rather than ask for it,
and, on the other hand, having someone at their
beck and call to run at their slightest wish makes
tyrants of others. The nurse will soon learn which
kind of  patient she has to deal with and govern
herself accordingly.
  One of the hardest things to guard against is the
friendly visit  of a relative or neighbor.   The doc-
tor  must be asked about the number and length
of visits the  patient may receive and  then his
orders must  be  religiously obeyed.  One visitor
at a time, unless in a  case of advance  convales-
cence, is all that a patient should have. When you
admit the guest to  your patient's room tell him
smilingly, "The doctor says you may  stay  ten
minutes."  In ten minutes take your courage in
hand, go back and tell him the time is  up.  Sad
to say some  people will be offended,  for  many
kindly intentioned friends are firm believers that
no matter how much other people might tire the 
       A WORD WITH THE NURSE      7

sick man, they could not possibly hurt him.  Such
ones must be handled with tact, but they must be
gotten out in some way.
  Do  not sit on the bed or let others do so.  It is
most  annoying  to the patient,  especially if she
have a headache or a broken bone.   I once heard
of a stout woman who sat on the side of the bed in
order  that she might better see the two-hour-old
baby.  Her weight was just a little more than the
bed could stand, so down they all went in a heap,
the stout woman, the mother, and the brand-new
baby.  Such things are trying to a woman whose
baby  is only two hours old.
  Trust your doctor.  If for any good reason you
cannot trust him, get  another.   The doctor, the
nurse, and the family must  work in harmony, and
the patient must be made to feel that everything
is being done for her wisely and well.  Remember
that a contented state of mind, pleasant surround-
ings,  a clean  comfortable  bed,  prompt cheerful
nursing, and proper food  are  the things which
 count full as much as medicine. Any doctor  will
 tell you this. 
   GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT

  Sometimes when there has been a horrible blun-
der,  we learn that the engineer was too tired,
because he had been taking care of a sick wife
during his hours for sleeping;  that  the  druggist
was over-worked when he gave the wrong powder,
or that the nurse who had been on duty  too long
had done some dreadful thing.
  The human body will not endure everything, and
in order to take care of others we must take care
of ourselves.
  A trained nurse was called for a sick child.  She
went on duty at ten A. M. and cared for her little
patient until ten the next morning,—twenty-four
hours.  He needed almost constant attention  and
she had no chance to rest.  The  second  morning
the mother came to the room dressed for the street
and announced that she was going shopping, asking
if  anything was needed from town.  The nurse
gave her the list of articles required and asked,
"Who will stay with the patient  while I sleep?"
                      8 
   GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT  9

The  mother was amazed and said, "Sleep!   Do
you have to sleep?  I thought you were a trained
nurse."
  Many people, sad to say, have the  same idea,
and  it is  necessary  at times for  the doctor  to
arrange rest hours for the nurse.   But home
nurses have to arrange this for themselves and
many times feel they are selfish if they take the
rest they really should have.  In order to take the
best care of your patient, you must also take good
care of yourself, eat your meals regularly, and eat
nourishing ones.  Do not feel time spent on your-
self is wasted.  If you must be up very much in the
night, have a warm drink and  something to eat.
Try to get out of doors every day if only for a few
minutes.  There is almost always someone who
can  watch your patient for a little while.  Take
your baths regularly and be careful to keep  your
bowels in  good order.  Irregular hours sometimes
upset regular habits.   If you find this to be the
case, eat  the  food which is directed for such an
emergency.  If this does not correct the trouble,
take a cathartic.  You owe it to both your patient
and yourself  to keep in  good  condition,  both
physically and mentally.   If you  must  sew or
mend for the family while  sitting  with  your 
10   THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

patient, pick out the easiest chair you can find.
Always rest as much as you can.  Tired people
are much more inclined to get sick than those who
are rested.   Keep your clothing as  clean and fresh
as possible.  It adds to your own self-respect and
makes  you  more attractive and therefore  more
soothing to your patient.
  Do not rock in a  squeaky chair.   It is best not
to rock at all, for such little things tire sick people.
If a blanket or quilt has stripes, ask the patient,
unless  you  know already, which way she prefers
to have the stripes run.   I  know a woman who is
a very sensible,  reasonable person in her normal
state and who was worried almost to tears because
a quilt was put over her with the stripes running
across  the bed.  She thought it too silly to speak
of and did not, which was the silliest thing of all,
for the nurse would have been more than glad to
arrange it in the other way had she only  known.
  With some  diseases the  room  must  be  cold,
having plenty  of fresh air even in the winter.  Be
careful about protecting yourself with extra cloth-
ing.  A shawl is a nuisance, for  it always dips
into things and slides off  one's shoulders. Wear a
knitted or a flannel  jacket or a sweater.   Be care-
ful at  night.  Have  slippers  and wrapper or 
   GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT n

kimono by your bed or cot so you may hop into
them at a moment's notice, for if you take cold
and are sick there will be two patients to care for,
and the last state of your family will be worse than
the first.
  If  you have time to sit down, don't spend that
time crotcheting lace or doing embroidery but put
your feet up on another chair, and if you do not
care  to read a good story, fold your hands in your
lap, relax your tired  muscles, and just rest.
  Attend to the necessities of your patient as early
in the morning as possible.  Take her a  basin of
warm water, soap, wash cloth and towel, and things
for cleaning her teeth.  If she is not too ill, she
will enjoy washing her face and hands and  clean-
ing her teeth herself. If you must do it for her,
do not wet her hair, get soap in her eyes, or rub her
nose up instead of down.  Some will laugh at these
directions and others do exactly these things if not
warned. If your  patient is  not  well enough to
brush her teeth, take a small strand of absorbent
cotton,  twist it around your index finger, dip the
finger in water, a mouth wash, or water to  which
a  little lemon and  glycerine has been added.
Clean the teeth with this, very gently, and do not
gag  her.  Clean back of the wisdom teeth, the 
12   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

gums, and the tongue, renewing  the  cotton  fre-
quently.   Let the  patient rinse her mouth with
water, holding a glass half full to her lips.  It  will
not spill down her chin and neck if the glass is not
full and is handled carefully.  Help the patient to
hold her head  by placing your hand  under  the
back of the neck.  Do not put your hand under
her head to raise it, as that tips it forward in an
uncomfortable position.   Put a basin close to her
cheek and turn her head gently so she may let the
water run in the basin.   Let her rinse her mouth
two or three times if she likes.
  During fevers the mouth often needs great care
and should be washed each time milk or nourish-
ment is given.  Wash with  cotton on the finger
as directed, and with tiny bits of absorbent cotton
wound on the end of toothpicks clean between the
teeth, taking great care  not to injure the gums.
In case this is necessary  the doctor will prescribe
a mouth wash.
  When  working  around the patient,  do not use
quick, jerky movements.  It  is  most trying to
tired  nerves.  Be  as  gentle and  as sympathetic
as possible.   If your hands are cold, hold them in
hot water a few minutes  before going to your
patient. 
   GENERAL CARE OF THE  PATIENT  13

  Never  put a cold bedpan under the patient's
back. Pour hot water over the pan and dry before
using.  When you  remove it, cover at once with
a cloth, kept for that purpose. The patient should
be bathed and dried carefully each time after using
the bedpan.
  One of the smallest but most bothersome things
which those in bed have to endure is a torturing
crumb.   Tiny bits of toast or bread become very
dry  or hard  and are as sharp as  needles and as
irritating as fleas.  The tray removed (which by
the way should be  done as soon as the patient has
finished eating), with a whisk broom  remove all
crumbs from the sheets.  Turn the patient on her
side, brush under  her back, then  turn her again
and  brush the other side of the bed.  Do not trust
all to the whisk broom, but put your hand under
the patient to be sure not  one crumb escapes you.
   Always keep the sheets pulled tightly across the
bed, as wrinkles are  most uncomfortable, and if
lain on for any length of time, will make tender or
sore places on  the flesh.   If your patient lies in
one  position for a long time watch carefully the
back, hips, heels, and elbows, especially the lower
part of the back, and rub them with alcohol, and
dust with talcum  powder every time you have  a 
14   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
chance.  Whatever happens, your patient  must
never have a bed sore.  If the skin looks red  or
for any reason you cannot keep your patient dry,
call the attention of the doctor  to this.   Do not
wait until  the  skin  is broken before telling the
doctor.   If you find a red place on the hip or back,
rub it well  with alcohol or with vinegar or water,
powder it and put a ring (made from cotton and a
bandage) under your patient, with the  red place
over the opening in the ring, until you have an
opportunity to show it  to the doctor.  A bed sore
or a burn is a very bad  thing for the patient in her
weakened condition  and also a disgrace to the
nurse who cares for her. Always  remember  that
your doctor is not a mind reader  and never feel
that anything is too trivial to tell  him.   Doctors
are more than  grateful for interested,  intelligent
cooperation and all are  anxious to avoid bed sores
and will help you with the ounce of prevention
which in this case is worth tons of cure.
  There are air cushions made of rubber which are
fine for placing under  the back and heels, but  if
they are not to be had, take  a roll of cotton and
make a ring, then wind with narrow strips of mus-
lin or cheesecloth (strips of an old  sheet will  do),
and place this  under the back.  It  may not be 
    GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT  15

comfortable very long but can be taken away and
tried again after a while.
  If your patient must lie on her back, place a
pillow under her knees.  This relieves  the strain
on the muscles and keeps her from sliding down in
bed. A small or thin pillow is a great  comfort if
placed between the knees when lying on the side.
This also relieves the muscles and prevents  the
skin of the knees from becoming sore.   The small
pillow can be used in numerous positions and is
a great  satisfaction to a sick-in-bed.   It can  be
placed under the aching back, the rheumatic arm,
or tucked up comfortably under the lame foot or
ankle.  By turning the patient on her  side, with
the pillow tucked snugly  at her back and another
between  her knees, she may forget her ills in a
refreshing sleep.
  Your patient may like a large pillow, and if your
pillows are small,  slide two into one pillow slip to
make a large one.  This is more satisfactory than
two pillows in separate cases,  one on top of  the
other, as they slide about and are annoying.
  When  preparing your patient  for a nap or for
the night, be sure  that the sheet and blanket come
high enough to cover her shoulders.  It is trying
to have a cold spot on one's shoulder and the bed 
16   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

clothing tucked in at the foot so tightly one cannot
pull it up.
  If your patient has long hair which snarls, put
a little olive oil or alcohol and water on the snarls
and then pick them out with, iyour fingers.  If
you have a rubber cloth, cover it with a towel and
put it over the pillow while doing this and thus
save soiling the bed.  If you have no rubber sheet,
use a  paper in its  place.  Wash  the  patient's
comb  and brush in  cold  water  and  ammonia.
Keep her hair neat, combing it each morning and
again at night, if you have time and she likes to
have it done.  Comb from  the bottom,  holding
the hair firmly in your left hand about six or eight
inches from the ends and not pulling on the scalp.
With the  other hand comb gently, removing the
snarls from the six or eight inches below the left
hand.   If the hair is held tightly it will not pull.
After the snarls are out of that part, move the left
hand up a few inches and comb as before.  Pick
out the snarls with your fingers and do not break
the hair.   If your patient is very ill and tires easily,
comb only one side of her hair at a time.  If at
the beginning of her illness her hair is parted in the
back and braided in two braids you will have little
trouble with snarls.  A heavy wash cloth, wet in 
Begin to Comb at the End of the Hair and Work
   toward the Head.  Hold the Hair Tightly
        between the head and the comb
Fold the Corners of the Blanket, which are over the
    Arms of the Chair, around her Legs; Fold  the
      Corner on the Floor up over her Feet and
        you have her in a Blanket Envelope
                                           [Page 23] 
 
    GENERAL CARE  OF THE PATIENT  17

alcohol and water and wrung tightly is very good
for cleaning the hair and scalp and is refreshing.
  Sometimes an otherwise clean sheet will have a
soiled spot on it.  Wash out the spot;  dry, air,
and put away until you need another drawsheet.
Never cover up a spot.
  The bed must  stand  where the light will not
shine in the patient's eyes, for the eyes are weak
as well as other parts of the body.  A lamp shade
must be used at night.   A tiny lamp gives light
enough, or if a light is not needed  all the time, a
candle will do, and  is much better than a large
lamp turned down or shaded,  for that spoils the
air and as the polite old lady said,  "Makes a dis-
agreeable effluvia."
   If all your pillows are in use and  you have none
to spare to put under your patient's  knees, roll a
comfortable and slide it  into a pillow-case or make
a homemade knee rest.
   A relapse is usually caused by too  much food,
the wrong kind of food, an attempt to get up be-
fore the patient is strong enough, or by too many
visitors.
   Have an extra blanket or quilt to put over your
patient toward morning, as her vitality is lower at
that time and she will be cold, with the covering
     a 
18   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

which would keep her comfortable during the day
or early part of the night.
  If your patient is sick in hot weather you will
have to do many things to keep her cool.   A wet
sheet hung in a window or outer door cools the air.
If you have a water system, fasten the hose so that
the water  may  fall  in  front of your patient's
window.   Placing cloths  wrung out of cold water
on  her head  will be  refreshing.  Rub  the back
gently with alcohol and dust with talcum powder.
Keep wrinkles out of the nightdress and turn the
pillows often.  Move  the patient from one side
of the bed to the other, for in very hot weather she
will feel as if she were lying on a mustard plaster.
  If for any reason you cannot keep the bed dry,
rub the lower part of your patient's back with olive
oil or mutton tallow.  Tell the doctor about it, as
this will cause  a  bed sore  if  not looked after
promptly.  If  for any reason your patient cannot
have cold water to drink, bathing  her face and
hands with cold water will be appreciated.   A cold
wet cloth over her forehead and aching eyes  is
comforting. When you do this, put a towel over
the pillow to keep it quite dry.
  Sometimes your patient is not able to pass urine.
Try pouring water from one pitcher to another so 
    GENERAL CARE  OF THE PATIENT  19

she may hear it.  Let a faucet run where she can
hear it.  If that does not work satisfactorily, try
pouring warm water gently over the lower part of
the abdomen.  If none of these things bring about
the desired result, the doctor must be told at once,
as it is a very bad thing for a patient to go too long
without voiding urine.  It is very important that
this should be done regularly.  Passing a catheter
is something which should never  be  done by a
person who has not been taught to 'use it.  If your
doctor wants you to  do this,  he will teach you.
Great harm can result when it is not done carefully
and cleanly, in the way that doctors call surgically
clean.
   A helpless patient has to be moved often.  If
you will try lying in one position you will see how
very quickly you are tired.  Lying in one position
is a very easy way to start a bed sore.  The pillows
should  be removed often, shaken, and put back
under  the head the other side up.   Do not try to
hold your patient up with one hand and shake the
pillow with the other.  It jars the patient and you
cannot make the pillow even and smooth. Put your
arm under her neck and shoulder, lift slowly and
gently, and with the other hand draw out the pil-
low; lower her carefully, and then, standing away 
20   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

from the bed, shake the pillow thoroughly, smooth
it, and lay on the bed near your patient's head.
Then lifting your patient as before, slide the pillow
under her head. If you have them, use two pillows,
then when you remove a pillow, slide in the fresh
one which you have put within reach before lifting
your patient.  In this way  the  patient need  be
lifted but once.  One pillow should be airing while
the other is in use.
  If the patient slides down  in bed, which by the
way does not mean that she is going to die, even
if the neighbors do think so, place your arm under
her shoulder and, with her knees drawn up, place
the other arm under her thighs, then  ask your
patient  to press on her heels.  Her little bit of
strength combined with a very little of yours will
raise her up where you want her.  If she is weak or
heavy, you may have to do this two or three times
as she will move very little at a time.
  Turn your patient on her  side  (unless she must
not be moved).   This rests her.  Reaching over
your  patient  place  your hand  well under  her
shoulder, the one farthest from you, and the other
hand under her hip, and draw gently towards you.
This will turn her on her side.  If she is then too
near the edge of the bed, go to the other side of the 
    GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT 21

bed so you will be facing her back, and placing your
hand  under her shoulder,  draw gently towards
you, then place both hands under her hip and draw
towards you.  Place a pillow along her back tuck-
ing it well in at the lower edge, so that she may not
roll back in an uncomfortable position.  Draw up
the knees and place a small pillow between them.
If you have no small pillow, a larger one will not
be uncomfortable.   But if your patient lies on her
side very much, she must have something  to pre-
vent irritating the  skin on her knees.  You can
make a pad of cotton and a soft piece of muslin.
   You may need the help of another person if your
patient is very weak and cannot help  herself.  If
so, do not discuss the patient or any  other thing
while you are caring for her.  Be as quiet and
gentle as possible.  Give all needed directions to
your  helper  before she  comes into  the  room.
Avoid quick movements, noises, and above all, do
not argue about the method of procedure.
   Do  not  allow any  one  in the room who is not
helping to do something for the patient.   Do not
 let them stand by the door or talk in the hall or
 next room.  When one is very ill it is no  time to
 satisfy morbid curiosity, and any one  not  directly
 connected with the care of the patient is an  in- 
22   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

truder.  If your  friends  come in to visit your
patient  let them read this  book while you  are
doing something for  her, and  then  they will see
that not someone else, but  they themselves  are
the ones I am warning you about.
  When feeding  a weak patient, do  it slowly,
never be impatient and do not look cross if  she
spills things.  Nine times out  of  ten she will be
more sorry to make trouble than you are to remedy
it.  Very  sick  people should be  treated not  like
grown-up  members of society but like  little chil-
dren.  This  does  not mean to talk  baby talk to
them or pat  them on the back or  the head as the
unprofessional bewhiskered doctors in the moving
pictures always do, but just be gentle, kind, and
considerate in both movement and speech.
  When your patient is ready to sit up, do  not
tire her with  preparations  for it.  Put on  her
stockings  or, if it is  a man,  put her stockings on
him.  A woman's stockings are much longer, cover
the knees, and  are easier to put  on than under-
clothes.   Put on her  slippers,  draw a large high-
backed  rocking chair to the head  of the bed,  put
books or blocks under the rockers so it cannot slide
or rock, put a blanket or comfortable over  the
chair  cornerways, then with your patient's arms 
   GENERAL CARE OF THE PATIENT  23

around your neck and with your hands under her
arms, let her slide to the chair.  A stool will be
needed if the bed is high. Fold the corners of the
blanket, which hang over the chair arms, around her
legs: the corner on the floor, fold up over her feet
and pin with a large safety pin.  Put a  shawl or
jacket around her  shoulders  and  you  have her
snug  and warm  in a blanket envelope.   Take
away the blocks under the rockers and slowly draw
your  patient to  another room, if possible; if not
then  to the  window.  Put a low  chair or stool
under her feet and, if she wants it,  a pillow at her
back.  If you have been able to take your patient
to the next  room, open the windows in your sick
room and take the bed to pieces at once.  Shake
the  blanket and  sheet,  turn the mattress, and
remake the  bed, for your patient may be tired in a
very few minutes and it must be ready the second
she wants to go back.  More harm than  good will
be done if she is over-tired.  If your patient must
sit in her room, take the sheets and blanket out of
doors and shake them, turn  the  mattress, and
make the bed.
   If there is a comfortable cot or couch in the next
room or even in her own room, it will be a pleasant
 change to use it part of the time, as soon as she is 
24   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

well enough.  This should be made like a bed, with
sheets and pillows.  The bed will be a haven of rest
and not a place of torment when she goes back, and
if given a warm  drink and a hot-water  bag or
blanket for her feet, if needed, she will then have
a nap.  The first excursion in the  rocking chair
should not last over half an hour and  may not be
longer than ten minutes.   Do not urge the patient
to sit up, after she wants to go back in bed.   Have
the bed ready and advise going back before she is
too tired.
  When your patient is convalescing,  she will  no
doubt enjoy having someone read to her.  If you
have a friend or neighbor who can do this it will
give you time for other things.  Be sure that she
reads cheerful stories and does not tell  news which
would make the patient nervous or distressed. 
THE SICK  ROOM
  The room chosen for the patient should always
be as far away from the working part of the house
as possible, in order that she may not be tired by
unavoidable noises, the conversation of the family,
or annoyed by smells of cooking.   A sunny room
is best,  for the curtain can be drawn or the light
shaded if it is too bright, while a room in which the
sun never shines  is not as healthful and is de-
pressing.  Do not put your patient in a small room
unless absolutely  necessary.  If you have a large
room, put your patient there, even to desecrating
that holy of holies, the farmhouse or village parlor.
As a rule in farmhouses and in many village houses
as well, there is a bedroom opening into the parlor,
known as the parlor bedroom, usually with one
window, while in  the parlor  are always two win-
dows, usually three, and sometimes four, besides an
outside door.  When a long  illness is expected as
in typhoid fever, or when a baby  is coming, pack
away the family photographs, the crayon portraits,
                      25 
26    THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

the center table, and always the carpet.  Place a
single bed well in  the center of the room where
the light will not shine in your patient's  eyes.
Have a table near the head of the bed and another
for the books and sewing, which the nurse will use.
The mother of the house will not be worried about
her cherished possessions if they are safely put
away, and if not in pain, will enjoy spending days
in her parlor, which, if she is a farmer lady, will be
an unusual experience.  This room is not near the
kitchen and will be more quiet; will save much
running up and down stairs, which always has to
be done if there is no bathroom.  She will be able
to have light, air, and quiet, three things which will
aid her recovery.
  There should be  no heavy curtains or hangings.
If anything is desired besides the shade, let  it be
muslin or net curtains which can be laundered.
Have as little as possible to keep dusted and still
have the room livable.  A bare floor is best, with
cotton rugs which can be washed after the patient
is well, and during her sickness can be taken out of
doors, shaken, and aired.
  Do not sweep the bare floor but clean it with one
of the many dustless mops.  A piece of soft cloth,
outing flannel, or old blanket put over the broom, 
              THE SICK ROOM            27

will do nicely.  When cleaning the room, do not
hit the bed or move it without telling the patient
you are going to do  so.  Do not make any un-
avoidable noise or stir.  If the carpet sweeper
squeaks, oil it, and do not hit the bed or furniture
with it.  Also oil the noisy door hinge.   If the
shutter  rattles in the wind, fasten it, or if the
window rattles, put a folded card or piece of wood
between  the sash.  Do  not let the family slam
doors.
   The windows should be open all the time unless
the patient is being bathed or is uncovered.  In
cold weather  a  good  way is to raise the window
about six inches and place a board across the open-
ing.   The air will enter between the two sashes
of the window and cannot blow directly upon your
patient.  You can get a little fresh air  by  raising
the sash until the bottom edge is level with the
window  sill.  If the bed stands where  the  air
strikes your patient and you have no screen, an
umbrella or parasol makes a good screen and, in
case of a sick child,  a diversion, for all children
love to play under an umbrella.   A window screen
covered with cheesecloth or a piece of cheesecloth
tacked on the outside of  the  window  keeps out
dust, soot, or  smoke and lets in fresh air. 
28    THE BOOK OF  HOME  NURSING

  Cold air is not always fresh air, and because a
room is cold it is no sign that  it does not need
airing.
  If possible do not use a polished table at the
bedside.   If there is no other one  which can be
used for this purpose, cover the polished one with
several layers of paper,  then with smooth boards
the size of the table, or with window glass.  If you
cannot get boards or glass use cardboard (a suit
or  dress box  unfolded  will  answer),  then  over
this put a clean towel or  white table-cover.  When
your patient is better she  will not spend her con-
valescence  bemoaning the marks  and mars  on
her pretty table,  made  by medicine, hot dishes,
wet clothes, or a hot-water bag which you laid down
in a hurry, or a piece of soap which slipped  from
your hand.  Everything in the room should be as
good as when you begin and will be if you use a
little forethought and care.
  Save all paper bags from the grocery for refuse
matter from the sick room, soiled absorbent cotton,
pads,  and dressings, pieces of cloth which have
been used by a patient  having a cough.  This is
much better than using a sputum cup, for the little
pieces of cloth may be put in a bag which is always
near the patient and in which they may be burned. 
THE SICK ROOM
29
This saves cleaning the cup which is disagreeable
and a waste of time, and protects other members
of the family from  any germs which the sputum
might contain.   A  paper flour-sack is useful for
carrying away the soiled  bed linen and patient's
clothes.  It is much better than for the nurse to
gather them up in her arms and whisk them down-
stairs through hall, dining-room,  and kitchen, to
the laundry or out of doors.
  In case  of badly soiled linen, put it in the flour
sack, open the window, and drop it into the yard,
then carry it to the tub.  This, of course, could
not be done in the city, but many sick people live
in the country where the earth under their windows
belongs to them.
  Would you have a rattlesnake in your sick room ?
Decidedly not.   Then why  have  a fly?  Flies
cause more deaths every year than rattlesnakes.
He is an annoying thing,  walking with his tickling
feet over your hands and face and giving you a nip
if you are off your  guard.  He  is a nasty thing
besides, carrying hundreds of disease germs on his
feet from the last  manure pile, garbage  can, or
dead thing which he walked over, and if you have
typhoid or any other  thing which  he  can carry,
he will hurry away with it to your neighbors as 
30   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

fast as his wings can fly with him.   So swat the
fly.  Don't just drive him out.  If one is smart
enough to slip in to your sick room you be smart
enough not  to let him  slip out again.  With a
folded paper, a sticky fly paper, or a wire swatter,
finish his  murderous  career and then  inter his
mangled remains in the paper bag with the other
refuse of the room to be cremated later and thus
end that fly.
  Sometimes the nurse must do the family mend-
ing or stocking darning, while sitting with  her
patient.  The  nurse should give herself all  the
rest and comfort possible whenever she can and
should sit in an easy chair when she is able to sit
at all; but do  not rock and let your heels hit the
floor, do not drum with your fingers on the table
or the arm of  the chair, do not hum under your
breath.  A  good  hearty song  is  much better.
Do not walk  on  your toes or whisper, just go
about in a  natural way unless the patient be
asleep, then keep  the  entire family quiet.   Keep
the medicines in  another  room and where  the
children cannot get at  them.
  Do not have too many strongly scented flowers
in the room at once.  Hyacinths, syringas, lilies,
sweet peas, etc., which are so delightful out of doors, 
THE SICK ROOM           31
are sometimes strong in the house and quite out
of the  question in a sick room.  If your patient
has many gifts of these, bring  in one  vase at a
time.   When you leave the room for something
else take a vase out with you and bring back an-
other.  The patient will be pleased by the variety
and  your thoughtfulness.  It  takes very little
to entertain when  the horizon is  limited.  All
flowers should be taken from the room at night
and put in a cool place and should be sorted,  re-
arranged, and given fresh water before they are
again taken to the sick room. 
      MAKING THE PATIENT'S BED

  The bed in your patient's room should be a
single iron one.  Every house should have such a
bed.  It  could  be  used in a small bedroom, or
for  a child if an extra one for sickness cannot be
afforded.   Then when an  emergency arises some
other provision can be made for the usual occupant.
If you live in the country or village and are not
able to buy one in a hurry you will no doubt be
able to borrow  one  from some of your friends, if
your illness  is not contagious but is  a maternity
case or broken leg, for instance.   I am not certain
of city people.  They as a rule are not  on bed-
borrowing terms with their neighbors,  but such
friendliness  is not  as much  needed in  the city
where  there are large clean hospitals, with wide
welcoming doors always open  to  receive  emer-
gencies and those who cannot be well cared for
at home.
  Have a high  bed.  You will find the high bed
is much  easier, saving yourself many backaches,
                      32 
 
The Box Securely Tied to
        the Bed
Place the Springs  on the
  Boxes and you have a
        High Bed 
MAKING  THE PATIENT'S BED    33
and the doctor will rise up and call you blessed.
The patient is just as  comfortable, for when she
is  convalescent she can use a stool, hassock, or
box for getting out and in bed.   Any  one who
has visited  a hospital will remember  the  high
beds.   People will  always  ask  about them and
are much interested when  told that  there is the
same  difficulty in working over a low  bed that
there is in working over a low kitchen table.  With
the low bed the tiresome bend of the back becomes
agony long  before  the patient is bathed and in
order for the day.   Make a high bed this  way:
Take two strong boards which will reach across
the frame of the  bed.  To each end  of these
nail firmly a box about twelve inches high.   Soap
boxes do nicely.   Place one board at the head and
the other at the  foot  of the bed with the boxes
on top.   Bore holes  through the  box corners
which come next the posts of the bed, run through
these a piece of clothes line and tie firmly to the
posts.  Lay the springs on the boxes, and over the
springs spread a  sheet, then put the mattress in
place  and make  the  bed. The  sheet  over the
springs covers  the boxes,  and  when the bed is
made it looks like a hospital bed and as inviting
as the bed in the picture "Ready for the Patient."
     3 
34   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

  Many people recommend placing blocks under
the legs of the bed to raise it, but if this is done the
bed cannot be moved.  It is sometimes  necessary
to raise the bed at the foot in case of hemorrhage
after childbirth or an operation.  It is  very nice
to be able to move the bed on the casters when
cleaning, if the room is  small or, as the  patient
begins to sit up in bed, it makes life much more in-
teresting if she can be wheeled over by the window
for a little while each day.   None of these things
could be done if the casters were off and the legs
of the bed on blocks.
  I do not know if all the feather beds have yet
been made into pillows, but  I hope so.  They
must not be used on a sick bed, even if dear to the
heart of the patient.   They cause bed sores, can-
not  be  cleaned or  aired,  hold  dampness and
smells, and are altogether an abomination.  If you
have a patient who has used feathers try in every
diplomatic way  you can think of to get her to
abandon them.  It is hard for very old  people to
change their ways, but it is the feeling of being
snug and warm which  they like.  If  you put  a
thick comfortable or two over the mattress, with
a quilted pad or a  cheesecloth and  cotton  one
under the sheet, I think you will be able to manage 
Ready for the Patient
Waiting for Breakfast
[Page 176] 
 
      MAKING THE  PATIENT'S BED __  35

without hard feelings either  of the body or the
mind.  Try to arrange the bed without argument
or friction with your patient.   The smartest nurse
is  one who does the best thing and has her own
way without the patient being conscious of it.
   Put the comfortables on the bed, leaving room
at the top to tuck them in tightly. They can be
pulled at the foot and from each side to take
out the  wrinkles.  This will keep the bed  soft
and warm for old  bodies who love feathers.   If
they are cold, wrap the legs  and  feet in a flannel
blanket.   Never put  anything in the  bed which
cannot be aired and  laundered.  If there has  to
be an argument about  the feathers do not preen
yourself and be irritating because  you have gained
your  point.  Such  little things hurt the  feelings
of sick  or old  people.   Let  loving kindness and
forbearance be  your  motto  and  always be very
careful to do exactly as you would be done by.
   Always have a protecting pad of some kind over
the mattress, either in sickness or in health.   It
keeps  your bed clean.  The mattress will look
new a long time, and in case of accident the pad
is easily washed.
   When making the  bed for a sick person after
the springs are raised  to the desired height and the 
36   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

mattress is  in  place, put on  the pad  or quilt,
leaving enough at the head to tuck firmly under the
mattress.  Bed  clothing  under  a  sick  person
always crawls up, not down, and if the mattress
cover and undersheet are firmly anchored at the
head they can be pulled  from  the foot and sides,
keeping the  bed without wrinkles.
  Over the mattress  cover, put the bottom sheet,
tucking in firmly at the top  (if the sheet must be
short anywhere, let it be at the foot). Tuck the
sheet in on  the side, not in a roll, but  put  it as
far under the mattress as  it  will  go.   This will
hold it in place.  Then go to the other side of the
bed  and pull the sheet tightly  across, tucking
under the mattress as you pull.  Take pains with
the corners, making  them like neatly done pack-
ages.  Pull the sheet at the bottom to remove any
wrinkles; also the pad underneath.
  Nurses at one time were  told to pin  sheets or
bed clothing in place, but that is an old  idea in
these days  and is not now considered  necessary
if the bed is well made.   It is not soothing for the
sick housekeeper to  hear her good sheets  tearing
three-cornered holes  in themselves every time she
turns over in bed, and no  matter how kind her
nurse has been, there will be  a little hard feeling 
      MAKING THE PATIENT'S BED    37

in the housekeeper's heart every time she mends
or sees these ugly three-cornered tears.
  Do not feel that because you have a narrow bed
you  must have narrow  sheets.   The wide ones
stay in  place much better.  If you have narrow
sheets and wish to use them they make splendid
drawsheets and can be used for a top sheet,  and
then if  wrinkled but not soiled,  for drawsheets.
Always  have a wide sheet for the bottom  one if
possible.  If your patient is very ill, staying in
bed  all  the  time and therefore  using a bedpan,
a sheet  called a drawsheet in the hospital will be
necessary.   Get, if  you  can,  a piece of  rubber
cloth, one yard wide and a  couple of yards long.
Place this across the bed  where the  patient's
hips will come.   If a rubber  cloth is not  to be
had, a table oilcloth may be used.  This  is  not
as soft  but  will protect  the bed.  Several large
newspapers  with a layer  of  cotton basted  on top
will  do for  an  emergency.  The  rubber cloth
must be washed if soiled. The paper and cotton
pad  burned.  Never  have  a disagreeable  odor
about  your patient's  bed.  Over  the  rubber
sheet put  the narrow sheet or a wide sheet folded
hem to  hem, the hems toward the foot of the bed.
Tuck under the mattress as  far as you can on one 
38   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

side, then go to the other side of the bed and
pull  both rubber sheet and drawsheet tight and
smooth, tucking them under the mattress firmly.
  The  top sheet is put  on  wrong  side up, the
wide hem at the top.   Tuck it in enough  at the
foot to keep it from pulling up, leaving it as long
as you can at  the head.  Then over this put the
blankets  or  quilt.  Blankets   are  better  than
quilts for they give more warmth in  proportion
to their weight and can  be more easily washed.
Tuck these in at the foot, making them  six or
eight  inches  shorter  than  the sheet.  If  you
have a thin dimity counterpane it may be used,
but never a heavy one.  Use a sheet in place of a
counterpane making  it  come  as high as the
blankets, then fold the top edge of the upper sheet
back over  the blankets and  sheet-counterpane.
This brings the hem  right side out,  keeps the
blankets  from being soiled by  food or medicine
and the irritating flannel from touching  the face
or hands.  The  white  covering gives  the  bed a
neat appearance. Have  as many  pillows,  large
and small, as you can get.  They help so  much in
changing  the  position  of the  patient.   These
should be aired on the line or  put on  the  piazza
each morning when the patient is having her bath. 
      MAKING THE PATIENT'S BED    39

