Part 1

Transcriber’s Notes:

Underscores “” before and after a word or phrase indicate italics_ in the original text. Equal signs “=” before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs. Antiquated spellings have been preserved. Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected. The “ADDITIONAL NOTES” section, pages 211 to 226 have been removed as they serve no function in an ebook.

A REFERENCE HAND-BOOK FOR NURSES

BY AMANDA K. BECK, R. N.

Graduate of the Illinois Training School for Nurses

FOURTH EDITION, REVISED PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON W. B. SAUNDERS COMPANY 1919

Copyright, 1905, by W. B. Saunders and Company. Reprinted August, 1905, July, 1906, June, 1907, and January, 1908. Revised, reprinted, and recopyrighted August, 1908. Reprinted March, 1909, February, 1910, July, 1910, March, 1911, February, 1912, and August, 1912. Revised, reprinted, and recopyrighted February, 1913. Reprinted October, 1913, May, 1914, November, 1914, January, 1915, May, 1915, September, 1915, June, 1916, January, 1917, July, 1917, November, 1917, April, 1918, and August, 1918. Revised, reprinted, and recopyrighted March, 1919

Copyright, 1919, by W. B. Saunders Company

PRINTED IN AMERICA

PRESS OF W. B. SAUNDERS COMPANY PHILADELPHIA

TO ISABEL McISAAC

For many years Superintendent of the Illinois Training School for Nurses, of Chicago

AND TO IDORA C. ROSE

Formerly her Assistant and now her Successor

THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.

In the present edition of this work a few new subjects have been added and the text has been somewhat altered in order that certain recent advances and changes might be noted and brought into daily service. I have not been unmindful, however, of the fact that to be of the greatest possible use to our profession this volume must remain small and compact.

I hear frequently that this Handbook is valued by my fellow-workers and that it is to many of them a daily help and companion. This is a source of great pleasure to me, and I hope that this new edition will be found more useful even than any of its predecessors.

A. K. BECK, R. N. CHICAGO, ILL., March, 1919.

PREFACE.

As a probationer doing class and hospital work and as a graduate trained nurse I took notes of all the various formulæ, directions, etc., that might at some time be useful to me in the pursuit of my duties. My class work was productive of many valuable items of information; these and such other items as I gathered in the course of my hospital work and while on private duty, and others which were the result of my own experience and observation, I kept in a memorandum book which soon became indispensable to me, and which I used until the leaves became worn and fell apart. I rewrote this memorandum book three times, and the task of its fourth rewriting made me wish that I had its contents in a form more easily preserved. The inspiration followed that my notes in book form would be of general use to most nurses and of some use to many physicians. This little volume is the result.

To my own notes, all of which have been submitted to competent authorities for criticism, I have added several articles by eminent physicians and superintending nurses, which tend to round out the usefulness of the book. I have kept in mind, however, my original intention of producing a hand-book of convenient size for quick reference.

To the authors of these articles, to the friendly critics to whom my notes were submitted, and to the kind friends who encouraged me in this work, I extend my sincere thanks.

AMANDA K. BECK, R. N.

REFERENCE HAND-BOOK FOR NURSES.

ABBREVIATIONS.

ABBREVIATION. LATIN. ENGLISH.

=āā= Ana Of each. =A. c.= Ante cibum Before meals. =Ad.=, =Add.= Adde Let there be added. =Ad lib.= Ad libitum At pleasure. =Adv.= Adversum Against. =Alt. dieb.= Alternis diebus Every other day. =Alt. hor.= Alternis horis Every other hour. =Aq.= Aqua Water. =Aq. astr.= Aqua astricta Ice. =Aq. bull.= Aqua bulliens Boiling water. =Aq. dest.= Aqua destillata Distilled water. =Aq. ferv.= Aqua fervens Hot water. =Aq. font.= Aqua fontana Spring water. =Aq. mar.= Aqua marina Sea-water. =Aq. tep.= Aqua tepida Tepid water.