After the napkin has been neatly spread upon the tray, place a

plate in the middle of the side nearest to you, and then arrange

the other dishes about it, with the tiny earthen teapot on the

right, and the sugar-bowl and cream-pitcher of silver next to it;

the knife, fork, and spoons should be on the right and left of the

plate, never in front of it. The various dishes to be served should

then be arranged symmetrically in other parts of the tray, not

scattered about without the appearance of order.

Never crowd a tray. Calculate beforehand how many dishes you will

probably have, and select a size accordingly. Serve a single glass

or a single cup on a small round or oval tray with a doily, never

on a large tray, such as might be selected for a meal.

When practicable use silver dishes for meats, soups, coffee, hot

milk, or any hot food; when these cannot be had, use hot china.

Avoid discords in color. Most women have an instinctive

appreciation of color, and by giving some thought to the subject

of harmonies, and observing the methods of others who are known to

have good taste in such matters, bad blunders in the arrangement of

a tray or a table may be avoided.

_Red_ with _yellow_, _blue_ with _green_, and _yellow_ with _pink_

are inharmonious combinations of color; but _yellow_ with _white_,

_blue_ with _white_, _dull orange_ with _brown_, _violet_, and

_pale gold_ are exquisite together.

A cup of chocolate in pale pink or dull red, coffee in buttercup

yellow, especially when served without cream, and green tea in Nile

green, appeal to the eye as well as to the taste, giving double

pleasure--gratifying two senses instead of one.

Color plays a very important part in serving food. It produces

strong effects in some persons who are deeply moved by harmonies or

discords in it, as others are by harmonies or discords in music.

Color appeals to the esthetic side of some natures much more

forcibly than many of us are aware.

The story is told of a lady, possessed of unusually keen

color-perception, who had been living for many months in a house

furnished in monotonous hues, and in which the table was always set

in plain white cloth and white china. Being invited to lunch with

a friend in the neighborhood, she was moved to tears at the sight

of a beautiful table, decorated with a scarlet cloth, flowers, and

harmoniously contrasting colored china.

The effect of the colors upon the emotions was similar to that

which is sometimes produced by an exquisite strain of music. Who

can say how much of subtle refining influence may be exerted by

such things? Regarded as a general thing only in the light of

the ornamental, they are too often looked upon as luxuries, and

therefore dispensable; but whatever ministers to the esthetic side

of the mind must be elevating, and the influence of neatness,

of beautiful surroundings, of harmonious colors, of art in any

form, inevitably produces an effect upon character. In time

such surroundings become necessities, and when the individual

is deprived of them they are missed, and he feels a sense of

dissatisfaction with those of meaner kind--perhaps dissatisfaction

with a poorer or lower life in any way--and imperceptibly these

seeming ornaments of existence may be the means which shall lift

many an one into a higher plane of life, so that, aside from their

practical value, all the niceties of household affairs may have a

lasting effect for good upon character.

To be progressive, one must be constantly in a frame of mind to

learn, and ever on the alert for information. Fashions change

in serving foods as in other things. However, there are certain

fixed principles which always remain unchanged. Perfect neatness,

orderly and pleasing arrangement, and harmonious coloring are ever

essential.

For the invalid's tray use the prettiest china obtainable.

In a private house there are always some choice and precious

pieces--teacups, quaint silver pitchers and spoons, pretty plates,

and delicate thin tumblers. These will be gladly placed at the

disposal of the sick one, especially if the nurse will volunteer to

be responsible for them.

To prepare a meal for an invalid after planning the food, the first

necessary articles are a tray clean on both sides, a neat napkin

to spread over it, and exquisitely clean dishes done by a servant

known to be neat, or by one's self. It not infrequently happens,

especially in houses in which the mistress leaves everything to the

servants, and never goes into the kitchen, that dishes are washed

in such surroundings of dirt, and wiped with such unclean towels,

as to be dangerous for any one to use. It is therefore necessary

for a nurse to understand about such matters, and to see to it that

her patient's dishes are above suspicion. In fact, it is a dainty

attention on her part to care entirely for the tray-dishes of her

charge.

