American Woman's Home: Or, Principles of Domestic Science;: Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian HomesStowe, Harriet Beecher
Religion
American Woman's Home: Or, Principles of Domestic Science;: Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian Homes
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Home economics
It is very unwise to tempt the appetite of a person who is indisposed.
The cessation of appetite is the warning of nature that the system is
in such a state that food can not be digested. When food is to be given
to one who has no desire for it, beef-tea is the best in most cases.
The following suggestions may be found useful in regard to nursing the
sick. As nothing contributes more to the restoration of health than
pure air, it should be a primary object to keep a sick-room well
ventilated. At least twice in the twenty-four hours, the patient should
be well covered, and fresh air freely admitted from out of doors. After
this, if need be, the room should be restored to a proper temperature,
by the aid of an open fire. Bedding and clothing should also be well
aired, and frequently changed; as the exhalations from the body, in
sickness, are peculiarly deleterious. Frequent ablutions of the whole
body, if possible, are very useful; and for these, warm water may be
employed, when cold water is disagreeable.
A sick-room should always be kept very neat and in perfect order; and
all haste, noise, and bustle should be avoided. In order to secure
neatness, order, and quiet, in case of long illness, the following
arrangement should be made. Keep a large box for fuel, which will need
to be filled only twice in twenty-four hours. Provide also and keep
in the room or an adjacent closet, a small, tea-kettle, a saucepan,
a pail of water for drinks and ablutions, a pitcher, a covered
porringer, two pint bowls, two tumblers, two cups and saucers, two
wine-glasses, two large and two small spoons; also a dish in which to
wash these articles; a good supply of towels and a broom. Keep a
slop-bucket near by to receive the wash of the room. Procuring all
these articles at once, will save much noise and confusion.
Whenever medicine or food is given, spread a clean towel over the
person or bed-clothing, and get a clean handkerchief, as nothing is
more annoying to a weak stomach than the stickiness and soiling
produced by medicine and food.
Keep the fire-place neat, and always wash all articles and put them
in order as soon as they are out of use. A sick person has nothing to
do but look about the room; and when every thing is neat and in order,
a feeling of comfort is induced, while disorder, filth, and neglect
are constant objects of annoyance which, if not complained of, are yet
felt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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