ables must be kept in a cool place to preserve their
freshness.

~Method of Washing Dishes.~--Cleanliness must be observed in the care
of all food materials and the utensils in which they are to be
prepared. If the nurse will observe the scientific rules governing the
solubility of the foodstuffs, she will be able to save herself much
time and trouble. For example, it is a known scientific fact that
starch is insoluble in cold water and more or less soluble in boiling
water, hence it would be a useless waste of time to try to wash a
utensil in which a starchy food has been cooked in cold water. Fats
solidify under the influence of cold and melt under the influence of
heat, so that hot water should be used in conjunction with soap or an
alkali to remove grease from dishes and silver and utensils. Albumens
are soluble in cold water and are coagulated in hot, therefore to
remove milk, egg white, and like protein substances from glasses,
spoons, etc., it is advisable to soak first in cold water to wash out
the food material, and then to wash thoroughly in hot soapsuds to
cleanse and polish. The dishcloths used in the washing and drying of
dishes and kitchen utensils should be washed after using in hot
soapsuds, rinsed in clear water, then dried in the sun. When this is
impossible, they should at least be hung in the fresh air to make
them sweet and clean before the next using. In contagious diseases the
care of the utensils and dishes used by the patient is of the utmost
importance. They should be thoroughly sterilized before being placed
with those used by the rest of the family, otherwise the disease may
be communicated to the unaffected members. A word about the handling
of glasses and spoons used in administering medicine in the sickroom:
It is advisable when possible to keep these separate from those used
on the tray, as many medicines have a very lasting and disagreeable
taste, which is more than apt to cling to the spoons or glasses in
which they are measured and in turn be communicated to the food,
making it distinctly unpalatable. This has been found to be the case
with asafetida, valerian, ichthyol, etc.

METRIC MEASURE

The metric system is a system of weights and measures expressed in the
decimal scale. The principal units with which we are concerned are:

The liter--L. Cubic centimeter--c.c.
The gram--gm. Centigram--cgm.
Milligram--mgm.

These units hav