In some forms of disease it is absolutely necessary, in order to

prevent contagion, that a nurse should attend altogether to the

tray and dishes, for it would almost never occur that any member of

a household would understand an effectual method of sterilization.

In a contagious disease everything that goes to the

bedside--dishes, knives, forks, spoons, napkin, the tray

itself--should be rendered sterile by boiling in water for half an

hour, or by treatment with steam for a similar time, before any

one, except the nurse, even touches them.

Nothing should be used in the way of linen or dishes that cannot

be washed without spoiling; therefore fancy silk doilies and other

similar furnishings are to be avoided.

When it is necessary to taste of food before giving it to a

patient, take some into a separate dish, and use a separate spoon

or fork; or, if it is a liquid, take out a little with a spoon into

another spoon, being careful that the one used for tasting does not

at any time touch the liquid.

Never touch the bowls of spoons, nor the inside of plates and

cups, with the fingers, unless the hands are prepared by thorough

cleansing for it. A nurse who understands antiseptic surgery,

and knows how easily contagion is carried, will appreciate the

necessity of these precautions. The hands should be washed after

arranging a bed, using a handkerchief, arranging the hair--in fact,

always before handling either food or dishes.

Food and drink should not be allowed to remain exposed to the air

for any length of time. Most kinds of food are excellent media for

micro-organisms to flourish in, and consequently the food, if it be

such as might be eaten afterward, deteriorates.

Then, from an esthetic point of view, it is the height of

untidiness to allow a tray to remain in the sick-room any length

of time after the meal has been eaten. It should be immediately

removed with all traces of the meal, as should also fruit, glasses

for water, lemonade, milk, etc., which may be used at different

times during the day.

If the patient objects and wishes to have what is left for future

use, assure him that it is near at hand, and being kept cool and

clean for him. By punctually fulfilling promises made about such

matters, he will very quickly learn to trust a nurse, not only in

these, but in other things.

For decoration for a tray nothing should be used besides pretty

china and flowers. A slender glass or silver vase with a blossom

or two, or a delicate fern with a white or pink flower, are always

suitable. It is well to use ferns and other fresh green decorations

liberally, especially in winter. Green is always grateful to the

sight, and sometimes a single spray will give pleasure to an

invalid for hours.

Violets, roses, orchids, and all flowers that are dainty in

themselves, are always in good taste, but a very few or a single

blossom is all that is allowable. A big bouquet on a tray or an

invalid's table is as out of place as a whole roast or a whole

pudding. Flowers with strong odors or primary colors should be

avoided, such, for instance, as marigolds, fleur de lis, and

dahlias. They are handsome in a garden or a hall, but not at the

bedside.

Little attentions in the way of ornamentation, and thoughtfulness

as to an invalid's meal, are deeply appreciated. They show that

an effort has been made to please, and to many sick ones the

feeling that they are a constant care to those about them is a very

oppressive one. It should be the pleasure of a good nurse to dispel

such thoughts. It is the duty of every nurse to do so.

Variety for those who are sick (after they are out of danger, and

waiting for strength to return) is just as necessary as for those

who are well, and for the same reason--that is, to furnish the

body with all those substances required for perfect nutrition.

Many think that because a person is ill, or an invalid, he must be

denied all things that are good, and fed upon such dishes as well

persons generally abhor, like water gruel, thin oyster stews, and

half-cooked corn-starch pudding.

It is curious how such an idea should have been lodged in the mind,

but it is probably a relic of the old treatment in the days before

antiseptic surgery and the modern practice of medicine. Now, as

soon as a patient is out of danger, careful feeding with a variety

of wholesome, perfectly cooked, nutritious food--of course, wisely

administered as to quantity--is an essential part of the treatment,

and constitutes nearly the whole cure in some forms of disease of

the nervous system.

The body, depleted and exhausted by long-continued sickness, is

without resources, and must draw from food (and, of course, air)

all those substances needed for repair and the restoration of

bodily vigor. To insure this, different kinds of food are required,

for no single one, not even milk, contains everything needed.[44]

Fruits of various kinds, green salads and vegetables, fish, beef,

and mutton should be used, as well as milk, eggs, chicken, and

toast.

