INVALID'S DIET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 4

INVALID'S DIET.

Medical men. assure us that,-in many cases, properly prepared food is even of more importance than medicine, and that is why the preparation of food for invalids requires particular care. When the variety of diet is limited, it is necessary to serve the food in the: most appetising manner possible, as sickness renders the most amiable persons particular and ex* acting. The very mention of a " slop diet" is enough to conjure up horrors of [weak beef tea and gruel served with unI erring regularity. But this need not be, [as many attractive and nutritious dishes j can be made that will be relished. For in- ! stance, calf or ox-foot jelly, if well made, is excellent and easily digested. It reiquires two calf's feet or one ox foot, £lb of lump sugar, two lemons, one white and [ shell of egg, two quarts of water, i'm of cinnamon stick, and two cloves. Remove all the fat, waeft, and cut in pieces, place in a pan, and.cover with cold water. Re-' peat the washing in cold <water, and place j in the pan again with two quarts of water, simmer slowly for five hours, skimming carefully, strain off the liquid, and allow it to become cold. When set, remove all the fat from the top. Put the jelly into a. pan with the cloves, cinnamon, sugar," juice of two lemons, and thinly-pared rind of one lemon, the white and shell of one egg, slightly beaten together, and stir constantly till it boils. Draw the pan to the side of the fire, add a wine-glass of sherry, and allow it to stand till 'a thick scum appears, then strain through the jelly cloth. Pour, into a cold mould, which has been previously rinsed with water, and let it get cold. . ! Peptonised food,, milk gruel, beef-tea, [etc., are all most valuable, and especially useful for children unable to partake of milk in its natural form. By peptonising the food is partially predigested, and it is then readily absorbed. When natural juices ar# deficient, and the stomach is unable to perforin its office by peptonisation, the patient 'can be /supplied with nutriment which it would otherwise be impossible to digest. To peptonise beeftea mix half a pound of finely-minced lean beef with half a pint of water, and 20 grains of bicarbonate of sodium. Let it simmer for an hour. Remove from the fire, and when it has cooled down to a luke-wanh temperature, add*a teaspoonful of liquor pancreaticus. Then set aside the mixture for three hours wrapped in a tea-cosy or flannel to maintain the temperature, and occasionally shake it. At the end of this time decant the liquid portion and boil for a few seconds. This stops the process of digestion, and prevents it becoming bitter. To peptonise milk, put into a clean quart bottle a pint of milk, add a quarter of a pint of water, and a tube of Fairchild's powder. Shake together. Put the bottle into water, as

hot as the hand can bear, and let it stand for half an hour. Then boil for-two or three. minutes.

Fish is most useful in the dietary of. the convalescent, or for those leading sedentary lives, suffering from indigestion or debarred from exercise. The most easily digested are Eoles, whiting, cod, and flounders. Light, well-cooked, farinaceous or milk puddings are useful in the sick room dietary. They are easily digested, and can be'made more nourishing by the addition of an egg. At the Fame time this renders them less digestible. When an egg has been used the pudding should be baked in a very moderate oven, to prevent the egg from curdling. Eggs are extremely nutritious, containing all the nourishment necessary for life in a most concentrated form. They are very quickly digested when raw. If lightly poached or boiled they are also easy of digestion: but, if over-cooked or hard-boiled, the albumen coagulates, and they immediately become difficult to digest. It often-' gives pleasure to be Able to make a beverage which is much fancied by a patient, or one on which a particular value is set. In making toast and water, for instance, the crudeness can always be lessened by adding a slice or two of lemon and a little sugar, and then strained, in order to get" rid of any crumbs. Barley contains much mucilage, and by boiling this is extracted. To make barley-water, take 2oz. of pearl barley, one pint of water, a slice of lemon, and sugar to taste. Blanch the barley, put it into one pint of water,

and gently boil down to two-thirds of the liquid. Strain before giving. Malt infusion is so simple; to prepare, and" the product is so efficacious in aiding the digestion of gruel and farinaceous foods; that it should be regarded as a household remedy. It costs a penny a pint. To make it mix fihree ounces of crushed malt thoroughly well with half a pint of cold water. Let it stand overnight. Decant the liquid from the sediment, and strain through two or "three folds of muslin until it conies through fairly -clilar and bright. It is prone to fermentation, and slibuld be prepared fresh every 24 hours. Malted gruel to make. The gruel, should be well' boiled, and strained to separate the lumps. When cool enough to swallow, the malt infusion is. added. | One tablespodnful will, digest half a nint of gruel. The action is very rapid, j In a few minutes the gruel becomes thin from the conversion of the starch into maltose. If bones or other gelalinous matters are subjected to long> boiling gelatine is obtained. It is very easily digested in the body. Gelatine cannot replace the albuminous foods in the repair of the tissues; but is an albumensparing food. By administration of gelatine veiy large quantities of albu-' men can be spared in the body or devoted to increase in bulk. Gelatine is most useful in sick-room cookery, as jellies are generally 7 well borne, easily digested, and tempt the appetite. Cocoa is far more nutritious than tea or coffee: It contains a considerable

proportion of fat. Unthickened cocoas are best. Those containing starch as a thickening require to be well boiled td cook them, and are not so pleasant in flavour- The old-fashioned " caudle,' '. when well made, is a most refreshing drink. -To make it take one tablespoonful of fine oatmeal, one gill of water, half-pint of milk, one glass of sherry, a strip of lenion rind, tablespoonful of sugar, and a grate of nutmeg. Boil the oatmeal, water, milkj and lemon rind together ;f or ten minutesi the/ v lemohd rind, add the sugar, and nutmeg, and serve hot. •'. The yolk of an egg may be stirred in if liked.— Queen >Beej in the "Australasian."* 7