This may be done without injury
to the patient, if those directions are followed : put a small,
light, perfectly clean shawl around the patient's head, and
pin it under his chin ; one end thrown lightly over his face
will furnish further protection, if needed; put an extra
blanket on the bed; double a sheet lengthwise, and put it
on the side of the bed toward the window, fastening it to
the head and the foot of the bed, and having it come high
enough to shield the bed completely ; open all the windows,
and leave them open for half an hour at least.
Care of the Bed. — The care of the bed is extremely impor-
tant, not only for the comfort of the patient, but for his
safety. The sheets should be changed at least once a day.
Unless a patient is suffering from some contagious disease,
the sheets which are removed can usually be cleansed suffi-
ciently by sunlight and fresh air to permit of their being
used again. In the morning, remove both sheets, or, at least,
the under one, which receives more of the bodily excreta
than the upper one. Hang this sheet in the open air, in the
sun, if possible. Take it in at night, and have it thoroughly
dry and warm for use the next morning. Much of the labor
of washing may, in this way, be saved, without endangering
THE BEDROOM 279
the comfort or safety of the patient. \Vhether one or both
sheets are to be changed, and whether the change shall be
made only in the morning, or both in the morning and at
night, as well as the frequency of washing, will depend
upon the severity of the sickness. A sheet folded twice
and stretched across the bed under the patient's body is a
great protection to the under sheet, and is easier to change.
It is necessary, however, to pin it down very carefully with
safety pins, or it will prove an uncomfortable addition.
Changing the Sheets. — In order to change the sheets with-
out disturbing the patient unnecessarily, remove the sheet
from half of the bed, and replace it with a clean one. Push
the soiled sheet up toward the patient, and also the clean
sheet. The patient can then move, or be moved, on to the
clean sheet, and the other side of the bed covered with it.
Fasten the sheet securely to the mattress with large safety
pins ; this prevents the possibility of wrinkling. The lower
sheet should be particularly well tucked in at the top. If
the sheet is short, sacrifice the foot rather than the head.
In putting on the upper sheet, this must be reversed. Tuck
in well at the foot, and, if necessary, protect the counter-
pane with a large handkerchief.
Changing the Nightclothes. — In putting a night garment
on a helpless patient, gather the back of it into loose folds
from top to bottom. Holding these in the right hand, with
the left raise the patient's head, and slip the garment over
it, the folded part coming under his neck. Put the arms of
the patient into the sleeves, and gently draw down the
garment. In removing, reverse the process. Pull the gar-
ment up into folds under the neck. Remove the arms from
the sleeves ; raise the head with one hand, and take off the
garment with the other.
Bathing the Patient. — For the bath, there should be, at
the bedside, a blanket, a basin of water from 90° to 100° F.,
280 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
Page 135
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
This may be done without injury to the patient, if those directions are followed : put a small, light, perfectly clean shawl around the patient's head, and pin it under his chin ; one end thrown lightly over his face will furnish further protection, if needed; put an extra blanket on the bed; double a sheet lengthwise, and put it on the side of the bed toward the window, fastening it to the head and the foot of the bed, and having it come high enough to shield the bed completely ; open all the windows, and leave them open for half an hour at least.
Care of the Bed. — The care of the bed is extremely important, not only for the comfort of the patient, but for his safety. The sheets should be changed at least once a day. Unless a patient is suffering from some contagious disease, the sheets which are removed can usually be cleansed sufficiently by sunlight and fresh air to permit of their being used again. In the morning, remove both sheets, or, at least, the under one, which receives more of the bodily excreta than the upper one. Hang this sheet in the open air, in the sun, if possible. Take it in at night, and have it thoroughly dry and warm for use the next morning. Much of the labor of washing may, in this way, be saved, without endangering
the comfort or safety of the patient. Whether one or both sheets are to be changed, and whether the change shall be made only in the morning, or both in the morning and at night, as well as the frequency of washing, will depend upon the severity of the sickness. A sheet folded twice and stretched across the bed under the patient's body is a great protection to the under sheet, and is easier to change. It is necessary, however, to pin it down very carefully with safety pins, or it will prove an uncomfortable addition.
Changing the Sheets. — In order to change the sheets without disturbing the patient unnecessarily, remove the sheet from half of the bed, and replace it with a clean one. Push the soiled sheet up toward the patient, and also the clean sheet. The patient can then move, or be moved, on to the clean sheet, and the other side of the bed covered with it. Fasten the sheet securely to the mattress with large safety pins ; this prevents the possibility of wrinkling. The lower sheet should be particularly well tucked in at the top. If the sheet is short, sacrifice the foot rather than the head. In putting on the upper sheet, this must be reversed. Tuck in well at the foot, and, if necessary, protect the counterpane with a large handkerchief.
Changing the Nightclothes. — In putting a night garment on a helpless patient, gather the back of it into loose folds from top to bottom. Holding these in the right hand, with the left raise the patient's head, and slip the garment over it, the folded part coming under his neck. Put the arms of the patient into the sleeves, and gently draw down the garment. In removing, reverse the process. Pull the garment up into folds under the neck. Remove the arms from the sleeves ; raise the head with one hand, and take off the garment with the other.
Bathing the Patient. — For the bath, there should be, at the bedside, a blanket, a basin of water from 90° to 100° F.,