091322 140 year history - A4 landscape v1 digital - Flipbook - Page 68
1939
Dietician
Watched over by the hospital’s dietician
a trainee nurse carefully prepares a
special meal. A Dietetics Department
had recently been established at
the hospital. Medical checks of men
enlisting for World War I had shown
that many sections of Australian
society had poor health. At the same
time scientists worldwide were
recognising that some diseases, poor
general health and low resistance to
infection were caused by poor nutrition.
With these things in mind the hospital
planned to appoint a dietician to advise
on hospital food and to develop special
diets for patients with particular
conditions. But this did not actually
happen until 1936.
Image provided by the State Library of NSW
1943
Kitchen
While kitchen staff go about their general duties it appears that these three nurses
are practising Invalid Cooking. As part of their four-year course nurses were given
lectures in Anatomy and Physiology and Practical Nursing in their first year; Surgical
Nursing and Medical Nursing in second year; and Hygiene and Infection, as well as
Invalid Cookery, in third year. Invalid Cookery lessons were given by the Head Dietician
and involved the making of several bland dishes including beef tea and egg flips.
Image, NSW State Archives, NRS-4481-3-[7/16087]-St26108
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