Said a young gentleman to a distinguished medical practitioner of Philadelphia,—“Doctor, what do you do for yourself, when you have a turn of headache, or other slight attack?” “Go without my dinner,” was the reply. “Well, if that will not do, what do you do then?” “Go without my supper,” was the answer. “But if that does not cure you, what then?” “Go without my breakfast. We physicians seldom take medicines ourselves, or use them in our families, for we know that starving is better, but we cannot make our patients believe it.”
Many cases of slight indisposition are cured by a change of diet. Thus, if a person suffers from constipation, and, as the consequence, has headaches, slight attacks of fever, or dyspepsia, the cause often may be removed by eating rye mush and molasses for breakfast, brown bread, baked apples, and other fruits.
In cases of diarrhœa, rice water for drink, and rice pudding or jelly, will often remove the evil.
In cases of long-continued confinement from sickness, it is very desirable to have a good variety of articles for the sick, as the invalid is wearied with the same round, and perhaps may be suffering for some ingredient of food, which is not found in the articles provided.
For this reason, a large number of receipts of articles for the sick have been provided in this work. In preparing them, great care should be used to have every article employed clean and pure, and to prevent any burning in cooking, as the sensibilities of the sick to bad tastes and smells are very acute.
It is often the case in dyspepsia and cholera infantum, that jellies of American gelatine are very much better than any preparations of farinaceous food, being much more easily digested.
It would be a happy thing for the sick, and a most benevolent custom, if the young ladies of a place should practise cooking the various articles for the sick, and carrying them to invalids as an offering of kindness and sympathy. It would be twice a blessing, first to the invalid, and quite as much to the young benefactress.
There are many little comforts and alleviations for the sick, which should be carefully attended to, which are particularly pointed out in the chapter on the Care of the Sick, in the Domestic Economy. Such, for example, as keeping a room neat, clean, and in perfect order, having every article in use sweet and clean, keeping a good supply of cool water, providing pleasant perfumes, lemons, flowers, and other objects agreeable to the senses, speaking softly, kindly, and cheerfully, and reading the Bible and other cheering books of the kind, whenever it will be acceptable. Be careful to change the linen next the skin, and the bed linen, often. Be sure to ventilate the room thoroughly, two or three times a day, as pure air is a great restorative of health and strength. Wash the skin often, as it has a great tendency to restore health, and never, except in very peculiar cases, can do any harm.
Always request a physician to write all his directions, that no mistake may be made, and nothing be forgotten. Always inquire of him as to the exact mode of preparing every article ordered, and never venture to alter, or omit, what he directs, unless you are sure that you are better qualified to practise than he, in which case he should be dismissed, and you should assume his duties.
Always keep all medicines in papers and vials, labelled, that poisons be not given by mistake, or other injurious articles used.