But it is not enough to tell the patient why he needs fresh air—the nurse must show him how to get it. He is singularly helpless and unable to recognize such ways for himself. Also she must overcome his objections and bring him to her way of thinking. Thus, he objects to his porch because it is shaky, or because it may only be reached by passing through another person’s room. Investigation may prove the shakiness imaginary, or at least not dangerous, while the other person may be only too willing to let his room be used as passageway to this desirable goal. Again, he objects to sitting in the yard, or on the sidewalk, or even at his window, for fear of what the neighbours may say. It should be pointed out that his health is more important than their comments—whatever they may or may not be—and that his interest, not theirs, should come first. The nurse must plan every little detail; she must select his chair or sofa; must show how he can be warmly tucked up, and sit out of the wind or sun, as the case may be. She must teach the family about the hot brick and how to place it at the patient’s feet—or two hot bricks, if need be. It is not enough to say: Do thus and so—she must herself demonstrate how the thing is done. The consumptive is sick and helpless and needs constant reassuring. If he belongs to the very poor, he has little to do with, and is so ignorant that he cannot make the most of what he has. This teaching is one of the chief duties of the nurse. =Food.= The third great essential in the trilogy is food. The patient’s diet is of the utmost importance, since his ability to take and assimilate nourishing food determines his ability to build up enough resistance to cope with tuberculosis. Generally speaking, he should be encouraged to eat every kind of nourishing food that he can digest—for tuberculosis does not call for a special diet as does typhoid or diabetes. Anything which specifically disagrees with him should, of course, be excluded. The question of food values must be considered; with the poor, this requires careful teaching and explanation. The nurse should point out the difference between food which merely fills the stomach, and food which nourishes and upbuilds. In the first class may be instanced cabbage, turnips, doughnuts, pies—all highly esteemed by the poor, and cheap and indigestible. In the second class are meat, eggs, milk, fish, rice, beans, hominy, oatmeal, and so forth. Some of these nourishing foods—rice, beans, hominy, oatmeal—are no more expensive than cabbage and pie. The family should be taught the difference. Very harmful and indigestible are the products of the corner bakery, the penny candies, the enormous pickles, and the copious strong brews of tea and coffee which form so large a part of the dietary of those near the poverty line. Considerable money is spent on these things—often money enough to provide a wholesome meal, if the family but knew how to discriminate.