FANCIES OF INVALIDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XI, 31 August 1895, Page 270

FANCIES OF INVALIDS.

About the manner of serving their food patients sometimes have curious fancies. In one case a woman flatly refused to take her beef tea unless the bread which accompanied it was cut in the shape of diamonds, while in another it is always necessary to serve the food in a blue basin, for out of nothing else whatever would she take nourishment.

A boy who was attacked with scarlet fever showed great disinclination to take his food, bnt finally agreed to swallow what was necessary, provided he was fed in the following way :—The beef tea, or whatever was to be given him, was put into a silver teapot, the spout was placed in his mouth, and in this manner the food was poured down his throat. An elderly gentleman, who had spent much of his time hunting in Africa, on being asked if he fancied any particular dish, replied that he would like a bit of elephant’s foot. Under certain circumstances, we believe, this dish is a dainty and nourishing one, but the price of elephant in this country being prohibitive, this elderly Nimrod was forced to content himself with beefsteak instead. A clergyman with a broken leg had a great longing to put on a pair of stilts a pastime which he bad never yet tried, while a man whose leg had been amputated, although admitting the impracticability of his wish, declared that a passion for skating had so seized upon him since the loss of his lim j that he regretted being operated upon chiefly on that account.