pint of hot water, four lumps of sugar, and, if possible, a small glass
of port wine; stir the whole on the fire for a quarter of an hour, and
serve it in a tea-cup.
No. 182. HOW TO PREPARE TAPIOCA.
This may be prepared in the same manner as sago; It may also be boiled
in beef tea, mutton broth, or chicken broth, and should be stirred while
boiling.
Arrow-root is to be prepared exactly after the directions given for the
preparation of sago and tapioca.
No. 183. HOW TO MAKE GRUEL.
Mix a table-spoonful of Robinson's prepared groats or grits with a
tea-cupful of cold water, pour this into a saucepan containing a pint of
hot water, and stir it on the fire while it boils for ten minutes;
strain the gruel through a sieve or colander into a basin, sweeten to
taste, add a spoonful of any kind of spirits, or else season the gruel
with salt and a bit of butter.
No. 184. BROWN AND POLSON GRUEL.
Brown and Polson's excellent preparation of Indian corn is to be
purchased of all grocers throughout the kingdom. Mix a dessert-spoonful
of the prepared Indian corn with a wine-glassful of cold water, and pour
this into a small saucepan containing half a pint of hot water; stir on
the fire for ten minutes, sweeten with moist sugar, flavour with nutmeg
or a spoonful of spirits.
No. 185. GRUEL MADE WITH OATMEAL.
In the absence of groats, oatmeal furnishes the means of making
excellent gruel. Mix two table-spoonfuls of oatmeal with a gill of cold
water; pour this into a saucepan containing a pint of hot water, stir
the gruel on the fire while it boils very gently for about a quarter of
an hour, then sweeten with moist sugar, or, if preferred, the gruel may
be eaten with a little salt and a bit of butter.
No. 186. HOW TO MAKE CAUDLE.
Mix four ounces of prepared groats or oatmeal with half a pint of cold
ale in a basin, pour this into a saucepan containing a quart of boiling
ale, or beer, add a few whole allspice, and a little cinnamon, stir the
caudle on the fire for about half an hour, and then strain it into a
basin or jug; add a glass of any kind of spirits, and sugar to taste.
No. 187. RICE GRUEL, A REMEDY FOR RELAXED BOWELS.
Boil very gently eight ounces of rice in a quart of water for about an
hour in a saucepan covered with its lid, and placed on the side of the
hob; the rice must be so thoroughly done as to present the appearance of
the grains being entirely dissolved; a bit of orange-peel or cinnamon
should be boiled with the rice, and when quite soft, the gruel is to be
sweetened with loaf sugar, and a table-spoonful of brandy added.
No. 188. HOW TO PREPARE ARROW-ROOT.
Mix a piled-up dessert-spoonful of arrow-root with half a gill of cold
water, and pour this into a small saucepan containing nearly half a pint
of boiling water, four lumps of sugar, and a glass of wine; stir the
arrow-root while it is boiling on the fire for a few minutes, and then
give it to the patient.
Observe that it is essential to perfection in the preparation of
arrow-root, and, indeed, of all farinaceous kinds of food, that the
whole of the ingredients used in the preparation should be boiled
together.
No. 189. HOW TO MAKE GRUEL WITH PEARL BARLEY.
Put four ounces of pearl barley in a saucepan with two quarts of cold
water and a small stick of cinnamon, and set the whole to boil very
gently by the side of the fire (partly covered with the lid) for two
hours; then add the sugar and the wine, boil all together a few minutes
longer, and then strain the gruel through a colander into a jug, to be
kept in a cool place until required for use; when it can be warmed up in
small quantities.
As this kind of gruel is a powerful cordial, it is to be borne in mind
that it should never be administered unless ordered by a medical man.
No. 190. COW-HEEL BROTH.
Put a cow-heel into a saucepan with three quarts of water, and set it to
boil on the fire; skim it well, season with a few peppercorns, a sprig
of thyme and parsley, and a dessert-spoonful of salt; boil gently for
two hours; at the end of this time the broth will be reduced to half its
original quantity; skim off all the grease, and serve the broth with the
glutinous part of the heel in it. This kind of broth is both
strengthening and healing to the stomach.
