Mental nursing / by William Harding.

  • Harding, W. (William Harry), 1941-
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mental nursing / by William Harding. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    matter should be reported. They are very liable to bedsores, and, in some cases, the utmost care will not prevent their appearance. Even in a night, blisters will appear between the fingers, or where one leg has been lying against the other. As a rule, except in the depressed cases, the general paralytic does not refuse his food. The danger is rather that he may choke, owing to his greedy endeavours to gulp it down too hastily. No paralytic should be allowed to eat alone. The most dangerous period is when they are nearly reaching the soft food stage, but have not yet been put on crushed meat, etc.; they eat greedily ; cram their mouths full without swallowing, and will often steal anything from their neighbours' plates that they can lay their hands on. This habit a careful nurse will bear in mind. In the later stages they must be spoon fed, and in the last of all only liquids can be taken. General paralytics are liable to be attacked by convulsive seizures, which much resemble epileptic fits. The patient's state, mental and physical, is generally worse after such a seizure. The average duration of life, after the disease shows itself, is from two to three years. A few last much longer, but the affection is at present incurable.