Ease in serving the sick is an accomplishment in a nurse, and a

certain amount of _seeming_ indifference is an advisable quality

to cultivate. It is a good plan to take every _possible care_ in

preparing a meal for a sick person, and then to appear not to

notice whether he eats; for sometimes sensitive people, in their

desire not to disappoint, or in their endeavors to please, will eat

when they do not care for food.

Endeavor to remember individual tastes, and try to gratify them;

always do so when it is in your power, for these individual

preferences are often true instincts of the individual nature

striving to secure that which is best for it. If a man asks for the

second joint of a fowl, don't take to him a cut from the breast,

even though _you_ may think it the choicest portion.

Food should be given at _regular intervals_. If a patient is very

ill, the rule is to administer nourishment in small quantities and

often. Sometimes a patient is too feeble to help himself to food,

and then he must be fed by the nurse. When such is the case, she

should be extremely careful, no matter what the pressure of other

work may be, not to hurry him. Give him plenty of time,--first,

that the food may remain in the mouth long enough to be mixed with

the saliva, for saliva is one of the digestive juices; and second,

so that it may be thoroughly masticated and broken; otherwise it

will be thrown into the stomach in large masses, and may not digest

at all.

The _quantity_ of food given will always depend upon the condition

of the person, and will consequently vary for each individual.

Give rather _too little_ than too much, with, of course, the

understanding that there is always an abundance to be had. A

little is often a challenge, especially to one of delicate

appetite; a large quantity is always vulgar. It is much better to

carry a second portion to one who needs it than to offer too much

at first.

No exact and definite directions can be given for the serving of

special dishes, for a nurse's resources in the way of china, etc.,

are so uncertain; but a few hints in regard to some principles

that, no matter what the circumstances are, never change may be

found of service.

For instance, water, lemonade, milk, milk-punch, and all other

cold drinks are most healthful when _cool_, not ice-cold. Ice-cold

water, ice-cold milk, and all chilled drinks are _always forbidden_

for both sick and well, except in fevers, in extremely hot weather,

and in unusual cases, when only a few spoons of liquid are taken.

Even in these cases it is a question whether _cool_ liquids would

not do as well. We all know the danger of taking a large quantity

of ice-cold drink when overheated. Even death has frequently

resulted from it.

Serve tea, coffee, cocoa, bouillon, broth, gruel, and all hot

drinks in cups which are _hot_, not lukewarm. Soup as a part of a

meal should be served in a covered silver dish when practicable,

for silver may be made very hot, and no other is so pretty. In lieu

of silver use a covered china dish, or a bouillon-cup made hot in

an oven beforehand. Remember that the _warmth_ of all these foods

is one of their valuable qualities.

Beef-juice and beef-tea may be offered in a red wine-glass, to

conceal the color, which is sometimes at first unpleasant to those

unaccustomed to the use of rare beef; but the taste of these is

so acceptable and savory that, after taking a few spoons, the

objection vanishes.

Cups and tumblers ought not to be filled to more than within a half

inch of the top. The best argument for this custom is, that it is

considered good form; but there is a good reason back of it, as is

the case in most other established customs. If a cup be filled to

the brim it cannot be moved without spilling the liquid over the

outside; this occasions wiping, which it is especially difficult to

do, and waste of a certain portion of the contents; then it is not

easy to drink from a cup so filled.

Fruits, such as oranges, grapes, peaches, and tomatoes, should be

served cool, but not cold or chilled. The ideal way to eat fruits

is without artificial cooling. A peach is never so delicious as at

the moment it is gathered from the tree, just ripe, and tomatoes

have the finest flavor eaten directly off the vines; but it is

seldom that these fruits or others can be so obtained, and we,

knowing that fruits do not keep well except in cool places, are apt

to associate a certain degree of coolness with them. The objection

to serving fruits very cold is that, besides the fact that they are

not as readily digested so, their delicate flavor is lost, for the

cold contracts the sensitive papillæ of the tongue, and thus the

power of tasting is temporarily deadened.