Two light blankets are always warmer than one
heavy  one.   Blankets  come  in  pairs  and some
people seem to have a horror of cutting them in
two.  They are very hard to use this way, heavy
to wash and handle, and do not go on the bed as well
as when cut.   It would be about as sensible to say,
"I will not cut my dish towels in yard lengths;
they might be more convenient that  way but they
come from the store in one piece."  The edge of
the blankets can be finished with a binding which
comes for that purpose and can be  found at  the
notion counter  in  any  department  store.  A
ribbon can be used or, cheapest of all, the edge can
be buttonholed or crocheted with yarn to match
the color of the stripe of the blanket.
  The method  of  changing the bed with  the
patient in it  is told in Baths for the Sick  (page
44)-
  Do not keep your patient too  warm.  On  the
other  hand,  do not leave arms, shoulders, and
chest out in the air.  When your patient is lying
on  her side, see that her back and  shoulders are
covered.   If  your  blanket  and  sheets are  not
long enough to cover her nicely, use a little extra
blanket or knitted shawl.   This is liked very much
if thrown across  the  chest when  lying on  the 
40   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

back.  The  hands and arms have more freedom
than when they must be under the bedclothes to
keep warm.   A knitted jacket or kimono, put on
back to front, is  nice if  your patient sits up  in
bed, or reads.  The room can be kept cooler with
this simple arrangement and the patient will not
mind the cool fresh air.   You can also put your
top blanket  a little higher than the bottom one.
If this becomes pulled up too high, the fact of its
being on top makes it very easy to readjust.
  If you have a  limited supply of pillow-cases,
use the fresh one each time for the pillow under the
patient's  head.  Use  the wrinkled ones for the
pillows to be placed under the knees and back.
  Change  the sheets each morning.  They may
not be soiled, but  if hung out of doors, well aired,
and  folded and  used to change  with  the next
day it will be almost as  refreshing as if perfectly
clean ones were used, and  when  the amount  of
laundry is  an important item, this plan works
very well.  If the top hem of the sheet is wrinkled,
turn the bottom hem to the top.
  A  comfortable bed has much to do with your
patient's peace of  mind and body.
  When a patient is  very ill and not able to lift
herself  at  all, you will need the help of another 
      MAKING THE  PATIENT'S  BED    41

person  when  changing  sheets  or moving  her.
Change the sheet from the^top to the bottom.
  Roll  loosely a clean  sheet, beginning  at the
narrow or bottom hem and roll to within three feet
of the wide hem.  Remove the pillows and gently
pull the sheet from under the mattress all around
the bed.  Roll the sheet which is on  the  bed to-
ward your patient's  head,  then laying the roll
of the clean sheet close beside the roll of the soiled
one tuck the top of the clean one under the mat-
tress, so it will not be pulled  out as you  draw it
down  under  your patient.  Lift  the patient's
head and shoulders on  your hand and arm, her
head on your arm and  your hand under her far
shoulder.  Your assistant will then quickly but
gently roll the soiled sheet and unroll the  clean
one,  keeping  the rolls  side by  side.  You and
your assistant will stand on opposite  sides of the
bed and lift  the patient  by putting  your hands
under her, rolling one  sheet and unrolling the
other until you have the soiled one  off and the
clean one in  place.  Trained nurses sometimes
prefer folding the sheet  in folds  four or six inches
wide, one fold on top of the other like accordion
pleating, but  many people are not accustomed  to
handle sheets as often  or as deftly as  a  trained 
42   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

nurse and rolled  sheets will  be easier for the
amateur.  You can try both ways and use which-
ever suits you best, but do not practice on a help-
less patient.
  A clean draw sheet can be rolled  and put in
place in the  same way only  from side to side.
Pull out the ends of the soiled drawsheet.  If the
nightdress is soiled, change it  and keep  the fresh
one up and away from the soiled sheet.  Tuck the
clean end of  the soiled  drawsheet  under  the
patient.   Bathe the patient and dry  carefully.
If the rubber  sheet is  soiled, wash  it  and dry
thoroughly, then  put  the  clean drawsheet  in
place and with your helper work the two  sheets
under the patient, working slowly and gently.
  The nightdresses or nightshirt for very ill and
helpless patients  should be cut down  the  front
and put on front side to the back.   Keep a pad
under the patient's hips, as this will save changing
the drawsheet so often and will also save laundry.
Make the pads of newspapers with a thick layer
of pbsorbent cotton on top and a piece of old
muslin  or cheesecloth basted over  the  cotton.
When the bowels move without warning the use
of these pads will save the strength of the patient
who is very weak and should  not  be moved. 
MAKING THE PATIENT'S BED
These pads should be burned at once when they
are soiled, and a number kept on  hand,  for
when  one  is needed there will not be  time to
make it. 
BATHS FOR THE  SICK
  The surface of the body is covered with little
openings,  and  through  these  openings  waste
material is thrown off.  We all know how disagree-
able a well person is, if he does not bathe,  and it is
not the dirt  which he has  collected  in  shop or
garden which makes  us like  to keep between him
and the wind, but the refuse matter  which has
been discarded by his own body and to which he
lovingly clings.
  There is  the oily matter which keeps  the skin
in a healthy condition and little particles of skin
which are always dying and always being removed.
The tiny sweat tubes carry off the waste  water in
the system and leave discarded, ill-smelling mate-
rial on the skin.   Even  a well person  is much
healthier and far more agreeable if he  takes many
baths.
  A sick person staying in bed all day needs bath-
ing as much as, if not more than, a well person, who
is up and working and getting plenty  of fresh air.
                      44 
BATHS FOR THE  SICK
A good bath is a tonic.  It is stimulating and
refreshing.  I once knew a woman who objected
to having a bath, saying she had been in bed for
a week and therefore had no chance to get dirty.
It was hard to convince her that the dirt I wanted
to remove was that which came from her  own
body, and not  from other sources.  She was so
much more comfortable after it  was  over  that
there was no objection to the second bath.
  Do not try to bathe your patient in  a china
bowl.  The water becomes soapy and cold quickly.
If you cannot have a tin foot-tub, use a new dish
pan.  One can  usually be bought at  the ten-cent
store; not very good tin, to be sure, but good enough
for your  purpose.  You can then have a quantity
of hot water, and the tin tub or pan with handles is
easier to  carry.  Some people may object to being
bathed in a dish  pan  but it holds the water just
as well and the difference is only  in shape.   Just
tell your  patient it is a new fashion in  tubs.
  When  it is time for your patient's  bath (which
should be given every morning, not  sooner than
one  hour after  she has had her breakfast)  carry
everything you will need to  her  room, with the
exception of  the  hot  water,  before getting your
patient ready.  A tray or common market basket 
46   THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING
will  save many  steps.  In  the market basket
have two towels, a soft one for the face and ears,
and a bath  towel, two wash cloths, a face cloth
and a crash one for  the  body, a piece of soap
(Ivory is better than cheap  scented  kinds), a
whisk broom for brushing the sheets, a bottle of
alcohol,  a tin of talcum powder, comb and brush,
scissors and  nail file, and, if you like, a bottle of
toilet water. Every little dainty thing which is
done for your patient  adds to the general feeling
of comfort and  contentment, and sometimes a few
drops of lavender water  makes a  plain  bath a
luxurious performance.  Place a table or  chair
near the bed to  hold your bath pan,  get clean
sheets and  pillow-cases, if they are needed, and
fresh nightdress; put  these to air.   Then get  the
patient ready.  Roll a blanket; begin at the edge
and  roll toward  the center with  the roll going
lengthwise  of the blanket, roll until half of  the
blanket  is  left, then  with  your patient on  her
side, lay the roll tightly along her back.  Turn
the patient  on  her  other side and this will bring
her over on  the blanket.   Then unroll the blanket
and cover the patient.  With your patient on her
back and well covered,  remove the nightdress.
Pull it  up  from  the bottom, the patient lifting 
Make the Tray as Attractive as Possible
[Page
The Way to Roll a Blanket or Sheet 
 
BATHS FOR THE  SICK
herself by pressing on her heels; work it up until
you have the hem of the nightdress under her
neck,  then pull  if off  over her head, one sleeve
at a time, covering with the  blanket as you un-
cover with the nightdress.   Leave your patient
tucked snugly in the blanket while you go for the
hot water.   Start with a small amount  of warm
water for face and ears—then add a little from time
to time from a pail or pitcher of hot water which
you brought in with the tub.  Bathe a small space
and dry  well before  bathing more—an  arm at
a time, then the chest, abdomen, back, and legs.
Dry carefully.  When you come to the feet, have
the water warm and plenty of  it.   Put the bath
pan on the bed so the patient may be able to put
her feet in it. There  are two great things in the
world, being in love is one, and the sick person who
is able to put her feet in the water can tell you
what  the other is.  If you doubt me, try it on
someone who has been in bed for days without a
bath.
  Wipe dry between the toes and, if needed, cut
the nails  and file sharp edges.   Dust with talcum
powder under the  arms, between the thighs and
toes, and under  the knees.  It is also refreshing
to have an alcohol rub, but if there is not time, 
48   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

leave this until  the  patient is prepared for  the
night.
  After the bath is  finished,  turn  your patient
on one side.   If the sheets need  to be changed,
do it at  this time.   Roll  the  soiled sheets close
to the patient, then  roll the clean  ones and  put
in place  as you did  the bath  blanket  when  you
began  the bath.  Turn your  patient  and  you
have her lying on the clean sheets with the soiled
ones behind her.  These can  easily be removed
and  the fresh ones tucked in.  Always be careful
to get the sheet where it must stay; enough to tuck
in at the  top and not too much at either side.   Lay
a  blanket  over  your  patient,  then remove  the
bath blanket and put on a clean nightgown. This
does not leave your patient uncovered or exposed
to cold  at  any time.  Then  over  this blanket
spread a sheet and another blanket, and pull out
the  blanket next the patient,  which can be  put
on  top.   Finish making the  bed as directed,
making  everything  under the patient  absolutely
without  wrinkles and everything on top straight
and trim.  Take an artistic pride in making the
bed look well.
   If the patient is very ill, and cannot be turned,
place a  bath towel  or small  blanket  under the 
Ready for the Bath
With her Feet in the Bath Pan 
 
BATHS FOR THE SICK
parts to be bathed and with another blanket over
her,  bathe carefully.   Do  not wet  the  bed or
nightclothes.  Never  have  wet  spots on the
sheets or nightgown.   Dry the creases well and
use powder.  Dry by laying  a towel over the
patient  and rubbing on  towel, not rubbing the
towel on the patient, in that way irritating  tender
skin.
  After  the  patient  is  comfortable  and tidy,
remove  the things you  used  for  the bath.  If
the sheets are not soiled, hang them out  in the
sun and wind; then fold them nicely and they can
be put back the next  day and will feel fresh and
sweet.   It  is more comforting to your  patient
to change the sheets this  way than to leave them
on until they are actually soiled.  When bathing
your patient do not wet the bath blanket. Wash the
wash-cloths and dry  out of doors, also dry the
bath blanket if it is damp and if you must be very
careful about the amount of linen you use, wash
the towels also, snap  out the wrinkles, and hang
out of doors.   These need not be ironed.  When
perfectly dry, fold and put in your basket for use
next day.  Use one nightdress for day time and
another at night.  Men  are not supposed  to be
vain, but we all know women are and  I once heard
     4 
50    THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

a doctor say, "I always know that a woman is
better when  she begins  to take interest in her
personal appearance."  Save the dainty  nightie
with the pink bow until after the bath.  Part the
"sick-a-bed" lady's hair in the middle from her
forehead to the nape of her neck and braid back of
each ear.  Don't let the braids be lumpy or hard
next to the head, as they are uncomfortable to lie
upon.  Let her hair be soft and loose around her
face and if you can get them, tie a pink bow on
each braid.   Keep her finger nails nice and give
her a  clean  handkerckief  with a  drop of toilet
water on it.   Do all  this  if possible before the
doctor comes.   She will be pleased (as she is a
woman and vain) to have the doctor see her at her
best.  The doctor will like  it also.   I have never
seen a man whom I thought did not like to look
nicely, to have his hair brushed, to be shaved, and
have his nails cared for, or even the drop of laven-
der on his handkerchief.   But they were no doubt
concealing their real feelings (being  men and not
vain), and were enduring the "fixing up"  just to
please me.
  Baths  are  used  many  times for  medicinal
purposes as well as for cleanliness.
  A salt bath is stimulating and refreshing.  A 
BATHS FOR THE SICK
hot  mustard  foot  bath is  helpful  to  relieve
headache.  A cold spinal bath or douche is often
recommended for aching nerves.  A soda  bath
soothes an itching skin and a cooling bath reduces
fever temperature.

                  SALT  BATH
  In the hospital where everything is convenient
and all needed supplies can be had at a moment's
notice, things can be done quite differently  than
at home  where one must use the things at hand.
And while in the hospital, the patient  having  a
salt bath is rubbed with salt and sprayed, there
is a very good substitute and one which  can be
easily  managed  at home.  Put  the patient  in  a
bath blanket as for a cleansing  bath. Put a tea-
cupful of salt in a wash basin  half  full  of cool
water and with  a large crash wash cloth wrung
out of this,  rub your patient briskly  over her
entire  body,  making the skin red, but  not  sore.
Then with a  clean cloth and fresh  water wash
away the salt and dry gently.

                MUSTARD BATH
  The hot mustard foot-bath is  made by  adding
one tablespoon  of mustard to  four quarts of 
52   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

water.   Mix the mustard with a little cold water
and add this to the warm water in  the foot tub.
The mustard mixes better with cold water than
with hot and with a small quantity than with a
tub half full.  Hot water must not be used for
mixing it (for too much heat destroys the virtue
of the mustard).  As  the  water cools, a  little
more hot water may  be added.  When pouring
warm water into the tub in which your patient's
feet are  soaking always put your  hand in the
water between the feet and the place  where you
pour.   You will be able to tell just how hot you
are making it, and then will not burn your patient
by pouring hot water on her feet.  Dry the feet
carefully and if the bed is cold, wrap them in a
warm blanket.

           SPINAL BATH OR DOUCHE

  If your patient is able to go into the bathroom,
fold a bath towel on the edge of the tub, and with a
kimono or wrapper put on back to front, let her
sit on the towel outside of the tub.  Put something
under her feet if they do not touch the floor, then
with a little hose attached  to  the cold  water
faucet  or with  cold water in a pitcher, pour it 
          BATHS FOR THE SICK        53

down her back, keeping over the  spine.  Begin
at the back  of the neck.  You need not wet her
hair or  clothing if you do this carefully,  and I
advise you to close the door and windows even in
summer, for she will howl the first few times it is
done.  I knew of one woman who would not do
this for her  daughter  even  when ordered by the
doctor and with the daughter anxious to have it
done.  She said it was heathenish and cruel, but
it is the idea of cold water which frightens people,
and any one with aching  nerves  in their back
is very  much relieved by the cooling  bath.  It
removes the inflammation and makes one  feel as
if they had a new back.

                  SODA BATH

  A soda bath is used for extreme itching of the
skin, as in heat rash or hives.  You will probably
have  a  pound box of  baking soda in the pantry.
Add a quarter  of this box to two  quarts of cold
water.  Dip a heavy wash cloth in this and bathe
and pat the body gently.  Do not dry with a towel,
but let it evaporate.  If the body is well covered
with the rash you will need more water and more
soda.  The  hands, which  are  usually so painful
in hives, may be held in the water a few minutes. 
54   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

       BATH FOR REDUCING TEMPERATURE

  A bath for reducing temperature is often needed
in typhoid and in other fevers, or in heat prostra-
tion or sunstroke.  If you  have a rubber cloth,
cover it with a sheet and put under the patient, or
if there is no rubber cloth use the woolen bath
blanket with  the cotton  sheet  over  it.   The
woolen sheet  will keep  the bed from becoming
damp.  Put a piece of ice in a bowl or wash basin,
and pour over it water and alcohol, half  and
half.  Remove  the  patient's nightdress, spread
a towel over her thighs, and put a cold wet cloth
on her head.  Remove  the top sheet.  A  fever
patient  who  must   have  temperature-reducing
baths should have no covering but a sheet.   Dip
a wash cloth in the alcohol  and  water, squeeze
just enough to prevent dripping and wetting  the
bed-clothing, and  sponge gently over the patient's
body.  Let the alcohol and water  evaporate.
Do  this two or three times  and  then,  after she
becomes  accustomed to  the  cold water, with a
large palm leaf fan, fan her  to make the evapora-
tion quicker.  This can be done for fifteen minutes
at a time.  Turn the patient on  her side if  the
doctor  allows her to be moved, and her back and 
          BATHS FOR THE SICK       55

hips can be wet and fanned dry in the same way.
This is the easiest way for  a patient to have  a
cooling bath and the least trouble for a nurse who
is working at home, as so few things are required
and one person can manage it all. 
THE TRAY
  When the patient is ready for breakfast, if she
is able to sit up in bed, with two or three pillows
at her back and a pillow under her  knees, give
her a table made from a box, and a newspaper
or magazine, to read.  The time will not seem as
long while she is waiting for breakfast.
  When preparing your patient's tray do not take
a great  quantity of food  at once.   It is better to
go for more than to have her appetite taken away
by the sight of too much.  Be sure your patient
eats.  If she is weak or tired or seems indifferent,
feed her yourself.   Put a large napkin or towel
well up under her chin in order that crumbs may
not  get  in the neck of her nightdress.   Give her
her  meals regularly but not too much at a time.
If the patient is on full diet, give three meals and
nourishment between.  The diet is always ordered
by the doctor, and if he is willing, you can vary it by
giving between meals, milk, eggnog, broth, malted
milk, gruels of different  kinds, egg lemonade,  a
                      56 
THE TRAY
57
custard, ice cream if you know how and where it is
made, cocoa, or buttermilk.
  If only half a glass of milk is taken, do not leave
it in the sick room for the next time but put it in a
clean glass and set in a cool place until it is needed.
Alternate the nourishment in  order that  your
patient may not become tired of one thing.   Give
plenty of fresh drinking water or, if she is feverish,
give her a glass of cold lemonade if she has not had
calomel.  She may not know that she wants it but
will be delighted when you give it to her.  A cup
of hot tea or coffee is stimulating and very refresh-
ing, especially if unexpected.
  Make  the  tray  attractive.  Use your finest
china and silver.   Keep the tray cloth and nap-
kins immaculate, and while her diet  may be  re-
stricted to one slice of toast and a cup of coffee or
a glass of hot milk, make the serving of it a cere-
mony.  If  possible put a flower on  the tray,  an
autumn leaf in the fall or a pussy willow in the
spring.   When  I  had  no flower  I  sometimes
used clippings from the newspapers—some funny
little  verse or joke.  These things are diversions
and count  for much more to a patient than any
one knows who has not tried them.
  Try and arrange to give your patient her break- 
58    THE  BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

fast after the  family  have eaten,  if the family
breakfast is an early one, but if the others are late
risers, it would be best to give the patient her meal
first.  Do not keep her waiting if it can be avoided.
Give  the noon meal  first, also  the night meal.
Then nothing which comes up or no one who comes
in will delay you.  It  tires and  does more harm
to a patient to lie and wait and wonder if she is
entirely forgotten, than to go hungry.  Waiting
is hard for strong people and doubly so for weak
ones.
  A sick person usually likes less sugar and more
salt than when well but do not over-season food.
The safest way is to season lightly and put a salt
shaker on the tray.
  If your patient may have oranges, take the juice
out with a  glass  lemon-squeezer and serve in a
glass.  In summer  add a small piece of ice or
put on the ice before serving.   This is dainty  and
much easier for the patient than eating it with a
spoon or in  the fingers and saves soiling the  bed
or nightgown.
  If your patient must be fed, do it slowly with a
teaspoon or fork, giving  a very small  quantity
at a time.   Do not hurry her.   If she has liquid
diet and cannot eat from a spoon, you can buy at 
THE TRAY
59
the drug store, the china store, or even the ten-
cent store, a feeding cup with a litttle spout through
which the patient can drink.  Some people like a
glass  drinking  tube.  If  you live  miles  in  the
country, you may not be able  to get these con-
veniences, so you  must use something else.  Do
you remember, you country people, when you were
quite young, how you greeted with enthusiasm the
barrel  of sweet cider which was brought home
each fall ?  Do you remember the  little hole in the
side of the barrel called the bung-hole and how
you and the other small girls  and boys  spliced
together long straws which you found  in the big
barn?   Put them in the bung hole and sucked the
cider through them?  Well,  you can apply  this
very  thing  to your   sick  people.  The clean
straws  are splendid things to help in drinking
milk, thin gruel, broth, orange juice, or any liquid
which the patient must take.  If medicines con-
taining iron are taken in this manner  it  will be
much better for the teeth.
   When your patient can eat from a tray, make
the meals dainty and attractive, for the eye must
be pleased as well as the appetite.  Get the tray
ready before  you prepare the  hot  food, then
nothing will  be cold.  When you make toast do 
60    THE BOOK OF  HOME NURSING

not use new bread and toast it quickly on each side
but  use  old  bread, toasting slowly and turning
frequently.  Then  you will have  toast, not  a
slice of bread seared on the outside and soggy in
the middle.   Do not give your patient coffee with
half of it spilled in the saucer; it is not appetiz-
ing and the coffee drips from the bottom of the
cup, soiling the tray  cloth and the bed linen.
The best way is to carry tea or coffee to the sick
room in a little pot or a  cream pitcher.  Warm
the pot, or cream pitcher, and the cup by pouring
hot water in them, then  they will not chill the
tea or coffee.
  Use a spoon with holes, or a skimmer, to take a
poached egg  out of the water, when it is to be
served on toast.  Then your toast will not  have
to act as  a sponge  to take up the water.  Always
have everything which should be hot, very hot,
and cold  things, very cold.  Put hot food on hot
plates and cover with a hot bowl.
  First get the patient ready for the tray, then the
tray ready for the food, then cook the food and it
will be hot and  appetizing. 
  PREPARING THE PATIENT FOR THE
                   NIGHT

  The rest of the patient  is more important at
night than during  the day, and if her bed is well
made and comfortable, it will be a great help in
securing healing and refreshing sleep.  So from a
selfish standpoint, it is  better to spend a half-
hour in making her absolutely comfortable before
going to bed.
  A sick person should have no company during
the evening, as it is more  than likely to stir up her
nerves and make her sleepless.
  If you sleep on a cot or couch in your patient's
room, get this ready for yourself before preparing
your patient for sleep. Then nothing need disturb
her after she is once quiet.
  Take out  all flowers,  change her  nightdress,
give her  the bedpan, and  wash her  hands and
face and  between her thighs.  Dry carefully and
powder.  Clean her  teeth,  comb and braid  her
hair if she is not too tired.  Rub her back, especi-
                      61 
62    THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

ally the small of the back and her shoulders and
buttocks with alcohol, for these are the  places
which get  so tired and  where bed sores  come.
If you have time and strength rub her arms and
legs also with alcohol.  You need not  use pure
alcohol, use alcohol  and water, half and half.  If
you have no  alcohol, use vinegar and water.  Do
not drag a cold hand up and down her back in a
listless manner, as one patient said,  "like a dead
fish," but place the palm of your hand firmly on
her back, or the back of her neck, and move the
flesh  gently  without  raising your  hand.   This
massages the muscles.  Do this the entire length
of the spine, wetting your hands occasionally with
alcohol.  If the alcohol is cold, set the bottle in a
basin  of hot water before using.
  Talcum powder may be dusted on the back and
finish the rubbing with long strokes.  Do not do
this in a  hurry, and  always rub down, not up.
This  will often induce sleep  without the aid of
drugs.
  Brush  the  sheets and  draw them  tight and
smooth.  See that  her feet  are  warm and her
pillow comfortable.  Give her  a  handkerchief
and shade the light. Cover the patient  with an
extra  blanket, open all the windows, and air the 
    PREPARING PATIENT FOR NIGHT  63

room thoroughly.  Fix the windows as you want
them for the night, and when the room is warm
enough,  remove  the extra blanket.   Fold  this
over the foot of the bed for use very early in the
morning, as the patient will need more covering
at that time.
  Everyone should keep quiet and if possible you
should undress in another  room. Come  in and
go to bed without talking to her.   Nothing should
disturb her after she is once ready for sleep.
  If the patient  has trouble in  going  to sleep,
you may give her a glass of hot milk with a pinch
of salt in it, a cup of hot broth, malted milk,  hot
lemonade and a cracker, or a cup of cocoa, and a
hot-water bag at  her feet.  Sometimes, just being
snug and warm will  make her sleepy, or  if your
patient can go in the bathroom, try a warm bath.
A sick person should not  be left  alone in  a bath
tub.   If  you take your patient  to the bathroom,
see that  everything you will need is there before
taking her in.   Do not leave her until she is dried
and in bed.  A person who has been ill is quite
liable to faint or fall, and if such a thing happens
you will be glad that you are on hand.
  Continued deep  breathing  of  fresh air  will
often put one to sleep.  Ask your patient to count 
64   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

the times she breathes deeply and see how many
times she can do it.  She may be asleep before she
finishes counting.
  A turned-down lamp or gas jet is not a good
thing.  It spoils the air.  Have a tiny lamp if you
need a light at night.  If  you do not have electric
light, a  candle  is useful, for it  can  be lighted
quickly.  You should keep  this,  with a box of
safety matches,  near your bed.   If a lamp  or a
bright light is used, it must always be shaded.
  A very sick patient  should not be left  alone
nor  should  the nurse sleep at  night.   Sudden
changes during an illness often take place during
the night.   If  your patient  has  been delirious,
she may  get out of bed at this time.  If she does
not sleep well the doctor should know it.  Write
it  on your record, just how  much or how little
she has slept. 
A  RECORD FOR THE DOCTOR
  Do not keep the medicines in the sick room or
where the children can reach them.   Many times
sick people think if a small dose is  good, a large
one will be better, or a despondent patient might
get the idea  that it would be a  clever thing to
take all  the  strychnine tablets at once and  end
the story.  I  know you would like your story to be
a continued one and not end in that abrupt  and
distressing  manner.  Little children  will eat  any
bright-colored pill  or  tablet or  drink anything
which tastes  sweet.  Many grown-ups have been
fascinated by the sight of little bottles of pink,
red,  brown,  purple, and  yellow  tablets in  the
doctor's  bag  and  how much  more fascinating
would they be to a little  child.   So these things
must be put  where the children cannot see them
and where the sick person  cannot reach them.
   If the doctor orders medicine to be given before
meals  it should be given one half-hour  before.
     s                 65 
66   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

Those  to be  given after meals  one  half-hour
after.
  If the doctor leaves  three kinds of medicine
to be given, for example, pink tablets four times
a day, white tablets  before  meals, and a liquid
every two hours, have the doctor write  the direc-
tions for you or write it yourself while  he is still
there,  so you  may  make  no  mistakes.  Then
take a piece of paper and mark it like this:
  White tablet—before meals.
  Pink tablet—8—12—4—8, etc.
  Liquid medicine—6—8—10—12—2—4—6, etc.
  Then as you  give the  medicine, cross off the
time on the paper, and there will be no  argument
as to the time of the next dose.
  Sometimes the  doctor  will leave two glasses
of liquid medicine to be given  alternately every
hour.  Cut  two five-inch  squares of  cardboard
and on one  write the odd hours 7—9—11—I—3
—5  and on the  other  6—8—10—12—2—4—6.
Place a card on top  of each glass. This serves
as a cover as well as avoiding confusion.
  In case the medicine is to be given every fifteen
minutes or half-hour it would take a great amount
of writing and  crossing  off,  so if you are to give
first one and  then the other, lay the  spoon on 
      A RECORD FOR THE DOCTOR    67

top of the one you are to give next.   Give your
patient a swallow of water both before and after
the medicine, if it is unpleasant to take.
  Powders  may  be given  dry on  the  tongue.
Give a swallow of water first and then making a
little trough of the powder paper, pour the powder
on the tongue, and give a drink of water.  If you
and the patient  are careful this will  avoid dis-
tributing unpleasant medicine  around the  teeth
and under the  tongue.  If  the powder is bitter,
a little  sugar will  often dispel the  bitter taste.
  When the bowels must be made to move quickly,
a medicine called a purgative is given.  This may
be  Seidlitz powder, Pluto water, salts, etc., and
is given early in the morning before breakfast.
  A gentle medicine  for moving the bowels  is
called a laxative or cathartic and is usually  given
at night, as it does not  disturb the patient's sleep.
  There are several ways of giving medicine: by
mouth,  by inhaling, by rectum, and  with a hy-
podermic syringe.  When a patient is to inhale
the medicine it  is added to hot  water, then the
patient  breathes  the  steam into his nose  and
throat.
  When medicine is given in the bowel it  is in-
jected in the rectum  by means  of a syringe  or 
68   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

rubber  tube.  Nourishment  is  also  given  this
way when it cannot be retained in the stomach.
  Medicine is also given by means of a hypoder-
mic syringe.  These  methods  are taught  to  the
nurses in the hospitals, but a hypodermic syringe
would not be used by an  untrained nurse unless
she could be taught by a trained nurse or a doctor.
  A suppository is a cone-shaped piece of cocoa-
butter  containing  medicine and which  can be
absorbed by the bowel.  The suppository  should
be covered by oil or vaseline.  Oil the first finger
and with it push the  suppository gently into  the
rectum the length of your finger.  The  finger nail
should not be sharp to avoid hurting in the least
the delicate lining of the bowel.  The bowel should
be empty when the suppository is given.
  In the hospital a sheet of ruled paper called a
chart is  used.  On this a record of all things per-
taining to the patient is kept.  Treatment, medi-
cine, and food, each has a column by itself, and
another  column headed "remarks" is used  in
which the nurse writes a report  of special symp-
toms, complaints of pain, or anything she thinks
the doctor should know.   If the doctor  wishes
you to  take  the temperature and  pulse  of  the
patient,  he can easily teach you how to do it, if 
A  RECORD FOR THE DOCTOR   69
you  do not already know.   If you will keep a
record of  all that  happens between his visits,  it
will  help him greatly, and you will not be con-
science stricken after he is gone, because you for-
got to tell him something he should know.  Take
a piece  of paper and rule and mark it like this.
Temperature	Pulse	Bowel	Urine	Medicine	Food	Remarks
						
Then fill it in when the different things occur,
giving the time and as much information as you
can.   It is better to tell too much than not enough.
The doctor will say what he wishes you to observe,
and you will find it most  interesting  to keep a
record from  day  to  day.   If  this  is done  the
condition of  the  patient need  not be discussed
before her, and no whispered consultations need
be held in  the hall or downstairs.   Some people
are very suspicious, and when the nurse leaves the
room to ask the doctor if she may give the patient
an egg for her supper,  she cannot convince  the 
70   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

patient that the real errand was not to order her
coffin.
  Notice how the patient sleeps, if quiet or restless.
Write this,  and the length of time she sleeps,
on the chart, and then when  she  gravely assures
the doctor that she did not sleep a wink all night,
you will not have  to  contradict  her and  make
yourself disagreeable, but can tell the doctor all
he wants to know by handing him the chart.
  This chart is the property of the nurse  and the
doctor.  It is not for the patient to read or for the
entertainment of the neighbors.  The patient should
not be  told what medicine  she  is  taking  nor
what  her  pulse and  temperature  are.  If  she
asks what  her temperature is  some such  reply
as this  can be made,  "fine and dandy,"  etc.,
but not in  a way  to  irritate her.  Some people
get very much alarmed about themselves when
sick, and if they knew they  had one  degree of
fever, would promptly  worry themselves up  to
two degrees.
  Record on your chart if your  patient is sick
at the stomach, or vomits; tell what the vomited
fluid looked like, if it was yellow, black, or stringy,
how it smelled, or any  other unusual thing about
it. 
A  RECORD FOR THE DOCTOR   71
  If the patient has a cough, tell what kind of a
cough, if it was hoarse or sharp and if the patient
coughs  during  the day or  night.  If there is
sputum raised by the cough, tell what it looks like.
  Notice if the patient lies in an unusual position,
with more pillows than  usual or always on  one
side.  Notice if she lies with her knees drawn up.
  A patient  with asthma  or heart  trouble  will
like plenty of pillows.  One with  an  affected
lung will lie on one side in order to get all the air
possible for the other lung, and one with pains in
the abdomen will be more  comfortable with the
knees raised.
   All these things which may not seem important
to you until you begin to observe and record them
on a  well-kept chart will be of  great help to the
doctor.
   If  the  patient  complains of pain,  ask where it
is; have her put her hand on the spot.  I knew
 a  dear little man  of  four  years  who  gravely
 informed  the surgeon, who had come to operate
 on him, that he had a toothache in his side.   His
 only  aches before had been toothaches and when
 the pain began, he called it that.  It was a couple
 of days  before  the family discovered  that the
 toothache was located in his appendix. 
 72   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

