Mother, Nurse and Infant / A Manual Especially Adapted for the Guidance of Mothers and Monthly Nurses, Comprising Full Instruction in Regard To Pregnancy, Preparation for Child-birth, and the Care of Mother and Child, and Designed to Impart so Much Knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology, Midwifery, and the Proper Use of Medicines as Will Serve Intelligently to Direct the Wife, Mother and Nurse in All Emergencies.

by S. P. Sackett

4. Do not ask a convalescent if she would like this or that to eat and drink, but prepare the delicacies and present them in a tempting way.

5. Do not allow the nauseating medicine bottles to stand in the sight of the patient.

6. Study all the peculiarities of your patients, and instead of opposing them by arguments or otherwise, humor them whenever they do not interfere with the physician’s orders or instructions.

7. In all cases keep everything that is used by the patient perfectly clean.

8. If the patient is not allowed to drink as much as she desires, give her the limited quantity instead of a full glass. If she is allowed to drain the glass she will probably be satisfied.

9. Do not allow flowers or plants to remain in the room over night, and always remove flowers from the sick chamber as soon as they become stale.

10. In all cases the patient should have baths so often that the skin is kept clean, and the pores are not stopped up.

11. Take care not to chill or fatigue a patient while bathing. A sponge bath can be given in bed, the bed being protected by an extra draw sheet.

12. The mouth should be often washed and the teeth brushed or wiped off with a soft cloth.

13. The hair should be combed at least once daily. The ladies’ hair is braided or twisted on top of the head so that she will not have to lie on a knot.