BABY'S SICK ROOM
Visitors should never be allowed in the sick room during the height of
a disease, and during convalescence not more than one visitor should
be allowed at one time, and the visit then should be only two or three
minutes in length. The order and the quietness and the system of the
sick room should be perfect. Visitors and loitering members of the
family do no good and they may do much harm to the recuperating
nervous system of the child.
LOCATION OF THE SICK ROOM
In these days of high rents, we realize that the greater per cent of
our readers are living in apartments and homes just big enough
conveniently to care for the family during health, and while it would
be pleasant and convenient to have a spare room or an attic chamber
that could be used in case of illness, it is the exception rather than
the rule that the families to whom sickness comes have these extra
apartments. When a contagious or an infectious disease comes to the
family, it is of great importance that the sick child be isolated,
preferably on another floor, from that used by the immediate family.
Those living in homes, more than likely can fix up a room on the attic
floor for the isolation, and those living in apartments may put the
sick child in one end of the apartment, while they inhabit the other
end. One family under my observation not long ago had a child stricken
with the measles. In the same apartment there lived a puny baby not
quite two years old. Coming as it did in February, the mother of the
child was apprehensive, fearing that measles would leave a severe
bronchitis which might mean the death of the already too-delicate
baby. She was instructed to move the baby's bed to the sun parlor in
the front of the flat, while the boy with the measles was put in the
parents' room in the rear end of the flat. A sheet was suspended in
the middle of the hall leading from the living-room to the bedrooms.
Door knobs were disinfected daily, a caretaker was put in charge of
the measles patient, the mother very frequently was compelled to go
back and administer a treatment, but each time she donned a large
apron and completely covered her hair with a towel, she administered
the treatment, took off her wrappings, thoroughly washed her face and
hands--disinfected them--and returned to her baby in the front part of
the house.
At night this mother slept on the floor on springs and mattress in the
living-room, and to that home the measles came and departed, and the
baby did not get them at all, so perfect was the isolation, so
vigilant the disinfection, and so scrupulous the care to prevent
contamination. So you see from this one instance that it is altogether
possible to make isolation complete even on the same floor. But, mind
you, the dishes that the lad ate from were all kept in his room. Food
was brought to the sheet and there the caretaker held her dishes while
the cook poured or lifted the food from her clean dishes to the dishes
the caretaker brought from the sick room.
Whether the sick room is in the attic or whether it be the rear end of
an apartment, if the principles of contagion and disinfection are
understood I believe it is perfectly possible to isolate even scarlet
fever without danger to the other members of the family.
NECESSARY FURNISHINGS
For slight indispositions and trifling disorders, it is not necessary
to strip the room of its adornment, but it is well to clear off the
dresser tops, protect them well with many thicknesses of newspapers
covered over by a folded sheet so that alcohol, witch-hazel and other
necessaries will not injure the mahogany or oak-top dresser. Whenever
the children are sick, rob the room of anything that is going to be in
your way. In instances of infectious or contagious diseases, take down
all silk or wool hangings, replace them by washable curtains or
inexpensive ones that can be burned if necessary, and remove valuable
paintings and other bric-a-brac that later fumigation will harm or
that may gather the dust during the days of illness.
Just as it is necessary for the man who mines the coal to wear
suitable garments, and for the woman who does the scrubbing to dress
accordingly, and for the nurse who cares for the case to wear washable
clothes--so it is necessary to dress the sick room in garments that
are suitable, convenient, and capable of being thoroughly disinfected,
fumigated, or even burned if the occasion demands. Hence, expensive
rugs should be replaced by rag carpets or no rug at all, while
unnecessary articles and garments should be removed from closets, etc.
Remembering that the little fellow is to remain in this room for
possibly two weeks or maybe six weeks, let us put up some
bright-colored pictures that he will enjoy, bring in some books and
magazines by which he may be entertained, secure a few simple toys
that will not tax the brain, but serve as a help to pass away the long
hours. There are many paper games that may be had, such as transfer
pictures, picture puzzles, kindergarten papers, drawing pictures, as
well as toys that may be put together to fashion new articles. A whole
lot of fun can be gotten out of a bunch of burrs that can be stuck
together to make men, animals, houses, etc. Scissors and pictures are
entertaining as well as paper dolls with their wardrobes. Rubber
balloons, or a target gun for the boy of six will be a great source of
delight to him; as will a doll with a trunk full of clothes for the
little girl during her convalescent days. A tactful nurse and a
resourceful mother will think of all the rest that we have not
mentioned--which will amuse, entertain and keep happy our convalescent
children, help them to forget that they are "shut ins."
