A straight-back chair, a wardrobe for the patient’s clothing, a movable screen and a small table or two, complete the essentials in the modern sick room. The newest hospital tables are of iron and glass and may be had in different sizes. An invalid’s table that will extend over the bed is a luxury much appreciated by the patient, especially during convalescence. Plenty of pillows is another luxury that will add to the patient’s comfort. A small pillow or two to tuck around the patient, in places where a little warmth or support is desired, is a sensible addition to the ordinary furnishing of the sick room. Half a dozen will be none too many. The best finish for the walls of the private room is a coat of oil paint. They can then be subjected to periodical cleaning without being defaced. The shades should be soft and delicate and restful. A pretty shade of greenish blue is a delight to most eyes. On the wisdom of pictures in a sick room, opinion is divided. Some would banish them as unnecessary, and because they afford a lodging place for dust and disease germs. Others would introduce them to banish the monotony and relieve the walls of the bare effect. If used at all, pictures should be carefully selected, and have plain wooden frames, that will not be injured by disinfectants. To many patients the illuminated scripture texts on the walls are a comfort, and few, even of those who in health have no use for such things, object to them when sick. The custom of making memorial rooms, picture galleries or museums where the memory of benefactors is enshrined, is to be condemned. A simple plate on the wall or on the door is sufficient. More than this is unwise and in bad taste. The craze for memorials has reached a point that is embarrassing in many hospitals, and the time must surely come when doctors and hospital officers will interfere, and protest against having the patient forever gazing into the countenance of some member of the family of the benefactor of the institution. As soon as possible after a patient has left the room, it should undergo a thorough cleaning. Every article but the stationary furnishings should be removed. Carelessness about this matter sometimes proves very embarrassing. Drawers, cupboards, and wardrobes should be washed with a solution of bichloride of mercury. The windows should be cleaned and fresh sash curtains put on. The walls should be brushed, the floor cleaned, the mattress disinfected, the bed clothing washed and all utensils thoroughly aired. If the last occupant was afflicted with a communicable disease, the mattress should be subjected to steam sterilization. [Sidenote: Fumigation]