   A young boy in the hospital complained con-
 tinually of a pain in  his chest.   After  a time
 the doctor discovered the pain was in the patient's
 abdomen.  The poor child did not know the word
 abdomen and did not think  it polite to tell the
 nurse that the pain was in his belly.  If the nurse
 had only asked him to put his hand on the pain he
 could have been relieved earlier.
   It is  very  hard to teach by  book how to take
 the pulse and temperature, but any one can  be
 taught in a few minutes by their doctor.  It is the
 thing everyone should know, especially if there
 are small children in the family.
   The color of bowel movement may be due  to
 disease or medicine, so any unusual color or smell
 should be recorded on the chart.  The urine should
 be measured and the color and  amount recorded.
 In case it is unusual in quantity  or color, it should
 be put in a covered dish and kept for the doctor's
 examination.
   Hysterical people often complain  of pain, and
moan when sympathetic people are  in the room,
or when sure of sympathy from any source, but
will lie perfectly quiet when  alone.  Sometimes
such people can be observed by looking through
the crack in  the door.   If such symptoms are 
      A RECORD FOR THE DOCTOR    73

noticed, make a note of this on the chart.  How-
ever,  one might  better  err on  the side of too
much sympathy than not enough.   The doctor will
advise, and  if he advises a hard heart and disci-
pline, remember it will be your fault if you do not
have  stamina enough to  carry out his directions
and your patient does not improve.
  Many  times a  sick person will be stimulated
by the visit of the doctor or some other person.
She will  sit  up  in bed, talk, and laugh and then
as soon as  the doctor or visitor has gone,  will
be weak, tired, and  in perspiration.   This should
be told also, as  many times the doctor will think
the patient stronger than  she really is.
  If you have had a trained nurse for a week only
and are then going to care for the patient yourself,
she will give you explicit instructions how it should
be done; how to take temperature and pulse; how
to give  an enema or douche.   She will  tell you
about food and medicine, how to make  the bed,
how to give a bath and will help you in every way
she can.   If there are many directions to follow,
write  them  down, for  it is very easy to forget
strange words and unaccustomed things. 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET
  Every  well-regulated  house  should  have  a
medicine closet.  This should not be full of drugs
to be given indiscriminately to all members of the
family,  but  should  contain  things  which  will
help to keep them well, for example, soft old muslin
to cover their burns, and bandages for little fingers
practicing with the first  pocket knife and which
are brought to mother with bleeding cuts.  Some
things will not be needed until you really have a
sick person in the  family.  Few people ever buy
a bedpan  in time of health, but if you can do so
and live in the country it is as wise to prepare for
sickness in time of  health as to prepare for war in
time of peace.
  As  medical supplies are usually very expensive
take great care of them.
  The little  white  medicine  cupboards which
you can buy at the furniture or department stores
are very  expensive and not  half  large  enough
to hold all the things which should be kept there.
                      74 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET
They are very fascinating little cupboards,  with
cunning shelves and a mirror on the door, but they
would serve much better as a china closet for a doll's
tea set than to hold the necessary articles which
should be in a grown-up family medicine closet.
  If you cannot have a good-sized medicine closet
made by a carpenter, you can make one yourself
from a box which you can get at the grocery.  If
you live in the city you  will  probably pay a few
cents for a box.  In the country or village it will
be  given to you.  Get two boxes  while you are
about it and use one to make shelves for the other.
The top of the box will make the door.  Look over
the boxes yourself and select one which is smooth
and strong  and which, if  stood on  end, would
make a cupboard to fit the place  in your house
where it must hang, for it must be  up on the wall
where the door fastener is out of the reach of little
hands.
  Buy a tin  of white  paint, a pair of  hinges,
and a hook or  door fastener.  These last three
articles you will be able to buy in the ten-cent
store.  Paint your cupboard outside and in, two or
three coats.  When you put in the shelves, make
one compartment  high  enough for  tall  bottles
or quart fruit  jars. 
76    THE BOOK OF  HOME  NURSING

  A person who is constipated is not sick in the
beginning.  He may need only exercise or relaxing
food.  But he will be  sick  if  not  attended to
promptly, and therefore  it is a wise thing to have a
cathartic in  the house and other simple remedies
which a mother can use.
  Many  times children  will  need attention, and
if the doctor is miles away, the mother should be
able to  take  their temperature and telephone
or send a note to him.  If you cannot telephone,
always  write  the  doctor, for  people carrying
messages are  likely to  forget;  even those with
the kindest hearts and very best intentions.
  If you are  a farmer  and  have no telephone,
probably the neighbors on the next farm will have
one, and  kind-hearted country people are always
willing to help in  case of sickness  or accident.
When you call the doctor to tell him about the
baby, half of the other farmers along the line will
be hearing you  also  and many times will offer
advice and assistance.
  If you are  able to  tell the doctor the child's
temperature and  other  symptoms, he  may not
have to come to see her but can tell  you what to
do.  This will save him  a long ride in the country
and  you a doctor's bill.  Still in these days of 
THE MEDICINE  CLOSET
automobiles, the doctors do not  mind the long
rides as much as they  did years ago, when they
must come in from a hard trip over muddy rough
roads, change horses, snatch a bite to eat, and drive
away  again, through the heat  of  summer or the
cold of winter.  Now he can fly from one patient
to another without thinking of his tired horse and
occasionally have time to rest a bit himself and
get acquainted with his family.
  All bottles of medicine, powders, or anything of
this kind  which you have, should be kept in the
medicine closet. Not a bottle of peppermint on
a shelf in the kitchen, a roll of bandage in one
place, and the hot-water bag in another; put all of
these  things back  in their cupboard as  quickly
as you have finished with them.   Then when they
are needed, you will know  where they are and
need not hunt all over the house for things which
should be in  one  place.  You  would  think a
woman a very queer  housekeeper,  who  is not
able to find her teapot or who would say, "I  did
not iron  this week  because I could not find  my
flatirons."   It  is  just  as  shiftless not to  know
where  the liniment  bottle and cough medicine
are to be found.
  When you buy liquids at the drug store, ask the 
 78    THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

 druggist to put them in bottles which are of the
 same size and shape.  These look so much neater,
 set in a row, than bottles of all shapes and sizes.
 This applies to the medicines which are for general
 family use and not to some special medicinerput
 up for one member and which will be thrown away
 when its  usefulness is past.   When a bottle is
 empty, have it filled the first time you go to town,
 then in case of sickness or accident, you will not
 have to borrow of the neighbors or have someone
 wait while you go to the store.
  Unnecessary bottles and boxes will accumulate
 in a medicine  closet as well as in other places.
 These should be discarded and the closet cleaned
 as regularly as you clean your pantry.
  It should be a rule of the house that the children
 must not go to this closet; then no heart-breaking
 accidents will occur.
  If you must have poisons,  they should be in
bottles with a rough surface, should be  labeled
 "poison," and  kept always on the top shelf of
the closet.   The closet  should  hang on the wall
opposite or near a window and where a light can
shine into it at night.  If this is not possible, have
in the closet a candlestick with a candle always
in it and a box of safety matches.  These things 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET
must never be taken away from the closet, and the
candle must  always be lighted when looking for
medicine at night.  Keep the  candlestick, always
in the same place in the cupboard, so that there
may be no delay in finding it, and that you may be
able to "put your hand on it in the dark"  but
LET  THAT BE THE ONLY THING THAT YOU DO PUT
YOUR HAND ON IN THE DARK.
  If the attic and the vegetable  cellar are unlighted,
have another candle  for  these  places.   If  the
medicine closet candle is borrowed it will probably
be left in the attic or the cellar and always on the
night when you need it quickly.
  When  giving  liquid medicine  from a  bottle,
always shake it, and keep the  labeled side of the
bottle on top when pouring the medicine.  This
prevents  the medicine  from running down  the
side  and  spoiling the label.  Never have bottles,
boxes, or packages in your  medicine closet which
are not plainly  marked, and after a medicine has
been discontinued, destroy what is left.   If  the
bottle is a good one for your closet, wash and boil
it, for it may be useful.
  Treat poisons as you  would snakes and keep
them away from the family as carefully.   Never
keep rat  poison,  fly poison, or anything which is 
80   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

not a medicine in this  closet, and do  not have
poison at all unless absolutely necessary.
  Do not give anything but the simplest remedies
without the doctor's orders.  It is  not wise to
take many drugs.  Keep well by obeying the sim-
ple laws of health; then you will need very little
medicine.  When you give medicine, be sure you
know exactly  why you  are giving it, how much
to give, and how often.
  Pills which  have  been kept  in the  house a
long time become hard and will not dissolve in the
stomach and intestines.  Some patients have been
given pill  after pill with no result, only to learn
that the pills were so old and hard that they were
like stones.  When you have your doubts as to
the age and usefulness of a box of pills put one on
the floor and stand on it.   If it crushes under your
foot it is safe to give  them, if not they are beyond
their usefulness.
  Your medicine closet should contain:
  NO PATENT MEDICINES.
  A tin douche pan.
  A fountain syringe.
  A hot-water bag—(if  you must be economical
do not get the hot-water bag but use a Mason fruit
jar). 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET       81
  A clinical thermometer—(Hicks is the best).
  Castor oil—(cathartic).
  Cascara  sagrada—(cathartic)—(children  take
this easily and it is good for constant use).
  Rochelle salts—(cathartic).
  Seidlitz powders—(cathartic).
  Jamaica ginger.
  Essence of peppermint.
  Cathartic pills from  the doctor (if you like)—
given as he directs.
  Boracic acid.
  Sweet oil.
  Vaseline.
  Mustard.
  Lime water.
  Absorbent cotton.
  Old muslin.
  Scissors.
  Bandages and small safety pins.
  Oxide of zinc or some other good ointment.
  Castile soap.
  Adhesive plaster.
  Cold cream.
  Talcum powder.
  Bottle of alcohol.
  Brandy or sherry.
    6 
82   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

  Smelling salts or camphor.
  Wooden toothpicks.
  A  teaspoon  and a small glass,  or  a measuring
glass from the drug store.
  A tumbler.
  A quart bottle of sterilized water.
  A bottle of boracic acid solution.
  Dressing forceps.
  Small tray.
  Baking soda.
  One patent medicine, which is widely advertised
to give health, youth, beauty, and almost anything
else you would like, is being sold,  I hear, in towns
where "no license" is the law.   If the person who
is deprived of a saloon can get cheer and comfort
from the alcohol which this patent medicine con-
tains, it certainly would not be the thing you
would wish to give  your family.  The soothing
syrup which  drugs the little  babies,  befuddling
their little brains and  ruining their  little bodies,
has been  exposed many  times and  dwelt upon
at length  by doctors and sanitary workers.  No
woman  in these days,  who can read, would give
her baby any of these ghastly mixtures.
  There are  many remedies, tablets,  pills, oint-
ments, and liniments which are put up by reliable 
         THE MEDICINE CLOSET        83

chemists and  which are given  by doctors,  but
these drugs always  have their  contents plainly
printed on  the label or wrapper and do not claim
to cure everything from a sore  throat to an in-
growing toe-nail.  It is the quack cure-all patent
medicine which you must shun and not the tablets
and  pills which are put up in this form for con-
venience.   Sometimes these  tablets contain three
or four healing drugs and are chocolate or sugar
coated.  They  are much easier to swallow and
much  more convenient  than the old-fashioned
way of having several bottles or glasses and giving
doses of some vile tasting concoction.  The little
patient does not dread the doctor in these days,
for now we do not  hold his nose and make him
take his medicine whether he will or no, but we
give him a pretty pink or  yellow tablet and  a
glass of water with which to wash it down, and it is
swallowed without struggling or tears.  We feel it is
much better for the child, and we know it is much
easier for the mother.
  Buy a thermometer and take it to your doctor
for instructions, or if you know a trained  nurse,
she will teach you how to use it. A tin douche
pan  is much better  for family use than a china
bedpan, for it can be used in place of the bedpan 
84   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

and for other things as well.  When one has taken
a powerful cathartic,  the bowels move very freely
and with  much gas,  many times  soiling the bed
if a small pan is  used.  The large pan saves all
this and is not as easily broken.
  A fountain syringe is a very necessary article
of furniture and  is much more important in  a
home  than a gilded  chair or lace curtains.   Do
not buy the chair, but have plain curtains,  and do
have the fountain syringe.   You can buy  one at
the drug store which will  hold from two to four
quarts.  This has several hard rubber tips and if
well cared for will last a long time.   I have even
seen them in the five and  ten-cent store.  The
little bag held about a quart.  This cost ten cents.
Ten cents more for the rubber tubing, ten cents
for the fixture to control the flow, and ten cents,
for each  hard rubber tip,  makes  the cost of the
fountain  syringe  fifty cents.  I  cannot  answer
for this rubber  or the length of time it will last.
Cheap rubber things are very apt to die  young,
and it pays in the end to buy the best material.
   A hot-water bag is a comforting thing to have
and sometimes  a necessity.   If you can buy but
one rubber article, let it be the syringe,  and use
a quart  fruit jar in the  place of the hot-water 
         THE MEDICINE CLOSET        85

bag.  Sometimes the  rubber bags  are  a com-
bination  (hot-water bag and fountain  syringe),
but in this case if more water is needed in giving
an enema or douche it would have to be opened
and  the  process started all over again.  Should
you use the fruit jar, keep a new one with two or
three can rubbers in your medicine closet.  Noth-
ing is quite so aggravating as having a leaky hot-
water bag or bottle, for it causes much unnecessary
work.  Shake it well  before taking it to your
patient to  be sure  it does not leak.  The little
flannel or outing flannel cover  which belongs  on
your  hot-water bag  should  be  kept  hanging
near it.
  Castor oil never used to be greeted with smiles
unless the  joke was on someone  else  and even
then it took a very hard hearted person to see the
joke.   No one minds it very much now, for we
have left behind us  the idea that because a thing
was hard to do it must be good for us, especially
if someone  else  were  doing it.  We exercise  our
muscles to strengthen our bodies and do many
hard and unpleasant things which strengthen our
will power but we will take castor oil in the new
way.
  First you need  a small  glass.  Pour  a little 
86   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

sherry  or lemon  juice in  the glass, being  sure
that the sides and edges of the glass are all touched
by it.   Next put the castor oil  in a tablespoon and
then carefully pour it from the spoon into the very
middle of the little glass.  Do not  let one drop
touch the edges or sides.   Then put a little more
sherry or lemon on top of the  oil to be swallowed
whole as if it were a raw  oyster.   A little more
lemon or sherry or some coffee  may be taken after-
wards.  Holding a piece of ice  in the mouth before
taking, chills the mouth  and the sense of  taste is
not so acute.
  Boracic acid should be  made into a solution
for bathing tired or  inflamed eyes  and  can be
used as a gargle or mouth wash.   This  is used
very often if there is a  baby in the family. To
make this solution, first  boil a clean  quart bottle
or glass fruit jar; boil the cork or  jar cover and
rubber and a tin funnel,  then  in  another clean
basin, boil one quart of  water.  While still very
hot, add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  boracic acid.
Place your boiled bottle on  the  table and put
the boiled funnel in  the top.  Then put a piece
of  sterilized absorbent  cotton  in  the  funnel.
Wash your hands carefully  before handling the
cotton and do not touch anything before you touch 
         THE MEDICINE CLOSET       87

the cotton.   When  the  boracic  acid  is  all dis-
solved, pour it into the bottle through the cotton.
Put the boiled  cork  in place, label "boracic acid
solution," and put into your medicine closet.
  Sweet oil or olive oil is useful for dressing burns
and for many  other purposes.   If  you use olive
oil for salad,  do not depend upon the table oil for
emergencies  but  always  have a  bottle  for  the
medicine closet.
  When  absorbent cotton comes  from the drug
store  it  is wrapped and  sealed in strong  blue
paper.  The  cotton is sterilized in the  factory,
everything being  absolutely clean.  In the Johns-
ton & Johnston factory at New Brunswick, New
Jersey, the women who handle the supplies wear
clean cotton  dresses, and caps to cover their hair.
They scrub their hands before handling the sup-
plies.  They are  as clean as trained nurses and
work as carefully as if in a hospital.   The  ban-
dages, cotton, and  other  surgical supplies  are
sterilized and are carried by wonderful machinery
and wrapped and rolled in a clean  and wonderful
manner.   In a hospital operating room the cotton
is made  into convenient  forms for the surgeons'
use and must  be handled; therefore it  must be
sterilized again  and kept  in  sealed  jars.  The 
88   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

cotton"which you buy at the drug store is clean,
and if  the package is unbroken is sterile  enough
for ordinary  use.  If you  handle it  carefully  it
will stay clean.  Buy only a small roll of cotton
at a time.   Boil  a  quart jar with  the cover,
break the outer covering of the cotton, and then,
without touching the cotton with your hands but
holding it by the paper,  put it in the fruit  jar and
screw on the cover.   Always keep this covered.
When you need pieces for washing eyes or dressing
a cut or burn, you can pull it out  easily by means
of the dressing forceps.  The forceps must be
absolutely clean when  put into  the  jar. Take
out only what you want to use.  If you need to use
large pieces  for pads or anything which does not
come in contact with a raw surface  of the body,
use the large roll.   Always keep this well rolled
and away from dust. Be as clean and as careful
as possible when making any dressing.  Surgeons
when  making dressings  are very,   very, very,
particular about washing their hands before they
begin  and very, very,  particular that they are
clean afterward.
   Save all  the old handkerchiefs,  napkins,  or
pieces  of old tablecloths, the skirts  of worn-out
nightdresses, old sheets, or any old piece of soft 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET       89
white linen or muslin.   Cut off all buttons, hems, or
thick places; wash, boil, and rinse carefully.  When
they are dry, cut in convenient sizes, lay on a clean
sheet on the table, and iron.  Get from the grocery
store a tin cracker or biscuit box,  wash and boil
it.  In this put  your pieces of old muslin and
keep  it tightly  closed.   Put  this  in the linen
closet.  Then in  case of  emergencies, burns, cuts,
or any other accidents, you will have clean dress-
ings ready to use at once.  Save the longer pieces
of muslin for bandages.   Make a  few long ones,
one and one half or two inches wide, and others one
inch wide.   Roll  these  tightly, fasten  each  one
with a small safety pin, and put  these in a glass jar
or even a jelly glass  with a tight top.  You can
buy sterilized bandages at the drug store if needed.
Jelly  glasses  are very  nice for medicine-closet
supplies as they have large open tops,  do not take
up much  room, and are cheap.
   Castile soap is best for the baby, for washing
cuts before dressing,  for an enema, and  for the
hundred  and one  things  which call  for  careful
cleansing.
   Put some  wooden  toothpicks in a short large-
necked bottle or jelly glass.  They are to be used
with a tiny  bit  of absorbent  cotton, twisted on 
90   THE BOOK  OF  HOME  NURSING

the end,  for  removing  dirt from the  eye,  for
cleaning  between the  teeth, or cleaning a  cut
before bandaging.
  When  you  prepare  the sterilized  water,  boil
the fruit jar  or bottle and the  funnel, the same
as for the boracic solution.   Boil the water and
pour through sterilized cotton.   This water will
be used for cleaning cuts or burns, for washing
inflamed eyes, etc.
  If you wish to be very elegant indeed, you can
have a little  glass tray on which you will carry
your medicine glass and  bottle, spoon, dressing
forceps, etc.   A  white enamel pie plate makes a
splendid substitute for the glass tray.
  Put the baking soda in a large necked bottle or
tightly covered jelly glass.
  Have a space large enough at the bottom of the
closet to set the bedpan on end.   Before the bed-
pan is set away in the closet, after having been
used, always  scrub, scald and air it in the sun so
that it  will not only  look  clean but will smell
clean.
  The hot-water bag can hang on the inside of the
closet door.  This must be  emptied and  drained
of all the water.   Then  blow  in the  bag until
it is fully distended, screw the  cover on quickly, 
THE MEDICINE CLOSET       91
keeping it full of air.  This keeps the inside of
the bag from sticking and will make it last much
longer.
  The opening in the top of the rubber douche
bag is much larger, and after draining and drying
carefully, put a crumpled piece of tissue paper or
a piece of gauze in  it to keep it from sticking.
Leave the end of the paper or gauze hanging out,
so you  may remove it easily and quickly.   The
rubber  tip should  be scrubbed with  soap  and
water, washed and boiled and kept in a tin  box.
Rubber supplies are expensive but will last much
longer if given  careful  treatment.  Always roll
rubber tubes around something to keep them lying
in curves.  Bending them over a sharp edge will
crack the rubber. 
HOW TO GIVE AN ENEMA AND A DOUCHE

  The large and small intestines together are from
twenty-five to  thirty  feet long—plenty  of space
for many unpleasant and painful things to happen.
Keeping this canal, as it is called, in good working
order is absolutely necessary for health.
  The food is digested in the small intestines, and
what is left over is only that part of the food
which is not digested.   This should not be allowed
to stay in the large intestines and if not carried off
naturally, a cathartic or enema should  be  used.
When your patient  is ill in bed, she gets no exer-
cise and will probably need an enema.
  If a cathartic is  given at night  and does not
cause an  action of  the bowels by the afternoon
of the next day, an enema  should be given; also
if the patient is nauseated when taking a cathartic.
The water will enter the bowel easier if the patient
lies on her left side, but if she is not accustomed to
taking an enema, it would be  better  to  have her
lie on her back, her knees drawn up to relax the
                      92 
ENEMAS AND DOUCHES       93
muscles of her abdomen, and the douche pan in
place.  The intestine empties itself by a process
called peristalsis,  which is a wave-like or worm-
like motion,  extending  along the  length of  the
bowel.  When  the  bowel  is  obstinate  about
performing its duties, it must  be  stimulated  to
act, by giving an enema, which is an  injection
into the rectum, of water containing soap, glycerine,
or turpentine.  The doctor sometimes prescribes
other ingredients.
  Some people have great trouble in retaining the
water of the enema and cannot endure the  un-
pleasant feeling.   If the flow of water is stopped
the instant it becomes painful,  your patient will
not dread the operation.  The flow can be stopped
by  the little attachment on the rubber tube, or
by  folding the tube on itself and holding it.  Do
not remove the tip from the rectum,  as the pain
stops very quickly.  After waiting  a few seconds,
more water can be given.

              TO GIVE AN ENEMA

  Cover the patient  with a blanket and put a
rubber sheet under her.  Put  the bedpan on a
chair, the foot of the bed, or where you can easily 
94   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

reach it.  Lay  a folded towel or pad over that
part of the bedpan where her back will  rest.
Put the warm soapsuds in the rubber bag and
hang it two or three feet higher than the patient.
Place the bedpan under the patient and rub vase-
line or oil on the hard  rubber tip.  Let a little
water run through the tube to expel the air.  Then
gently insert the tube in the rectum.
  If the bowels have  not moved  recently, the
rectum may be full of hard fecal matter which will
not respond to the enema or may not let the water
enter the bowel.   If this is the case you will have
to remove this hard mass with a warm oil enema
or with your finger.   If you use oil, you will need
a Davidson syringe or a bulb  syringe,  such as is
used for babies.  Heat the  oil until it feels warm
but not hot, put it in the bulb syringe  and inject
slowly  into the  rectum.  This may remove the
mass without further trouble.   If not, you must
do it with your finger.  If you have a rubber cot,
put that on your first finger.  If not,  trim your
nail and file  carefully, then press the nail  into
a cake of soap.  This will keep it from hurting
the lining of the intestine and will not let the fecal
matter under the nail. Use oil or vaseline on your
finger.   This must be done very gently and when 
         ENEMAS AND DOUCHES       95

the patient is rested, give a warm soap-and-water
enema.
  Do not  hurry  the  enema.  Give the water
time to soften the hard mass in the intestine.  It
may be done successfully in ten minutes and it
may take twenty.  Do not be frightened if, after
giving your patient two quarts of soapy water,
she retains it all.  Her system needed the water
and  so  absorbed it.  Just  give  another  enema.
The patient must be bathed and dried carefully
after the enema.  Do  not  give  an enema until
an hour after  a meal.   It might cause  nausea
or a sickness of the stomach.

               SOAPSUDS ENEMA
   A grown person will take from one to two quarts
of  water.  A  child  about half  that  quantity.
Use Ivory or castile soap.  Stir the cake  of soap
in  the  water until it looks  a little milky.  A
quantity  of  froth is  not wanted and must be
removed.  Air must not be injected in the rectum
with the water.
               GLYCERINE ENEMA

   If the bowels are obstinate  about  moving and
do not  respond to  the soap-and-water enema, 
96   THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

give a small enema composed of a pint of warm
water and two or three tablespoonfuls of glycerine.

             TURPENTINE ENEMA

  When a patient is suffering from gas pains, a
turpentine enema is often given.  Prepare warm
soapy  water, as  for a soap-and-water  enema,
and  add  from  two to  four  tablespoonfuls of
turpentine.  Shake well, as the turpentine must
be  thoroughly  mixed  with  the soapy  water.
This will be found helpful in expelling gas after
an operation or at any time when sharp, tearing,
gas pains are giving trouble.

           HOW TO  GIVE A  DOUCHE

  When  people  outside  of  hospitals  speak of
douches,  they  usually  mean a vaginal douche.
There  are many  kinds of  douches.   A  douche
means a stream of water used to cleanse or heal
any part of the body.
  Douches are  used for  inflamed  eyes, for  the
nose, throat, or ears.  These are usually ordered
by  the doctor  or given  by him.  The vaginal
douche is the one  usually given by the home
nurse.  When  you  give  a  vaginal  douche,  the 
ENEMAS AND DOUCHES
doctor will tell you how hot to give it, what and
how much medication to use, and  the quantity
of water.   The douche nozzle must not only be
clean but must be boiled from three to five minutes.
Great care must always be exercised in giving a
douche,  especially if  given after the  birth of a
baby.
  Have the  patient  lie  on her  back  with her
knees drawn up and a folded towel or pad over that
part of  the bedpan  on which she rests.  If the
patient  is uncomfortable with  the pan  under
her, try using a small pillow under the small of her
back, close to the pan, removing the pillow from
under her head, as the hips should be higher than
the head.  The rubber bag containing the water
should not hang more than two feet above the pa-
tient, in order that it may not run with too much
force or  too quickly.   Expel the air from the
rubber tube, by  letting  the  water run through
the tube the same as in giving an enema.  If the
patient  has a discharge from the  vagina, pour
warm water over her, and clean carefully  with a
piece of absorbent cotton, which afterward must
be  burned.   After the douche, dry the patient,
and after cleaning the douche nozzle and bedpan,
scrub your own hands.
     7 
POULTICES,  APPLICATIONS TO RELIEVE
  PAIN, OINTMENTS AND LINIMENTS

  Many times a hot application will relieve pain.
This may be applied in many different ways: a
hot-water bag, bottles or jars of hot water, hot
flatirons,  bricks, or bags of  hot sand or  salt.
These are all comforting and  relieve the pain of
a stiff neck, backache,  rheumatism, and neuritis.
This is  dry heat.  If  moist  heat  is desired, a
fomentation or stupe, as it is called, or a poultice
is used.  In case one has a  boil or sore finger
caused by a sliver, thorn, or infection, a poultice
is sometimes used.
               BREAD POULTICE
  A very simple and easily  made poultice is one
of bread  and water, hot water  made thick with
bread crumbs.   This  is a  very  old-fashioned
poultice and almost all grown-ups can remember
wearing one at some time during their early school
days.  Only in those days they were made  of
bread and milk, not bread and water.  The milk
                      98 
POULTICES AND  LINIMENTS    99
is liable to sour and the water does just as well.
This poultice can be put warm and soft directly
on the finger which contains the sliver or  thorn,
covered with a soft cloth and kept warm.   This
should be renewed often, then the pus forming
around the thorn will work to the surface, bringing
the thorn with it.  After this is accomplished, the
sore place should  be carefully cleansed, dressed
with a piece of  muslin from  the tin box, and kept
protected and clean until healed.
  Try all hot applications on your  arm or cheek
before putting them on your patient.   If they do
not burn you, they will not  burn her, even if she
does object.  They must be applied hot, but not
enough to burn.

              FLAXSEED POULTICE
  You will need a piece of muslin for a foundation
for your poultice.  Cut a piece, four inches larger
each  way than the surface you wish to  cover
with the poultice.   Warm a large thick plate in
the oven or  near  the fire.  Have  water boiling
in a saucepan and sprinkle  in  the  flaxseed with
one hand, while you  stir with the  other, in the
same way you make corn-meal mush.  Stir with a
knife.  When the  mixture is like a thick  paste, 
100  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

remove from the fire, lay the muslin foundation
on the hot plate and spread the poultice to within
one inch  of the  edge  of  the  cloth.  Cover  this
with a piece of gauze, mosquito netting, or old
lace curtain, and fold the edges of the muslin over
on the poultice.   This makes a little muslin frame
around it and keeps the sticky  mass from running
off.  Cover  the poultice  with another hot plate
or warm cloth and take to the patient.  Always
make a new poultice before removing the old one.
  A  poultice must  not get cold on the patient.
In about half an hour after you apply the first
poultice, begin making the  second.  The doctor
will tell you how long to keep them on.  If he
says  keep the  patient poulticed  for two hours,
that  does not mean one poultice  for two  hours
but several poultices, keeping the skin warm  and
moist.   Cover the poultice  with  a rubber cloth
or flannel to retain the  heat.  When  you have
finished poulticing, dry the skin and cover it with
warm flannel, so it may not become chilled.

              MUSTARD POULTICE

  First wash the skin where the poultice is to be
applied.  Anoint with  oil or vaseline and  cover
with a clean cloth. 
      POULTICES AND LINIMENTS    101

  Mix together two teaspoonfuls of mustard and
four teaspoonfuls  of flour  with  enough  warm
water to make  it spread nicely.  Spread  on a
cloth, cover with gauze, cheesecloth or a piece of
old handkerchief, the same as in making the flax-
seed poultice.  Do not use hot water, as that
destroys  the heating properties of the mustard.
The oil on  the  skin prevents  blistering quickly
and the poultice  can  be  borne  much  longer.
Look at the skin often to see that it does not blister.

