transferred from the patient to the doctor or nurse. Hence it is most
important that a person acting as nurse should be trained in food values
and proper methods of cooking. She should also be capable of exercising
daintiness and artistic skill in serving, so that the appearance of the
food may tempt the patient to eat it.

[Illustration: Invalid's tray]

It should not be necessary to review the comparative values of the
well-known foods or the best methods of applying heat to make and keep
these foods digestible; it may be taken for granted that the class
remembers these facts. The time may be more profitably used in naming
and discussing special dishes which are included in invalid cookery.
Recipes may be given for any of these which the pupils desire or the
teacher chooses, and one or two of the dishes which require very little
time to make, may be prepared.

For the sake of convenience, diets for the sick may be classified as
_Milk_, _Liquid_, _Light_, and _Full_. These terms are an easy way of
indicating a certain range of foods.

Milk Diet.--Milk, butter-milk, koumyss, kephyr.

NOTE.--Lime-water may be given with sweet milk,
one part to three of milk.

Liquid Diet.--Milk diet, beef juice or beef-tea, broths, gruels, and
sometimes jelly.

Light Diet.--Soup, white meat of fowl, white fish, oysters, soft-cooked
eggs, custard, milk puddings, fruit, gelatine jellies.

Full Diet.--Any food that is not particularly hard to digest.

NOTE.--Plenty of water should be given in all
diets.

POULTICES

A poultice is used to reduce inflammation and should be as large as the
affected part.

The kinds in ordinary use are:

1. Mustard poultice, used as a counter irritant.

2. Linseed, bread, or potato poultice, used to soothe.

Directions for a mustard poultice:

1. For a very strong poultice, mix pure mustard to a paste with warm
water; spread on a piece of cheesecloth or muslin, leaving a margin of
an inch; fold over the margin, and cover with thicker cotton or paper.

2. For milder poultices use flour to reduce the mustard as follows:

(1) 1 part flour to 1 part mustard

(2) 2 parts flour to 1 part mustard

(3) 3 parts flour to 1 part mustard.

Directions for linseed, bread, or potato poultices:

Use boiling water to mix the above to the
consistency of thick porridge, and spread as in
the mustard poultice, excepting th