Nausea, fatigue and malaise are other subjective symptoms; malaise is the name given to a general feeling of physical discomfort not restricted
to any one part of the body. All three are abnormal when there is not apparent or sufficient cause.
Records.
—An accurate record should be kept of the patient's symptoms, medicine, diet, treatment, etc., so that the doctor may have a continuous record, and so that another person taking charge temporarily may know just what has been done for the patient. The record must be written; otherwise details cannot be remembered exactly. It should be as simple and concise as possible; it is the place for facts, not for opinions, and if inaccurate it is worse than none. It is better not to keep the record in the patient's room, for the patient should not see his own record, nor hear its contents discussed. The doctor usually writes his orders on the record sheet itself, or on a separate sheet to be attached to the record for reference. Blank record forms can be purchased, but a form that is made at home is entirely satisfactory. An example of a daily record sheet follows.
| Date | Hour | Tem. | Pulse | Resp. | Diet and medicine | B.M. | Urine | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | ||||||||
| Jan. 1 | 4 p.m. | 100° | 76 | 24 | Medicine | |||
| 5 p.m. | 1 | ℥ vii | ||||||
| 6 p.m. | Supper: Baked potato, toast, fruit, tea. | |||||||
| 8 p.m. | Medicine | Sponge bath. | ||||||
| 9:30 p.m. | Asleep. | |||||||
| Jan. 2 | 3 a.m. | ℥ ix | ||||||
| 8 a.m. | 99° | 74 | 22 | Medicine | Patient slept most of the night. | |||
| 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast: Cereal, orange, toast, coffee. | |||||||
| 9:30 a.m. | Bath. | |||||||
| 11:30 a.m. | Sat up 1 hour. |
Tuberculosis, Cancer, and Mental Illness.
—As we have seen, early symptoms of sickness are always important; yet it seems worth while to mention particularly the early symptoms of tuberculosis, cancer, and mental disorders, because each of these diseases, though curable in many
cases when taken in the early stages, is serious and often fatal if neglected. Certain facts relating to their cause and prevention should be known to everyone. Tuberculosis, long our greatest cause of death, is gradually growing less; but cancer and mental disease are now on the increase.