               BRAN POULTICE
  Sew the  bran in a muslin bag.  This can be
used dry or wet.  If dry, heat it in the oven.   If
wet, pour boiling water over it. To do this,  lay
a towel over a basin or bowl, then put the bag of
bran in the basin on the towel. Pour the water
over this, and by twisting the  ends of the towel
you can wring the poultice without burning your
hands.  Apply  in  the same manner as a flaxseed
poultice.  Hop or slippery-elm poultices are made
in the same way.
  Bags of hot salt are often used. These are made
of heavy muslin and filled only one third or one half
full of salt.   Heat them in the oven.  It is best to
have two bags, heating one while the other is in use. 
 102  THE  BOOK OF  HOME NURSING

   Laudanum  is often added to a bread or flax-
 seed poultice if the patient is in pain.
   Hot fomentations or stupes, as they are called
 in the hospital, are cloths wrung out of hot water
 and applied to the body.  Sometimes a medicine
 is added to the hot water or put directly on the
 skin, before the hot, wet cloths are applied.
   To wring  the cloths without burning the hands,
 lay a strong towel over a basin, then on that put
 the cloth which you wish to use for your stupe.
 (A piece of  flannel is best.)  Pour over  this the
 hot water, and by twisting the  ends of the towel
 you will be able to wring it quite dry  without
 burning your hands.  If this  must be done many
 times, it  will save time and  trouble if  you  sew
 hems, a  couple of inches wide, in  the ends of the
 towel, and through these hems run two sticks, then
 by turning the sticks in opposite directions, you
 can wring the stupe very quickly.  Carry it to
 your patient in the cloth in which it  is wrung.
 If you have a piece of bed ticking of any strong
 cloth it will  do as well as the towel.
  If your patient must have  stupes on her back,
let  her lie on  her  face with  a pillow under  her
 stomach and chest.  She will be more comfortable
with the pillow.  If she must have the stupes on 
 
Many Times the Bed must be Raised at the Foot
                                        [Page i.
When the Patient must have Stupes on Back or Abdomen
  Use Two Blankets to Avoid Uncovering the Chest
        and Shoulders when Applying Stupes 
POULTICES AND LINIMENTS    103
her abdomen,  place a large pillow,  or two small
ones, under her knees.  Use two blankets to cover
your patient,  one large one and one small one.
Put the large one over her feet with the top edge
reaching to her abdomen or as high on  her back
as you apply the stupes.   Place the small one
over her shoulders and let it come down over the
edge of the first one.   Then when you apply the
stupes, lay back the blankets  where they come
together.  This will save uncovering the chest and
shoulders of your patient.   Cover the stupes with
oiled  muslin,  rubber cloth  or  flannel,  to  retain
the heat.  When you  have finished giving the
stupes, dry  the skin  carefully  and  cover  with  a
warm  dry cloth.
   To make a turpentine stupe for a grown person,
mix together  one teaspoonful of turpentine and
two of sweet or olive oil.   For a child,  one tea-
spoon of turpentine and  eight  teaspoons  of oil.
Mix carefully, and with a piece of absorbent cotton
anoint the skin where the stupe is to be  placed.
Then  wring the  folded flannel cloth as directed,
give it a little shake when you take it from the
stupe  water to let air  in between  the folds, and
apply as hot as you can hold it  on your own
cheek.  Have two pieces of flannel for stupes and 
 104  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

change every five minutes, during the time ordered
for the hot fomentation.  Put a hot cloth in place
when you remove the cool  one.  Anoint with oil
and  turpentine every third time you  apply the
hot cloth. Stir well each time that the turpentine
may be well mixed with the oil.
  To use a liniment, wash the skin with hot water
and  soap, dry, and rub in  the liniment with the
hand, until it is absorbed by the skin.  Place
the palm of your hand (or, as the Masseuse says,
the heel of your hand) on  the painful spot, and
without lifting it  move  gently  with a circular
motion.  This massages  the deep  muscles and
helps lame backs, stiff necks, and lame legs.  Al-
ways wash the hands carefully,  after using lini-
ments, as they sometimes contain poisons.
  Ointments are spread on a piece of clean muslin
and applied to the sore place, or are rubbed into the
skin in the same way as the liniment.
  The doctor sometimes  orders cold applications
to relieve pain or congestion.  The easiest way is
to use cloths wrung from ice water or that have
lain  on  the ice.  Alcohol added to the ice water
makes  it  seem  colder.  This needs  the entire
attention of one person, as the cloth  becomes
warm quickly and must be changed at very fre- 
POULTICES AND LINIMENTS    105
quent  intervals.   Wring  carefully and place a
rubber cloth covered with a sheet or towel under
that part of the body where they are applied.   Ice
caps are used in hospitals and are most convenient
and easy to use if they can be obtained.   If you
use an  ice cap, fill it  only  half  full of pieces of
ice as large as an English walnut.   Hold your
hand tightly around the top of the bag to expel the
air, then screw on the top.   Cover with a piece of
gauze'or an old handkerchief.  If the  cap is only
half full, it will fit nicely over the head, or place on
the body where it is needed.
   When you have finished using  the cap,  wash it,
dry carefully, and put a handful  of crushed tissue
paper  or piece of gauze or muslin inside so the
sides cannot stick together and spoil the bag.
   If cold compresses are needed for an eye, cut
several pieces of absorbent cotton just large enough
to cover the eye, about the size and shape of a
glass in eyeglasses.  Lay these  on a  piece of ice
and change frequently.  If  there  is  a discharge
from the eye, do not use the same piece twice.
The ice will keep much better if you  turn a sieve
upside down in a basin and lay the piece of ice on
 the sieve.   In this way the ice cannot touch the
 water and will not melt as quickly. 
CHILDREN
  Begin  at the  very beginning with children
and teach them that good health will depend in a
great  measure upon themselves.   Teach them to
clean  their teeth, to be watchful and regular with
their  bowels, to wash their hands before eating
and after they come  home  from school, and to
bathe regularly.  These things can be made habits
and, if managed in the right way, will not make
fussy children.  They should be done regularly and
without comment, just as the child  gets up each
morning  and eats three  meals a day.
  If your child is sick or not strong, do not talk
about it before him. Do not discuss his symptoms
or medicine, for this will make him self-conscious
and concerned about himself.  It is not good for
him and  makes him anything but attractive.  A
grown-up person who  is always dwelling upon his
symptoms and pills is anything but good company,
and a child who does this is often disliked, when
really it is all the fault of the parents.
  Teach  the children  not to put their hands on
                     106 
CHILDREN
107
railings, or banisters in public places, and to keep
their  gloves and hands  away  from their faces.
One sees things  in the cars or on the street that
makes one wonder whether some mothers value
their  children at all.  In these days, when the
newspapers are full of warnings, one would hardly
believe  that  a mother could sit calm and un-
concerned and allow her young son, of two and one
half or three years, to clean the car window with
his tongue or to put his fingers in his mouth and
draw  pictures on the window, returning his finger
to his mouth every few seconds to wet it, in order
that it may make better marks.
  One day I saw in the Battery Park aquarium a
long line  of very dirty people passing in front of
the fish tanks.  All  of  these people kept their
hands carefully on the rail which separated them
from  the  tanks, leaving  their own germs behind
and collecting those of their predecessors.  Little
foreign  children are much like American young-
sters.   They  also  kept their hands on the  rail,
stopping occasionally to  put their mouths on it.
This sounds revolting to  you, and yet if you take
your  children  to see the  fishes, which you should
do  if possible, they  will immediately put their
hands on  this same rail. 
108  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

  It is only a habit, this handling of everything.
Teach  children that their eyes are not in their
fingers.   Have you  never seen  a woman on  a
shopping tour  stop  and handle everything laid
out for inspection, whether  she had any idea of
buying  it  or  not?  Only old  or feeble  people
should put their hands on banisters or railings in
public places.  People who are too young to walk
alone  should  have a  guiding and protecting
hand in  public.   These citizens of tender years
are the ones who not only handle but taste  in-
discriminately.   Buy  a  magnifying  glass  and
show the dirt on the legs of  the fly and on other
things; then your warnings will not seem like fairy
tales.
  Buy a thermometer and take it to your doctor
for instruction, or if you  know a trained nurse
she will  teach you how to use it.  Very often
the first sign that something  is wrong with one of
the children, will be a rise in temperature.  If he
complains of a headache, has flushed cheeks and
no appetite, you may be sure he has "caught
something," or, as our grandmothers used to say
in accusing tones,  "has been eating something."
Take his temperature.   If it is near green apple
time, make searching inquiries, or if earlier in the 
CHILDREN
109
spring and  there have been  a few very  warm
days and you live near a lake or a river, feel of
his hair and ask him if the water is warm.  He
may have been tempted to take an early plunge
and in  consequence may have tonsilitis.  Look
at his chest, stomach, or neck to.see if he has a
rash.  Ask him all about his trouble, where he has
pain, and if  it is  a dull or a  sharp pain.  Then
telephone  the doctor and you will be able to
answer his questions in an intelligent manner.  A
rise of temperature is not as serious in a child
as in a grown person.  It may mean indigestion,
and if so, a dose of castor oil will make him a new
man.
  In the hospitals the temperature of  a child is
taken in the rectum.  It is  not always safe to
put a thermometer in the mouth of a small child,
for if he struggles or bites,  he may  break  the
thermometer, and broken glass is a serious thing.
To avoid accidents of this kind and to secure a
more accurate temperature, the rectal temperatures
are taken.   Put a  little oil  or vaseline on  the
thermometer and insert very  gently.  If  the
child is not sick in bed, the best position is the  one
enforced upon us in our early youth when under-
going an old-fashioned spanking. 
no  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

  If your child seems stupid, does not get on well
in school, and sits with his mouth open, do not feel
that he is headed toward an idiot asylum.  At the
very first opportunity, head him toward the doctor.
He  probably has adenoids, and if these are re-
moved he may be the smartest member of the
family.
  Many children have harsh and cruel things said
to them because of seeming  stupidity,  when the
parents are the ones who are stupid.  No normal
child sits or sleeps with his mouth open, and if your
child does this, it is your duty to find out why he
does it and have  the cause removed.  There may
be other things besides adenoids which  are troub-
ling him. His hearing may be defective or he may
need glasses.  A mother once told me about her
son, whose seeming denseness and stupidity during
his  early years  was a constant mortification to
her.  When sent on errands to places where he
had been with her  only  the day before, he would
come home without being able  to find the place,
and he did many  other foolish things which seemed
absolutely  without excuse.  One day  she dis-
covered  that he was very nearsighted.   He was
at once taken to an oculist, and when he returned
wearing glasses,  he said:  "Why, mother,  there 
CHILDREN
in
is another side to the street.   I never knew that
before."  The mother told me that the  sharp
things she had said to him for his seeming inat-
tentiveness had been hurting her ever since.
  If your child wets the bed,  do not punish him,
but take him to the doctor.  If he hates his woolen
underwear, do not make him wear it.  Give him
cotton underclothes and a sweater to wear under
his overcoat if he needs it.  Wool is very irritating
to some skins, and I have known children to endure
torture from fall until late spring because their
mothers were  superstitious about woolen under-
clothes.  Any one who has been in a continual
itch all the winters of his youth, will not forget it,
and will see  that his own children are not tortured
in the same  way.  In a book which was published
no  farther  back than 1911, people are  gravely
advised to  use  white  flannel bandages  for one
condition and red flannel  for  something  else.
Such advice is on a par with the recommendations
and treatment of the rag priestess, who tells you
your disease and what to  do for it, by  holding
in her hands a bandage which you have worn over-
night.
  The children's clothing must hang  from  the
shoulders,  using elastics,  which fasten  on  an 
 112  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

 underwaist, to hold  the stockings.  Do  not use
 garters around the leg, and if the baby's sleeves are
 too long, turn them  back at the wrist.  Do not
 put tight rubber bands around her  arms.   This
 interferes with the circulation.
  It is not considered necessary in these days for
 children to have contagious diseases.  I remember
 hearing a mother say: "All the  children in the
 neighborhood are having mumps.   As it is spring
 and warm weather is coming on, I think I will see
 that my  small daughter is exposed, and that will
 be one more thing over  with.  This is the  best
 time of the year for children to have mumps."
  There is no good time of year for children  to
have mumps, measles, or whooping cough.   The
mothers are careful to avoid exposure to diphtheria
and scarlet fever, and children are warned about
these diseases, but many ignorant mothers believe
that measles, whooping cough, mumps, and chicken
pox are necessary evils and  calmly allow their
children to be exposed.  These diseases  weaken
the child, and each sickness of this kind puts him
in a condition to  more easily contract something
else.  Why use up his vitality in this way?   It is
better to take every precaution and protect your
child, thus  helping to stamp out these diseases. 
CHILDREN
"3
  Teach the children very early in life that con-
stipation is more deadly than the dragon in the
fairy-tale book.  Young children must be watched
and  taught the  importance of  regular habits.
When  they become  feverish or irritable,  an in-
vestigation will  probably show that the bowels
are not in good condition.   If the bowels do not
move well every day, feed your child bran bread,
graham bread or graham muffins, orange  juice,
figs, or prunes for  breakfast.  If this does  not
correct the trouble,  tell your doctor and he will
prescribe a remedy.   This is most important, for
other kinds of troubles, as well  as fretfulness  and
stupidity, arise from neglected  constipation.  No
one  can be cheerful, bright, even tempered, or
well,  if he is  absorbing  poisons.  The  bowel
movements may be fairly regular  but at the same
time contain indigested food. It  is best to speak
to the doctor about this.
  When giving an  enema  to a child, try to get
him to submit without using force.  It uses up
too  much energy  and  tires  both  mother  and
child.   Teach your children to  have  a  loving
confidence in what you do for them.  Sympathize
with the dread and fright which unusual things of
this kind always produce.   Do not say "This is
     8 
114  THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

for your own good," an expression which has been
dear to the hearts of  many parents, and remem-
bered  with  resentment by their children. They
will be able to understand if you explain to them
that an enema is preferable to being sick, taking
castor  oil, and staying in bed. Children have much
more commonsense than is generally believed  by
their elders and will use it if given half a chance.
  When children walk before their  bones  are
strong  enough to bear their weight, or if their
bodies   are  not   properly  nourished,  they will
have bowlegs.  This condition is also often caused
by too  large  a  diaper.  A remedy for bowlegs,
which is more pleasant than splints on the little
legs, is an old-fashioned  velocipede or  tricycle.
Get one a little too  large for the child; then when
he rides he will  stretch his legs in order to reach
the pedals.  This constant stretching  of the legs
will help to straighten them. He will be like the
grown-up who owns an  automobile and who is
not able to walk around the corner if the car is
handy.   He will want to ride all  the time.   This
will keep his weight off his legs and you will  see
an improvement in  a short time.  Get  the tricycle
as soon as he  is able  to ride and while his little
bones are soft  and easily straightened. 
CHILDREN
H5
  When your young daughter has had the measles
and is convalescing but still in bed and of course
quarantined,  the  time  will pass  very slowly.
Put her in a room in which the windows look on the
street so that she may have her bed by the closed
window.   You  can buy  for her, at the five- and
ten-cent store, a pair of dark glasses and she will
love  to  wear  them.  Ask  the doctor's advice,
however,  before doing  this.  If she is near the
window,  she  can wave her hands at her friends.
Some of them will pass by on the other side of the
street, and speak in whispers about the card which
says  "Measles."   Others, very brave, will  walk
on  your  side,  while very  foolhardy  ones will
dance on your grass and shout, "Who's afraid
of measles!"   All  this will be  very entertaining
during her convalescence, when she will be hardest
to care for.  Put  a little jacket on her, which
can be washed or burned when she is well, give
her a bed table, made from a box, which can also
be burned, a  bottle of library paste and some blunt
scissors, a fashion magazine, a seed catalogue, and
strips of  cardboard.  With  these  can be made
a beautiful game.  Cut the strips of cardboard
an inch wide and three to five inches long, fold at
right angles,  so that one end will  stand.  Then 
116  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

cut stylish ladies, trees, flowers, etc.,  and paste
each one to a cardboard  base, the  upright  end
of the cardboard on  the back of  the lady.  This
will make her stand nicely.   With  a  little sug-
gestion, your young  daughter can be induced to
make a garden with  ladies having a garden party;
or a scrapbook can be called a child's home, each
leaf to  be a room furnished with chairs, tables,
etc., cut from the advertising pages of old maga-
zines.  Boys usually like  making  forests,  with
animals or a zoo, or,  like Robert Louis Stevenson,
sail little paper ships across the counterpane sea,
with cargoes from foreign lands. Children can be led
to originate many delightful stories and games.
Their heads  are  usually full of these  and it takes
only the key of sympathetic understanding to un-
lock their hearts and induce them to  play fairy
stories.  Every house  has old magazines  full of pic-
tures which can be utilized  in this way, and friends
will be more than glad to  contribute material for
the entertainment of  your small patient.  Clothes-
pins with  faces marked  on  them   make nice
dollies  and  stand very well if given stiff paper
skirts.   These things can  be burned when they
have served their usefulness, thereby  destroying
all fear of contagion.  By giving one thing at a 
CHILDREN
117
time and a different one each day, the child will
not grow tired of these simple toys.
  When your young son announces that he is tired
of milk and just can't drink another drop, answer
him: "All right, son, we will have something else.
I will be the man at  the soda fountain and you
a customer.  Good morning, sir, what flavor."
He will grin and say,  "Pineapple."  Bring in his
glass of milk with a drop of vanilla or  some other
flavoring in it, and a strip of macaroni.  Let him
drink the milk through the macaroni in place of a
etraw. Ask him  if the flavor is  good and what
i:\nd he will take next time. This is a game that is
always a success and is much easier and pleasanter
than  the old-fashioned method  of holding  his
nose  and making him  swallow.  Quite  a thick
gruel can be taken through the macaroni.
  Play with your sick child.  When his feet are
paddling in the bath pan, they may as well  be
in the sea, in his mind.  Ask him if  he can feel
the sand and it makes things very interesting if a
crab  catches a toe now and then.  Bread and
milk  is delightful if each mouthful  is a city and
something of interest is told about the city while it
is being  eaten.  Take a bread-and-milk journey
with your son.  The first mouthful can be Boston. 
 118   THE BOOK OF  HOME NURSING

 Give him a spoonful and say: "Here we  are at
 Boston.  ' Listen, my children, and you shall hear
 of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.'"   If he
 wishes to stay in Boston and hear more of Paul
 Revere, you can keep on feeding him. His mouth
 will  open unconsciously.  In this way the  neces-
 sary amount of nourishment can be given without
 protest and wasted energy.
  A   delightful  and  everlasting  entertainment
 can  be furnished with very  little trouble and no
 expense.  Fasten the branch  of  a bush or  tree
 outside the window where the birds  can come to
 eat.   Make holes in pieces  of bread or crackers
 and  slide them over the twigs.  Use a shallow box
 or basket fastened to the edge of the fire escape,
 if you live in the city and have no branches.  The
 birds will soon become very tame, and even older
 people are very much entertained by this simple
device.
  A  five-cent paper of flower seeds, or a handful
 of beans, will furnish another fascinating  game.
 The  breakfast egg can  be carefully  cut and the
 shell saved.  Place a piece of cotton on a plate or
little tray,  thick enough to keep the shell from
tipping.  Put a little soft earth in a box, spread a
 large paper  over son's  lap, and give him  a tin 
CHILDREN
119
teaspoon.   He  can fill  the  egg-shell flowerpots
and plant a bean or seed in  each one.  These he
can water each day with a teaspoon.  Beans are
hardy enough to endure being dug up,  to see if
they are growing, and  will  also bear up under
much watering.
  In February  or March bring in branches from
the lilac, cherry, or plum trees.  Put them  in a
vase of lukewarm water  and  stand in the window.
They send out leaves and blossoms very quickly
and  are entertaining when one must stay in  bed,
or even in the house.   These may  also  give the
children a taste for the study of birds and plants.
As the child grows stronger the tiny plants in the
egg shells can be transplanted to a  larger box or
set out in  the garden.  He  will be interested in
caring for  them and  this will be good  for both
his body and soul. 
   SPECIAL  CASES AND  CONTAGIOUS
                 DISEASES

                    cold

  During  an  epidemic  of  smallpox  a nervous
lady telephoned her doctor and said, "Doctor,
we have all been vaccinated,  what else shall we
do to protect ourselves?"  The doctor answered,
"Keep your bowels open and trust in the Lord."
  This is the best of advice for all kinds of diseases,
from smallpox  to the every-day  cold.  Germs
will find no more encouragement in a clean body
than rats and mice will find in a clean  house.   If
you feel a cold or sore throat coming  on, take a
hot bath,  and a hot lemonade with a  "stick" in
it, if you  are  not a prohibitionist.  If you are,
take the plain lemonade and have it hot.  Take a
cathartic,  not  a little dose but enough to clean
house thoroughly.  It is a wise thing to get from
your doctor tablets or pills,  to be taken at the
beginning  of a cold.  A person having  a  cold
should not sleep with another person, and even
                     120 
          CONTAGIOUS DISEASES       121

if fond of his family, should restrain himself from
kissing them and should sleep with the windows
open.  If there is soreness in  the throat or chest,
rub in an ointment made of lard and turpentine.
To make this ointment you will need a large plate,
a thin knife, one teaspoonful of turpentine, and
eight teaspoonfuls of lard.  Work the lard  over
and over on the plate until soft like ointment, using
the thin  knife.   Drop the turpentine on the lard,
a  drop or  two at a  time, and  mix thoroughly.
Rub this into the chest and neck, and cover with a
warm flannel.  Take a hot mustard foot bath if
you  cannot have the hot tub bath.   Put a half
teaspoonful of salt in a glass  of warm water and
gently snuff it up the nose.   This removes the
uncomfortable feeling, cleans  out the nose, and is
healing.  Gargle with hot water and salt and do not
forget the cathartic.

               PAIN  IN THE"  BACK

   If you have a pain in your back, do not conclude
at once  that you have diseased kidneys.  There
must be something particularly fascinating about
a diseased kidney, for it is one of the things which
is selected  by many people and lovingly kept for 
122  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

their own.  The  horribly  fascinating  portraits
of writhing victims of this disease are displayed in
the daily papers.  The patent medicine advertise-
ments  scream at  you and  dwell  at length  and
most convincingly on the  symptoms and their
ability  to cure, but most of us know that patent
medicines  cure nothing. At least  if  we do not
know it,  it is  our  own fault.  That there are
none so deaf as those who won't hear, is very true
in the  case of people  who  are  spending their
money for a bottle wearing a fetching label, and
containing a mixture of water with a little alcohol
(sometimes much alcohol), a cathartic, and maybe
a little strychnine, all of which he could  get from
his doctor or druggist for one tenth of the cost.
  The pain in your back may be lumbago.  If you
will rest and  have someone  stir up a  mustard
plaster, put hot stupes over the lame place, or a
few strips of adhesive plaster  to keep  the sore
muscles from pulling when you move, your back
will be  as good as new and your money still in
your pocket.
  Backache may be caused by chronic constipation
or it may be caused by a strain or a cold.  Try a
cathartic and hot applications.  If this  does not
cure you  send  for the doctor,  but  do not take 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES
patent medicine.  Women and  girls  often have
backaches,  but  they must  be  treated  by  the
family doctor.

             CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

  When a patient is quarantined, no one but the
doctor and the  nurse should be allowed in  the
sick room.   Every precaution must be taken to
guard the rest of the family.  The dishes and the
clothing which are used for the patient must be
washed  by themselves.   Keep the dishes in  the
patient's room, so that no one else will get them.
When the patient is well, the dishes can be boiled
for fifteen minutes and used again.  Everything
which is carried from the  sick room should be
disinfected.  The  patient should  be kept very
clean with baths each  day, unless  the doctor
orders otherwise.  In case of scarlet fever or  any
disease  where the skin peels, the  patient's skin
should be  oiled.  This keeps the  tiny particles
of skin from floating about in the air and infecting
others.  The  nurse should  wear  cotton  dresses
which can  be washed and boiled, should take a
walk in the fresh air each  day if possible,  and
should always wash her hands, using a nail brush, 
124  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

after doing any service for her patient.  Do not
put your  hands on  your face; do not kiss the
patient  or put your face near his face.  Clean
the floor of the sick  room with damp cloths and
dust with a  damp duster, then  wash  and boil
these  cloths.  Your doctor  will  advise about
disinfectant  and about  fumigation of the room
when the  patient is well.  The bedpan  must be
treated liberally with disinfectant,  using as much
again disinfectant as you have urine or stool in the
bedpan.  This must be done before the bedpan is
emptied in the sewer or place  prepared  for it.
All toys or books  which have been used  by the
patient should be burned and the room thoroughly
cleaned.
  If you have time to prepare one, the old  fash-
ioned straw mattress will do,  if your patient is a
child, for  he can  be lifted from  the bed, while
you stir and make smooth the straw.   This  with
an old comfortable over the  mattress will make
a  comfortable bed and all can be burned when
the child  is well.   A wood or iron bed could be
scrubbed in a strong solution of carbolic and  then
painted.   Many people  cannot afford to  burn
their furniture.  Be  careful not to spatter  your
hands or  face, as  the carbolic will burn.  There 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES
need be but one chair in the room.   Clean boxes
can be used for  tables,  if covered with  towels.
Another box with shelves could be  used for  a
cupboard in which  to keep  the dishes and play-
things.  Toys, books, and boxes must all go on
the same bonfire.
  If you are not able to  wash the sheets,  pillow-
cases, nightgowns, and towels as quickly as they
are soiled, they should be put in a tub of cold
water, or water and disinfectant, until you can
attend to them.   This keeps the dust from flying
about and lessens the danger to other members
of the family.  Children  should  not  be allowed
to play with cats or dogs when recovering from
contagious diseases.  Scarlet fever can be  carried
to an  entire neighborhood by one kitten.

               TYPHOID  FEVER

  When a person has typhoid fever,  his intestines
are full of ulcers or sores.  The nurse will readily
see that her patient must not sit up in bed, must
not move quickly, or, if very ill, must not move
himself at  all.  He must not get out of bed for
any cause whatsoever; whether he  dislikes the
bedpan or not, he must use it.  The walls  of the 
126  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

intestines are thin and anyone can easily under-
stand that these thin walls, which  are  covered
with sores,  are more than likely to break  through
or become  perforated, if given a quick strain, or
if  solid food is given.   A  crumb  or little
hard mass  of food lodging in a sore  may be  the
last straw which perforates  the  thin wall of  the
intestines.  If this happens, it  means death. A
liquid diet  is absolutely necessary and should be
given through a drinking cup, a glass tube, or a
straw.   If the patient must have his head lifted
to swallow, the nurse must lift it for him.  There
must be no company  and no more of the family
than are needed to care for him.  Keep his drink-
ing glasses, cups, plates, etc., separate from those
used by the family.   These must be washed by
themselves  with a pan, towels, and dishcloth kept
for that purpose.  All clothing used for the patient,
towels,  and  bedclothing must be  disinfected,
washed,  and  dried in  the sun.
  The patient's mouth will need great care.  The
tiny mops  made with toothpicks  and a bit  of
absorbent cotton will clean between the teeth.
A piece of absorbent cotton  wound on the finger
will  clean  the mouth and  tongue.   The nurse
must  be very gentle, as the gums bleed easily. 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES       127
Boracic acid solution can be used as a mouth wash
unless the doctor has something which he prefers.
  The  patient must have  warm cleansing baths,
but must be moved as little as possible.  With
practice or a little forethought, you can bathe and
dry his back and put  a clean sheet in  place by
turning him once.  His back can be bathed when
the sheet must be changed.   Directions for the
cooling bath, which he will need if his temperature
is high, will be found in  the chapter on baths.
If the  patient has a headache or is "out of his
head," wring a cloth out of  cold water and put
over his forehead.
   Sometimes the abdomen is full of gas which will
make it look round and full.  If the doctor orders
turpentine stupes,  you will  find  directions  for
them  in  the chapter  on  applications to relieve
pain.
   If a bowel  movement  is  dark  and  looks  as
though it contained  tar the doctor  must be told
at once.  This dark tar-like color  is caused by
blood.   The  patient  has had a  hemorrhage.
Raise the foot of the bed and take away his pillow,
but do not be panicky about it. No matter how
disturbed you are, you must be cool on the out-
side, for  the patient must not be excited.  All 
128  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

food, water, and medicine must be stopped until
you hear from the doctor.
  If you live in the  city or village  where there
is a sewer,  be very careful about disinfecting the
bath water and contents of  the  bedpan  before
they are put in the  closet.   If in the country
and an outside closet is used by the family, do not
empty the  bath water and bedpan into it. Have
some member of the family dig a hole, away from
the house and below the well or water supply of
both house and the barn.   In this hole,  empty
the bath  water,  urine,  and bowel  movement,   ■
after they  have been disinfected.  Keep  an old
fire shovel, dustpan, or even  a shingle,  by the
hole and as  quickly as you empty the bedpan,
shovel  in dirt  enough to thoroughly cover the
stool.   Any cloths, cotton, soiled pads, paper, or
cloth used  for wiping  the mouth and the tooth-
picks used to  clean the teeth must be burned here.
Have a plentiful supply of chloride of lime and use
it.  Everything must be covered thoroughly with
earth,  so that the flies  will  not  be attracted.
This hole must be covered with boards  so that
nothing can get in it, and when the patient is well
must be filled with earth and plenty of lime.  Do
this carefully  and you will not have an epidemic of 
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
typhoid on your conscience.   Use quicklime.   It
is  cheap and  you can have any amount of it.
Mix it with water until it is like cream, cover the
contents of the bedpan with this, and pour it into
the hole where you bury and burn the refuse from
the sick room.
  As the patient grows better, he will have abso-
lutely no judgment about his food.  It will be the
big thing in the world to him and he will be hungry
all the time.  The liquid diet will grow very  tire-
some  to him but  it means life,  and solid food
means a serious  relapse,  or death.  You must
be firm about this, for it is one of the  most impor-
tant parts of typhoid nursing.  He must be fed
like a baby and his temperature taken  regularly,
even after he is out of bed.  As he grows better,
his temperature will be higher at night than in
the morning,  but not as high as it was the night
before.  Each night it will be a little less until it
reaches normal.
  The nurse must take great care of herself.   Her
hands  and nails must be scrubbed.  She must
never eat  anything before  washing her hands
and must not eat  in the sick room.   When the
patient is better, be careful about visitors.  Do not
let them take any fruit or food into the  sick room 
 130   THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

 and do not let them stay long.  Everything must
 be fumigated and cleaned after the patient is well.
  Remember that the doctor is the best judge of
 what  the patient should eat.  There will  always
 be friends  who will feel perfectly competent to
 advise in this matter.  They will not tell an engi-
 neer how to run his train or a tailor how to cut his
 cloth, but will know much more about the needs of
 the patient than the doctor, or  the trained nurse
 if there be one.   It is usually safe  to  let  the
 engineer run his train, or the tailor cut his cloth, so
 why not, as he has been trained for it, let the doctor
 prescribe for his patient.  Someone will say, "My
 cousin's half-sister ate  whatever  she  wanted
 when she was sick and was in much more pain than
 your  father."  True, but  "my   cousin's half-
 sister" had a broken  leg  and  your  father  has
 typhoid fever.  Don't  argue with these  kind-
hearted people, but take what they bring.   Then
 when  your father is comfortably  resting,  scrub
your hands to avoid infection, sit down in an easy
 chair in the next room, and eat  the rice pudding,
 the  sponge cake, and the  fruit  that  was  never
known to hurt anyone, and say nothing.  There
are  many  gravestones which should bear this
inscription: "Killed by our loving friends." 
         CONTAGIOUS DISEASES       131

                 pneumonia

  Pneumonia is  often brought  on by exposure,
when the person is very tired.  It will probably
do you no harm to get wet, if you take a hot
bath and a hot drink and put on  dry clothing.
  One attack of some  diseases discourages  a
second,  but  with pneumonia a  second attack is
more easily contracted than the first.  A person
who  drinks alcoholic liquor to excess is going to
have a much  greater  fight to live  than  one
who  is temperate or  one who does not drink at
all.
  This is a  short disease, lasting from three to
eleven days.   As the heart is weakened  by the
disease, the patient  must be kept in bed.  He
must lie quiet, not moving or being moved more
than is absolutely necessary.  He must be helped
to drink and must use the bedpan.  Liquid diet
is usually given but the doctor will order the diet.
What he orders must be given the patient and
nothing else.
  The windows must be open all the  time, even
in winter.    No one but the nurse must be in
the room unless she needs help in lifting  the pa-
tient. 
132  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

  The patient's mouth should be cleaned carefully
with a  mouth  wash  and cotton on  the  finger,
after which the nurse must scrub   her  hands
carefully.
  The  patient  will cough and expectorate, so
little pieces of cloth or paper should be used by
him  in  place of a  handkerchief.  These pieces
of cloth or paper should be put at once in a paper
bag  which is  always near  the  patient.  This
must be burned, as the germs of the  pneumonia
are in the sputum.  Great care should be taken
with the bath  and about exposing the patient.
Bathe him only enough for cleanliness and do it
under a blanket.  Good nursing is most important.
The patient must not move himself or reach for
things.  The  nurse  must hold  the glass or cup
from which he  drinks. Wipe his mouth with a
cloth or paper after he coughs and keep him quiet.
There must be no  talking or excitement.   The
patient  must be watched constantly, as he may
be delirious and try to get out of bed.  Use pads
under the patient's hips,  for if he is unconscious
and his bowels  move  without warning,  this will
enable  you to  keep  him clean without moving
him to change the sheet. 
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES      133
               scarlet fever

  Scarlet  fever is to be dreaded  because it is
dangerous in itself and because it  may lead to
many serious  complications.  The  patient  and
the nurse must be isolated at least six weeks.
  In scarlet fever, the eruption comes first on the
neck, chest, and back, and  then over the entire
body.
  A  mild case must have  as careful  attention
during the fever and convalescence as a  more
serious case.  The patient  must not be allowed
to overeat, take cold, or get overtired.
  A  child may not be sick in from one to ten days
from the time  he  has been exposed.  Young
children  sometimes are taken with convulsions,
older children with a chill, or it may come on with
a sore throat, headache, high fever  and vomiting.
At first the rash is only pale red points.  Later
the  rash  is bright and  covers the body.  The
throat and mouth will be bright red, the tongue
will be coated white and later will have red spots
on it.  This is called the strawberry tongue and
is one of the symptoms of scarlet fever.
   The patient must be put in a room by himself
at once.  All  unnecessary  furnishings must be 
134  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

removed from the room, for  everything in  the
sick room should be burned after the patient is
well.  The patient must have  no company and
absolute quarantine must be insisted upon.  All
clothing taken from the  room must be carefully
disinfected.  Keep a sheet, wet in a disinfecting
solution, hanging over the door of the sick room.
  This  disease is  not necessarily  fatal, if  the
patient  is strong and well  nourished, but even with
careful  treatment there may be  unhappy after-
effects, such as a weak heart, deafness, weak eyes
or blindness, a weak throat, subject to tonsillitis,
or inflammation of the kidneys.  The mouth and
throat  will  need great  care.  The doctor will
probably order a liquid diet for the patient.  After
the fever is lower, the patient  may have a light
diet.  This diet should be nourishing but nothing
should be given which is at all hard to digest.
The doctor will order the diet.
  The patient must be carefully guarded against
a relapse.  He may  recover from the fever and
then some little thing will cause a relapse, which
will be  much more  serious than the fever.  A
little  boy recovering  from scarlet fever  played
by an  open window.  The weather was damp
and  rainy  and  the  little  boy  took cold.  His 
          CONTAGIOUS DISEASES      135

relapse  was very  much worse  than his fever,
with serious kidney complications.  This caused
both  additional  expense  and  heart-breaking
anxiety to the parents.
  Everything must be  carefully disinfected and
cared for as in typhoid fever.  Dishes, clothing,
and  bedding  must  be  soaked in  disinfecting
solution and  washed  by themselves.  The child
must be kept quarantined as long as the peeling
continues, which will  be from two to six weeks.
The room must be well aired all the time, but the
child must not  be in  a draft  or take cold.   Rub
his body with olive oil, or lard, every day.  This
will relieve the itching and keep the particles of
skin  from floating about.  Do not let the patient
out of bed until the doctor orders it.   You will be
able  to tell when the peeling is accomplished, for
the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet are
the last to peel.
  When the patient is let out of quarantine, he
must have a warm bath, including his hair.   The
nurse must do the  same.   Everything in the
room which can be burned should be burned at
once.   The woodwork must  be washed and the
room fumigated.  It is best to ask the advice of
the  doctor about  the fumigation  of the room. 
136  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
Many things which were at one time considered
good  fumigators  have  since been  discarded  as
worthless, one of these  things being the sulphur
candle.  The fumigator which is now considered
the best is formaldehyde.   This is what is called
germicide.  When the  room  is  fumigated,  all
cracks must be closed and the closet doors and
bureau drawers  left  open.   The  pillows and
mattress, if not burned,  should be ripped open, so
that the fumes of the formaldehyde may penetrate
thoroughly, killing every germ.   The health offi-
cer of  a town will, as  a rule, attend to the fumi-
gation.   If you cannot afford to burn the bed, it
must  be taken out of  doors, thoroughly scrubbed
with a disinfectant,  and repainted.   Scarlet fe-
ver germs will live   for years.  Children have
been known  to  take the disease from books used
long  before by  other  children  having  scarlet
fever.  Give paper and wood toys to your child
and burn them on the general bonfire after his
recovery.  No matter how  good a thing may be
and no matter how much you dislike parting with
it, you will not think it worth a life.  One or many
lives  can very  easily be sacrificed by  a  single
picture book  or mattress, saved  after  scarlet
fever. 
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
                  DIPHTHERIA

  Diphtheria is a highly infectious disease and
absolute quarantine should  be observed.  This
is fully as important in a light case as in a severe
case.  Careful nursing is necessary.  The throat
will need particular attention.  The first day the
throat will be  red, then a  gray membrane will
form.  When spraying the throat, the nurse must
protect  her eyes with glasses and her  nose and
mouth with a cloth tied over them.  The patient
will have swollen tonsils, be feverish,  and have
difficulty in swallowing.
  The child will need a quantity of nourishment,
which must be in liquid form, and should be given
plenty of drinking water.  It is necessary that the
patient  take a  liberal amount of nourishment to
give him strength, as the disease is very weakening.
Absolute quiet and rest for the patient is necessary.
The doctor may order quicklime to be slacked in
the room, or a boiling teakettle, to keep  the air
moist.   In either case, the croup tent,  described
in  the notes on croup, can  be used.  The pulse
of  the patient must be watched carefully and all
orders of the doctor strictly obeyed.  All cloths
or  paper napkins  used for wiping the  mouth  or 
138  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

nose must be burned at once.  The germs of the
disease are in the discharges from the nose and
throat and in  the membrane.  If  great  care is
taken to catch all discharges in cloths and burn
them at once,  there will be  very  little  danger
for the rest of the family.   The period of isolation
will  depend upon the recovery of the patient.
The doctor will take cultures of the throat and will
tell you what to do.   When the patient is better,
he is still not  out of danger, as there may  be
many disastrous after-effects, the same as in scarlet
fever.  The patient must have plenty of nourish-
ing food and fresh air.  The voice may become
very weak but will grow stronger as the patient
grows stronger.  Everything in the room must be
disinfected, the same as  in scarlet fever.  The
doctor will give antitoxin to the patient  and  all
members of the family who have  been exposed.
Since the use of antitoxin, diphtheria is  not as
terrifying a disease as before.

