[Sidenote: Life often hangs upon minutes in taking food.]
If we did but know the consequences which may ensue, in very weak
patients, from ten minutes' fasting or repletion, (I call it repletion
when they are obliged to let too small an interval elapse between
taking food and some other exertion, owing to the nurse's
unpunctuality), we should be more careful never to let this occur. In
very weak patients there is often a nervous difficulty of swallowing,
which is so much increased by any other call upon their strength that,
unless they have their food punctually at the minute, which minute again
must be arranged so as to fall in with no other minute's occupation,
they can take nothing till the next respite occurs--so that an
unpunctuality or delay of ten minutes may very well turn out to be one
of two or three hours. And why is it not as easy to be punctual to a
minute? Life often literally hangs upon these minutes.
In acute cases, where life or death is to be determined in a few hours,
these matters are very generally attended to, especially in Hospitals;
and the number of cases is large where the patient is, as it were,
brought back to life by exceeding care on the part of the Doctor or
Nurse, or both, in ordering and giving nourishment with minute selection
and punctuality.
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