No. 191. HOW TO MAKE CALF'S-FEET JELLY.
Boil two calf's feet in two quarts of water very gently for at least two
hours; at the end of this time the liquid will be boiled down to one
half of its original quantity; it is then to be strained into a pan,
and left to cool till the next day. Scrape and wash off all grease, dab
a clean cloth all over the surface to absorb any remaining grease, put
the calf's-foot stock or broth into a very clean saucepan, add three
ounces of lump sugar, a bit of lemon-peel, the juice of a lemon, a
little bruised cinnamon, and half a pint of white wine; boil all
together for ten minutes, skim, strain through a doubled piece of muslin
into a basin; set the jelly in a very cold place to cool and become
firm.
No. 192. HOW TO MAKE ICELAND-MOSS JELLY.
Iceland moss is to be had of all chemists. Put four ounces of Iceland
moss to boil in one quart of water, stirring it the whole time it is on
the fire; and when it has boiled about three-quarters of an hour, add
two ounces of lump sugar and a glass of white wine; strain the jelly
through a piece of muslin into a basin, and when it is set firm and
cold, let it be given to the patient. This kind of jelly is most
beneficial in cases of severe colds, catarrhs, and all pulmonary
diseases of the lungs and chest.
No. 193. HOW TO MAKE BLANCMANGE.
Scald, skin, wash, and thoroughly bruise one ounce of sweet almonds with
a rolling-pin on a table; put this into a basin with one ounce of lump
sugar, and three gills of cold water, and allow the whole to stand and
steep for three hours. Next, boil one ounce of shred isinglass, or
gelatine, in a gill of water, by stirring it on the fire, while boiling,
for ten minutes; pour this to the milk of almonds; strain all through a
muslin into a basin, and when the blancmange has become stiff and cold,
let it be given to the patient in cases of fevers, or extreme delicacy.
No. 194. HOW TO MAKE SICK-DIET JELLY.
Take of sago, tapioca, eringo root, and hartshorn shavings, of each one
ounce; and boil the whole in three pints of water until reduced to one
pint, stirring all the time; then strain the jelly through a muslin into
a basin, and set it aside to become cold. A table-spoonful of this jelly
may be given at a time, mixed in broth, milk, chocolate, cocoa, or tea.
It is considered to be very strengthening.
No. 195. HOW TO PREPARE ISINGLASS JELLY.
Put one ounce and a-half of isinglass, with two ounces of lump sugar and
half a pint of water, into a small stewpan, and stir the whole on the
fire while it boils gently for ten minutes; then remove the jelly from
the fire, add the juice of three oranges, and the thin pared rind of one
orange; stir well together for five minutes, strain through a muslin
into a basin, and set the jelly in a cold place to become stiff.
No. 196. HOW TO MAKE GROUND-RICE MILK.
Put a pint of milk with a bit of cinnamon to boil, mix a large
table-spoonful of ground rice quite smooth with a tea-cupful of milk,
pour this into the boiling milk, stirring quickly all the time in order
to render it smooth; add sugar to sweeten, and stir the ground-rice milk
on the fire while boiling for ten minutes. Remember, that whenever you
are stirring any kind of sauce, gruel, porridge, or thick milk, etc., on
the fire, it is most essential that you should bear with some weight on
the edge of the bowl of the spoon to prevent whatever is being stirred
from burning at the bottom of the saucepan, as such an accident would
infallibly spoil the gruel, etc.
No. 197. HOW TO MAKE A SMALL BATTER-PUDDING.
Beat up in a basin an egg with a large table-spoonful of flour, and a
grain of salt; add, by degrees, a tea-cupful of milk, working all
together vigorously; pour this batter into a ready greased inside of a
tea-cup, just large enough to hold it; sprinkle a little flour on the
top, place a small square clean rag on it, and then, with the spread-out
fingers of the right hand, catch up both cloth and tea-cup, holding them
up in order to enable you to gather up the ends of the rag tight in your
left hand, while with a piece of string held in the right hand, you tie
up the pudding securely, and put it on to boil, in boiling water, for a
good half-hour; at the end of this time the pudding will be done, and
should be eaten immediately with sugar, and a few drops of wine, if
allowed and procurable.
