In typhoid fever there is a close relation between right feeding, good nursing and recovery. At no time during the prevalence of the fever must there be the slightest departure from the food ordered by the physician. As the intestines are involved in this disease, it seems wise to give stomach-digested foods, but in all fevers gastric digestion is weak, hence stomach-digested foods must be carefully selected and easy of digestion.

Milk and milk foods are usually most acceptable. If the taste of milk is objectionable, change the flavor as directed in another part of this book.

Do not give solid food unless you have the consent of the physician. A tiny bit of orange pulp, or even a portion of soft-boiled white of egg, may escape digestion, pass into the small intestines, form an irritant and in turn endanger life. On the other hand, it must be remembered that full feeding is necessary. The milk you give must be whole milk, containing its full amount of fatty matter, and if barley or rice water be added, the tissues of the body are spared. In some cases the stomach is particularly sensitive to the curd of milk; this will be known quickly by the appearance of tympanites, or indigestion and flatulency. Stop milk feeding at once, and substitute modified milk, peptonized milk, koumys, white of egg and water, barley water and cream, beef tea, beef essence, carefully-strained broths in which you have boiled either rice or barley. These foods contain the necessary elements of nutrition, presented in easily-digested form.

Where milk cannot be borne, feeding becomes more complicated, and where a patient has prejudices in health little can be expected in sickness. If your patient is comfortable and seems well nourished, is not losing fat too rapidly, has no distressing abdominal symptoms and no undigested food, in the stools, take for granted the feeding is correct, and continue it. On the other hand, if the patient is losing weight rapidly and there are abdominal complications, take for granted the feeding is incorrect, or it may be insufficient in quantity; then change the diet, or increase slightly the quantity.

Many cases under my observation have been able to take eight ounces of milk and barley water at a feeding. Again, I have seen robust people who could not digest four ounces in three hours. One quart and a pint of milk, with one pint of barley water, per diem, is a fair allowance.

If diarrhoea is prevalent, use ground rice gruel and milk that has been pasteurized and cooled. If vomiting occurs give orange juice, or other fruit juices in small quantities, and a little lime water, with ,milk.

Toast water, carefully strained, will sometimes allay thirst more quickly than plain water. Irish moss gruel or gelose water are exceedingly nice swabbing materials for the mouth; they prevent the mouth from becoming so dry. A typhoid patient, whose mouth and lips become parched, cracked and sore, will frequently refuse nourishment when hungry. In fact the mouth should be rinsed or swabbed with some mucilaginous water each time before feeding. A few drops of Listerine or Glycothymoline in water is frequently very pleasant. After each feeding the mouth should be cleansed.