HINTS FOR THE SICK ROOM

Always keep the room carefully ventilated, since pure air is a great restorative of health and strength, but never allow a draft or current of air to pass directly over the bed of the patient. Everything should be kept in perfect neatness and order. , Matting is better than a carpet on the floor of a sick room, though wh^n the' latter is used it maybe kept clean by throwing a few damp tea leavgs over only a part of the room at a time, then quietly brushing them» up with a hand broom. The bed linen, also the linen next the person, should be frequently changed, always airing it well, either in the hot sun or by the stove. Wash and refresh the patient whenever, suitable, brush the teeth and hair, bathing the latter with bay rum ; all this to be modified, of course, by the strength of the patient and the directions of the medical attendant. Besides these, a table not liable to injury, a small wicker basket with compartments to hold the different bottles of medicine, and a small book in which to Write all the physician's directions, two baskets made on the same plan to hold glasses or cups, screens to shade the light from the eyes of the patient, a nursery lamp with which to heat water, beef tea, etc., a quill tied on the door handle with which the nurse can notify others that the patient is asleep, by merely passing the feather end through the key-hole, several, "ring cushions" to give relief to patients compelled to lie continually in one ppsition, (these cushions are circular pieces of old linen sewed together and stuffed with bran), and a sick couch or chair, are a few of the many conveniences which ought to be in every sick room.

The following recipe makes a delicious refreshing and cooling wash in the sick room :

Take of rosemary, wormwood, lavender, rue, sage and mint, a Urge handful of each. Place in a stone jar, and turn over it one gallon of strong cider vinegar, cover -closely, and keep near the fire for four

HINTS FOR THE SICK ROOM. 323

days, then strain, and add one ounce of pounded camphor gum. Bottle and keep tightly corked

There is a French legend connected with this preparation (called vinaigre a quatre voleitrs). During the plague at Marseilles, a band of robbers plundered the dying and the dead without injury to them- selves. They were imprisoned, tried, find condemned to die, but were pardoned on condition of disclosing the secret whereby they could ransack houses infected with the terrible scourge. They gave the above recipe. Another mode of using it is to wash the face and hands with it before exposing one's self to any infection. It is very aromatic and refreshing in the sick room; so, if it can accomplish nothing more, it is of great value to housekeepers.

FOOD FOR THE SICK

Should always be prepared in the neatest and most careful manner, and the dishes and articles used should be kept entirely by themselves. Never tempt the appetite of the sick, since the cessation of the appetite is nature's warning that food is not needed. When the appetite begins to return, surprise the patient with some nice delicacy properly pre- pared. Special wants of the body show themselves in special cravings for certain articles of food. These should be gratified whenever possi- ble. Watermelons act on the kidneys and are good in many cases of fever, bowel complaint, etc. Celery also is good in some diseases of the kidneys. Fresh, crisp raw cabbage, sliced fine and eaten with good vinegar is easily digested, and often highly relished by a patient suffering from a "weak stomach." New cider is also excellent in many cases of nervous dyspepsia. Fruits and berries, raw, ripe and perfect, used in moderation, are admirable remedies in cases of con- stipation and its attendant diseases. The grape has a wide range of curative qualities. The seeds are excellent for costiveness, the pulp is very nutritious and soothing to irritated bowels, while the skin if chewed act as an astringent. Raw beef is excellent in dysentery; it should be minced very fine, and given in doses of a spoonful at a time every four hours, the patient in the meantime eating nothing else. Bananas are good in chronic diarrhoea. A rind of bacon is good for teething children to chew. Rice water, or rice jelly are advisable in many cases of convalescence from acute fever, summer complaint and like diseases. Gelatine and isinglass are delicate and easily digested. Buttermilk is good in all bilious diseases. Vegetable acid

324 THE BCCKE^XE COOK BOOK.

drinks, herb teas, toast water, and all such drinks are often much relished. Buttered toast, either dry or dipped, though so generally given, is rarely a suitable article for the sick, as melted oils are very difEcult of digestion. In quinsy, diptheria, inflammation of lungs, typhus and other putrid fevers, acids are of very great benefit. Take a handful of dried currants, pour over them a pint of boiling water, let them stand half a minute without stirring, then drain off the water, strain it through a cloth, and set it away to cool ; when given to the patient dilute well, so that the acid taste is very slight.