THE NURSERY REFRIGERATOR
It is wise in instances of the more severe childhood troubles, such as
infectious and contagious diseases, to keep as many things in the sick
room as possible, and so we remind our reader of the home-made ice
box, described elsewhere in this book, in which may be kept the fruit
juices and the fruits, as well as the milk and the buttermilk. Many
medicines, particularly the oily medicines, should be kept in this
home-made ice box and five cents worth of ice a day will not only make
things taste better, especially during the warm months, but will
protect the other members of the family, for the family ice box is a
big central station which must be protected against infections and
carriers of disease.
In connection with the ice box, we are reminded that it would be a
great convenience to have a simple contrivance for heating bouillon,
milk, or making a piece of toast, which can be readily done with an
electric heater, an alcohol stove, or a small apparatus fitting over
the gas jet.
SICK ROOM DISINFECTANTS
The most important thing which we are going to mention in this
division of the chapter is the disinfection of the door knobs.
According to the directions on the poison bottle, place an antiseptic
tablet into a small amount of water which will make a solution of 1 to
1000 of bichlorid of mercury, and several times a day disinfect the
door knobs, particularly in the sick end of the house--thoroughly
washing and adequately rubbing with a towel moistened in this
solution.
All stools and urine from the sick one will receive attention as
directed by the physician. The stools from a typhoid patient should
stand for one-half hour in a chamber covered with a layer of lime.
It is not at all necessary to have vessels containing disinfectant
substances standing about the room and in the closet. In a room
adjoining should be kept all of the dishes used by the sick patient,
his tray, half a dozen napkins, knife, fork, spoon, serving dishes,
drinking glass, pitcher, etc. All bedding and all linen used by the
sick member should be allowed to stand in a solution of disinfectant
for several hours when they may be wrung out of the solution, dropped
into a bucket and carried to the laundry without any danger to other
members of the family.
The nurse is not allowed to leave this room in the garments that are
worn while caring for the sick. She should have her meals in an
adjoining room which is also under strict isolation.
THE MEDICINE CHEST
The sick room medicine chest should be so placed on the wall that it
is outside the reach of the smaller members of the family, for in it
should be placed poisons for external use that are capable of
producing death if taken internally. Bottles that hold these
poisons--such as bichlorid of mercury, lysol, carbolic acid, laudanum,
paregoric, belladonna, etc.--should be so different from the other
bottles in the medicine chest that if one should reach for them with
his eyes shut or in the dark he would at once recognize that he had
hold of a poison bottle. This is absolutely necessary. It usually
means a bit of extra expense, but when we realize what tragedies may
be avoided by such slight expense, it must not be considered.
Bottles may be procured that have been molded with points of glass
projecting from the outside which make them rough to the touch, or
they may be covered with a wire mesh or with a wicker covering which
may easily be told from the other bottles in the case.
One woman lost her life because the nurse placed two ounces of
carbolic acid in the enema instead of two ounces of saline solution.
Saline solution is nothing but salt and water, while carbolic acid
cost the woman her life, simply because the carbolic acid was not
placed in a specialized poison bottle and the attendant could not read
the label in the dark.
Under no circumstances keep from one year to another the remnants of
unused medicine of a former sickness, for medicines do not keep well
and often lose their strength if kept longer than the physician
intended.
In this medicine chest should be found the following articles:
A glass graduate marked with fluid drachms (1 teaspoon),
and fluid ounces (8 teaspoons).
A medicine dropper.
Absorbent cotton.
Boric acid.
Camphorated oil.
Castor oil.
Aromatic spirits of ammonia.
Alcohol.
Olive oil.
Epsom salts.
Soda-mint tablets.
Vaseline.
Zinc ointment, together with other medicines the physician
orders.
Ice bag, hot-water bottle and oiled silk.
Besides these articles, in the nursery--in readiness for emergencies
and accidents--should be found the following:
Gauze bandages of various sizes.
Sterile gauze.
Boric acid crystals and powder.