                  MEASLES

  Measles is  very infectious  and in almost  all
places a strict quarantine is required.  It may be
given to others from the time the patient is first 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES
sick  until the skin has entirely finished peeling.
This peeling or desquamating, as it is called, is not
like scarlet fever where the skin comes off in little
pieces or strips but is fine and easily scattered or
carried on the clothing.  Infection is also spread by
the discharges of the nose, mouth, bladder, and
bowels.  These discharges must be  disinfected.
The  eyes will need particular care.  The patient
must not be where a light can  shine in his eyes
either from the sun or a lamp.   In some  cases it is
necessary to darken  the room.  If the  eyes are
not sore, dark glasses are very convenient for the
patient can see what is going on about him and be
entertained.
  Some children  have measles  very  lightly and
others  are very ill.  Measles often go through  a
school  or town, leaving many little graves behind,
and is not to be treated lightly as a necessary evil
but should be avoided. A child coming down with
measles usually begins with the symptoms of  a
cold.   He will be feverish, then chilly, will run at
the nose, have no appetite, feel  stupid or languid,
and  have  inflamed  eyes.  Sometimes  he will
vomit.  There is  a peculiar characteristic odor
which goes with measles and sometimes it may be
identified by that.   The rash usually shows on the 
140  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

fourth  day.  It  comes on the  chin, forehead,
throat, face, and then the body.  Put the child
in bed and keep him warm.  The rash lasts from
two to five days and then fades away.  Then the
peeling or desquamation begins.  Sometimes the
patient is very ill and very uncomfortable with
sore  throat and  fever. The  nose,  mouth, and
throat must be cleansed with a boracic acid solu-
tion  unless the doctor orders some other  mouth
wash.  If the patient's nose is sore, cleanse it
very gently with a tiny piece of cotton on a tooth-
pick, using vaseline or sweet oil.  Keep the room
well  aired  but  the patient must never be in a
draft.  While he is convalescing keep him away
from the open windows, especially if it rains or is
cold.  This  might cause a serious relapse with
pneumonia.
  The patient's food will be milk, broth, eggs, or
gruel.  If he is not very ill, the  doctor may let
him have toast, fruit, and many other things.

                    MUMPS

  A  case of mumps will  usually be  ushered in
with headache,  vomiting,  and pain  under  the
ears.  One of  the distinguishing symptoms of 
          CONTAGIOUS DISEASES      141

mumps is an  inability  to eat anything  sour.
The acid causes great pain.  The patient should
be kept in bed until the swelling is entirely gone.
The mouth should be washed frequently and the
throat gargled if the  patient can do  so without
pain.  The  bowels must be kept  open and a
liquid diet given as long as the fever lasts.   As it
will be painful and difficult to open the mouth,
water and nourishment should be given through a
drinking  tube or  straw.  While this  disease  is
very painful it is not dangerous of itself but must
have careful nursing  for it is often followed by
serious complications.

               WHOOPING COUGH

  Whooping cough begins like a cold and will
continue about this way for about ten days when
the distinctive cough  will be heard.  The patient
will often vomit when coughing.  He should  be
kept away from other children  but should be out
of doors in fair weather unless coughing violently
or has nose bleed.  Then he should be put in bed
and given a  large pillow.  He should be kept
warm, given a light  diet, and  his bowels should
have  careful  attention.  The  child  will  cough 
142  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

from one  to three months.  Whooping cough is
a wearisome  disease and should be  avoided if
possible.

                CHICKEN POX

  Chicken pox may  cause  very little  trouble,
especially  with children.  It  sometimes  causes
vomiting  and  pain in the  back or  legs.  The
pimples come first on the back and chest and later
make tiny sores.   These  sores will heal without
leaving scars if the patient does not scratch them.
A heavy attack of chicken pox resembles a light
attack of  smallpox, only in  smallpox the rash
comes first on  the  face.   This  is a good  thing to
remember. If the children in your neighborhood
are having chicken pox and your child has a rash
on his body and vomits,  give him a warm bath,
a light diet,  and  keep him warm and dry.  If,
however the  rash comes  first  on his face  you
should have your doctor see  him  at once.   A
child having chicken pox should be kept away from
other children, until the  tiny  sores  are  healed.
He should have a sponge bath each day and  the
scabs or the crusts of the sores should be oiled.
This can be done with a small  piece of absorbent 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES
cotton.  Do not rub the sores but touch or pat
them gently with the oil and cotton.  After the child
is well, wash his clothing and the bed linen,  air
the mattress  and pillows in the  sun, and  clean
the room.   Fumigation is not necessary.

              GERMAN  MEASLES

  German  measles resembles measles but is not
as  serious.   The rash  comes first around the
mouth, on the neck and back of the ears, then on
the chest and body.  The patient as a rule is not
very ill and does not need to be in bed. He should
have a light diet, be kept warm  and away from
other children from  ten to  fifteen  days.   Disin-
fection is not necessary  after this  disease.  Clean
the room, wash  clothing and bed linen, and  air
mattress, pillows, and blankets in the sun.

                    CROUP

  Anyone  who has been awakened in the night
by the hoarse croupy breathing of a little child
will not forget it, neither will he forget the terror-
stricken hurry to relieve it.
  There are  two  kinds of  croup.  The most 
144  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

common type is spasmodic croup which usually
responds to treatment and is seldom fatal.  Mem-
branous croup  is  much  more  serious,  but the
treatment given before the  doctor comes is the
same in both cases.   Keep the child in a warm
room where you can have  a boiling  teakettle.
Damp  air relieves the difficult  breathing.  Put
cloths wrung out of hot water around the child's
throat.  If this does not relieve the patient, give
him  one  teaspoonful of  syrup of  ipecac  and
repeat every half hour until he vomits freely.  Put
him in a  hot bath, taking care not to burn him.
Place the kitchen table near the stove.  Lay the
mattress  from the child's crib  or two  or three
pillows on the table,  cover the inside of a long
handled umbrella with a  woolen blanket, and tie
the umbrella handle to the leg of the table.  Tuck
the ends of the blanket  which hang  from the
umbrella  under the pillows  at the end  and one
side of the table making a little tent.   Lay the
child under  this with a  large pillow under his
head.   Make a tube of stiff paper and pin over
the spout of the teakettle to direct  the steam
under the umbrella.
  In case you do not have syrup of ipecac  in the
house,  do not wait to send for it.  Give one tea- 
Paper Toys Cut from Old Magazines and Made to Stand
    with Cardboard Strips.  These can be Burned
       when they have served their usefulness
                                           [Page 116]
The Croup Tent 
 
          CONTAGIOUS DISEASES       145

spoonful  of mustard  in  a cup  of  warm water
or one tablespoonful  of  salt in  a cup of warm
water to  make  the patient  vomit.  The  child
will not take this as easily as he would the syrup of
ipecac.  It is so much for a little person to drink.
Keep cool yourself and  do not excite the child.
Avoid anything that will  make him cry or cough.
Keep up this treatment until the doctor arrives.
A woolen blanket must be used  on the umbrella
as it will absorb  moisture. A cotton sheet would
not hold the moisture and would allow it to drop
on the patient.   The child's bowels must be kept
open and he must have great' care for several days
after the attack.
     10 
A  STITCH IN TIME
  Doctor Woods Hutchinson in his book, Instinct
and Health, says, "The influence of modesty, that
curious virtue which begins just where innocence
and purity leave off, would require a whole chapter,
but it would be both humiliating and  hopeless.
Suffice it to say, that the story of the fig leaves in
the garden of Eden is both typical and significant.
It never occurred to our first parents that  they
needed them until after the episode of the apple."
  Ignorance  is not  innocence and  many times
leads  straight to sin and  misery.   As soon  as
your child  begins  to  ask  questions,  that  is the
time to tell him the great truths of nature.  If you
lie to him and say  "a stork brought  you," "the
doctor brought you," or any other tale which has
been made up by people who  are too evil minded
to see the beauty and sacredness of the wonderful
miracle of birth, then the  truth will  be  told him
at a very early age and at the first opportunity,
by some other child who has  a fund of perverted
                     146 
A STITCH IN TIME
knowledge which he is sowing about him, in the
same way a thistle scatters  its  seeds.  I  have
known a single girl at school to enlighten twenty
others with the aid of a doctor book which she
had found at home in a locked  drawer; a perfectly
good book, which should have been explained to
this girl long before by her mother, for then there
would have been no  morbid curiosity  about the
subject, or desire to  tell others.  If it had  been
told  as  a  story  or  a lesson, she  would  not
have  gone about  repeating it.  Who ever knew
a girl, or a boy either, to take a playmate back of a
big tree and tell over their spelling lesson or the
story of Robinson Crusoe?
  If you  do not know how to tell these things,
there are plenty of good books which  will give
you unlimited knowledge, and they can be bought
for as little as twenty cents.T
  Do not think that because your daughter or
son is safe within the fold of a private school, the
wolf of evil, contaminating knowledge, will not
be able to come near.  I once knew of a  little
girl of ten who came home to her mother from a
  1 How to Tell the Story of Life. By T. W. Shannon,  A. M.
S. A. Mullikin Publishing Co., Marietta, Ohio.
  Three Gifts of Life.  By Nellie M. Smith, A.M. Dodd, Mead,
& Co., Publishers, New York City. 
148  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

private school, her eyes big and  horrified  with
what she had been told.   The mother to  her
everlasting satisfaction took the little girl in her
arms and told her all she wanted to know.   She
told her this was a very private and sacred subject
and  not to be discussed with other little girls, but
if ever she wanted to know any more about  this
subject to come  to  mother.  Mother would be
glad to tell  her the truth about these things at
any  time.  That because evil-minded people had
degraded  the mystery of birth, it  was no less a
beautiful, wonderful thing, in the same way that
God is no less holy, because profane  people have
taken his name in vain.
  She has been repaid a thousand times by the
absolute confidence of this daughter,  who goes to
her with all her confidences.  One day the mother
overheard this remark concerning a very different
subject:
  "Yes, I know it is true.   My mother told me
so and my mother has never told me a lie."  Hence
the everlasting satisfaction.  Tell your  girls and
boys the things they should know.  If the father
cannot bring himself to talk to his son,  ask your
family doctor to tell the boy the things he should
know for the good of his own health, the health 
            A  STITCH IN  TIME         149

and happiness of the wife he will some  day have,
so that his children may  grow up with strong
bodies and clear  minds, and last but not least,
for the good of his own soul.
  You teach your sons and  daughters not to lie or
steal, to be courteous and  honorable in business,
but much more important it  is for your sons and
daughters and grandchildren-to-be that the knowl-
edge  of clean,  honorable living be given your
children, before it is too late.
  When your little daughter  sees no reason why
she cannot skip the rope  on  the sidewalk after
dark, say to her:  "If I left my purse or diamond
ring on the walk after dark and someone carried
it away, you would feel it was lost through my
own  carelessness,  would you not?  How  much
more careful must  I be with my daughter, who
is more precious to me than diamonds or any-
thing in the  world."  If a  child feels that  she is
watched over lovingly, she will not resent it and
be disobedient, as she surely will if she thinks she
is restricted  by arbitrary  rules, which she does
not understand.
  When your little daughter is twelve years old, or
even before that, if you think necessary, tell her
about the menstrual period, in order that she may 
150  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING
not be  frightened if it comes  without warning.
Before the monthly periods really begin, you will
notice a swelling of her breasts.   She may not
feel as  well  and  will  cry  easily.   Always try
to be sympathetic  about her troubles,  which
may  seem very trivial to  you  but which are
large  to  her.  Keep her warm and comfortable
and give her nourishing food.  See that  she has
plenty of fresh  air but no violent exercise, and
when  the menstruation begins, give her  special
care  and sympathy.  If she  feels tired, languid,
or is in pain,  keep her out of  school for a day, or
until  she feels equal to going again.  Tuck her
up in  a big chair or on a couch,  with a blanket to
keep her warm, give her a warm drink, and place
a hot-water bag at  her feet.  Children  at this
age will not lie down after they  are in a condition
to be about.  . Sometimes they overdo because of
their  own important concerns  or because urged
to do so  by their  elders.   Irregular menstrual
periods  are not  always  alarming  at first, but if
not regular by the fifteenth year, the girl should see
a doctor.  Excessive pain is not necessary and is
caused  usually   by something which can be
remedied by medicine or treatment.   This should
be referred at once to your doctor. 
       BEFORE THE BABY  COMES

  Doctor  Woods Hutchinson says,  "What the
mother is, that will the child be.  Not only physi-
cally but to an extraordinary degree mentally and
morally.   It is not so much what you do for your
children or teach them that counts as  what you
are.  It is far more dramatic for a mother to die
for her children than to live for them, but it is not
half  so good for the children and the maternal
self-sacrifice should be balanced by a good whole-
some share  of intelligent  selfishness in order to
develop the  best type of  children.  The  best
mother both in the beginning and in the long run
is the  one who  takes  the best care  of her  own
health, of her good looks, and keeps up  an intelli-
gent interest in life,  so that she may remain the
delightful  chum  and the  valued  adviser of her
children all their lives long."
  The  old idea that  the baby must not be men-
tioned until he has actually arrived, that all prepa-
ration for his coming must be done secretly, as if it
                      151 
 152  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

 were a disgrace, has gone the way of many other
 silly notions.  To-day when the young wife confides
 in her friends and tells them that a baby is coming
 she  is congratulated and  not  condoned  with as
 she  would have been  twenty  years  ago.  The
 fashion  has changed, which is a lucky thing for
 the baby, for any flower blossoms best in the sun.
  In a well-known  text-book on nursing,  one
 remembered by all trained  nurses as an important
 part of their hospital days,  Clara Weeks expresses
 herself as believing that a  little knowledge  is not
 a dangerous thing, if that  knowledge be real and
 genuine, and she  asks, "If a little knowledge be a
 dangerous thing,  then  where  is the  man who
 knows enough to be out of danger?   The more
 you know and the more thoroughly you know it,
 the more will you realize the depth of your own
 ignorance.   The  people   who  know  the  least
 about a subject are sometimes the most ready to
 talk about it and give advice."
  When your baby is coming is  not the time to
listen to neighbors who cheerfully come forward
with doleful warnings and advice and stories of
what happened to this or that person.
  Write to the Children's Bureau, Department of
Labor, Washington, D. C,  and ask them to send 
BEFORE THE BABY COMES    153
you the pamphlets called Prenatal Care and Infant
Care.   They will be sent you free  of charge.
Uncle  Sam assumes the  responsibility of  the
expense even  to  the postage.   These two pam-
phlets, written by Mrs. Max West,  will give you
much advice and the knowledge gained from them
will not be a dangerous thing but will fortify you
against all  the  silly superstitions  and harmful
notions which grow and thrive so  amazingly in
country places and,  sad to say, also in cities, al-
though in the cities the visiting nurse is doing
much  to exterminate them.  Authentic informa-
tion is what you must have and there is no better
way and  surely  no cheaper  than by  consulting
the books printed  by the Government  of  the
United States for the enlightenment of its citizens.
  The pamphlet  on prenatal care  will tell you
everything  necessary for you to know on this
subject.   It  tells what  the  expectant mother
must  do for her own health and the health of her
child.  What  preparation to make for the con-
finement,  what to do in case  the doctor does not
arrive, also the care of the tiny baby, and much
other  useful information.  It  will tell you what
to wear  (dresses, shoes,  underclothes, etc.).  As
no directions have been given for a  wrap for out- 
154  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

of-door wear, I will  tell  you about the Liberty
Cape.  The Liberty Cape was introduced by the
Liberty  Store in London for use as an evening
wrap.  This wrap is made of three yards of goods,
silk or thin wool for summer, broadcloth or any
other heavy cloth for winter.  It can be lined
as you choose and may be very plain or can be
trimmed  elaborately, and "a child can make it."
Fold the cloth together in  the  middle, so it will
be one and one half yards on the edge, fasten the
edges together on one side, fifteen inches from the
fold.  Open the  short edges  and put it  around
the neck.   The fifteen-inch part will  form a hood-
shaped drapery in the back, and the cape will
fall in pretty lines around your figure.  A large
tassel fastened to the point of the hood adds to
the attractiveness of the cape.
  Your  condition is  a perfectly normal one and
you should not be  sick or miserable.  If you are
not well, see your  doctor.  Have your husband
and other grown-up  members of  the family and
the person who is to care for you  during confine-
ment read and study these Government pamphlets.
Then in  case of an  emergency, they will know
exactly what to do.   If you live on a farm, it is
nine  chances to one that  you  are already ac- 
Black Broadcloth Liberty  Cape
The collar was made from the corners which were
    cut from the bottom of the cape.  When wide
    material is used the corners must be cut to
    correspond  with  the  bottom  at  the back.
    Narrow material need not be cut, as it forms
    pretty, pointed sides.   These may be finished
    with a tassel like the one on the hood, if desired. 
 
       BEFORE THE  BABY  COMES     155

quainted with Government  pamphlets on fruit
trees, pigs, or silos.  No good farmer should be
ignorant concerning his own wife and child when
just  as good pamphlets on these subjects can be
had for the asking from the government which he
helps to support by paying taxes.
  The bed for confinement should be made accord-
ing to directions in the chapter on bed making and
all care given the same as for any other sick person.
There must be no visitors for a few days.  The
baby may be looked at but must not be handled.
This will break the hearts of some of the friends
and  neighbors but their  suffering will not be as
much as the baby's if he is handled, so let them
suffer.
  Do not spend your time  making fancy baby
clothes which should not be  on  your baby at all.
Stay out of doors all you can, rest, and read,  but
sew  just as little as you can and yet have your
baby sweet and  clean.  He will be better and so
will  you.   Simple  baby  clothing is the  fashion
now and if this fashion has not yet reached your
neighborhood, you will be doing a service to  wo-
mankind and babykind as well by introducing it.
  The pamphlet on infant care tells you in simple
language how to dress and feed your  baby, how 
156  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

to bathe and air him.   So many mothers  say,
"If only I had known the wise  things to do for
my baby that are done in these days, he might
have been stronger  and happier."   In those old
days people believed in instinct, a marvelous kind
of second sight, which was  supposed to come to
a mother with the  birth of her  baby and which
has been relegated to the scrap heap along with
the beliefs in witches, and the healing powers of
red flannel.   In these days mothers  do  not sit
still  and wait for ideas and  knowledge to  fall
upon them like dew from heaven.   They go  out
after it and what is better when once the knowledge
is  theirs they use it.  Now mothers  know  that
babies  must  have fresh air and short, sensible,
clothing.  Not a stuffy  hot room and beruffled,
starched monstrosities called clothing which used
to be worn by babies.  Send for these two pam-
phlets and follow their advice.   Your doctor will
heartily approve  and you and  your baby  will
profit amazingly.  You  have heard  the  biblical
expression,  "A  Mother  in  Israel."  Julia  C.
Lathrop, who is the chief of this wonderful bureau,
should  be called "A Mother in Washington," or
perhaps an aunt, as  we think of her in connection
with Uncle Sam. 
 
An Easy Way to Nurse the Baby
Wash the Apple before you Give it to your
                Little Girl
                                     [Page 201] 
BEFORE THE BABY COMES    157
       LITTLE HELPS  FOR THE WEE BABY

  Small squares of old linen or muslin placed in
the diaper save much unpleasant washing.  These
little squares catch the stools and can be burned
and the diaper put in cold water until you have
time to wash it.  Do not dry the diapers wet with
urine and put on the baby again  before washing.
It will make his skin sore and give him an  un-
pleasant  smell.  As quickly as  he can sit  up
alone,  get a little china or granite chamber or  a
little chair and teach him to use it regularly each
day.  Regular  habits can  be easily established.
Be very careful that he is not left in the chair long
enough to tire  him.   Wash, dry, and powder  the
baby carefully, each time the diaper is  changed.
If the  baby wakens with a scream, you will find
that he has  just wet his diaper and you will also
find that the skin is sore.  Urine scalds the sore
skin.   This  is one of the very important things
in the  care  of  a baby and must  have  constant
and careful attention.  Bathe and powder and  if
the skin is red, use vaseline, oxide of zinc oint-
ment, or olive oil.
  Cotton  is  better than linen for diapers.   If
outing  flannel or cotton is used it must be washed 
158  THE  BOOK OF HOME NURSING

and boiled  before using,  otherwise it will not be
absorbent.  Do not  put  diapers made  of rubber
cloth on the baby.  Use a pad made of cheese-
cloth and  cotton.  This may cover a  square of
rubber cloth to be put under him in the carriage, in
the crib, or even on one's lap, but the rubber cloth
diapers must not be used.
  One day I saw on the street car a baby buttoned
into a coat made like a bag, very much like the
one shown  on  page  twenty-one in the  pamphlet
on infant care.  He was the happiest baby I have
seen in a long time  and  no  one seemed to think
his mother a freak because her baby's hands were
in the bag warm and comfortable. 
FEET
  No wonder our poor  feet shriek with pain.
They are  more abused and neglected than any
other part of our body.  People who have very
good  judgment about what  they put  in  their
stomachs,  seem to have none at all about what
they put on their feet.  Shoes are not made to fit
the feet but the poor feet must bend and twist to
fit the shoes.   A baby's foot is a pretty thing but
how far from being things of beauty are most
grown-up  feet.  The toes overlap each  other.
The big-toe joint is not smooth and straight but
in many cases a  howling knob which makes  an
unsightly lump on the shoe and spoils what would
otherwise  be  a sweet disposition.  All  because
custom  says, "Wear pointed toes,  high heels, and
otherwise  make a fool of yourself."
  When people insist upon having shoes to  fit
their feet, the shoe manufacturers will make them
that way.  Some few manufacturers have begun
but  there will have to  be new patterns and a
                     159 
i6o  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

great change of heart before comfortable shoes are
fashionable.  The  pointed toes with high heels
remind one of little hoofs and with these pointed
shoes there is  absolutely  no  way in which  the
toes can help us in walking.   Is it not silly when
you  stop to think of it, to be so  uncomfortable
just  because someone else wants to be so.  This
is not such a civilized country as it might be and
we have no right to make fun of the Chinese shoes,
for our own shoes are just as silly.
  The skirts also are either too short or too long,
like  the  Feejee Islanders.   The  painted faces
are  like the Africans and the  headdresses would
disgrace an American Indian. But headdresses
are a long way from feet.  First have comfortable,
well-fitting shoes.  Bathe  the feet each day and
have clean stockings each morning if possible.   If
you  cannot have enough stockings to change so
often, wash them out at night and put them  on
again in the morning.
  Cut the  nails straight across and if you have
corns, callouses, or bunions, go to a chiropodist if
possible.   Tired and swollen feet should be bathed
each day  with hot water and soap.  Then  dip
them in cold water or hold them under the cold-
water faucet.   Rub them with alcohol and witch- 
FEET
161
hazel and dust them with talcum powder or corn-
starch. Changing the shoes will also give great relief.
   One visit to a chiropodist will teach  you many
things.  He  will  make cushions  to   take  the
pressure of your shoes from the tender corn or big-
toe joint.  He will treat and powder  and  stick
on plasters until you wonder if your shoes will go
over them, but when your shoes are once on and
you start toward the elevator you will be surprised
at the ease with which you walk.   You will  feel,
all at once, as if your fairy god-mother had waved
her wand  over you and taken  away both years
and  weight.  You will feel young,  light, and
'' dancy.''  While the ministrations of the chiropo-
dist  are fresh in your  mind,  stop at  the drug store
for a roll of  adhesive plaster and at the ten-cent
store for a piece of chamois skin.   You can get a
piece nearly a foot square  for ten  cents.  Select
the thickest you can find.   When the pads which
the  chiropodist has put on  your feet  come off,
you can use them as patterns for new ones.   You
may need two or three thicknesses, if the joints
or corns are large.  If you cannot go to a chiropo-
dist,  get the adhesive  plaster and  chamois  skin,
and doctor the sore  places yourself.  Soak  your
feet in hot salt and water,  then put them in cold
     ii 
162  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

water  or pour  cold water over  them.  Trim
the corns and callouses carefully with a sharp
knife  (a  sharp knife hurts less than a dull one)
being very careful not to cut too deep for you
must  not have sores on your feet and must not
cut deep enough to draw blood.   If your  big-toe
joint is hard and painful  you will need to cut a
plaster to fit it.   If the joint is so enlarged that
one thickness of chamois  skin is not enough to
keep  the shoe from hurting,  cut two  or three
thicknesses and sew them together.  Do not have
lumpy places in  the skin or knots in the  thread
when  you sew.  When your pad is made,  stick it
in place with adhesive plaster.
  Corn protectors are made in  the  same way
as the pads for  the big-toe  joints,  only  they
are cut  in  a different  shape.   Always be gen-
erous  with  the talcum  powder  before  putting
on your stocking.  This will not  only make the
feet comfortable but will  keep  the plaster from
sticking to the stocking.  Cut the toenails straight
across.  If the nail grows into the toe at the edge,
cut a little  wedged-shape piece from the  middle
of the top edge  of  the nail, and the nail  will  be
so busy growing to fill up this little place  that it
will have no time to grow down at the side. 
FEET
163
  When the feet are painful, great relief is some-
times gained by soaking them in hot soapy water,
rinsing  carefully,  drying,  and  rubbing  briskly
with a good Hniment.  Wash your hands carefully
after using the liniment.
  Some people are not comfortable in very low-
heeled shoes but the very high heels should never
be used for walking.  If your feet are swollen in
the morning and you have no time during the day
to change your shoes, wear lace shoes; then the
laces may be tightened as the swelling leaves your
feet, keeping the shoe snug.  A shoe which slides
and twists on the foot  is just as harmful as one
which is too tight.
   Olive oil is recommended for chillblains.  The
feet must be kept dry and  stockings  changed
frequently.  The  following  prescription  for  a
mixture to relieve the terrible itching and burning,
of chillblains is given in the "Beauty Culture"
book by William Woodbury.

       Burnt alum...................5 S1"*
       Iodide of potassium...........2 gr.
       Laudanum...................2 gr.
       Rose pomade.................5 £r-
       Fresh lard....................3 gf- 
164  THE  BOOK OF HOME  NURSING
  Rub the hard or calloused places with vaseline
or olive oil, trim them carefully, and use pads to
remove the pressure of the shoe.  If there are
sore  places use oxide of zinc ointment.  Do not
use all kinds of  salves or plasters for many times
they cause blood poisoning, and then also you can
make your  own plasters at half the  cost.  If
your feet are painful,  visit the best chiropodist
you can find and follow his advice. 
THE FALLEN ARCH
  In the Newark, N. J. Board of Health Bulletin
No. 22 (1915), Dr. W. S. Disbrow says:
  One of the most common superstitions of to-day
is known as the "Fallen Arch."
  Various conditions have associated to produce
this condition of  mind,  chief of which is the big
plaster of Paris foot in the shoe store which calls
your attention to the fact  that the feet which you
thought were in good walking order are in fact flat
and ducklike, and that you need supports.
  Where you find two or  three persons gathered
together, you can bet with a great margin of safety
that the foot is the subject of discussion, and the
relative degrees  of deformity of each individual's
pedal extremity is considered with  the greatest
interest.
  There is perhaps enough iron and other metals
used uselessly in  the manufacture of the various
so-called supports to build a dreadnought. There
are but few families who have no discarded arch
                      165 
166  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

supports somewhere  around the house, and the
high-priced shoes which go with them you will find
in the store-room, useless and abandoned.
  There are many cases where careful orthopedic
work is imperatively  needed.  Such cases need the
expert as it's a subject  for great study—it is no
shoe dealer's problem even though  extensive ad-
vertising would so imply.
  There are too many unnecessary supports sold
and many, instead of being even to a slight degree
helpful are positively harmful.  Be sure that your
feet won't help you before you encase them with
the monstrosities of leather and iron.  The chances
are that if you can support yourself on the tips of
your toes with ease you  have all the arch you or
anyone else needs for anatomical reasons.
  Walk about on the toes for exercise and you will
receive more benefit  than from all the devices in
the market.  If you can tip-toe you don't  need
them. 
WHAT TO GIVE  IN CASE OF POISONING

  If a person has swallowed poison, send for a
doctor at once.  In the meantime keep cool and
do what you can until the doctor arrives.

                GAS POISONING

  If you waken in  the night and find the house
filled with  coal gas, open  all windows and doors
and see that  all the family are safe.  If you get
no response from some member of the family, go to
him at once.   Fill your lungs with fresh air before
entering the room and hold your breath as long as
possible.  If there is much gas in  the room, crawl
on  the floor; there is  sometimes less gas  near
the  floor.  Take the  person who is  unconscious
from gas poisoning  into  the fresh air, send for
the  doctor, loosen the patient's clothing, sprinkle
cold water on the  patient's face and  chest, and
give artificial respiration.   When  the patient has
recovered  enough to be conscious, give a stimu-
lating drink of coffee or whiskey.
                      167 
168  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

              PTOMAINE  POISON
  If several members  of the family become ill
at one time, they have probably been poisoned
by something in the food, or, as it is commonly
called,  have ptomaine poisoning.  After sending
for  the doctor, give an emetic (something which
causes  vomiting) of two teaspoonfuls of  salt or
mustard in a cup of lukewarm water, every fifteen
minutes for three or four doses, or give  one to
two teaspoonfuls of syrup of ipecac.  A drink of
warm water before giving the emetic will often
make vomiting easier.  Then give a dose of castor
oil and a stimulating drink of strong  coffee or
whiskey.
  When toadstools have been mistaken for mush-
rooms, follow  the directions  given for ptomaine
poisoning.
             ALCOHOL POISONING
  If the  patient has alcohol poisoning,  give  salt
and warm water or mustard and warm water  and
put cold cloths on the head.
            AMMONIA POISONING
  Give vinegar or lemon juice and a dose of castor
oil. 
IN  CASE OF POISONING      169
ARSENIC, PARIS GREEN, ROUGH ON RATS, OR OTHER
                 RAT POISONS

  Give white  of egg,  then give two teaspoonfuls
of salt or mustard in one cup of  lukewarm water,
every fifteen minutes until four  doses have been
given.

                CARBOLIC ACID

  Wash mouth with pure alcohol, give a quarter
of a glass of alcohol and water, equal parts.  Use
about half of  this amount for a child.  In five
minutes  give  two  teaspoonfuls   of epsom salts
dissolved in a  little water.  Give raw eggs, castor
or sweet oil, and a milk diet.

                    IODINE

  Give flour or starch in water,  followed by two
teaspoonfuls of salt or mustard in a cup of warm
water every fifteen minutes for three  or  four
doses.