No. 198. HOW TO MAKE A TEA-CUP BREAD-PUDDING.
Bruise a piece of stale crumb of bread the size of an egg, in a basin,
add four lumps of sugar and a very little grated nutmeg, pour half a
gill of boiling milk upon these, stir all well together until the sugar
is melted, then add an egg, beat up the whole thoroughly until well
mixed; pour the mixture into a buttered tea-cup, tie it up in a small
cloth as directed in the preceding Number, boil the pudding for twenty
minutes, at least, and, as soon as done, turn it out on a plate. This,
or any similar light kind of pudding, constitutes safe food for the most
delicate.
No. 199. HOW TO MAKE A TAPIOCA PUDDING.
Put two table-spoonfuls of tapioca into a basin with four lumps of
sugar, a grain of salt, and a lump of sugar rubbed on the rind of a
lemon; pour a gill of boiling milk over these ingredients and cover them
up with a saucer to steep for ten minutes, then add one egg; beat up all
together, and boil the pudding in a buttered tea-cup tied up in a
cloth, for nearly half an hour.
No. 200. HOW TO MAKE AN ARROW-ROOT PUDDING.
Mix a large dessert-spoonful of arrow-root with the same quantity of
bruised sugar, and a tea-cupful of milk, in a small clean saucepan; stir
this on the fire until it boils, and keep on stirring it, off the fire,
for five minutes, until the heat has subsided; then add an egg, beat up
and thoroughly mix it into the batter, and then boil the pudding as
shown in the preceding Numbers.
No. 201. HOW TO MAKE A SAGO PUDDING.
Soak two table-spoonfuls of pearl sago with a tea-spoonful of hot milk,
in a covered basin, for a quarter of an hour; then add a very little
grated nutmeg or lemon-peel, sugar to sweeten, and an egg; beat up all
together until thoroughly mixed, and then boil the pudding in a buttered
basin or tea-cup, as directed in preceding cases.
No. 202. HOW TO MAKE A GROUND-RICE PUDDING.
Mix a large table-spoonful of ground rice with half a pint of milk, six
lumps of sugar, and a very little nutmeg; stir this in a saucepan on the
fire until it has boiled for five minutes; then mix in an egg, and boil
the pudding for twenty-five minutes.
No. 203. BROWN AND POLSON TEA-CUP PUDDING FOR INFANTS.
Mix a good dessert-spoonful of Brown and Polson's corn-flour with half a
pint of milk, six lumps of sugar, a grain of salt, and a very little
grated orange-peel; stir these on the fire to boil for five minutes,
then add one egg, beat up until well mixed; pour this batter into a
buttered tea-cup, tie it up in a small cloth, boil it for twenty-five
minutes, and serve it while hot.
MEDICINAL, HERBACEOUS, AND OTHER DRINKS FOR INVALIDS, ETC.
No. 204. BRAN TEA: A REMEDY FOR COLDS, ETC.
Boil a large handful of bran in a quart of water for ten minutes, then
strain off the water into a jug, sweeten it with one ounce of gum arabic
and a good spoonful of honey; stir all well together, and give this kind
of drink in all cases of affections of the chest, such as colds,
catarrhs, consumption, etc., and also for the measles.
No. 205. ORANGEADE, OR ORANGE DRINK.
Peel off the rind of one orange very thinly without any of the white
pith, and put the rind into a jug, pare off all the white pith from
three oranges so as to lay the pulp of the fruit quite bare, cut them in
slices, take out all the seeds, or, as they are more generally termed,
the pips, as their bitterness would render the drink unpalatable; add
one ounce of sugar, or honey, pour a quart of boiling water to these,
cover up the jug, and allow the orangeade to stand and steep until quite
cold; it may then be given to the patient. This is a cooling beverage,
and may be safely given in cases of fever.