Mustard.
A pocket case of instruments containing scissors, knife, dressing
forceps, etc.
Syrup of ipecac.
Glycerin.
Tincture of iodine.
Package of ordinary baking soda.
Peroxid of hydrogen.
Absorbent cotton.
Needle and thread.
Lime water.
PATENT MEDICINES
Aside from the giving of castor oil and the application of vaseline to
the nose, or of applying boracic acid to the eyes, no medicine should
be administered to the baby without competent medical advice. There
are numerous widely advertised nostrums frequently sold as soothing
syrups to be used during the teething or during attacks of diarrhea,
or cough spasms, croup, or worms, that contain dangerous drugs and
should not be given to children. Many well-meaning but ignorant
mothers are slowly but surely laying the foundations for serious
nervous disorders and are often making veritable dope fiends out of
their children. Patent medicines are dangerous things in the hands of
the people; if we are going to give medicines to our little babies let
us at least know what we are giving. Let some conscientious,
scientific physician examine the baby and prescribe for its needs.
If urged to use a patent medicine, examine the label carefully, for
the Federal Food and Drug Act requires the manufacturer of patent
medicines to print plainly on the label of the bottle the name and
amount of certain dangerous drugs which it may contain.
The drugs mentioned in this drug act and which are often used in
patent medicine nostrums are, chloral hydrate, cocaine, heroin,
chloroform, alpha or beta eucaine, opium, morphin, alcohol, cannabis
indica, or any derivative or preparation of any such substance
contained therein.
There are many other drugs sold on the market containing syrups or
flavoring materials which may do harm--which may upset the baby's
digestion.
Mothers avoid patent medicines. Consult your physician. Never give a
baby any sort of medicine to induce sleep. Unless babies are sick or
spoiled or hungry, they will go to sleep of themselves, and even in
the days of a high fever a wet-sheet pack seldom ever fails to put the
baby to sleep and can do no harm if properly given.
This may be as good a place as any to mention the dosage of castor oil
which is as follows:
Up to three months, 1/2 teaspoon.
From three to six months, 1 teaspoon.
From six to nine months, 1½ teaspoons.
From nine to twelve months, 1 dessert spoon (2 teaspoons).
From twelve months on, 1 to 2 tablespoons.
AFTER THE SICKNESS IS OVER
The physician will direct when the disinfectant bath is to be given to
the patient previous to his liberation from isolation. The different
diseases demand different treatment, but, on the whole, it is about as
follows:
The day before the boy is to be allowed to go out among the family
once more he receives a soap wash, clean sheet and bedding on the bed,
and puts on clean garments. The following morning, his head thoroughly
shampooed, his nails manicured, a second soap wash is given followed
by a weak bichlorid bath (1 to 10,000 solution) which is followed by
an alcohol rub. He is then allowed to go out of the sick room which is
now to be thoroughly disinfected and fumigated.
After the illness is over, the sick room and the adjoining closets and
ante rooms must be thoroughly disinfected or fumigated. If you are
located in a city, the health authorities will do this after an
infectious or contagious disease. Away from such conveniences, use the
following method:
Place two ounces of crystals of permanganate of potash in a pan and
have a pint bottle of formalin near by. Everything in the room is now
exposed, dresser drawers are opened, all bedding, all garments--in
fact everything that is in the room--is put in such a position as to
be readily exposed to the fumes which are to follow. A line should be
stretched across the room over which are thrown the bedding, garments,
etc. The cracks of the windows and doors, except the one door of exit,
are now sealed up with paper which has been dipped in green soap, and
having the paper strips and pan of green soap ready just outside the
exit door, the formalin is now poured over the permanganate crystals.
Fumes will immediately arise and permeate every corner, crack and
crevice of the sick room. Now quickly make your exit, close the door
and seal up key hole and cracks and space under the door with paper
dipped in green soap. Leave the room for six hours. After this with a
well-moistened cloth to the nose, rush in and throw the windows open,
hurry out and allow the room to air from twelve to twenty-four hours,
after which wash woodwork and painted walls or take paper off and
repaper walls; recalcimine ceilings and closets; scrub closet shelves
and dresser drawers, bedsteads, and other furniture thoroughly. If the
mattress is old throw it away, but if not, sun it for several days
following the fumigation.