               LEAD  POISONING

  Take white of egg  or milk, followed  by two
teaspoonfuls of salt or mustard  in a cup of luke- 
170  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

warm water every fifteen minutes for three or four
doses and then give two tablespoonfuls of epsom
salts dissolved in a little soda water.

              LIME, LYE, OR  POTASH

  Give vinegar or lemon juice,  followed by a dose
of castor oil.

BICHLORIDE OF MERCURY, CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE,
                AND CALOMEL

  Give white of egg, followed by two teaspoonfuls
of salt or  mustard in a cup of lukewarm water
every fifteen minutes for three or four doses.

       MORPHINE, OPIUM, OR STRYCHNINE

  Give two teaspoonfuls of  salt or mustard in a
cup of lukewarm water and give drinks of luke-
warm water.   Repeat every fifteen minutes until
the patient vomits freely.   Then give strong coffee
or other stimulant.  Try to arouse the patient.
Talk to him and slap him with a cold wet wash
cloth or towel.  This will seem cruel but he must
be aroused.  Give artificial respiration  and be
sure to keep the patient awake. 
         IN  CASE OF POISONING      171

                 OXALIC ACID

  Take white of egg or lime water, followed by
aromatic  spirits of ammonia and frequent drinks
of baking soda, one teaspoonful to a glass.

     PHENACETINE OR HEADACHE POWDER

  Take two teaspoonfuls of salt or mustard in a
cup of warm water every fifteen minutes until the
patient vomits.  The patient  must lie down and
have stimulating drinks, hot  water bags and if
necessary artificial respiration. 
HOMEMADE  ARTICLES
           HOW TO MAKE A BEDPAN

  If a bedpan cannot be obtained, take a shallow
wooden  box, twelve inches wide, eighteen  inches
long and three or three and one half inches high.
Saw down the sides of the box six inches from the
end, remove the longest side pieces and the end.
Take the side pieces which you have just removed
and nail these on top of the side pieces remaining
on the box, thus making a cover. Tack a cleat of
wood  on the bottom  of the box  even with the
edge of the cover.  Put in place a ten-cent wash
basin  or tin pan and  you will have a good bed-
pan, which can be used for either a douche or  a
bedpan.
  This can be  scrubbed and put  in  the  sun  if
soiled.  A thick towel must be folded and laid
across the top where  the  hips  rest.  If the bed-
pan tires the patient,  place a small pillow under
the back, close  to the box. The cleat is to keep
                      172 
Frame for Homemade Bedpan Made from a Shallow Box
The Frame with Pan and Towel in Place 
 
HOMEMADE  ARTICLES
the basin from sliding under the top when  the
patient is using it, as the  weight of the patient
will tip the box.

      A SUBSTITUTE FOR A RUBBER SHEET

  If you have no rubber sheet, make a protection
for your bed with a table oilcloth, or flour sacks,
or newspapers.  If  you use  paper tack  on a
smooth thick layer of cotton  and cover it with a
piece  of muslin or cheesecloth,  making  a  thick
pad.  This  can be placed  under the  drawsheet
and will be a great protection.   If the patient is
unconscious or the bowels move without warning,
it is well to keep such a pad  under the hips.   It
will save moving the patient about to change  the
sheet and also saves laundry.  If this pad becomes
wet it must be burned.  Always have an  extra
one on hand.

                A BED TABLE

  When lying in bed it is very hard to feed oneself
from a tray placed on a table or chair by the side
of the bed.  It is one sided  and awkward  and  the
food is often spilled on both  the patient  and  the 
174  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
bed.  Take a  wooden box, ten or twelve inches
high, two feet long, one foot or more wide.   Knock
off the sides of the box, leaving a little table.
  If the end  boards are thick it will be strong
enough: if not, nail on little braces.
  An orange crate has been found satisfactory for
this kind of a table.
  Spread a towel on this table and set it over your
patient's lap.   She will be able to eat or write with
great comfort.

                 A BOOK REST
  If your patient wishes to read,  she will find
holding a book very tiresome for weak hands and
arms.  Take pieces eight inches wide, from  the
sides of the box from which you made your table,
nail  them together at right  angles like this:

       then nail a strip, a couple of inches wide
on the edge of one piece, like this:
and
you have a book rest.   Place on the little table
like this:
 
 
  An Ice Cap Made from Table Oilcloth
Ring Made of Absorbent Cotton and Wound
     with Bandages or  Strips of Cloth
An Easy Way to Shade the Light
                             [Page 17] 
          HOMEMADE  ARTICLES       175

  Fasten a screw eye on the back of the table and
a hook like those used on screen doors to the back
of the book rest.  This  will keep the rest  in
place, and make  a strong support for  books or
magazines.
                 AN ICE CAP

  When an ice cap is needed and one  is not near
a drug store or for  any reason cannot get one,
you may be able to get a bladder from the market.
Clean this thoroughly and it will make a very good
ice  cap.  If you do  not care to use the bladder
and you have a table oilcloth, cut a piece of this
about eighteen inches square.   Break the ice in
pieces about the size of an English walnut.  Two
teacupfuls  of ice  is  enough.  If there  is  too
much the  bag will be heavy and full and will
not fit over the head or inflamed  place.  Put  the
ice  in the center  of the oilcloth,  the rubber side
inside, lay  a  ring of absorbent cotton about  the
thickness of your thumb around the ice, and also
a piece on top. This will  absorb the water as the
ice  melts and keep the patient  dry.  The  top of
the bag should be tight.   Gather up the edges of
the oilcloth and tie a strong string around the bag
below your hand, keeping the bag soft and flat. 
176  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

                ODDS AND ENDS
  Paper straws from  a soda  fountain or wheat
straws from the barn  do  very well in place of
glass drinking tubes.

  A little cream jug with a long spout can be used
for a drinking cup.

  A bag of clean sand will do for a hot-water bag
and  will  remain  hot  a long  time.  Use strong
muslin for the bag and fill it only half full.  Heat
this in the oven or near the stove.  Have  two
bags.  One can be heating while the other  is in
use.  This is more convenient to use during the
night than jars of water.

  When pillows are few, make a homemade  knee
rest.   Make with three boards, two feet long and
one foot wide.  Lay a thin pillow or folded  quilt
over this.

  The  lamp shade must not  be  made  of paper
as it might burn.  Use a piece of tin and a wire
hairpin.
  A  straight-legged chair turned upside down,
with a pillow or  two, makes  a comfortable  rest
for the back when your patient sits up in bed. 
If you have Few Pillows Make a Knee Rest from a Box
Cradle for Broken Leg, Made from a Hat Box.  Small
                 Ring under Heel 
 
HOMEMADE  ARTICLES
  Barrel hoops cut in half and fastened together
with pieces of lath or little boards, will keep the
bed clothing from being heavy over a broken leg.

  A  square  cardboard hat box  will answer the
same purpose.  Cut openings in opposite sides of
the box, large enough  to  set over  the leg.  I
made one like this for a little girl and printed the
name  "Fido," over  the opening.   We played
that her broken leg was Fido, and that he must
stay in his house for  some time.  When the leg
ached  she said Fido  was growling.   Sometimes
it ached so hard she had to bark for him.

  A  very  nice way to  carry offerings to  a sick
person is on a little paper or wooden plate, covered
with a paper doily. Then if it is a busy household,
the plates need not be returned.
     ia 
NUISANCES
  It is not good housekeeping to have rats and
mice in your house; neither is it sanitary.  Who
would allow the horse, cow, or dog to walk about
on  the  pantry shelves,  and  yet without doubt
they would not have walked in the filthy places
through  which mice  and  rats  scamper.  Rats
and mice can always be disposed of, if gone after
systematically.  After running through  all kinds
of  filthy  places,   they  hold  family  picnics
on  your pantry  shelves  or in the cupboard,
gnawing your food and contaminating your house.
Make it  a rule never  to leave things which will
attract them.  Anything good for food should be
covered or protected  and  anything  not fit  for
food has no right to a place in your pantry or cellar.
Put it in the garbage can and see that the cover
fits tightly.
  Save all your old newspapers to  be used for a
lining for the garbage can.   Then, when the can is
empty, it is a very  easy matter  to clean it with
some disinfectant and hot water.
                     178 
NUISANCES
179
  If you poison rats, put the poison out of doors.
Make holes in the sides of a box, near  the top.
The holes must  be large enough for  rats to go
through.  Spread poison on bread or any food
which you think they will eat.   Put the bread
on the ground and turn the box over it,  upside
down.   Lay a heavy stone on the box so nothing
can push  it over.  Then the chickens,  dog, or
children will not be poisoned.
  Roaches are as bad as mice, playing tag over
your kitchen tables and  sink, leaving germs of all
kinds from those regions of darkness to which they
make off in a hurry when you appear.  Powdered
sugar and borax in equal parts, scattered over the
table and  sink or wherever they come, is a great
discourager and a refreshment which is not at all
healthy for  them.   The  table and sink  must be
thoroughly dried and no water left where they can
get at it.
  Sometimes in crowded  street cars, trains, or at
the movies, one carries home more than he started
out with.  In other words a bed bug. You may be
fortunate enough to catch this little, round smelly
party before she has  begun to raise a family in
your house and then again you may not.   One of
the children will announce that he has a mosquito 
180  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

bite and your trouble has begun.  Hunt through
the beds carefully and you may be able to catch
them  all.   With  an  old  atomizer or  a little
garden spray used to kill  lice and bugs  on  the
plants, you can spray your bed.  The fine spray
will  enter the smallest crack.   Use  corrosive
sublimate; strength, one part of corrosive subli-
mate to one thousand parts water.  The druggist
will tell you how to make it.  As soon  as you
finish spraying, put the things where the children
cannot get them, for they will want to play with
the spray.  After the bugs are  all gone,  do  not
keep the poison which remains.  Pour it into the
water-closet where nothing can get at it.  Gasoline
can be used as a spray but it must not be  used in
the house for fear of fire.
  Everyone knows  nowadays that  no  matter
how much we dislike the mosquito, we do not hate
him half enough.  He is a pirate, a traitor of the
worst kind.  He comes singing around in a casual
way  and the moment  we  are off our guard,  he
gives us a  nip.   He takes our blood to fill his own
body but  always gives us something in return—
yellow fever and malaria—to say nothing of the
irritating lump which itches and itches and keeps
us angry and busy  for some time.  Screen your 
NUISANCES
181
house carefully.  If you cannot have wire screens,
buy mosquito netting by the yard at the depart-
ment store.   Buy black netting, and if it is neatly
stretched  on a frame or on the outside  of  the
window, it closely resembles wire netting.  Get
the finest mesh to be had and  tack it over  the
entire window  frame; otherwise the mosquito
will manage to get in between the sashes when the
window is raised if  there is the smallest crack.
If one  does  get in,  catch him.   Choose a stick
which will reach to the ceiling and tie a tin  cup
to the end.  In the cup, put a little kerosene oil
and strong camphor, or oil of lavender with alcohol.
Hold the cup under the mosquito.  The fumes of
the  kerosene will stupify the gentleman  and he
will fall into the cup.  This is a cleaner way than
 smashing him  on the wall paper and making an
 unsightly  spot.  Have no  pails,  pans,  or tubs
 with water in  them,  standing around your yard.
 These are the home, sweet home of the mosquito.
 Pick up everything which may hold water after a
 rain and dispose of it.  Quite a flourishing colony
 of mosquitoes might breed in an old tomato  can
 thrown  out and forgotten.   Filled  with  rain
 and warmed by the sun, even an old tomato can
 has its possibilities for harm. 
182  THE  BOOK OF  HOME NURSING
  Some day your daughter will come home from
school and say, "Teacher said, 'ask your mothers
to comb your hair.'"  You may find game when
you go on this hunting expedition and you may
not.  If you do, rub kerosene oil and olive oil, in
equal parts, into the hair and scalp,  or if you are
near a  drug  store, a pleasanter  remedy is  an
alcoholic solution of larkspur   Wet the hair with
this  and tie up overnight  in a towel or cloth.
Comb every day with a fine-toothed comb to  be
sure  they are all gone.  Repeat the treatment if
necessary.  Warm vinegar will remove the nits or
eggs, then wash the hair with warm soap and
water.   It is no disgrace to get  these little pests.
The only disgrace is in harboring them.  Almost
all children, especially girls with long hair, have
them  sometime during  their school  days and
many of us can remember how our scalps smarted
from the vigorous treatment given by our mothers,
and also the firm, tight braids looped back of
each ear, worn that way to guard against further
contamination. 
KEEPING WELL
  Your happiness, the happiness of the family,
and your ability to do your work, depend upon
your health.  If you have fresh air and sunshine,
your food may be  very simple  if  well cooked.
Each time  you  breathe you throw off  waste
material from the body and poison the  air.   So
have plenty of fresh air and do not breathe over
and over again the air in a room which is tightly
closed.  You have  been many  times in  halls,
theaters, or churches  where the air was heavy
and bad and you remember  what a relief it was
to get out of doors and draw a long breath.  The
clean air in that room had been exhausted by the
many  people  breathing  it  and  only the dirty
heavy  air filled with the cast-off material from
so many bodies was left.  Make it a rule to air all
of your rooms often and always sleep with your
bedroom windows open.
   In Russia I am told the people seal their windows
in winter to keep out the cold, so of course they
                      183 
184  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

must keep in the bad air.   We  will go to Russia
in the summer.  Many  trained  nurses  tell of
houses where  the bedroom windows  are  nailed
down.  Someone  has said,  the reason there is
so much  fresh air in the country, is because the
farmers have all the bad air in their bedrooms.
But the  farmers are not  the only foolish ones
and they have the advantage of plenty of fresh
air in  the day time.  Many people do not realize
that it is just  as bad for one's health  and, to an
enlightened person, just as repulsive  to breathe
foul air as it would be to eat from a garbage can.
  Do  not wear heavy underclothing.  Two thin
garments are warmer than one heavy one.   Some-
times  one sees woolen underclothes,  which are
as thick as boards and about as porous.   It has
been discovered in  this  generation,  that  large
mesh  underclothing  is enough for winter  and
people who have worn heavy woolen underclothes
every  winter for years, are perfectly comfortable
with the  thinner ones through which the air can
circulate.  Take more baths and wear less clothing.
  Keep your house 68° to 700 F.  Have you never
heard  people say, "The room is so hot, it  makes
me sleepy."   This person was not sleepy, he was
just being poisoned by air, which had been heated 
KEEPING WELL          185
and breathed too much.  People who live in such
an  atmosphere are  always  catching  cold  and
calling  the  doctor.  They  catch  cold because
their vitality is low, made weak by the bad, hot
air, therefore  the  first lively germ  which they
meet is stronger than they and they get the worst
of the fight.  Well people do not take colds or
other diseases as easily as those who have become
weakened and in  condition where they are not
able to fight back  when a germ tries to get them.
  This is a true  conversation  which  took place
one morning in October.
  Old Patient: "Good-morning doctor, how  is
business?"
  Doctor: "Poor, poor, nothing doing.  But you
just wait until next month, when people shut up
their houses and stir up their fires, and I will be
busy night and day."
  Consumptives in sanitariums are made to sleep
out of doors.  Sometimes it is so cold they must
have sleeping-bags and hot-water bottles and the
nurse goes about from one patient to another to be
sure no one's nose freezes.  If so much fresh, cold
air will cure a sick person is there any good reason
for thinking the same treatment will not  keep him
well? 
186  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

  Sleep is nature's greatest  builder.   The  tiny
baby  who sleeps most  of the  time is growing,
being built into a man  by sleep which lays cell
upon cell in all parts of the little body to build the
house of his soul, just as the mason lays brick upon
brick to build the walls of the house for his body.
  Sleep is a healer as well.  It heals  and rests
tired  bodies  and  minds. You remember  how
you have gone to bed  at night troubled by some-
thing  almost  too hard to bear, and how in the
morning you felt able to meet it.  It was not
because of the sunlight, as  many people think,
but because your tired brain had been healed and
rested by  sleep and a rested brain is able to see a
way out of difficulties which a tired one would
never find.  The  same way with your body.  If
you are tired or sleepy  and feel you need sleep,
sleep  as long  as  you can.  Be sure the  sleepy
feeling is not caused by bad air or by constipation,
but with  your windows wide  open, sleep until
you can sleep  no longer.  You are not lazy and
your body would not demand this sleep if it were
not needed.  Not everyone can take the time for
extra sleep, but if you can, try to regard it in the
same  way you would a tonic.  No one  would
think of calling you lazy if you had a bottle of 
              KEEPING WELL           187

beef, iron, and wine and took it religiously three
times a day, but I heard  a druggist  say  that
particular medicine was just about as efficient as
so much canal water.
  Sleep is considered better than medicine many
times for sick people and it is a wonderful  doctor.
What you might call a beauty doctor. So consider
the little extra naps as doses of a tonic which will
do you more good than drugs.  Women need more
sleep than men,  and children  need most of all.
It is as silly to limit the hours of sleep as to limit
the number of your baths or the amount of nourish-
ing food.   If you send  your  children  away to
school, find one  where  long hours for  sleep are
given.  Early rising  for children and young peo-
ple when still sleepy is not  what the  old  rhyme
says.   It may make some wealthy, but it  will be
at the cost of their health and show lack of wisdom
on  the part of their parents.  If children go to
bed at a reasonable  hour they will not want to
stay in bed in  the morning after the needed rest
is gained.  If you want John to get up and fill
the wood-box, bring coal from the cellar, or sweep
the walk before breakfast tell him so and see that
he  goes to  bed in time to get plenty  of sleep,
but do not call up the stairs and in a goody, goody 
 188  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

voice say, "Hurry John, the early bird gets  the
worm."  No wonder  John will growl and  say,
"Serves the old worm right.   He needn't have
gone out so early."
  Sleep to do  any good  must be natural  and
refreshing with plenty of fresh air.   A  stupor
induced by  drugs will  not do.  Often a walk
just before bedtime will induce sleep,  a bath, a
glass of hot milk or hot lemonade and a cracker, or
reading, not  a blood-and-thunder tale or some
yarn of  detective prowess  or mystery,  but a
comfortable  little story  which  takes your mind
from yourself and yet does not put your mind in a
stew which lasts after you  get  in bed.  And by
the way, have as comfortable a bed as you can
afford.   Do not spend money, if you have little
to spend, on a gay shiny brass bed or a beautifully
grained mahogany one and scrimp on your mat-
tress.   Buy an iron bed painted white, good  woven
wire springs, and a comfortable mattress.  Many
people  have a superstition that a hair mattress
is the only thing to sleep on and be comfortable,
but there are many mattresses which are luxuri-
ously comfortable and have not  one hair in  them.
You could buy two or three of these for what
you would pay for one of hair. 
KEEPING WELL           189
  Put a quilted pad over the mattress or a pad
made of cotton and covered with cheesecloth and
quilted or tied like a comfortable.   If tied closely
this can be washed without being lumpy.   Then
put on  your  under sheet and make  your bed
tight and smooth as directed in making beds for
sick people, and you will sleep like a prince and
be fit as a fiddle in the morning.
  Take a bath every day if you can manage it.
You will feel like the king of a happy country or
a Democratic alderman in a Tammany District,
so much does it add to your self-respect and feeling
of security.  A man or woman either, who has a
daily bath, will be careful about  other rules of
health.   They will not be contented to be poi-
soned by constipation, to have dirty teeth,  or bad
breath.   It is one of the best of the many good
habits to  form.   It need not  necessarily be a
tub bath for even yet with all our modern houses
and sanitary arrangements, many people have no
regular  bath  room.  Neither must the bath be
taken in  the morning.  Even in the  farmhouse
where the  bedrooms  are cold,  one can hang a
sheet over the clotheshorse near the kitchen stove
and with a tin bath pan, a little tub, or even a pail
get a very good bath.  Have the tub or pail large 
190  THE  BOOK OF HOME NURSING
enough to hold the feet and even if you are tired
when you begin, you will be surprised to see how
much better you will feel and how you will sleep.
A cold sponge or shower after the bath hardens
one and  makes  the  skin glow.  People who do
this daily seldom have  colds.  Cold water does
not seem as cold if used after a warm bath as when
applied  to the dry  skin.  Many people shrink
at the thought of cold water, but revel in it after
screwing  up  their courage to  the "trying it"
point.  Delicate or  sick people should not take
cold baths without consulting the doctor.  Keep a
flatiron on the back of the kitchen stove in winter
and if your bedroom is cold open the bed  and
iron the sheets with the warm iron.  It takes only a
minute.   Then if you have had a nice bath and a
rub with a rough towel, open your windows, and
hop into  your comfortable bed.   Your clean skin
glowing and your heart like a little steam engine
will be pumping blood to all parts of your body and
back to your lungs to be bathed in the clean air
which you are breathing. This is the way to get
ready for a  good day's  work, the way to avoid
headaches and heavy feelings  in the morning.
If any one does this for a week, I think it would
take a large bribe to get him to go back to sleeping 
KEEPING WELL          191
with the register open, his window closed or only
open a crack, and a bath on Saturday night.  If you
feel you must sleep in underclothes always have
one suit for day and another for night.   There is a
deadly  fear,  a superstitious  dread of baths  in
some quarters.  When I  politely  hinted  to a
maid that she was more than welcome to use the
tub in her bathroom, that  it was there expressly
for her comfort and convenience,  I was  gravely
told that  her mother had warned her not~to  use
it too often, as baths were very  weakening.  I
pointed out to her the sturdy people  whom we
both knew, who took daily baths.   Still the dread
of  the tub was stronger  than my arguments.
Bathing is certainly a result of education.
   You would not eat from unwashed dishes or
with a fork which was jealously guarding between
its tines bits of food left over  from the last meal.
You would be very  much disgusted and  make
pointed remarks to the dishwasher, but is that
any worse than having  bits of food left in and
between your teeth from one meal to the next or
overnight.  Your mouth is warm and moist and
should be dark, therefore an ideal place for germs
to grow.  Clean your teeth regularly and if  one
shows signs of decay, go to  the dentist  at once. 
192  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

If the children have toothache take them to the
dentist.   Teeth do not ache for the fun of it and
it is not entertaining for any one concerned, so go
to the dentist whether you can afford it or not.
You might better  have fewer clothes and go to
bed while they are being washed, than save money
on your teeth.  Bad breath  because of  decay,
indigestion because the food is not well masticated,
and many other ills, come from neglected teeth.
  Keep  clean outside and in.  Clean skin, clean
teeth, and clean  bowels, then  your mind will
be bright and alert, you will  have the respect of
your family, your friends, and yourself.  Besides it
is a very old saying that cleanliness is next to god-
liness.   In  some places, we know it is next to
impossible, but a clean body helps to keep a clean
mind.   Dirty people many times brace up and
do not seem like their old selves when once  they
are clean.  A young man was brought into the
hospital.  He had been working in a very dirty
place and  had never  indulged in many  baths.
After the orderly had given him a bath I washed
his hair and  cleaned his fingernails.   Neither of
these things had happened to  him before in all his
twenty  years.  He was a constant  delight  and
source of entertainment to himself.  I would see 
KEEPING WELL           193
him  feeling  of  his  hair and inspecting his nails
hundreds of times each day.  He was so much in
love with the improved appearance of his nails
that he would  polish and  file them himself and
displayed them to his friends who called, saying,
" Look at me nails.  I'm the swell I'm telling ye."
He enjoyed  being clean so  much that I had faith
to believe  that it  might  last  after he left  the
hospital.  He felt he had progressed in the social
scale because he was clean.  I know it improved
his manners, for  he began saying, "Please" and
"Thank you," without prompting.  Nurses in a
busy hospital have no time, neither  is it their
duty, to scrub their patients' manners, but they
do scrub their bodies and it seems to do for both.
   Move your  bowels each day.  If  you have
chronic constipation eat food which will correct it.
Do not give up and say, "Nothing will help me,"
but keep at it, for something surely will help you.
   After  the delicate and  wonderful  machinery
of your body has absorbed all the strength-giving
properties of your food,  there is left in the intes-
tines a mass of waste material which  should be
disposed of  each  day.   You know how distressed
you are if the garbage man fails to come and the
garbage must be left to decay and be obnoxious
     13 
194  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
in the can until the next day for collecting comes.
How much worse to be carrying about in your
body a decomposing mass of waste material from
which everything of use to you has been taken and
which will poison you, making  you stupid and
ill.  Eat relaxing foods, bran bread, graham bread,
fruit, and vegetables and if  you cannot regulate
yourself with a diet take medicine.   Something
recommended by your doctor, not your druggist.
The  doctor knows  your individual peculiarities
and a drug which would be splendid for your father
or your  neighbor might not be at all the thing for
you.  Then take the medicine as the doctor orders.
Many people rush to the  doctor's office and  get
two or three kinds of pills and tablets.  They take
two or three doses as ordered then they skip a few
doses and say,  "I don't believe it  will  help  me
anyway, what's the use of taking it." In hundreds
of houses there are dozens of little envelopes, small
bottles  or boxes,  from which only  two  or three
doses have been taken.  This is the worst kind
of foolishness.  For the person  doing  this cheats
only himself and  wastes his money.  Do not go
to the doctor unless you need his advice and then
take what he gives  you in  the way  he directs.
Walking is helpful for constipation, but when you 
KEEPING WELL
go out to walk do not dawdle along in a lackadaisi-
cal way, but walk as if you were going on important
business, with your chin up and your shoulders
straight.
  If you live in the country and have a well, take
care of  it;  that is,  the well must not  be where it
can get drainage from an  outside closet,  a cess-
pool, or a barnyard.  Do not throw waste water
near it.  A supply of pure water  is  one of the
ways of saving doctor's bills.  Of course we want
the doctors to be  comfortable, but self-preserva-
tion is the first  law of nature.  The  people who
neglect  their  health and stick to  old worn-out,
antiquated ideas of not too many baths in the
winter,  fear of airing the house because of taking
cold,  heavy  thick underclothes night and day,
letting  nature take her course with constipation,
and a sentimental  regard for the "poor little fly
whom everyone is  down on," are  the ones who
are always under  the  doctor's care,  or should
be.  In China the doctors are paid  while their
patients are well, but in order to keep them well in
this country  the doctors would have to employ
policemen for some families,  and families  who do
not consider themselves ignorant either.
   There is an illuminating portrait of a fly in one 
196  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

of the Red Cross  textbooks.  He looks like  a
horse which has been walking through very deep
sticky mud, but it is only a fly enlarged  to show
the germs on his legs.   The germs which he  has
collected in dirt  and filth and which he leaves
behind  when   he walks  over the  dining-room
table, the butter, the sugar,  the food being pre-
pared in the kitchen, and on your helpless little
baby's face.  Do not have uncovered  manure
heaps, uncovered garbage  cans, and unsanitary
outside closets where he can breed and if he does
get in see that he does not get out alive.  Be
absolutely relentless and bloodthirsty where  the
fly is concerned for he is not only a thief in  the
night but he is a spoiler by day.  He deserves
no consideration excepting that  which  is used
to hasten his extermination.
   No healthy  person will  be in a chronic tired
condition.  If  you are tired and cannot get rested
with a reasonable amount of sleep or if you can-
not sleep, the  time has come when you had better
see a doctor.
   There are unfortunate people  who never  get
a  vacation but everyone should  have a  regular
rest from work and a change.  It is a good thing
sometimes to  get away from your  own  family. 
KEEPING WELL           197
Two ailing tired  members of  one family  should
not go away together.  They  carry their  atmos-
phere with them.  Let one go east and the other
west or the one who needs it most  go, and the
other stay at home.  It will be much more of a
benefit to both.  One naturally hesitates to relate
his aches, pains, and bad feelings to a  stranger,
while to  a  relative,  the  woes are handed over
unsparingly.
   Many people still have the  notion  that it is a
little superior not to be able to  do things, that it is
a little more refined to have a heart complication
or something that will let you out of doing your
share in the world, while in reality they are only
poor stuff.  If the  time ever  comes when it  is
popularly considered as bad to be a little "off"
in the liver, as in the head, you will see the livers
pick up and behave themselves,  for they will be
taken care of as  they should be.  No one would
care  to  have  his  acquaintances  shake  their
heads, raise their eyebrows, and with a shrug  of
the shoulders, say "Liver."
   Health is not  only  wealth,  but beauty and
happiness as well.
   All are creatures of habit either good  or bad,
pleasant or unpleasant.   Smile at the world and 
198  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

you are more than likely to get a smile in return.
Who  does not return the smile  of  the happy,
trusting baby?  Of course we cannot go about
the streets grinning like a Cheshire cat, but when
the baby  looks at you, smile at him.  He will
smile in return, roll over on the floor or in his crib,
and feel happy.  You can work just as fast and
just as hard with a pleasant expression and not
be as tired when you are through as if every nerve
in your body was on edge, and  your face all
screwed into wrinkles.  Smile at the children and
at your husband and see that they smile at you.
  A family can just  as well cultivate a cheerful
atmosphere as a cold unhappy one and everybody's
digestion will be  better for it.  Tell funny stories
at the table and laugh all you can.  Do not allow
unpleasant family  affairs to be discussed  at the
table or before the children.  If one of the children
needs scolding, do  it after dinner and not before
the others.  If you wait until after dinner you
may change  your mind,  and not scold  at all.
Don't talk about the cost of butter.   Put what
you can afford on the table and say,  "This is all
the butter we can have for this meal," and let
it go at that.  Do not lay grown-up troubles on
children.   They carry unpleasant things in their 
KEEPING WELL
minds long after you have forgotten all about it.
Do not get so tired cooking a big dinner, that you
cannot enjoy it yourself or  let the others do so.
The mother of the family should be selfish enough
to look out a little for herself.  The wise Psalmist
said, "Better a dinner of herbs where love is, than
a stalled ox and hatred therewith."  In our day
he would say, "Better a supper of mush and milk
and happiness, than a mother cross and tired and
a dinner of biscuits and fried chicken."
  Cultivate a sense  of proportion.  You  should
weep for the death of one  whom you love, but
only a foolish person and one who does not under-
stand true values in this world will cry over broken
china, torn clothes, or spilled milk.  No one breaks
dishes out  of pure "cussedness," so if daughter
breaks one, when washing them, don't scold and
make her feel she has broken all the ten com-
mandments as well as the old teacup, but tell  her
that dishes are expensive and request  her to  be
careful.  She will nine times out of ten be more
sorry than if scolded soundly.
  If you find  your nerves are all coming to  the
surface and feel as if you would have to  slap some-
one to relieve yourself, don't call Johnnie  in and
vent it on him, but go  in your bedroom and with 
 200  THE  BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

 the windows  open, lie  flat on your back ten
 minutes, if you cannot stay longer, and relax your
 muscles.  Not everyone knows how  to relax.
 Do not  lie  on your back with  your eyes closed
 tightly,  your  teeth gripped  together, and  your
 face worried,  but begin at  your head and tell
 it to rest.  Let go all your muscles one at  a time;
 don't laugh at this, try it.  You may not  do this
 the first time, but you  will  after a while.  Let
 your arms lie at your sides, not rigid, but let them
 lie heavy on the bed, and all your body the same,
 and no  matter  how  unpleasant you  feel,  look
 pleasant.  Smile to yourself; try it.   None of the
 children  or family must come in while you are
 having this  little rest.  It  is yours for yourself
 and must be respected.
  Dirt of one  kind or another is responsible for
 most  of  our ills.   Dirty  food, dirty milk  caused
by  dirty cows and slovenly milkers, dirt  in the
water and in the air.  Have screens in the kitchen
windows and doors, scald the bread-box and dry it
in the sun.  Never leave decaying fruit or vege-
tables in the cellar.  Clean it well and whitewash
it early every spring.  When buying fish or meat,
use your nose as well as your eyes and if your nose,
like a railroad-crossing sign, shouts "danger, bad 
              KEEPING WELL          201

smell," go to another market or cook eggs.  Wash
the pretty red apple before you  give it to your
little girl.   The apple is good for her but the germs
which are on the outside are not.  Use the apple
to nourish the child and not the child to nourish
the germs.
    The windows closed, a heated room,
      Red flannel in array,
    "That snuffy child," the walrus said,
      •'Has been in doors all day."
    "How sad," remarked the carpenter,
      "So many do  that way." 
DIET  FOR CHILDREN
  One time in the middle of the winter, I visited
my friend, Miss Emma McGall, who was, at that
time, superintendent of the Orthopedic Hospital
of  Orange, New Jersey.   The  little  crippled
children under her care, had not been out of  doors
for  many weeks.  Remembering the thin, pitiful,
little people whom I had seen in hospitals, I almost
dreaded meeting  them.  After  breakfast,  I was
taken to the  nursery dining-room by the proud
foster-mother-superintendent.  She  was greeted
with shouts and one tiny chap even  called her,
"mother."  A poor  little  Italian, with crooked
legs, raised his dark eyes to her face,  patted her
hand, and said, "I have a like."  In spite of the
crooked legs and  backs, the club  feet, and  other
deformities, they were as rosy and happy as any
other family  of  children.  "How do you  keep
them so well?" I asked. "By giving them proper
food, and keeping them busy," she replied.
  The   little  cripples  who were  fastened  on
                     202 
DIET FOR CHILDREN
frames, in order that  their poor crooked bodies
might grow straight, had little lessons each day.
They wove baskets,  sewed,  and learned to do
many things and  were kept  happy by the wise
woman  who, like  a fairy god-mother in a white
gown, went in and out  and  up  and down stairs
a hundred  times  each day,  directing,  nursing,
comforting, and looking after the food, which is
such an important item in the well-being of healthy
children who can  be  out of doors each day, and
doubly so in the case of little cripples who must be
carried  out, even  in the summer.  I knew a diet
which would give firm flesh  and rosy cheeks to
crippled children  would surely do  as much for
those whose legs  could  carry them  about,  so  I
asked Miss McGall for her diet list.  This is what
she  said.  "Give  them  plenty of orange juice;
also give nuts,  raisins, bran bread, figs, dates, and
honey."

