HEALTH NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 54

HEALTH NOTES.

DIETING OUR INVALIDS. In catering for our invalids two things mast be borne in mind —extreme daintiness in the preparation and serving of the food selected, and 1 as much variety as is compatible with doctors’ carders. Where a strict milk or beef-tea diet is ordered, then we' must have recourse to different coloured glasses, varied cups and pretty tray-cloths to make the needful changes. All these are so cheap nowadays that there is no. excuse for a meal served anyhow. In cocke-ry for the sick absolute cleanliness and punctuality must be the watchwords. Nothing is more irritating than to be kept waiting, or to find that some one thing or other has been for gotten. What in health would appear a matter of no importance, in weakness becomes an affair of gigantic proportions. Now, given our daintily-laid tray, its charming cup and saucer, its small plate of toast piled criss-cross fashion, a shining salt-cellar, a bright spoon, a spouess serviette, and a flower in a quaint vase, how shall we pjgceed to make the beeftea? No compound receives more ignorant treatment, and there are few of us who have not, at some time or other of our lives-, had cause to remember the wishy-washy fluid sent up by the cook under the name of broth. Economy and success are summed up in the following recipe: —-

Cut up half-a-pound of gravy - or fillet of beef in small pieces, and soak ,them" in a small basin: containing half-a-pint-. of cold water, to extract the juice. Let it stand for half-an-hour, then pour the contents into a stone jar. Place it in a saucepan nearly half-full of boiling water, and let it simmer very gently for five or six hours on the side of the stove. Strain through a sieve, carefully remove any fat, and season with a little salt. One cr two peppercorns in the jar give a pleasant flavour. In case of extreme exhaustion the following beef extract will be found invaluable:—Take one pound of lean beef, entirely free from fat and sinew. Cut it into slices, and put in a stone jar without any water. Tie it clcsely down, and place in a vessel of cold water, which should reach the neck of the jar. Put it on the fire, and boil slowly for one hour and! a-half. Give a teaspoonful at a time. .

Many invalids have a rooted dislike to milk, and when this is the case innocent subterfuges must be indulged in: ‘A soup may be a milk soup, a puuding a milk pudding, but given a pretty name and a judicious change in the flavouring, and our invalids will swallow it in cheerful ignorance of the component parts. Nothing can be more nourishing, for instance, than pearl soup,- made with half-a-pint of milk, half-an-ounce of tapioca, the yolk of an egg, two white percorns, a bit,of butter, and salt to season. When the milk is boiling, sprinkle in the tapioca and peppercorns. Stir gently for ten minutes. . Remove > the peppercorns, add the butter, stir, and when mixed pour it into the cup it is to be served in, stirring briskly with oh© hand while pouring in. - • ••••'•? Carrageen, or Irish moss, which can be bought at a chemist’s, is an invaluable article of diet." . Take a quarter of ah ounce of it; wash it well, and soak overnight.; . Put it into half-a-pint of milk, stir, with a wooden spoon,, then boil for three of four minutes'; sweeten to taste, and, if permitted, add a little flavouring. Strain it into a wetted mould; and when <puite cold turn it out. Milk in another form can be given as a custard. It requires a gill of milk, the yolk of one egg, a pinch of salt, and nait-a-teaspoonful of sugar. Beat up the white , of an egg... •to - stiff froth with, the salt. Take spoonfuls of it, and' drop them imho very few minutes will poach them. Take them out carefully, drain, and put them on a sieve. Now* beat up the yolk well, add it to the milk,-mix well, and pour it into an enamelled-saucepan to cook, but on no occasion to boil. Stir all the time with a woodbn spoon; Sweeten .to taste, and flavour as liked. When thick enough, pour - the , custard ,into.. a glass' dish, and when quite cold put the .“poach” on th^ top. ' -- • Yet another - change can be made by using one of the rennet tablets. Mix with a drop of cold water, then put it to one gill of milk, brought to blood heat temperature. Add a teaspoonful of sugar ; stir together. • Put into a glass dish. Stand it in the kitchen or warm place to set, when whip a little cream on the top. Prepared in these and many otner ways, it will be readily seen what a quantity of milk a person may take without any knowledge of the same, and with an enjoyment which is a first factor in promoting digestion and aiding recovery. —The “Lady,-