a sick child should
be in bed. There is no exception to this rule. It is impossible to do
justice to a child if you allow him to dissipate his strength and
exhaust himself moving from place to place while he is sick. A mother
should not forget that it is she who must exercise wisdom and decide
what is best for her child. The judgment of a sick person is not to be
relied upon, and it would be wrong to submit to the whims and fancies of
an ailing child, if these are known to be medically disadvantageous to
its best interests.

Quiet surroundings are essential in all acute illnesses. The nurse
should be congenial to the child. If the patient demands the presence of
the mother she should remain, but she should not try to entertain him or
interfere with the nurse.

The clothing of the patient should be the ordinary night-dress which is
worn in health. In no disease is any special kind, or quantity of
clothing required.

The temperature of the room should be 68 deg. F. Thermometers are cheap and
an exact knowledge of the degree of heat in a sickroom is an essential
requisite. Nothing drains the vitality during sickness quicker than
varying degrees of heat and cold. It uses up nerve force and energy and
renders the patient irritable and difficult to manage.

The strictest attention should be paid to the ventilation of the
sickroom. We are learning more and more that fresh air is essential to
the speedy cure of all diseases and to the general well-being of the
patient. A direct, continuous communication between the sickroom and
out-of-doors is imperative. It is a splendid measure to use two rooms
for the patient and to change him twice daily, and to air thoroughly the
unused room.

The sickroom itself should be large and in a quiet part of the house. In
summer time the windows may be wide open, in winter months the degree of
ventilation can be regulated by the thermometer.

Many mothers fail to appreciate that drinking water is an important
requisite in all ailments of childhood, should be given freely, but it
should be known to be absolutely pure. The same rule applies to sponging
the patient. It must be done every day; sometimes it is necessary to do
it more often, but if so it will be so directed by the attending
physician.

THE DIET OF THE SICK CHILD.--Prescribing the diet of the sick child is
an important undertaking. It should be remembered that during sickness
the digestive capacity is reduced; consequently the