            MEALS FOR  THREE DAYS
  Breakfast           Dinner            Supper
Stewed prunes  Boiled chicken            Milk toast
Cream farina   Mashed potatoes          Baked apple
Boiled eggs    Creamed string beans
Cocoa        Bread and butter
             Chocolate corn starch desert 
204  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
Breakfast
Dinner
Supper
Oranges
Hominy
Scrambled eggs
Milk
Apple sauce
Oatmeal
Poached eggs
Milk
Lamb chops
Baked potatoes
Spinach
Bread and butter
Baked tapioca with jelly

Broiled steak
Mashed potatoes
Peas
Bread and butter
Baked apple
Boiled  rice with
 thin cream and
 sugar
Stewed peaches
Celery soup
Bread and butter
Jam
MEALS FOR ONE WEEK
SUNDAY
Cream of wheat   Boiled chicken
Bread and butter Mashed potatoes
Scrambled eggs   Creamed onions
Milk            Chocolate pudding
Toast and milk
Jelly or fruit
                        MONDAY

Oatmeal        Lamb stew and bread
Boiled eggs      Crumb pudding
Milk           Mashed potatoes
Bread and butter Creamed turnips
               Baked apple and cream
Hot milk and toast
Prunes
                        TUESDAY

Oatmeal        Beef stew                Boiled rice  and
Boiled eggs      Potatoes                   milk
Milk           Bread and butter          Bread and butter
Bread and butter Cornstarch pudding with    Fruit
                 fruit sauce 
DIET FOR  CHILDREN         205
WEDNESDAY
  Breakfast         Dinner
Hominy        Roast beef
Scrambled eggs  Mashed potatoes
Bread and butter Creamed carrots
Milk           Jelly
  Supper
Bread and butter
Sauce or fruit
Milk
THURSDAY
Cream of wheat  Roast lamb
Boiled eggs     Baked potatoes
Bread and butter Spinach
Milk           Bread and butter
Baked custard and peaches
Toast and milk
Animal crackers
Jelly
	FRIDAY	
Hominy Graham toast Boiled eggs Milk	Lamb stew Potatoes Baked lemon pudding with fruit sauce SATURDAY	Toast Cocoa Crackers Jelly or fruit
Oatmeal Eggs Bread and buttc	Broiled steak Boiled rice in peppers jt Baked apple	Bread and butter Milk Crackers and fruit
 
    WHAT TO FEED YOUR  PATIENT

  In the hospital where I was trained years ago
there was no shining diet kitchen, no place where
nurses might weigh and measure, cook and serve
for their patients, but  the senior class was mar-
shalled,   periodically,  by  Sister Alexia,  to the
hospital kitchen, where we cooked on the  great
range and mixed and brewed at the  long table.
These cooking classes were always  considered a
lark.  They were held in  the  evening after the
supper work was done and had a  little of the
spirit of adventure, for none of us cared to ven-
ture to the kitchen during the day.   At that time
it was under the rule of  the  fat but none too
amiable  cook,  Julia.   How clean  and  shining
everything  was in the big  kitchen  and how  we
all loved dear  Sister  Alexia!  She was an ideal
cooking teacher, for, while we must learn all about
gruels and other foods which had nourishment for
their only recommendation, still we  were  obliged
                      206 
     WHAT TO FEED  YOUR PATIENT 207

to make only a little of these uninteresting dishes,
while if any really good things were being cooked,
there was enough  made  so all might taste, and
best of all, someone was taught to make ice cream
at each lesson.
  Sister Alexia taught from the Invalid Cookery
Book of the Boston Cooking School, using many
of the rules which are given here.
  Preparation of food is a most important part
in the care of  an invalid.  The proper kind and
amount of food gives strength and helps greatly
the recovery of your patient, while too much food,
or the wrong kind of food will, many times, cause
relapse and sometimes death.
   Diets for ordinary cases are of three kinds—liq-
uid, light, and convalescent.  When a patient is
having what is called a regular diet it is best to be
careful and give a convalescent diet, for many foods
are hard to digest  and should not be given to a
person who must stay in  bed.
  If a member of  the family is sick give milk,
broth, or  gruel but no solid food until the doctor
has seen  your patient  and ordered a  diet  for
him.
  Food must  not only be nourishing but should
taste  good and look attractive.  Do not forget 
208  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

the tiny pinch of salt in the gruel or beef tea; do
not butter the toast in the center and leave the
crust without butter.  Toast is much daintier if
the crusts  are removed before toasting.   A small
leaf of lettuce, a nasturtium leaf or a thin slice of
lemon add to the attractiveness of the tray dinner
and  make it more appetizing.  Have as great a
variety as your purse and your doctor will allow.
Taste the food you give your patient but not with
his fork or spoon.
  When serving cold drinks or cold liquid food,
carry it to your  patient in a glass set on a plate;
use a cup  and saucer for hot drinks or hot liquid
food. The patient will take the gruel much hotter
if given a spoon to sip the first mouthfuls.  Place
the spoon on the plate or saucer, not in the glass or
cup, when carrying to your  patient.  A small
tray is convenient.   If you are serving a glass of
eggnog,  place the glass on the tray with a glass
of cold water and a spoon.  If your patient does
not drink from a glass, take in place of the spoon
a drinking cup, a glass tube, or a straw.  Always
give a drink of  cold water after serving eggnog,
milk, cocoa, beef tea, etc., as the mouth becomes
very "bad  tasting"  and unpleasant, especially
in fevers. 
     WHAT TO FEED  YOUR PATIENT 209

          DRINKS FOR SPECIAL CASES
Barley Water.  Look over carefully and soak
    overnight  or for several hours,  i}4 table-
    spoons barley.   Add to  1  quart cold water
    and boil  for i}4 hours.  Strain   and  add
    salt, lemon juice, and sugar, or cream in place
    of lemon juice.  Serve hot.  This drink  is
    nutritious.  May be given with milk.

Rice Water.  Cook 1 tablespoon of rice in 1 pint
    of cold water  until the rice is  very soft.
    Strain and thin with milk  to  make a nice
    drink, season with salt, and serve hot.  This
    can be used for diarrhoea.   A small piece of
    cinnamon  boiled with the rice will add to the
    medicinal value.

Oatmeal  Water.   Add  1 cup  fine oatmeal to 2
    quarts of  water which has been boiled and
    cooled.  Put this in a warm place  (shelf over
    the top of cook stove, over a radiator  or
    register)  for \]4 hours.  Strain  and  cool.
    Useful for  constipation.   May   be  given
    with milk.
Apple Water.  Pare and core 1 large sour apple,
    put 1 teaspoon of sugar in the cavity and
     14 
210  THE  BOOK OF HOME NURSING

    bake until very soft, pour water over it, and
    let stand for a half-hour, then strain.  This
    may be given to patients having great thirst
    or for constipation.

Flaxseed  Lemonade.  Look over  i tablespoon
    whole  flaxseed, taking care  to  remove  the
    black  grains.  Pour over  this i  pint  of
    boiling water and boil for I hour. Strain and
    add sugar and lemon juice  to taste.  Serve
    either hot or cold.  This is  used in case of
    croup, or irritation of throat.

Cocoa Cordial.  Mix i teaspoon of  cocoa and
    i teaspoon of sugar.  Have  ready  yi cup
    boiling  water.  Add enough water  to the
    cocoa to form a paste, then stir  in remainder
    of water and  boil I minute.  Add \yi table-
    spoons  of port wine.  Use  this in case of
    CHILL,  EXPOSURE, Or EXHAUSTION.

Toast Water.  Toast 2 or 3 slices of old bread
    slowly   and quite  brown but  not burned.
    Break  in pieces and cover with  1 pint of cold
    water,  let stand  1 hour, then strain, pressing
    the water  out of the toast with a  spoon. 
    WHAT TO FEED YOUR PATIENT 211

    Add a pinch  of  salt and cream, sugar if
    desired.  Serve cold.  Good in case of weak
    STOMACH Or DIARRHOEA.

Coffee.  Strong hot  coffee is stimulating and
    invigorating  and should be  given after
    exposure, fatigue, and after many cases of
    POISONING.

Tea.  Tea is a refreshing  and  invigorating
    drink and if made properly will  not injure
    your  patient.  The  best  way to make  an
    individual cup of tea is  with  a tea  ball or
    small strainer. Pour hot water in the cup
    until  the cup is  hot.  Empty this and  fill
    the cup  with  freshly boiled water, immerse
    the tea ball or strainer containing tea until
    you have the  desired strength.  If served in
    the afternoon with a cracker,  your  patient  .
    may like a slice of lemon or orange in place of
    cream.   It would be a good  plan to make
    a small pot of tea and drink a cup yourself.
    Sit in a comfortable chair while you drink it
    and you may feel rested and refreshed as well
    as  your  patient,  never boil tea.  Always
    use an earthen ware, silver or granite ware 
212  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

    teapot.  Scald the teapot with boiling water,
    empty, put in tea, and pour over it boiling
    water which is freshly boiled, not water which
    is in the tea kettle and warmed  over.  Let
    stand until the tea is the desired strength.
    The tea cosy so much used in England is the
    ideal arrangement for keeping tea hot while
    brewing.   Both tea and  coffee pots should
    be carefully washed, the spouts cleaned with a
    brush, and thoroughly dried.  Scald at times
    with boiling water and baking soda.   Many
    times,  bad-tasting tea or coffee  is  due to
    improperly washed pots  and  not  to  the
    quality of tea and coffee purchased.
Gum Arabic Water.  Dissolve i ounce of gum
    arabic  in  I pint  of boiling water.   Add  2
    teaspoonfuls of sugar  and a wine glass of
    sherry or the juice of 1 lemon.  This is used
    for cases of poisoning.

Lime Water.  To 2 quarts of water add  a lump
    of lime the size of an egg.  Let stand a half-
    hour then stir and let  settle  again. Pour
    off  water into a  bottle carefully and cork.
    Used  many times in milk for infants  and
    invalids. 
     WHAT TO FEED YOUR PATIENT 213

Albumen Water.   One glass of cold water and
    white of  1  egg.   Place  in  glass  fruit  jar
    and  shake gently  until egg and water  are
    thoroughly mixed.  Add salt or  sugar  to
    taste.  This is nutritious.

Hot Lemonade.  Mix  2 tablespoons lemon juice
     and  2 tablespoons granulated sugar and  1
     tablespoon whiskey.  Add  1 cup  boiling
     water.  This is tobe served at bedtime with a
     cathartic for a cold.  This will be nourishing
     if made with rice or barley water.

Hot Lemonade with Glycerine. To hot lemon-
     ade  add 1 tablespoon of glycerine.   Use this
     for people who do not like to take cathartics.
     The glycerine  will  act as a cathartic and can
     not be tasted in the lemonade. (The patient
     need not  be told about the glycerine.) For
     colds. 
LIQUID DIET
  When your patient is on a liquid diet you will
give nourishment every two hours unless other-
wise ordered by the doctor.  Use less salt, sugar,
or other seasoning  of any kind,  in food for sick
people,  adding  a little more if needed after the
patient has tasted.  Do not serve the food without
seasoning as the first swallow might be distasteful,
causing  the  patient to think he does not care
for that particular food, and limiting your menu.
When giving liquid nourishment during the night
use  milk,  broth,  cocoa,  eggnog  flavored  with
vanilla or nutmeg, and avoid tea, coffee, or drinks
containing  wine, brandy, or stimulants, as these
will usually cause wakefulness.   When the patient
needs a stimulant at night, it is ordered by the
doctor, but  in  that case, stimulation   is  more
important than sleep.
  Quite a  variety  of  nourishing foods can  be
given in liquid form.  Milk is the most perfect
liquid food but as sick persons become tired of one
                      214 
LIQUID DIET
215
thing, it is always best  to give a variety.  You
can give milk every second or third time and at
other times  give  broth, gruel,  egg  lemonade,
or one  of the  liquid  foods  given below.  By
having a variety in the beginning, your patient
will not  tire of  one food, and your task will be
much easier.
  You may give broths, gruels, milk, and drinks
made with  milk,  soups made with  milk,  and
strained, cooling and refreshing drinks made with
fruit juices, gelatin jellies, and frozen liquids which
will be greatly appreciated by fever patients and
people  who   are  sick  in hot  weather; frozen
beef tea or beef  juice, whipped cream, frozen egg-
nog, clam  juice, vanilla or chocolate ice cream
(not very sweet), and orange or lemon ice.  There
are tiny freezers which hold enough for one person
but if you do not possess one of these,  try a large
baking-powder can.  Place this in a small pail of
ice and salt (in winter use snow and salt).  Open
frequently  and  stir well  while  freezing.  Ehis
answers very nicely.

          lemonade made with syrup
   Make a syrup by boiling 1 cup of water and 1 cup
of sugar for 12  minutes. Cool and cover to be 
216  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

used again.  To  2 tablespoons of syrup use  i
tablespoon of lemon juice and *4 CUP of co^ water.
If syrup is used there will be no sugar settled in the
bottom of the glass to make the last swallows too
sweet.   A leaf of mint or  a slice of lemon or
orange adds to the attractiveness.  This will be
nourishing as well  as refreshing  if  made  with
albuminized water in place of plain cold water.

                  ORANGEADE

  Juice of I orange, Ij4 tablespoons of syrup,  I
tablespoon crushed ice.  Add  syrup to orange
juice and pour over ice.  Less syrup will be needed
if orange is sweet.

       CURRANT OR GRAPE JELLY WATER

  To 2 tablespoons of currant juice or 2 table-
spoons of currant or grape jelly add % cup cold
water and season to taste with  syrup.  Stir  jelly
with a fork before adding water; it will mix more
easily.
                 GRAPE JUICE

  Wash and remove stems from l}4 cups of ripe
grapes, add I cup of cold water, and cook  in  a 
LIQUID DIET
217
double boiler until the juice is extracted.  Strain
through a sieve, add X cup sugar, and return to
the fire until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour through
a soft cloth which has been rung out of cold water.
Chill and serve.  If too  strong, add a little water
and a little lemon juice if desired.

               TEA AND COFFEE

  Tea and coffee may be served hot or iced with
meals or as a stimulating drink between  meals.
When  given as a nourishment cream should be
added.  Iced coffee should be  seasoned the same
as hot coffee but when iced tea is used to quench
thirst, add a slice of lemon.

                    COCOA

  Mix together  2  teaspoons of cocoa  and 1  of
sugar,  add slowly  y£ cup boiling  water,  boil 3
minutes.  Add yi cup scalded milk and beat with
a Dover egg beater to prevent  formation of scum.
Pour  into  a clean,  warm  cup.  This  is  more
attractive with a spoonful of whipped cream  on
top.   Some people like it flavored with a drop or
two of vanilla. 
 218  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

                EGG LEMONADE

   Break a fresh egg in a bowl and beat until the
 white and yolk are well blended.  Add one glass
 cold lemonade and strain.   This is nourishing and
 refreshing.

                     MILK

   Milk may be given plain, with lime water, with
Appolinaris or Seltzer water;it maybe sterilized,
modified, or given with sugar and wine or brandy
as a milk punch.  Buttermilk is often used.
  A glass of hot milk with a pinch of salt at bed-
time often induces sleep.
  A glass of hot milk with 2 tablespoons of sugar
will, many times, stop a cough.

                STERILIZED  MILK

  Put milk in a fruit jar which has been washed
with soap, rinsed carefully,  and scalded.  Cover
the  top  with absorbent  cotton, two  or  three
thicknesses of cheesecloth, or a piece of old, clean
muslin.   Place on the stove in  a kettle of cold
water with a tin or tiny board under the glass jar to
keep it from breaking.  Let the water come to a 
LIQUID DIET
boil  and then  remove the  milk at once.   Cool
quickly and put on ice.  Leave the cloth on the
top of the jar.

               ALBUMINIZED MILK
  Put in a glass fruit jar the white of I egg and
^ cup of milk.  Shake gently until the egg and
milk are  thoroughly mixed.   Season  if desired
with a pinch of  salt or sugar and a drop of vanilla.
                    EGGNOG
  Beat  I  egg until the white and  yolk are well
blended, add I  tablespoon of sugar, a few grains
of salt,  %  cup  of  milk, and 2 tablespoons of
wine or 1  tablespoon of brandy.   Nutmeg  may
be used in place of  the wine  or  brandy if the
patient  does  not  need  stimulation.

                    KOUMISS

  Warm 1 quart of  milk to blood  heat and add
l}4 tablespoons of sugar and  }i of a yeast  cake
which has been dissolved in 1  tablespoon of  luke-
warm water.   Fill bottles to within 1 % inches of
top, turn upside down, keep in a warm  (not hot)
place for  6  hours.  Put on ice and  serve the
following  day. 
220  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

                    BROTH

  Beef, chicken, lamb, or mutton broth are made
by  cutting the meat in small pieces, removing
all skin and fat.  Put, with the bones, in a stew
pan and cover with  cold water, using a pint of
water for a pound of meat.   Bring slowly to boiling
point.   Simmer  for  4  hours,  strain into bowl
(not tin), and put on ice when cool.  When needed
for patient, remove all fat with a spoon.   If when
heated you see tiny globules of fat, pass a piece of
tissue paper quickly over the top of the broth.
In this way  you can remove  every  particle of
fat.  The taste and smell of fat are often nauseat-
ing  to  sick people. Add salt and pepper to taste
and if a piece of celery or parsley or a leaf of any
favorite herb is boiled with the meat, a pleasant
variety will be  obtained.  Beef makes  a more
nourishing broth  than  veal,  fowl  than  young
chicken,  and mutton than lamb.  Dilute with
water if too strong.

                 CLAM  BROTH

  Scrub clean 6 or 8 large clams.   Boil  in 1 cup
of water.  The water and the juice of the clams
make the broth.   When the shells open the broth 
LIQUID DIET
221
is done.  Remove clams and shells, add salt and
pepper to taste.   Pour in  hot cup or bowl and
place on  top a  spoonful  of  whipped  cream.
This can be served without the cream.
                 OYSTER BROTH
  Chop I dozen oysters, put in  a stew pan with
I cup cold water.  Bring to boiling point, then
simmer 5 minutes.  Strain and serve with whipped
cream  on  top, or with milk  added just before
removing from the fire.
                 BEEF EXTRACT
  One pound  of round steak.  Wipe and remove
all fat.   Cut in small pieces, place in a fruit jar,
put cover on jar, and set in kettle of cold water.
Put a tin or piece  of board under the jar to prevent
breaking.  Let the water heat slowly for 2 hours
but do not let  it boil.  Press the meat to obtain all
the juice.  Add salt and pepper and strain. This
can be made in a double boiler.   Do not boil when
reheating.
                   BEEF TEA
  Prepare steak the same as for beef extract. Soak
beef in  1 pint of cold water for 15 minutes, then
put  steak  and water in  fruit  jar and  proceed 
222  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

the same as in making beef extract.  When serv-
ing, heat but do not boil.
                 BEEF JUICE
  One pound  of  round steak.  Remove  all fat
and cut in small pieces.  Heat a fruit press or old-
fashioned lemon squeezer in hot water and drain.
Put the meat  in  a  dry pan and  shake over the
fire until hot but not cooked.   Put at once into
press.  Squeeze all the juice possible.   More juice
can usually be obtained by reheating both meat
and press and squeezing again.

                 MEAT JELLIES
  Cut chicken or other meat in small  pieces,
removing  fat, and breaking bones.  Put in  cold
water using I pint for  every pound of meat.
Heat slowly at first,  then simmer until the meat is
done.  Strain  and remove the fat by passing  a
tissue paper over the surface of the liquid.  Add
salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.  Pour into small
cups to set.  When serving, turn out on a lettuce
leaf if your patient is able to feed himself  with
a spoon.  The jelly on a tray with a cup of tea
or coffee or a glass of water will seem  like a real
meal while in reality it is only liquid diet. 
GRUELS
                FLOUR GRUEL

  Two tablespoons of flour, 2 cups of milk.  Mix
flour with a little milk  to make a paste.  Scald
the remainder of milk  in  a double boiler,  add
flour  paste, and cook yi hour.  Salt to taste.
For DIARRHQ3A.
               OATMEAL GRUEL
  Coarse  oatmeal yi cup,  add  3  cups boiling
water and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Cook 3 hours in a
double  boiler, strain, and  add  milk or cream.
For a laxative.
               CRACKER GRUEL
  Roll and sift yi large cracker, have in a double
boiler 1 cup scalded milk. Add cracker and cook
for 5 minutes.   Salt to taste.  This is nutritious.
              INDIAN MEAL GRUEL
  Mix 1 tablespoon Indian meal, ]/?.  tablespoon of
flour, add enough cold  water to make a paste.
                      223 
224  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

Add to 2 cups of boiling water and boil gently for
i hour.   Add milk or cream and salt to taste.  A
richer gruel may be made by using milk in place
of water and cooking 3 hours in a double  boiler.
NOURISHING.

                BARLEY  GRUEL

  Mix 3 teaspoons of barley flour with cold water
to make a thin paste.  Add to 1  cup boiling water
and  boil  15  minutes.  Add  %  cup milk  and
salt to  taste.  Reheat  and strain when serving.
NUTRITIOUS.

   Fruit jellies made with gelatin may be used
with a liquid diet.  Meat soups  made with  barley
or rice,  strained, and the fat removed, may be
used.
  Thin  soups  made with milk  seasoned with a
vegetable or meat broth may be  used, also thicker
soups made with a white  sauce.   Chicken  or any
meat  broth may be used in the cream soups in
place of milk.

         WHITE SAUCE FOR CREAM SOUPS

   The  amount  of  butter,  flour, and  milk will
differ with the different kinds of soup'but the white 
GRUELS
225
sauce is always made in one way.   Melt the butter,
add the flour, stirring all the time until they are
smooth and thick.  Add the milk a little at a
time until it is all in, stirring each time you add
milk until the mixture is smooth.  To this is added
the special mixture and seasoning
     is 
        SOUPS MADE WITH MILK

  From Cook Book for Nurses by Sarah C. Hill.
             CREAM  OF ASPARAGUS
                 White Sauce
  One tablespoon butter, I tablespoon flour, }£ cup
milk.
  Eight stalks of canned asparagus, drain from
liquor, add y£ cup fresh water.  Heat thoroughly
and press  out all juice.  Add to the white sauce.
Fresh asparagus is better than canned if in season.
Cook  until very  tender, strain, and add to white
sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

              CREAM OF CELERY
                 White Sauce
  $4 tablespoon of butter, ^ tablespoon of flour,
I cup of milk.
  Three sticks of celery, washed, cut in small pieces,
and cooked in the milk  for  the white sauce 20
                      226 
        SOUPS MADE WITH  MILK     227

minutes in a double boiler.  Salt and pepper to
taste.
              CREAM OF CHICKEN
                  White sauce
  One tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of flour,
yi cup milk.
  y2 cup strong chicken broth.  Remove carefully
every  particle  of fat and  heat before adding to
white sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

                CREAM OF CLAM

                  White Sauce
   One tablespoon of butter, I tablespoon of flour,
 yi cup milk.
   y2 cup hot clam broth.  Pepper to taste.

                CREAM OF CORN

                  White Sauce

   One tablespoon of butter, I tablespoon of flour,
 yi cup milk.
   y2 cup canned corn, chopped, heated 20 minutes
 in y2 cup water, strain, pressing out all the  juice 
228  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

possible.   Add to white sauce.  Salt and pepper
to taste.
            CREAM OF GREEN PEAS
                 White Sauce
  yi tablespoon of butter, yi tablespoon of flour,
y cup milk.
  y. cup canned or fresh cooked peas, drained and
heated in y£ cup cold water, rub through a sieve.
Add to white sauce.   Salt and pepper to taste.

               CREAM OF ONION
                 White Sauce
  y tablespoon of butter, y tablespoon of flour,
 i cup milk.
  One onion cut up and scalded in milk for white
 sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.
              CREAM OF POTATO
                 White  Sauce
   y tablespoon of butter, y tablespoon of flour,
 y cup of milk.
   y  cup hot mashed potato, add hot  sauce
 slowly.  Salt  and pepper  to taste.  At serving 
SOUPS MADE WITH MILK
time add  y teaspoon  of  tomato  catsup  or  I
teaspoon of chopped  parsley.  A small slice of
onion or a stick of celery may be scalded with the
milk then strained out.   Strain if soup contains
lumps of potato. Thin with hot milk if desired.

              CREAM OF TOMATO

                 White Sauce

  I tablespoon of  butter, I tablespoon of flour,
y cup of milk.
  y cup  stewed  and strained tomato.  Add  a
tiny pinch of baking  soda  before adding to the
white sauce.  Salt  and pepper  to taste.  A small
piece of bay leaf,  I clove,  and a small piece of
onion may be cooked with the tomato. 
LIGHT DIET
  When  your patient  is better and  the doctor
says you may give him a light diet, continue the
gruels, milk, and soups, or any other drink of which
your patient has not become tired.  You may give
the cream  soups with tiny squares of toast or
crackers, the meat soups with the barley, rice, or
tapioca  left in  them, and any  well-cooked,  soft
cereal, boiled rice with  sugar and cream (the  rice
must be well  done), and also toast in  many com-
binations, creamed or with hot milk, with creamed
oysters,  creamed  codfish, or any other creamed
fish which has not been fried, with poached or cod-
dled  eggs  and with some creamed  vegetables.
You may give rice, tapioca, cornstarch, or bread
puddings, fruit  and gelatin jellies, ice creams  and
ices.  Some doctors allow broiled steak, baked or
broiled fish, creamed sweet  breads, baked potato,
and fresh fruit.  It is best, however, to have a clear
understanding with the doctor  before  you  make
any change in the diet.
                      230 
LIGHT DIET
231
             CONVALESCENCE DIET

  A person who has been ill, is still a patient until
he is absolutely well, whatever he may think to the
contrary.   He will think up all kinds of terrible
combinations of food and many times will eat
things which he should not have unless you watch
him carefully.  I  am not speaking  of  children.
Just as long as he must remain in bed  or in the
house and maybe longer, great care must be taken
with  his diet.  I knew of a man  recovering from
typhoid who had dismissed his trained nurse the
day before, and was sitting by  the window when
a kind and generous neighbor  arrived  bearing a
basket of pears.  One  who  has had typhoid  is
 always hungry.   The warnings of the nurse were
 forgotten and the pears eaten.   The man had a
 relapse and the  nurse was  again sent for in a
 hurry.  I am not sure but that he died but I am
 not going to say so as this is a chapter on diets
 and not a tragedy.
   Your convalescent patient must not be asked
 to digest  any  kind  of  fried  food, under-done
 vegetables, fresh  bread or biscuit, or food which
 takes a long time to digest, such as pork, boiled
 cabbage (raw cabbage is easier to digest), boiled 
232  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

beets,  rich cake  or  pies, and should have his
hearty meal in the middle of the day.
  He may have all things included in liquid and
light  diets; also  peas,  cauliflower,  asparagus,
potatoes (not fried, baked are best),  water cress,
lettuce, chicken,  lamb, beef  steak,  roast beef,
jellied chicken, or any dainty which you can concoct
or which the neighbors bring in unless the  doctor
forbids.  You  may  better err on  the  safe side.
But with all this list to choose from your patient
may demand  such combinations  as pork  and
cabbage or lobster salad and ice cream. 
A  FEW  HELPFUL RECIPES
                    TOAST

  Cut stale bread in quarter inch slices; remove
the crusts.   Place on a toaster for a few minutes
then turn and dry on the other side.  Keep turning
the toast until it is an even brown but not burned.
Butter and serve on a hot plate.   It is much easier
to eat if cut in  narrow strips and looks nicely
piled log cabin fashion

                 CREAM TOAST

  Pour  over toast a cream sauce made of butter,
flour, and milk, add a lump of butter and a dash
of black pepper or paprica.   Garnish with a spray
of parsley.

                  MILK TOAST

   Pour over toast hot  milk, to which has been
added salt, pepper, and butter to taste.   This is
much more appetizing if the milk is carried to the
                      233 
234  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

patient's room in a hot pitcher or cup and  added
to the toast just before it is eaten.
  Toast may be used as a vehicle for many  things
and if  only a  small piece of broiled steak is al-
lowed, it will seem a much larger meal if served on a
nicely browned and buttered hot piece of toast.
A  spray  of water cress  or a slice of  lemon will
help the  illusion.  It may serve as a background
for creamed oysters, creamed or buttered aspara-
gus,  creamed  chicken,  any  minced and  nicely
seasoned meat, broiled oysters, thin broiled slices
of bacon, or served with any of the cream  soups,
and who does not expect his first meal of real things
to chew, to be egg on toast.

           BRAN BREAD OR BISCUITS

I pint of bran           y pint of milk
y pint of flour        6 tablespoons molasses
           I even teaspoon of baking soda
  Mix  the bran, flour,  and  soda together; mix
the molasses and milk together and add the flour
mixture.   Bake  in gem  pans or  in  bread tin.
Two of these biscuits or two slices of bread eaten
at each meal will act as a laxative and in most
cases cure constipation. 
EGGS
  A  soft egg  should be  boiled for 3  minutes.
Dip  the  boiled egg in cold water and  you will
be able to handle it and in that way remove the
egg before it has grown too hard in the hot shell.
Put in a small glass, an egg cup, or on toast.  Add
salt and a tiny bit of pepper.
                 POACHED EGG
   Have water boiling in a sauce pan and break
into it the egg.  Put the pan at once on the back of
the stove or where it will not boil and let it stand
until the white has  set and a white film formed
over the yolk.  Lift with a skimmer or a mixing
spoon with holes in it.  Serve on hot buttered toast
on a small warm plate, or with potato.  The toast
may be  softened with hot water if desired.  Add
salt and pepper.
                 CODDLED EGGS
   Place the egg in a bowl and pour over it 1 quart
 boiling water, cover at once and let  stand from 8
                       235 
236  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

to 10 minutes, or while you are making the toast,
tea, etc.  The white of the egg never is hard if
cooked in this way and is easy to digest.  It does
not look as well as a poached egg when  on toast
but is better for invalids.

                FRENCH  OMELET

  Beat 2 eggs until the white and yolk are well
blended.   Add 2 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper
to taste.   Butter a hot omelet or frying-pan with
I tablespoon butter, turn in omelet.  As soon as it
begins to cook, turn carefully with a limber knife,
let it brown  on  the bottom.  Fold together and
turn on a hot plate.
  This must not be left while cooking as it burns
very easily.

                OTHER OMELETS

  A variety  of  omelets  can be made  with  the
French omelet for a foundation.  To the French
omelet add  a  tablespoon  of cooked asparagus
tips, or a few well-cooked green beans or peas.
If your  patient is  convalescing and is fond of
onion, mince a slice of onion and fry in the butter 
EGGS
237
before adding the milk and egg.  To this add a
few tiny pieces of pimento, the green beans, or
asparagus and serve with a baked potato or hot
buttered toast.

                 SOFT CUSTARD

  Beat yolks of 2 eggs, add 2 tablespoons sugar,
and a few grains of salt.  Heat 1  cup milk in a
double boiler and stir in gradually the egg and
sugar.  Cook until it thickens,  strain, cool, and
add a few drops of vanilla.

                 BAKED CUSTARD

  Beat slightly  1 small egg, add 1 tablespoon
sugar and a few grains of salt.  Add egg and sugar
to y cup  hot milk,  strain into a cup,  sprinkle
with  nutmeg, and place in a pan of hot  water.
Bake in slow oven until firm.

                 JUNKET CUSTARD

  Heat 1 cup milk until  lukewarm, add 1 table-
spoon sugar.  As soon as sugar is dissolved add y
Junket tablet which has been dissolved  in 1 tea- 
238  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING
spoon of cold water and y tablespoon brandy, or
y teaspoon  vanilla.  Pour  at  once into small
glasses or molds.  Let stand  until firm, then put
in cool place until ready to serve. 
    WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

  Johnnie Jones and his sister Sue, not only eat
peaches of emerald hue, but they  step on rusty
nails,  tumble into  the pond,  climb apple  trees
and fall out again, breaking their arms, legs, and
collar bones, cut themselves with knives, broken
glass,  or old tins, get fish hooks in their fingers,
run slivers in their toes when they go bare-footed,
and get stung when they inspect the hives to see
how the bees are  working.  Busy mother Jones
must  doctor the children, administer reproof for
past carelessness, caution for days to come, and if
father Jones has sunstroke, gets into poison ivy,
or a venomous  snake  "sees him first,"  she must
be able to do the right thing at the right time.
This  is as important a part of home keeping  as
cooking or sewing.  An efficient mother feeds the
body and mind, binds up the wounds, and heals
the broken hearts.
  Read carefully   the chapter  on  emergencies,
poisons, and bandaging.  You may not remember
                      239 
240  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

the directions  but you will know exactly where
to find them when wanted in a hurry.

