What food? (pages 74-79)

* Chemistry has yet afforded little insight into the diet of the sick. * Chemistry can only tell the amount of “Carboniferous” or “Nitrogenous” elements discoverable in different dietetic articles. * Chemistry has given a list of dietetic substances, arranged in the order of their richness * The stomachs of patients are guided by other principles of selection than merely the amount of carbon or nitrogen in their diet. * The patient’s stomach is the sole judge. * Careful observation at the bedside is the best guidance * “ She that teaches us that living chemistry, the chemistry of reparation, is something different from the chemistry of the laboratory. * Chemistry cannot tell a patient’s diet * The patient’s stomach must be its own chemist. * Doctors use the assistants of the patient and those who are constantly observing the patient to watch the patients diet..
* A patient’s diet cannot be decided through books; this must be carefully observed.
“ I should therefore say that incomparably the most important office of the nurse, after she has taken care of the patient’s air, is to take care to observe the effect of his/her food, and report it to the medical attendant.”

The English in their tea/ coffee
*An English patient desire tea before anything.
“ he can take it when he can take nothing else, and he often can’t take anything else if he has it not.”

* Let experience,