No. 206. HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE.
Proceed in all particulars as directed for making orangeade, using, for
the purpose, lemons instead of oranges.
No. 207. APPLE-WATER DRINK.
Slice up thinly three or four apples without peeling them, and boil
them in a very clean saucepan with a quart of water and a little sugar
until the slices of apples are become soft; the apple water must then be
strained through a piece of clean muslin, or rag, into a jug. This
pleasant beverage should be drunk when cold; it is considered beneficial
in aiding to allay scorbutic eruptions.
No. 208. HOW TO MAKE A SOOTHING DRINK FOR COUGHS.
Take of marsh-mallow roots and of liquorice roots each one ounce; of
linseed, half an ounce; shave the roots very thinly; put them and the
linseed into a clean earthen pot with one quart of hot water, cover with
the lid, and set the whole on the hob of the fire to simmer for half an
hour or more; then strain the drink into a clean jug, sweeten with
honey, and when it has become quite cold, let it be given in small
quantities several times in the course of the day. This mucilaginous
beverage is most beneficial in relieving persons who are suffering from
cold on the chest, and also those who are afflicted with gravel, etc.
No. 209. LINSEED TEA.
Put a table-spoonful of linseed into a clean earthen pot or pipkin with
a quart of water, and a little orange or lemon rind; boil this gently
for about ten minutes, and then strain it through muslin into a jug;
sweeten with honey or sugar, add the juice of a lemon, stir all
together, and give this beverage to allay irritation of the chest and
lungs--in the latter case, the lemon juice had better be omitted.
Linseed tea in its purest form is an excellent accessory in aiding to
relieve such as are afflicted with gout, gravel, etc.
No. 210. CAMOMILE TEA.
Put about thirty flowers into a jug, pour a pint of boiling water upon
them, cover up the tea, and when it has stood about ten minutes, pour it
off from the flowers into another jug; sweeten with sugar or honey;
drink a tea-cupful of it fasting in the morning to strengthen the
digestive organs, and restore the liver to healthier action. A
tea-cupful of camomile tea, in which is stirred a large dessert-spoonful
of moist sugar, and a little grated ginger, is an excellent thing to
administer to aged people a couple of hours before their dinner.
No. 211. BALM AND BURRAGE TEA.
These, as well as all other medicinal herbs, may easily be cultivated in
a corner of your garden, when you are so fortunate as to live in a
cottage of your own in the country; they are also to be obtained from
all herbalists in large towns. Take of balm and burrage a small handful
each, put this into a jug, pour in upon the herbs a quart of boiling
water, allow the tea to stand for ten minutes, and then strain it off
into another jug, and let it become cold. This cooling drink is
recommended as a beverage for persons whose system has become heated
from any cause.
No. 212. SAGE OR MARYGOLD TEA.
Put a dozen sage leaves into a tea-pot, pour boiling water upon them,
and, after allowing the tea to stand for five or ten minutes, it may be
drunk with sugar and milk, in the same way and instead of the cheaper
kinds of teas, which are sold for foreign teas, but which are too often
composed of some kind of leaf more or less resembling the real plant,
without any of its genuine fragrance, and are, from their spurious and
almost poisonous nature, calculated to produce evil to all who consume
them, besides the drawback of their being expensive articles.
Teas made from sage leaves, dried mint, marygolds, and more
particularly the leaf of the black currant tree, form a very pleasant as
well as wholesome kind of beverage; and, if used in equal proportions,
would be found to answer very well as a most satisfactory substitute for
bad and expensive tea.
No. 213. HOW TO STEW RED CABBAGES.
The use of the red cabbage in this country is confined to its being
pickled almost raw, and eaten in that detestable and injurious state,
whereby its anti-scorbutic powers are annulled.
The red cabbage, when merely boiled with bacon, or with a little butter
and salt, is both nutritious and beneficial in a medicinal point of
view, inasmuch as that it possesses great virtue in all scorbutic and
dartrous affections. On the Continent it is customary to administer it
in such cases in the form of a syrup, and also in a gelatinized state.