                    BURNS

  When a burn or scald covers only a small surface
and is not deep it can be treated at home.  If the
burn is deep, or if not deep, should cover a large sur-
face of the body, a doctor must be called at once.
As a rule the surface covered by a burn and not the
depth of it, is what  matters.  If  more than one
third of the body is covered by the burn, death
is probable and will surely follow if two thirds of
the skin is destroyed.
  If your clothing catches on fire, lie  down and
roll or wrap around you a rug, blanket, or any-
thing you can  catch up, but do not run.  If you
run, the draft formed by your movements will fan
the flames in the same way that a fire is fanned
by  blowing with a bellows.  Keep your mouth
closed so you will not inhale the smoke and do not
waste your breath in screams.  Work.  If another
person is on  fire, wrap her quickly in a couch-
cover,  rug, drapery,  or any clothing,  preferably
woolen, which you can reach quickly.   Put your
patient on the floor and roll her up from head to 
     WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 241

foot.   Fire cannot burn if the air is kept from it.
This you do by covering your patient or yourself.
Keep the covers on until you are  sure the fire
is extinguished then you can call help.  Do not
shriek, throw your  apron  over your head and
scream, "fire! she is dead!" but put out the fire,
then  call someone  to help  you and send for a
doctor.   Whatever you do, keep cool.  Screaming
causes confusion  and panic  and the patient, if
badly burned, has enough to bear without extra
fireworks on the part of the family or the neigh-
bors.  Keep  the  patient lying  down  with her
head lowered, loosen her clothing, and keep her
quiet.  Cut away  the clothing from the burned
surface.   If the clothing sticks to the burn do not
pull it off but soak with olive oil, when it  can be
easily  removed.  Take care  not  to irritate the
burned surface and if blisters have formed, do not
break them.   Wet soft cotton cloths or old hand-
kerchiefs in a strong solution  of  baking soda
and cool water and cover burns.   Coarsely woven
gauze is used, many times, in dressing burns but the
threads  stick  in the wound  and  are difficult to
remove.   A soft,  closely woven  cloth  is  much
better.
  A small burn may be treated in the same way
     16 
242  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

at first,  then  use vaseline,  carbolized vaseline,
olive oil, oxide of zinc ointment, or lard.  With a
clean  knife spread  the  vaseline or  ointment,
generously, on a clean, soft linen or  cotton cloth
and apply  to the burn,  holding in place with a
bandage, not too tightly put on.
  A patient having a bad burn is liable to  suffer
from shock and should be given treatment  for it.
Vomiting is a good symptom.  The patient may
not be unconscious and  still  suffer  from shock.
Keep  her quiet;  permit  no extra people in the
room.  All people who  are  not  caring  for the
patient are extra. Raise the foot of the bed so
that the  blood will enter the  brain, give fresh air
and stimulating drinks such as, milk with whiskey
or wine,  cocoa  cordial, or  eggnog with whiskey.
Place  a  hot-water bag at her feet  and do not
discuss the accident, the extent of the patient's
injuries,  or any other subject, in the patient's
room.  Do all you can for the patient and then
keep her, the family, and yourself quiet until the
doctor arrives.

            BURNS CAUSED BY ACIDS
  Wash  burns  quickly with  lime water, baking
soda and water, or soapsuds.   Then treat  in the 
     WHAT  TO  DO IN  EMERGENCIES  243

same way as burns caused by fire.  If acid is in the
eye, wash the eye quickly with clear water then
with lime water.

       BURNS CAUSED BY ALKALIES  (LIME)
  Wash the burn with vinegar or lemon juice then
dress in the same way as other burns.  Take great
care in removing clothing.

            ARTIFICIAL  RESPIRATION
  Dr. Sylvester's method of  artificial respiration
is considered by most authorities to  be the best.
  Lay the patient on his back on the ground or
floor, loosen belts and tight bands.  Place,  under
his shoulder blades, a roll of  clothing  (a coat will
do), a hard pillow, or anything that  will raise him,
in order that his chest will  be higher than the
rest of his body.   Do not let  his head hang back.
Put a small pad under it if it is in an unnatural
position.  Have someone hold his tongue.   It will
not slip from the fingers if held with a dry cloth or
handkerchief.  If  you are  working  alone tie one
corner of the handkerchief around the tongue and
fasten the opposite corner to the patient's clothing.
If the tongue is not kept out  of the  mouth it may
fall back in the throat, stopping the air passages. 
244  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

Kneel at the patient's head and taking a wrist
in each hand, draw the arms out and up, keeping
them near the ground  until you have them well
above the head.  Stretch the arms and hold in this
position while you slowly count three.   This ex-
pands the chest and air will rush into the lungs.
Then  bring the elbows slowly down and press
them firmly against the sides of the chest.  This
forces the air out of  the  lungs.  Again  slowly
count three.  These  movements should  be done
over and  over  again with  regularity,  until  the
patient begins to breathe.  Do not get discouraged
and give up  in a short time.   Work for at least
an hour.  Persons apparently  lifeless have been
revived  after hours of artificial respiration.  In
case the patient stops breathing you must begin
all over again.  Do not leave  him until you  are
sure he is conscious and breathing regularly.

            IN CASE OF  DROWNING
  As soon as the patient is taken from the water,
clean his mouth of mud and water with a hand-
kerchief  or  anything handy.   Loosen  all tight
bands, belts,  etc.  Turn  him on his face,  stand
over him, astride, put your arms under his abdo-
men and raise him up in order that the water may 
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 245
drain out of his throat and lungs.  Hold him this
way while  you count  fifteen.  Turn  him on his
back, pull  out his tongue, and proceed to give
artificial respiration as described above.  If there
are two people to help, one should proceed with
artificial respiration while the other goes for a
doctor and brings blankets, if they can be procured,
hot-water bottle, and stimulants.   If the accident
happens in the woods or far from town or a house,
the second helper should remove the wet clothing
and cover the patient with his own clothes.   The
helpers  can work very well in their underclothes,
using their own for the patient.  Build a fire near
enough  to warm but not to endanger  the patient.
As quickly as the patient begins to breathe and not
before,  rub his arms  and legs, rubbing  toward
his heart.   This helps to restore the circulation.
As the  patient begins to breathe for himself he
may vomit or have a chill, or both.  If he vomits,
turn him on his right side so the vomited matter
will not strangle him.   As quickly as possible after
he has begun  to breathe,  put him in bed in warm
blankets with hot-water  bags or  bottles.  Give
him  hot coffee or  other stimulants.  If he  is
hungry  give  him beef tea or hot milk  but no
solid food  until  ordered by the  doctor.  Keep 
246   THE BOOK  OF HOME NURSING

him quiet and let him sleep.   He will be weak and
nervous and should stay in bed until fully recovered
and should see no visitors.
  Remember that the life of the patient depends
upon  your keeping your wits  about you.  The
directions for procedure in artificial respiration
should be  learned  by heart by everyone living
near  a  lake or  river or even a little pond.  A
person  can  drown  in  very little  water.  Make
this one of the things to be taught in your home, for
no one  knows how soon such knowledge will be
needed, and how thankful you will be if you or your
family can save a life.  If children  in school could
be taught to give artificial respiration it would be a
fine thing.  Not learned in parrot fashion,'' now all
together, tell what to do when one falls in the
water," but let each child demonstrate and tell why
he does things as he does them.  Be sure that he
understands.  This is as necessary in some  com-
munities as the fire drill and would be a good gym-
nastic exercise  as well,  for  it is no easy task to
give artificial respiration for any length of time.

                 TOOTHACHE

  Clean the cavity in the tooth if it can be reached,
with a  bit of absorbent cotton on  a toothpick. 
    WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES  247

Then put a piece of cotton which has been dipped
in oil  of  cloves, in the  tooth.  Camphor  will
sometimes stop the pain.  If you cannot reach the
cavity, place a small piece of  absorbent cotton
which has been dipped in camphor, between the
cheek and the gum.  A hot-water bag is a great
comforter.  At the earliest possible moment take
the sufferer to the dentist.   Teeth always stop
aching when the dentist is mentioned but it  is
only a bluff on the part of the tooth and should
not be allowed to deceive any  one.  That tooth
is only waiting for a cold, damp night to start  in
again on its vicious career and should be attended
to at once.

                   EARACHE
  This is sometimes caused by decayed teeth and
treatment of the bad tooth may stop the earache.
If not, the ear must be treated to stop  the pain
for the time being and a doctor consulted as soon
as possible as  there may be trouble  in the ear
which, if neglected, will lead  to greater pain and
deafness.   A hot-water bag or hot woolen cloth
over the ear will sometimes relieve the pain. If not,
hold a teaspoon in hot water until the spoon is
hot, drop three or four drops of sweet oil on the 
248  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

hot spoon (this will warm the oil) then drop into the
ear and plug  with a warm piece of absorbent
cotton.  If you have opium or laudanum in the
house, drop two drops of one of  these and three
drops of sweet oil on the hot spoon and drop in the
ear.  The hot-water bag should have only a little
water in it so it will lie flat over the ear and not
be heavy.  Earache is a very hard pain to bear
and should have immediate attention.

                   STIES

  If a person has a sty on his eye he should see a
doctor, as it may mean a rundown condition or
defective eyes.   Hot or cold applications relieve
the pain.   Hot applications should not be con-
tinued on  the eye for more than  five  minutes at
a time.  There have been cases  where the  eye
was  permanently  injured by poulticing.  If  a
cold  compress is comforting to the patient it  is
much wiser to use it.  If the sty needs  to  be
lanced it had best be  done by a  doctor.  If you
must have it opened at home be sure the needle
or instrument used is made surgically  clean  by
boiling and that  the pus does  not get in  the
eye. 
    WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES  249

         HEAT  RASH pR PRICKLY HEAT

  This is  a common affliction of small children
during hot weather.  Bathe frequently and pow-
der with talcum powder or cornstarch.   If this
does not  correct the condition,  bathe in soda
bath {see chapter on baths) or lime water.  Re-
duce the amount of clothing and keep  the patient
as quiet as possible.

                    CHILL

  A chill may be due to cold,  exposure, nervous-
ness, or may be caused by absorption  of poisons.
Put the patient in a warm bed with warm flannel
blankets around  him,  hot-water bags at feet,
between thighs, and over heart.   Rub limbs and
body  briskly to bring  the  blood  to the surface.
Give hot drinks, such as, tea, coffee, hot lemonade
or hot water and whiskey.  If  the chill is caused
by cold, exposure, or nervousness the patient will
probably recover in a short time but if the patient
has a wound or if the chill is after childbirth, the
doctor should be notified at once as the patient is
probably absorbing poisons and needs immediate
attention. 
250  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

                 SNAKE BITE

  Not many poisonous snakes are met now-a-days
but a snake bite should have  instant attention.
The bite is usually on the foot or leg.  Tie your
handkerchief, belt, suspender,  or strip  from the
bottom of a skirt tightly around the leg between
the bite  and the body.  This  will prevent the
poisoned blood from reaching the body.  Squeeze
the wound and if water is at hand wash it.  You
must work quickly.  Put  your mouth over the
bite and  suck as hard as you can, expectorate and
suck again.  You will be able to remove much of
the poison in this way with no danger to yourself
unless you have  a sore in your mouth.  Do this
the instant  the bite  occurs,  then  put strong
ammonia  on the bite,  and send for  the doctor.
Do not  leave the bandage longer than one half
hour without loosening it.  If the doctor has not
arrived by that time loosen  the bandage a  little
so that the blood may  flow  a tiny bit,  then
tighten it again.  If the  bandage is  kept tight,
there  can be no circulation of the blood and
mortification will  be  caused  thereby.   If  the
bandage is loosened and a little blood is allowed to
flow toward the body, the effect will not be as 
     WHAT TO DO  IN EMERGENCIES  251

bad  as if all  the poison were allowed to go there
at once.  The patient may  be strong enough to
absorb the  poison without disastrous results  if it
is taken into the system slowly.  Some authori-
ties  advise stimulating with whiskey or brandy
and  others, equally wise, say that it is not neces-
sary.  In this case one must use his own judgment.
After the patient is out of danger exterminate the
snakes.

               MOSQUITO BITES

  Put, at once, a drop of ammonia on the mosquito
bite and do  not scratch it. Dust with talcum
powder.

             INSECTS AND SPIDERS

  Apply ammonia to the sting or bite.  If the
sting is still in the flesh remove it with dressing
forceps.  Apply wet  salt and  wet  cloths or if
away from the house, apply  wet earth.

                   POISON IVY

   Over the rash-covered skin lay cloths wet in a
strong solution of  baking soda and water.  Dress
later with oxide of zinc ointment. 
252  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

       POISON PLANTS, MUSHROOMS, ETC.

  See chapter on poisons.  Use remedy for  pto-
maine poisoning.

                   SUNBURN

  One may suffer much from sunburn.  Bathe in
solution of baking  soda  and water,  then apply
vaseline, olive oil, ointment, or cold cream.

                   FAINTING

  Fainting may be caused by foul air, exhaustion,
hunger, pain, or fright. Lay the patient down, give
all the fresh air possible, loosen clothing, and dash
cold water on face  and chest.   Smelling salts or
ammonia should be  used  but care must be taken
not to get them in the  patient's eyes  or too
near the mouth or nose.   The head must be lower
than the rest  of  the body so the blood will flow
to the brain.  Rub  to help circulation  and keep
the patient quiet until fully recovered.

                 SUNSTROKE

  Send for the doctor and apply ice to  the head.
If you have no ice  use cloths wet in cold  water. 
     WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 253

Give a cold bath in tub if possible, if not give cool-
ing bath described in chapter on baths.   If there is
little help the cooling bath on the bed will be best,
as it is very hard to manage a helpless person in a
tub.  The pulse and temperature must be watched
carefully.  If the temperature drops quickly the
patient must, at once, be put in blankets and heat
applied to  the feet.  The  temperature must be
taken  every  five minutes.  If the temperature
rises, renew the ice on the head and  the cooling
bath.  When  the patient is conscious give cold
water  to drink but  no stimulants.  The  pulse
must be taken often as there is danger of heart
failure.

                   CHOKING

   When a  person is choking on something  which
has been swallowed (fish bone or food), give at once
the  white  of an egg without  beating.  If  the
patient has swallowed a sharp  substance, have
him eat generously of bread, potato, or  mush.
If a child  chokes hold him up by  his heels and
shake  him.  An  older  person can  be laid on a
chair with head  hanging down.  Strike sharply
on the back between the shoulders. 
 254  THE  BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

         DUST OR CINDERS IN THE EYE
  Wash the eye with clear water, using a dropper
 or an eye cup.  If you have neither of these, drop
 water from  a spoon.  The head should be held
 on one side with the eye open and care taken not to
 touch the eyeball with the spoon.  A tiny piece
 of cotton on a toothpick  will sometimes remove
 obstinate particles of dirt.   If the eye is painfully
 inflamed or you are not able to remove the irrita-
 tion, consult an oculist (eye doctor)  at once.
        BITES OF DOGS, CATS, RATS,  ETC.
  Wash, at once, if possible in clean water, suck
 the wound, and apply ammonia as in snake bite.
 These bites must not be neglected as they some-
 times cause grave trouble.
         FOREIGN BODIES IN  THE NOSE
  When the baby puts in her  nose, a peanut,
 bean, bead, or any of the things which babies are
 so fond of storing in  their noses, have her take a
 long breath and have her blow her nose while you
hold  tightly  closed,  the nostril which  has  not
been  used as a storehouse.   This may dislodge
the object.   Try this several  times  before giving
up.   If you are not able to dislodge  it, take baby 
     WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 255

to the doctor as it  must not stay in the nose.
Inexperienced people should consult a doctor about
any foreign object in nose, throat, eye, or ear.  Do
not poke in your ears or your children's either with
toothpicks or hair-pins.   Let their ears alone, ex-
cept to wash them carefully, unless there is trouble
or pain.   In that case take them to a doctor.

                 NOSE BLEED
  Keep the  patient quiet with  the  head high.
Apply ice or cold cloths to the back of the neck
and  firmly  pinch  the nose closing the nostrils.
If this does not stop the flow of blood, pack the
nostrils with absorbent cotton wet in vinegar and
cold water, or in alum water and put feet and hands
in hot water.  The  patient should not lie down
unless very  weak.  Let him sit  up with head
thrown back.

             FISHHOOK ACCIDENTS
  When a fishhook  is caught in the flesh beyond
the upper end of the barb, it should never be pulled
out  the way it went in but should be  pushed
through the flesh until the barb is clear, then clip
the hook in half with heavy nippers.  This wound
should never be covered with new skin or plaster 
256  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

but  should be washed carefully,  soaked,  and
squeezed in clean water (boiled water if possible),
and  then bound up  in  a sterilized dressing.  If
soreness  or inflammation follow, see a doctor at
once, as  a fishhook wound may easily be the be-
ginning of blood poisoning.

                     CUTS
  Dipping a cut in very hot water will stop the
bleeding.  Look carefully to  see that it contains
no dirt or other substance and bind up in a steri-
lized dressing.  If it is a small cut on the finger
it will heal of itself if kept covered and clean.  A
large cut may need stitches and should be exam-
ined  by a doctor.

PUNCTURED  WOUNDS CAUSED  BY  OLD NAILS,
    SPLINTERS OF OLD WOOD, GARDEN TOOLS,
               AND TOY PISTOLS

  A wound of this kind is not dangerous because
of  the  instrument which caused it, but because
of the germs which may have been on the instru-
ment.  Children playing out of doors or around
barns are likely to  step on  rusty nails or run
slivers of old wood in their hands or feet.  Nails
or slivers or even garden tools may carry tetanus 
    WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES  257

(lockjaw) germs.  These germs are very much at
home around horse barns or in manured fields
or gardens.  Toy  pistols are  another  cause of
many cases of lockjaw.  The  reason for this is
that the child's hands  are dirty and the dirt is
carried into the  wound.  The  caps are made of
paper which is capable of  carrying the tetanus
germs.  The  symptoms, as a  rule, will  not be
noticed until about a week after the injury.   The
wound should be thoroughly cleansed with clean
warm water and not covered with plaster or  new
skin.   Put on a clean dressing  and take the child
to the doctor at once.  He will probably  give
antitoxin which may prevent further trouble.

                CONVULSIONS
  Convulsions in children are  usually caused by
indigestion.  The child should be put in a hot
bath.  If  you  have no bathroom or large tin
bath pan use a wash tub.  Put cold cloths on the
patient's head while he is  in the bath.   Give a
soap and water enema  and send for the doctor as
the case may be serious.  If you have no bath
thermometer try the water in the old-fashioned
way by holding your elbow in it or by trying it with
your tongue, then you will not burn your patient.
     17 
258  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

              HEAT EXHAUSTION
  As a rule a patient suffering from heat exhaustion
will not be unconscious.  The skin will be cold and
damp and the breathing shallow and fast.   The pa-
tient will have a weak pulse and should be put in
bed with warm blankets and hot-water bottles and
should be given hot coffee or hot water and whiskey.
                  FROSTBITE
  Do not let the person suffering from frostbitten
fingers, toes, ears, or feet go near the fire.  Do not
apply heat to the frostbite but rub, very gently,
the afflicted place with cold water or snow.  A
foot or hand may be held in a basin of cold water
and gently rubbed.  Rub with  a  towel or  your
hand until the circulation is reestablished.  Should
heat be applied to a frostbite, mortification of the
part might be the result.
                   SPRAINS
  When your patient has (as he thinks) sprained
his ankle, leg, or arm, elevate the afflicted part and
support as comfortably as possible on pillows.   Very
cold or very hot cloths should be applied and the doc-
tor called as there may be more serious complica-
tions than are apparent to either you or the patient. 
    WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES  259

               BROKEN  BONES

  When lifting a patient who has a broken bone,
be careful to support the limb both above  and
below the injury.   Do not twist it or try to move
it at all as this will cause intense pain and do more
harm than good.  Make your patient as comfort-
able as possible and call a doctor.   If the patient
must be moved, put a board, the ironing board or
long sticks, under the limb, moving it as little as
possible and tying both sides of the break.   The
patient may better wait some time for the doctor
than permit someone who does not know how, to
try to remedy the hurt.  Moving a broken bone
tears the muscle  around the ragged ends of the
bone and adds to the  injury. Keep the patient
quiet and apply  cold wet  cloths to the injured
place.  This will control the swelling, making the
bone easier to "set."

          WOUNDS AND HEMORRHAGE

   The  Red  Cross Textbook (General  Edition)
costs but  thirty-five  cents and  contains many
illustrated methods of controlling hemorrhages.
   This book should be  in every house.
   The blood from a  wounded artery is bright 
26o  THE BOOK OF HOME NURSING

red and flows in spurts.  Pressure must be applied
above the wound, or between the wound and the
heart.   If the wound  is on the arm or leg, lay a
small hard object (a pocket-knife or a  small  flat
stone)  over the artery above the wound and tie
tightly in place with a handkerchief, a  strip torn
from a skirt, or any other bandage.   Keep the limb
raised.  If the bleeding is on the body, try pressing
around the wound with your finger until you locate
the artery.  If this is in a place where you can
apply a hard compress, do so.   Apply very cold,
clean, wet cloths or cracked ice in a clean cloth.
Remove tight clothing and get a doctor as quickly
as possible.  Do not give stimulating drinks until
ordered by the doctor unless you have  been able
to stop the bleeding, or the patient is very weak.
Keep the patient quiet and give fresh air.
  Blood from  a wounded vein  is a dark purplish
color and flows steadily.  Raise the limb.  If  the
bleeding does not stop  make  gentle  pressure
below the wound.  Wash the wound by pouring
over it  sterilized water  (see  sterilized  water,
chapter on medicine closet). Cover with a clean
dressing and  bandage tightly.   If  the  wound is
serious and yet not bleeding freely, do not try to
dress it but send  for the doctor and make your 
     WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 261

patient as comfortable as possible.  If you dress
the wound you may infect it and no harm will be
done by waiting until the doctor arrives.
  When an accident occurs you will have no time
to look in the book to see  if it is an artery or a
vein that is bleeding and where you must put the
bandage.  Remember it in this way.  A stands
for artery, A also stands for above.  A wounded
artery is tied above the wound.  So, of course, a
wounded vein is tied below.

                  BANDAGING
  The Red Cross  Emergency or First  Aid outfit
comes in different-sized packages.   In these are
bandages and illustrated directions for applying
them.  There is a cardboard box, costing $1.50,
which should be in every home medicine closet, and
a tin box, costing $3.00 which should be in every
automobile.  These useful  aids are now generally
kept in places where people are likely to be hurt
while working.  These boxes contain, beside the
antiseptic surgical supplies, a small booklet which
gives explicit directions and illustrations for using
the different bandages and supplies.
  An artistic bandager gains  the art by  long
practice  in  clinic or  hospital,  and uses  many 
262  THE BOOK OF HOME  NURSING

kinds of bandages.  For bandages which will be
put on at home, two kinds will answer.  Any one
can wind a long narrow bandage around and around
an arm or leg to hold a dressing in place.  That
is the simplest bandage.  Another simple but very
useful  bandage is  the  four-tailed one.   This is
made from a piece of cloth about  eight inches
wide and about a yard long, or long enough to go
over the head  and tie.  If it is used for a knee
bandage it should be about one quarter of a yard
wide and one and one quarter of a yard long.  For
an elbow,  one  a  little shorter will do.  The  size
of the patient will govern the size of the bandage.
To make the bandage cut the cloth in the middle
from each  end  to from six or eight inches of  the
center.
  As a simple diagram explains better than a great
deal  of description, you can see exactly how to
apply your bandage by looking at the drawings on
the next three pages. 
Fig. i.—Four tailed bandage.
  Fig. 2.—Four tailed            Fig. 3.—Four tailed
bandage on top of head.         bandage on back of head.
  Fig. 4.—Four tailed              ' Fig.  5.—Four tailed
bandage on front of head.        bandage on chin with extra
                                  piece to hold it in place.
263 
Fig. 6.—Four tailed bandage on knee.
Fig. 7.—Four tailed bandage on breast.
264 
Fig. 8.—Four tailed bandage on elbow.
         V
Fig. 9.—The way to roll a long narrow bandage.
Fig. 10.—Long narrow bandage 00 arm.

                 265 
 
INDEX
Acids, burns by, 242.
Adenoids, no.
Albuminized, milk, 219.
  — water, 213.
Alcohol, bath, 54.
  — poisoning, 168.
Alkalies, burns by, 243.
Ammonia poisoning, 168.
Apple water, 209.
Asparagus, cream of, 226.
Arsenic poisoning, 169.
Artificial respiration, 243.

             B

Baby, care of, 157.
Backache, 121.
Bandages, 88, 89, 261.
Barley, gruel, 224.
  — water, 209.
Baths, 44-48, 189-191.
Bed, to choose, 32-35, 188.
  — to make, 35-39.
  — high, 33.
Bedbugs, 179.
Bedpan,  13, 83-84,  125,  128,
      172.
Bedsores, 13-14, 19.
Bed-table, to make, 173.
Beef,  broth, 220.
  — extract, 221.
  — tea, 221.
  — juice, 222.
Bichloride of mercury poison-
      ing, 170.
Bites  of  dogs,   cats,  rats,
      254-
Blankets, 39.
Book-rest, to make, 174.
Boracic acid, 86.
Bow-legs, 114.
Bran bread, 238.
Broken bones, 259.
  — to protect, 176-177.
Broth,  chicken,  clam,  beef,
      lamb,  mutton, 220,
  — oyster, 221.
Burns, 87.
  — by fire, 240-242.
  — by acids, 242.
  — by alkalies (lime), 243.
Calomel poisoning, 170.
Carbolic acid poisoning, 169.
Castor oil, to give, 85-86.
Cathartic, 67.
Celery, cream of, 226.
Chart, to keep, 68-70.
Chicken, broth  220.
  — cream of, 227.
Chicken-pox, 142.
Children, care of, 106-119.
  — clothing, in.
  — diet, 202-205.
  — to amuse,  115-118.
Chill, 249.
Choking, 253.
Cinders in eye,  254.
Clam, broth, 220.
  — cream of, 227.
267 
268
INDEX
Cleaning sick-room, 26.
Cocoa, 217.
  — cordial, 210.
Coddled egg, 235.
Coffee, 211, 217.
Cold, to avoid, 120.
  — care of, 121.
Cold applications, 104.
Comfortable in bed, to  make,
      15, 19-
Compress, cold, 104.
Constipation,  76,  113, 122,
      193, 195-
Contagious diseases, 123-145.
  — of children, 112.
Convalescence, of  children,
      115-118.
  — diet in, 231.
Convulsions, 257.
Corn, cream of, 227.
Corrosive sublimate poisoning,
      170.
Cotton, absorbent, 87-88.
Cracker gruel, 223.
Cream soups, 226-229.
  — white sauce for, 224.
  — asparagus, 226.
  — celery, 226.
  — chicken, 227.
  — clam, 227.
  — corn, 227.
  — onion, 228.
  — pea, 228.
  — potato, 228.
  — tomato,  229.
Cream toast,  233.
Croup, I43-I45-
Currant water, 216.
Custard, baked, 237.
  — soft, 237.
  — junket, 237.
Cuts, 256.

              D

Diapers, 157.
Diet, 56, 206-213.
  — for children, 200.
  — liquid, 214-222.
Diet in typhoid, 129.
  — convalescent, 231.
Diphtheria, 137.
Dog bite, 254.
Douche,  96.
Douche bag, care of, 91
Dressings, to destroy, 28.
Drowning, 244.

             E
Ear,  foreign bodies  in,  254.
  — ache, 247.
Eggs, 235-238.
  — coddled, 235.
  — custard, 237.
  — lemonade, 218.
  — nog, 219.     ,
  — omelet, 236.
  — poached, 235.
Emergencies, 239-262.
Enema, 92-97.
  — for children, 113.
  — glycerine,  95.
  — soapsuds,  95.
  — turpentine, 96.
Eye, compresses for, 105.
  — cinders, 254.

             F
Fainting, 252.
Fallen arch, 165.
Feeding  patient,  22,  56-59,
      176,208.  See diet.
Feet, 159-164.
  — fallen arch, 165-166.
Fishbone, 253.
Fishhook, 255.
Flaxseed lemonade, 210.
  — poultice, 99.
Flour gruel, 223.
Flowers, 30.
Flies, 29, 195.
Fomentations,  102.
Frostbites, 258.
Furniture, care of, 28, 124. 
             G

Gas poisoning, 167.
German measles, 143.
Glycerine enema, 95.
Grape jelly water, 216.
   — juice, 216.
Gruel, barley, 224.
   — cracker, 223.
   — flour, 223.
   — Indian meal, 223.
   — oatmeal, 223.
Gum arabic water, 212.

              H

Hair, 16, 50, 182.
Headache  powder  poisoning,
       171.
Heat exhaustion, 258.
   — care of patient in, 18.
   — rash, 249.
Hemorrhage, 127, 259.
Homemade articles,  172-177.
Hot-water bag, 84, 90, 176.
Hypodermic, 68.

              I

Ice bath, 54.
Ice-cap, 105, 175-
Indian meal gruel, 223.
Iodine poisoning, 169.
Itching skin, 51-53.
Ivy, poison, 251.

              J

Jellies, meat, 222.
Junket, 237.

             K

Knee-rest, 176.
Koumiss, 219.

             L

Laxative, 67.
INDEX                     269


      Lead poisoning, 169.
      Lemonade, hot, 213.
         — egg, 218.
         — glycerine, 213.
         — with syrup, 215.
      Light diet, 230.
      Lime, burns by 243.
         — poisoning, 170.
      Lime water, 212.
      Liniment, 104.
      Lockjaw, 256.
      Lumbago, 122.
      Lye poisoning, 170.

                   M

      Measles, 138-140.
      Medicine, to give,  59, 65-68,
            79, 85-86.
      ,  —closet, 74-78, 80-82, 91.
        — patent, 80-83.
      Menstruation, 149.
      Milk, albuminized, 219.
        — koumiss, 219.
        — sterilized, 218.
        — soups, 226-229.
        — toast, 233.
      Mice, 178.
      Morphine poisoning, 170.
      Mosquito, 180.
        — bite, 251.
      Mother, care of, 149-156, 183-
            201.
      Mouth, in fevers, 12.
      Move patient up in bed,  20.
      Mumps,  140.
      Mushroom poisoning, 168.
      Mustard foot-bath, 50-52.
      Mutton broth, 220.

                   N

      Nose, foreign body in, 254.
        — bleed, 255.
      Night, dress,  42.
        — preparing  patient   for,
            61-64.
      Nuisances, 178-182. 
270
              0

Oatmeal gruel, 223.
  — water, 209.
Ointment,  104.
  — lard and turpentine, 121.
Olive oil, 87.
Omelet, 236.
Onion, cream of, 228.
Opium poisoning, 170.
Orange, to serve, 58.
Orangeade, 216.
Oxalic acid poisoning, 171.
Oyster broth, 221.

              P

Pad, to make, 42.
Paris green, poisoning, 169.
Pea, cream of, 228.
Phenacetine poisoning, 171.
Pillows, 15, 19, 21, 38, 40.
Pin, see choking, 253.
Pneumonia, 131.
Poached  egg,  235.
Poisons, to keep, 78.
Poisoning,  167.
  — Alcohol, 168.
  — Ammonia, 168.
  — Arsenic, 169.
  — Bichloride  of  mercury,
       170.
  — Calomel, 170.
  — Carbolic acid,  169.
  — Corrosive sublimate,
       170.
  — Gas, 167.
  — Iodine, 169.
  — Ivy, 251.
  — Lead, 169.
  — Lime, 170.
  — Lye, 170.
  — Morphine, 170.
  — Opium, 170.
  — Oxalic acid, 171.
  — Paris  green, 169.
  — Phenacetine, 171.
  — Potash,  170.
  — Ptomaine, 168.
Poisoning, Rat, 169.
  — Strychnine, 170.
  — Toadstool, 168.
Potash poisoning, 170.
Potato, cream of, 228.
Poultice, bread, 98.
  — bran, 101.
  — flaxseed, 99.
  — mustard, 100.
Powders, to give, 67.
Prickly-heat, 249.
Ptomaine poisoning, 168.
Purgative, 67.

             Q

Quarantine, 123-145.

             R

Rats, poison, 169, 179.
Recipes, 209-238.
Record for  the doctor,  65-
       73-
Respiration, artificial, 243.
Rice water, 209.
Roaches, 179.
Rubber,   sheet,  substitute,
       173-
  — tubes, care of, 91.

             S

Salt bath, 50.
  — poultice, 101.
  — salts, 67.
Scarlet fever, 133-136.
Sheets, to change, 41, 48.
  — to remove, 36-40.
  — in  contagious   diseases,
       125.
Sick-room, 25-31.
Sit up, helping patient to,  22.
Sleep, 61-64, 186-188.
Snake-bite, 250.
Soapsuds, enema, 95.
Soda bath, 51-53.
Spider-bite, 251.
Spinal bath, 52-53.
INI 
INDEX
271
Sprains, 258.
Sterilize, water, 90.
  — milk, 218.
Strychnine poisoning, 170.
Sties, 248.
Stupes, 102.
Sunburn, 252.
Sunstroke, 252.
Suppository, 68.
Symptoms, 70-72, 106-110.

              T

 Tea, 211, 217.
 Teeth, n, 191.
 Temperature, to take, 109.
   — bath to reduce, 54.
 Toadstool poisoning, 168.
 Toast, 60.
   — cream, 233.
   —■ milk, 233.
   — water, 210.
 Tomato, cream soup, 229.
 Toothache, 246.
 Tray, 56-60.
Turn patient on side, 20.
Turpentine enema, 96.
Typhoid fever, 125-130.

             U

Underclothing, 184.
Urine, 72.

             V

Visitors, 6.
Vomit, 70.

             W

 Water supply, 195-
   — sterilize, 90.
 White sauce for cream soups,
       224.
 Whooping cough,  141.
 Windows, 27, 62,  183.
 Wounds,  by old nails, etc,
        256, 259.