Arrow-root Custard. — One tablespoon of arrow-root, one pint of milk, one egg, two tablespoons sugar ; mix the arrow-root with a little of the cold milk ; put the rest of milk on the fire and boil, and stir in the arrow-root, egg and sugar well beaten together ; scald and pour into cups to cool ; any flavoring the invalid prefers may be added.

Alum Whey. — Mix half ounce of powdered alum with one pint sweet milk, strain and add sugar and nutmeg : it is good in hemor- hages, and sometimes for colic.

Beef Tea. — Cut pound best lean steak, in small pieces, place in glass fruit jar, (a perfect one) cover tightly and set in a pot of cold water; heat gradually to a boil, and continue this steadily three or four hours until the meat is like white rags and the juice thoroughly ex- tracted ; season with very little salt, and strain through a wire strainer; Serve either warm or cold. To prevent jar toppling over, tie a string around the top part, and hang over a stick laid across the top of pot. When done set kettle off stove and let cool before removing the jar and in this way prevent breakage. Or when beef tea is wanted for immediate use, place in a common pint bowl (yellow ware) add very little water, cover with a saucer, and place in a moderate oven ; if danger of burning add a little more water.

Barley Water. — Add two ounces pearl barley to half pintboihng water ; let simmer five minutes, drain and add two quarts boiling water ; add two ounces sliced figs and two ounces stoned raisins ; boil until reduced to a quart ; strain for drink.

Chicken Broth for Sick. — Take the first and second joint of a chicken, boil in one quart of waler till very tender and season with a very little salt and pepper. — Miss M. £. jfohnson.

Egg Gruel. — Beat the yolk of an egg with tablespoon of sugar, beating the white separately ; add a teacup of boiling water to the yolk, then stir in the white and add any seasoning ; good for a cold.

Fever Drink. — Pour cold water on wheat bran, let boil half an hour, strain and add sugar and lemon juice. Or pour boiling water on flax seed, let stand till it is ropy, pourinto hot lemonade and drink.

Graham Gems For Invalids. — Mix graham flour with half milk and half water, add a little salt, beat, making the batter thin enough

hiiJts for the sick room. 325

to pour ; have the gem pan very hot, grease it, fill as quickly as possi- ble and return immediately to a hot oven ; bake about thirty minutes. Practice will teach just the proper consistency of ihe batter, and the best temperature of the oven. It will not be good unless well beaten.

Jellice. — One-half teaspoon currant or cranberry jelly put into a goblet, beat well with two tablespoons water, fill up with ice water and you have a refreshing drink for a fever patient.

Mulled Butter Milk. — Put in good butter milk and when it boils, add the well beaten yolk of an egg. Let boil up and serve. Or stir into boiling butter milk thickening made of cold butter milk and flour. This is excellent for convalescing patients.

Milk Porridge. — Place on stove in skillet one pint new sweet milk and a very little pinch of salt, when it boils, have ready sifted flour, and sprinkle with one hand into the boiling milk, stirring all the while with a spoon. Keep adding flour until it is about the consistency of thick molasses ; eat warm with a little butter and sugar. This is ex- cellent for children suffering with summer complaint. Or, mix the flour wiih a little cold milk, until a smooth paste, and then stir into the boiled milk. Or, break an egg into the, dry flour and rub it with the hands until it is all in fine crumbs (size of a grain of wheat) , then stir this mixture into the boiling milk.