The red cabbage, stewed in the following manner, will be found a very
tasty dish:--Slice up the red cabbage rather thin, wash it well, drain
it, and then put it into a saucepan with a little dripping or butter, a
gill of vinegar, pepper and salt; put the lid on, and set the cabbage to
stew slowly on the hob, stirring it occasionally from the bottom to
prevent it from burning; about an hour's gentle stewing will suffice to
cook it thoroughly. All kinds of cabbage or kail are anti-scorbutic
agents.
No. 214. HOW TO MAKE TOAST WATER.
Toast a piece of bread thoroughly browned to its centre without being
_burnt_, put it into a jug, pour boiling water upon it, cover over and
allow it to stand and steep until it has cooled; it will then be fit to
drink.
No. 215. HOW TO MAKE BARLEY WATER.
Boil one ounce of barley in a quart of water for twenty minutes; strain
through muslin into a jug containing a bit of orange or lemon peel.
No. 216. HOW TO MAKE RICE WATER.
To six ounces of rice add two quarts of water, and two ounces of
Valentia raisins; boil these very gently for about half an hour, or
rather more; strain off the water into a jug, add about two
table-spoonfuls of brandy. Rice water, prepared as above, is recommended
in cases of dysentery and diarrhoea.
No. 217. HOW TO MAKE TREACLE POSSET.
Sweeten a pint of milk with four table-spoonfuls of treacle, boil this
for ten minutes; strain it through a rag; drink it while hot, and go to
bed well covered with blankets; and your cold will be all the less and
you the better for it.
No. 218. HOW TO MAKE WHITE WINE WHEY.
Put a pint of milk into a very clean saucepan or skillet, to boil on the
fire; then add half a gill of any kind of white wine; allow the milk to
boil up, then pour it into a basin, and allow it to stand in a cool
place, that the curd may fall to the bottom of the basin; then pour off
the whey--which is excellent as an agent to remove a severe cough or
cold.
No. 219. HOW TO MAKE A CORDIAL FOR COLDS.
First, prepare a quart of the juice of black currants, by bruising and
boiling them for twenty minutes, and then straining off the juice with
great pressure through a sieve into a basin. Next, boil four ounces of
linseed in a quart of water until reduced to one-third of its original
quantity, taking care that it does not boil fast, and, when done, strain
the liquid into a very clean saucepan; add the currant juice, two pounds
of moist sugar, and half an ounce of citric acid, or one pint of lemon
juice; boil all together until reduced to a thick syrup--that is, when
it begins to run rather thick from the spoon without resembling treacle;
as soon as the syrup has reached this stage, remove it from the fire,
and pour it into a jug to become quite cold. This syrup will keep good
for any length of time, if bottled and corked down tight, and kept in a
cool place. A tea-spoonful taken occasionally will soon relieve the most
troublesome cough.
This cordial may also be prepared in winter, using for the purpose black
currant jam, or preserved black currant juice, instead of the juice of
fresh-gathered currants.
No. 220. HOW TO MAKE A STRINGENT GARGLE.
Put the following ingredients into a very clean earthen pipkin:--Twenty
sage leaves, a handful of red rose leaves, and a pint of water; boil
these for twenty minutes, then add a gill of vinegar, and two
table-spoonfuls of honey; boil again for ten minutes, and strain the
gargle through a muslin rag, to be used when cold.
No. 221. A SIMPLE REMEDY AGAINST WIND ON THE STOMACH.
A few drops (say four) of essence of peppermint on a lump of sugar.
No. 222. A CURE FOR A HARD DRY COUGH.
Take of each one table-spoonful--spermaceti grated, honey, and
peppermint water; mix all together with the yolks of two eggs in a
gallipot. A tea-spoonful to be taken on the tongue, and allowed to be
swallowed slowly as it dissolves.
No. 223. A COOLING DRINK.
To half an ounce of cream of tartar, add one ounce of loaf sugar, and a
bit of orange or lemon peel; put these into a jug, pour upon them a
quart of boiling water; stir all together, and allow the beverage to
become cold.
