“Remember never to be a gossip or tattler, and always to hold sacred the knowledge which, to a certain extent, you must obtain of the private affairs of your patient and the household in which you nurse.

“Never contradict your patient, nor argue with him, nor let him see that you are annoyed about anything.

“Never whisper in the sick room.  If your patient be well enough, and wishes you to talk to him, speak in a low, distinct voice, on cheerful subjects.  Don’t relate painful hospital experiences, nor give details of the maladies of former patients, and remember never to startle him with accounts of dreadful crimes or accidents that you have read in the newspapers.

“Write down the orders that the physician gives you as to time for giving the medicines, food, etc.

“Keep the room bright (unless the doctor orders it darkened).

“Let the air of the room be as pure as possible, and keep everything in order, but without being fussy and bustling.

“The only way to remove dust in a sick room is to wipe everything with a damp cloth.

“Remember to carry out all vessels covered.  Empty and wash them immediately, and keep some disinfectant in them.

“Remember that to leave the patient’s untasted food by his side, from meal to meal, in hopes that he will eat it in the interval, is simply to prevent him from taking any food at all.

“Medicines, beef tea or stimulants, should never be kept where the patient can see them or smell them.

“Light-colored clothing should be worn by those who have the care of the sick, in preference to dark-colored apparel; particularly if the disease is of a contagious nature.  Experiments have shown that black and other dark colors will absorb more readily the subtle effluvia that emanates from sick persons than white or light colors.”

* * * * *

LONGEVITY.

The following table exhibits very recent mortality statistics, showing the average duration of life among persons of various classes: 

  Employment.  Years.

  Judges 65
  Farmers 64
  Bank Officers 64
  Coopers 58
  Public Officers 57
  Clergymen 56
  Shipwrights 55
  Hatters 54
  Lawyers 54
  Rope Makers 54
  Blacksmiths 51
  Merchants 51
  Calico Printers 51
  Physicians 51
  Butchers 50
  Carpenters 49
  Masons 48
  Traders 46
  Tailors 44
  Jewelers 44
  Manufacturers 43
  Bakers 43
  Painters 43
  Shoemakers 43
  Mechanics 43
  Editors 40
  Musicians 39
  Printers 38
  Machinists 36
  Teachers 34
  Clerks 34
  Operatives 32

“It will be easily seen, by these figures, how a quiet or tranquil life affects longevity.  The phlegmatic man will live longer, all other things being equal, than the sanguine, nervous individual.  Marriage is favorable to longevity, and it has also been ascertained that women live longer than men.”