The Appetite

As the appetite of the sick often requires tempting, the greatest pains should be taken in the preparation of the invalid's food. The lack of desire for food may be due merely to defective cooking, to the serving of meals at inopportune moments, or to the fact that the food selected is not to the patient's liking in kind, flavor, or appearance. A desire for food may exist, but not for the particular food offered, and it is the province of the nurse to differentiate.

Punctuality in serving meals should be carefully observed, for an appetite ready at the accustomed hour may fail if the meal is delayed. There is much unconscious habit in regard to eating. Time for cooking food should be carefully considered with regard to the time for serving. Many foods properly cooked are spoiled by standing, which if served promptly would be delicious. The rule of serving food at stated intervals should be observed for the conscious as well as the unconscious or semi-unconscious patient.

Quality And Quantity Of Food

All foods supplied should be as pure and fresh as possible. Hence for the sick it is desirable to select the best quality obtainable.

The amount should be regulated by the physician. "When this is not done, care must be taken, on the one hand to see that sufficient is eaten, which often necessitates tempting the appetite; and on the other to avoid overindulgence if the patient is voracious or has a fancy for certain articles of which large amounts are likely to be harmful.

A well man, lying quietly in bed, requires from 1600 to 2000 calories per day, and if the body is being wasted by disease, he may need a great deal more. During convalescence, if the body has lost weight, food must be given for rebuilding, in addition to the ordinary daily need.

Temperature Of Food

The temperature of the food served is exceedingly important, as it has a marked influence upon digestion. As a rule, foods to be served "hot" should neither be served lukewarm nor too hot. Serve in hot dishes and cover in transit. Cold food should be served neither lukewarm nor ice cold. Under many conditions food at extreme temperatures interferes with digestion and absorption.

Details In Feeding

The patient should be saved from thinking as well as from physical exertion, and it is unwise to ask him what he would like to eat, for it is often the unexpected that pleases. Personal idiosyncrasies should be considered; for some foods easy of digestion, if repugnant to the patient, may prove nauseating and be rejected or disturb digestion.

Only a small quantity of food should be given at one time so that the digestive organs may not be overtaxed. It is much better to do this often than to give too much at one time. A tablespoonful of nourishment every half hour may be retained and digested, and do the patient good, when if a larger amount were given the stomach would reject it.

The majority of weak patients are unable to take food of any solid kind before eleven o'clock in the morning, yet before that time comes they are apt to become exhausted. This would not be likely to occur if a spoonful of some liquid nourishment or stimulant ordered by the physician were given every hour or two, from the early morning up to the time for taking the solid food, which the patient would then probably be able to do by noon.

All noise in the preparation of food and smell of cooking should be kept from the sick room. The nurse should never eat her meal or taste the patient's food in his presence, and should always have a cheerful manner and a cleanly, tidy appearance. These things have much effect upon the patient's appetite.