No. 224. HOP TEA.
Pour a quart of boiling water upon half an ounce of hops, cover this
over, and allow the infusion to stand for fifteen minutes; the tea must
then be strained of into another jug. A small tea-cupful may be drunk
fasting in the morning, which will create an appetite, and also
strengthen the digestive organs.
No. 225. LIME-FLOWER TEA.
To half an ounce of lime-flowers, placed in a tea-pot or jug, pour a
pint of boiling water, and when the infusion has stood for ten minutes,
sweeten with honey or sugar, and drink the tea hot, to assuage the pains
in the stomach and chest, arising from indigestion. This beverage may
also be successfully administered in attacks of hysteria.
No. 226. HYSSOP TEA: A REMEDY FOR WORMS.
To a quarter of an ounce of dried hyssop flowers, pour one pint of
boiling water; allow the tea to infuse for ten minutes, pour it off,
sweeten with honey, and take a wine-glassful three times in the course
of the day; this will prove an effectual cure when children are troubled
with worms.
No. 227. ICELAND-MOSS JELLY.
Boil four ounces of Iceland moss in one quart of water very slowly for
one hour, then add the juice of two lemons and a bit of rind, four
ounces of sugar, and a gill of sherry; boil up, and remove the scum from
the surface; strain the jelly through a muslin bag into a basin, and set
it aside to become cold; in which state it may be eaten, but it is far
more efficacious in its beneficial results when taken warm. The use of
Iceland moss jelly is strongly recommended in cases of consumption, and
in the treatment of severe colds, catarrhs, and all phlegmatic diseases
of the chest.
No. 228. ANTISPASMODIC TEA.
Infuse two-pennyworth of hay saffron (sold at all chemists') in a gill
of boiling water in a tea-cup for ten minutes; add a dessert-spoonful of
brandy, and sugar to sweeten, and drink the tea hot. This powerful yet
harmless remedy will quickly relieve you from spasmodic pains occasioned
by indigestion.
No. 229. DANDELION TEA.
Infuse one ounce of dandelion in a jug with a pint of boiling water for
fifteen minutes; sweeten with brown sugar or honey, and drink several
tea-cupfuls during the day. The use of this tea is recommended as a safe
remedy in all bilious affections; it is also an excellent beverage for
persons afflicted with dropsy.
No. 230. REFRESHING DRINK FOR SORE THROAT ATTENDED WITH FEVER.
Boil two ounces of barberries with half an ounce of violets in a quart
of water for ten minutes; sweeten with honey, strain off into a jug, and
drink several glasses during the day.
No. 231. A CURE FOR SPRAINS.
Bruise thoroughly a handful of sage-leaves, and boil them in a gill of
vinegar for ten minutes, or until reduced to half the original quantity;
apply this in a folded rag to the part affected, and tie it on securely
with a bandage.
No. 232. A CURE FOR CHILBLAINS.
The pulp of a baked turnip beat up in a tea-cup with a table-spoonful
of salad oil, ditto of mustard, and ditto of scraped horse-radish; apply
this mixture to the chilblains, and tie it on with a piece of rag.
No. 233. A CURE FOR BURNS OR SCALDS.
Thoroughly bruise a raw onion and a potato into a pulp, by scraping or
beating them with a rolling-pin; mix this pulp with a good
table-spoonful of salad oil, and apply it to the naked burn or scald;
secure it on the part with a linen bandage.
No. 234. A CURE FOR COLD IN THE HEAD.
Thirty drops of camphorated sal volatile in a small wine-glassful of hot
water, taken several times in the course of the day.
No. 235. A CURE FOR THE STING OF WASPS OR BEES.
Bruise the leaf of the poppy, and apply it to the part affected.
No. 236. A CURE FOR TOOTHACHE.
Roll a small bit of cotton wadding into a ball the size of a pea, dip
this in a very few drops of camphorated chloroform, and with it fill the
hollow part of the decayed tooth.
No. 237. HOW TO MAKE COFFEE.