THE CARE OF FOODS AND UTENSILS
The next point of consideration is the care of the food materials. This is quite as important as the selection, for even the best of food may be ruined by careless handling, not only in the preparation, but likewise during the period before it is prepared for the invalid’s consumption. The rules governing the handling of food materials before they reach the consumer are subject to inspection by law, but the housekeeper or nurse has no such rules to guard or govern her; hence she may be wantonly careless or ignorantly unsanitary unless taught the right way to care for the food in her charge. Perishable fruits and vegetables must be kept in a cool place to preserve their freshness.
Method of Washing Dishes.—Cleanliness must be observed in the care of all food materials and the utensils in which they are to be prepared. If the nurse will observe the scientific rules governing the solubility of the foodstuffs, she will be able to save herself much time and trouble. For example, it is a known scientific fact that starch is insoluble in cold water and more or less soluble in boiling water, hence it would be a useless waste of time to try to wash a utensil in which a starchy food has been cooked in cold water. Fats solidify under the influence of cold and melt under the influence of heat, so that hot water should be used in conjunction with soap or an alkali to remove grease from dishes and silver and utensils. Albumens are soluble in cold water and are coagulated in hot, therefore to remove milk, egg white, and like protein substances from glasses, spoons, etc., it is advisable to soak first in cold water to wash out the food material, and then to wash thoroughly in hot soapsuds to cleanse and polish. The dishcloths used in the washing and drying of dishes and kitchen utensils should be washed after using in hot soapsuds, rinsed in clear water, then dried in the sun. When this is impossible, they should at least be hung in the fresh air to make them sweet and clean before the next using. In contagious diseases the care of the utensils and dishes used by the patient is of the utmost importance. They should be thoroughly sterilized before being placed with those used by the rest of the family, otherwise the disease may be communicated to the unaffected members. A word about the handling of glasses and spoons used in administering medicine in the sickroom: It is advisable when possible to keep these separate from those used on the tray, as many medicines have a very lasting and disagreeable taste, which is more than apt to cling to the spoons or glasses in which they are measured and in turn be communicated to the food, making it distinctly unpalatable. This has been found to be the case with asafetida, valerian, ichthyol, etc.