essential--plenty of fresh air and sunshine. While there is fever he
should be at rest in bed. For the greater part of each day, unless the
weather is blustering and raining, the windows should be open. On the
bright days he can sit out-doors on a balcony or porch, in a reclining
chair. He must be in the open air all that is possible to be. A great many
patients spend most of the time out in the open air now. In the country
places this can be easily carried out. In the summer he should be out of
doors from eleven to twelve hours; in the winter six to eight at least. At
night the room should be cool and thoroughly ventilated. "In the early
stages of the disease with much fever, it may require several months of
this rest treatment to the open air before the temperature falls to
normal." The sputum is dangerous when it becomes dry. As long as sputum is
moist the germs are held in the sputum; but when it is dry they are
released and roam at will in the atmosphere and are inhaled. They are then
ready to lodge themselves in suitable soil. Always keep the sputum
(expectoration) moist, and then there is no danger.

Diet. Treatment.--The outlook in this disease depends upon the digestion.
Nausea and loss of appetite are serious obstacles. Many patients loathe
foods of all kinds. A change of air or a sea voyage may promptly restore
the appetite. When this is not possible, rest the patient, keep in the
open air nearly all day and feed regularly with small quantities either of
buttermilk, milk, or kumiss, alternating if necessary with meat juice and
egg albumin. Some cases which are disturbed by eggs and milk do well on
kumiss. Raw eggs are very suitable for feeding, and may be taken between
meals, beginning with one three times a day, and can be increased to two
and three at a time. It is hard to give a regular diet. The patient should
be under the care of a physician who will regulate the kind of diet,
amount and change. When the digestion is good there is less trouble in
feeding. Then the patient can eat meat, poultry, game, oysters, fish,
animal broths, eggs. Nothing should be fried. Avoid pork, veal, hot bread,
cakes, pies, sweet meats, rich gravies, crabs, lobsters.

[INFECTIOUS DISEASES 215]

Diet in Tuberculosis furnished us by a Hospital.--

May Take.--Soups.--Turtle or oyster soup, mutton, clam, or chicken broth,
puree of barley, rice, peas, beans, cream of celery or tomatoes, whole
beef tea; peptonized milk, gruel.