Administration of Medicine.
—Medicines may be introduced into the body in a number of ways. In the majority of cases they are swallowed and finally carried to the tissues by the blood just as digested food is carried.
Except in rare emergencies no medicine should be given to a sick person without the doctor's order. The prescribed dose should be accurately measured in a medicine glass having a scale to show the number of teaspoonfuls. When measuring medicine, think only of what you are doing; neither talk nor listen to conversation. First read the label on the bottle. Next, shake the
bottle, if the medicine is liquid, in order to mix the contents thoroughly. Then remove the cork with the second and third fingers, and hold it between them while pouring, thus keeping the cork clean and protecting the contents of the bottle. Hold the medicine glass on a level with the eyes, and in the other hand hold the bottle, with the side bearing the label uppermost to avoid soiling it; pour out the dose, measuring exactly, wipe the bottle, replace the cork, and again read the label on the bottle.
Most medicines should be diluted with a little water. Pills and capsules should not be presented to patients in the attendant's fingers, but on a saucer or teaspoon. Acids and medicines containing iron should be taken through a glass tube kept for medicine exclusively. Tubes and glasses should be washed at once after use, and neither they nor the bottles should stay in the patient's room. If a dose is omitted for any reason, do not increase the next dose; give the regular dose at the next regular time.
Serious mistakes in giving or taking drugs are far too common, and no precautions are too great to guard against them. Never use medicine from a box or bottle that has no label. Never take or give another person a medicine selected in the dark, even though you have positive knowledge
that there is no other bottle or box of medicine in the whole house; in just such circumstances the fatal mistakes occur.
A few things can be done to make medicines more palatable. The water used to dilute the dose and to be taken after it should be very cold. Holding the nose is helpful. A piece of cracker, a peppermint, or a slice of lemon or orange, if allowed, may be taken afterward. Giving disagreeable medicine in ordinary food, as lemon juice, orange juice, or milk, and giving bitter powders in jam or jelly, is unwise because it sometimes results in life long dislike for a useful article of diet. Where food is given directly after the dose to take away its taste, the association of dislike seems to be formed less frequently.
The taste of castor oil is so disgusting that it often causes vomiting, but if skillfully given the oil need not be tasted by a patient who is willing to coöperate. Its way of sticking to the tongue and teeth constitutes the chief difficulty; the object therefore is to prevent it from sticking by swallowing the dose all at once. To administer the oil, wet the inside of a medicine glass or large spoon with very cold water, and leave a little water in the bottom. Pour the required dose in slowly and cover it with more cold water. Let the patient hold in his hand something to take away the
taste,—cracker, bread, peppermint, or whatever is allowed; for castor oil water is not very effectual. Then direct him to hold his nose, open his mouth, and hold his breath; caution him to let the oil run down without swallowing until all has been taken, and afterward to chew the cracker, continuing to hold his nose until he has swallowed the cracker. When the patient understands and is ready, pour the dose in quickly as far back as possible, taking care not to spill the last drop on the lips. This process may seem unduly troublesome, but when castor oil is needed it is badly needed and efforts to make it stay down are worth while. The following method also effectually disguises the taste of castor oil: place in a glass a teaspoonful of baking soda, add the prescribed dose of oil and then the juice of half a lemon. Mix all together thoroughly and let the patient take the mixture while it is effervescing. This method may be used unless the patient is not allowed soda and lemon juice. Castor oil may be bought in capsules, but on account of their size many people find the capsules impossible to swallow.