Oat Meal for the Sick — Mix a tablespoon of meal with a little cold water till perfectly smooth, pour gradually into a pint of boiling water, and boil slowly for twenty or thirty minutes, stirring almost constantly ; do not let it scorch ; season with a little salt, sugar, spice of any kind if desired, and brandy or wine if the nature of the case will permit.

Panada. — Take two richest crackers, pour on boiling water, let stand a few minutes, beat up an egg, sweeten to taste, and stir all to- gether ; grate in nutmeg and add brandy or wine to suit the invalid. Or, boil a mixture of one-fourth wine and three-fourths water, agid flavor with lemon, then break in toasted bread.

Raspberry Vinegar — Pour over two quarts of raspberries in a stone jar, one quart of the very best vinegar; let stand twenty-four hours, strain, and pour liquor over fresh fruit, and let stand in the same way; allow one pound sugar to a pint of juice ; put into a slone jar and set in pot of boiling w?ter one hour ; skim well, put into bottles, cork and seal tight. Diluted with water this is very nice for the sick. Toast bread may be eaten with it.

Raspberry Relish — ^To each pint of berry juice add one pound of sugar. Let it stand over night ; next morning boil ten minutes, and bottle for use. — Mrs. W. G. Hillock, New Castle, Ind.

Currant Shrub. —Make the same as jelly, but boil only ten min- utes; when cool, bottle and cork tight, (see directions for canned fruits). Raspberiy, strawberry and blackberry shrubs are made in the same way; when used, put in two-thirds ice water.

326 THE BUCKEYE COOK BOOK.

Sassafras Drink — Take the pith of sassafras boughs, break in small pieces and let soak in cold water till the water becomes glu- tinous. ' This is good nourishment and much relished. i Toast Tea — Toast bread very brown, pour on boiling water, strain and add cream and sugar, and nutmeg if desired.

Tamarind Whey — Mix an ounce of tamarind pulp with a pint of milk, strain and sweeten. Or, simply stir a tablespoon of tama- rinds into a tumbler of cold water.

Vegetable Soup — Two tomatoes, two potatoes, two onions, and one tablespoon rice ; boil the whole in one quart of water for one hour, season with salt, dip dry toast in this till quite soft, and eat ; this may be used when animal food is not allowed.

Wine Whey — One pint of boiling milk, two wine glasses of wine, boil a moment stirring well, take out the curd, sweeten and flavor the whey.

Wheat Gruel — Take a double handful of flour, tie up tightly in a cloth and put in a kettle of boiling water, boil from three to six hours, take out, remove cloth and you will have a hard round ball. Keep in a dry cool place, and when wanted for use, prepare by placing some sweet milk (new always preferable) to boil, and grating into the milk from the ball enough to make it as thick as you desire, stirring it just before removing from the stove with' a stick of cinnamon, this gives it a pleasant flavor ; put a little salt into' the milk. Very good for children having summer complaint.

Excelsior Blackberry Wine — To one quart of pure juice add two quarts of clear, cold water, and one and one-half pounds of coffee sugar (C or B grade.) The best berries make the best wine, the Lawton being preferred. Mash thoroughly, ad- ding a smallq uantity of water to extract all the juice from the berries, first measuring and making a correct account of the water m order to ascertain the exact amount of juice obtained. It is safe to use one pint of water to one quart of berries for this purpose. When the fruit is all mashed and pressed, strain the juice, deduct the amount of water used in washing the pumice, and the remainder will be the the exact quantity of juice. Knowing this you can add water in the proportion given above, including the water already in the iuice. Meas- ure the whole quantity of watered juice which is to be wine, add sugar as above, put it in an open vessel, (a stone jar is best for small quanti- ties) cover with a thin cloth and skim once a day till the scum is all off and fermentation has ceased, for which stage watch closely. Bottle and lay away in a dark cool place ; if put into kegs — brandy or gin and whisky kegs are best. The next spring rack off and add two ounces sugar to the gallon. Wine thus made has received commendation from the highest quarters including that of heavy dealers in New York City. — E. R. Southwick.

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