Oranges, peaches, and plums may be used uncooked, as they are

extremely easy of digestion so, and also grapes, unless there is

objection to the seeds, in which case they should be cooked, and

the seeds strained out. Apples and pears are safer cooked; tomatoes

may be eaten either way.

Transparent jellies are pretty served in glass dishes, and

ice-cream, sherbets, and ices in china saucers, or ice-cream dishes

of pink, or other delicately warm colors. Ice-cream, uncolored, in

shell pink, is much more attractive than it is in cold mauve or

green. Water-ices, which usually have color of their own, may be

served in dishes to match it. Raspberry or strawberry ice is lovely

in dull rich red; apricot ice in yellow--that is, a certain shade

of écru which harmonizes with the color of the fruit--and pineapple

and lemon ice in Dresden ware are very pretty.

Eggs should be opened into a hot, though not very hot, egg-glass.

It is the proper thing to do so even when a patient is well enough

to open them for himself, for, although the supply may have been

obtained from the very best sources, there is always the risk that

some of the eggs may be old, too old to be good.[45]

Oysters in the half-shell are served simply with salt, pepper, and

lemon-juice, or horse-radish. A quarter or a half of a lemon is

placed on the oyster-plate with the oysters, and after the salt and

pepper are sprinkled on a few drops of lemon-juice are squeezed

over each oyster, or a bit of horse-radish is placed on each.

Broiled oysters may be served with a sauce of melted butter,

seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon-juice or vinegar.

Toast is particularly acceptable with nearly all kinds of cooked

oysters, and fancy shapes, such as tiny rounds, squares, and

points, are excellent with stews, soups, and roasts, instead of

crackers.

Dry toast ought to be eaten directly off the toaster, and,

except in serious illness, butter may be given with it. Orange,

gooseberry, raspberry, and other marmalades, currant, apple, and

grape jellies, and baked sweet apples or apple-sauce, are excellent

with either dry or water toast. Cooked apples in any form are

delicious with milk and cream toasts.

It is the fashion just now to serve junket, slip, soft custard,

lemon cream, tapioca cream, and similar delicate desserts in cups

and saucers, not glasses. The quainter the pattern of the china,

the prettier the effect.

* * * * *

A plan for a breakfast, to consist of a peach, rolled wheat

porridge, beefsteak, baked potato, coffee, and toast:

(1) Put the porridge, which should have been cooked the day before,

on the fire to heat, and the potato into the oven to bake.

(2) Set some water to boil for the coffee, and the milk to heat to

serve with it.

(3) Trim the steak, which should be a small piece an inch thick,

an inch and a half wide, and three or four inches long; cut the

bread, and make a butter-ball by rolling a bit of butter between

two spatters made for the purpose.[46]

(4) Set a plate, cup and saucer, and dishes for serving the food,

in the warming-oven to heat.

(5) Arrange the tray with a fresh napkin, knife, fork, spoons, salt

and pepper, fine granulated sugar and cold cream for the porridge,

and some lumps of loaf sugar for the coffee.

(6) Fifteen minutes before the potato is done make the coffee, and

ten minutes later broil the steak; in the interim pare the peach,

laying it open from the stone, and toast the bread.

Now, if calculation as to the time has been well made, everything

will be ready--the potato baked, the porridge steaming, the coffee

cooked, and the steak and toast waiting in the oven.

(7) Serve the fruit on a tiny fruit-plate, the porridge in a hot

saucer, and the coffee, together. When the fruit and porridge are

finished, offer the potato, wrapped in a doily to keep it warm, the

steak in a hot covered silver dish, and the toast on an individual

bread-plate. Or all may be served together when for any reason it

seems best to do so: for instance, if the tray has to be carried a

long distance, or up many flights of stairs.

The above arrangement is simply beginning with the things which

require the longest time, and then taking each in such order that

all shall be finished at the same moment.

By understanding the length of time required for each dish, there

need be no hurrying, nor will anything be cooked too soon.

Dinner should be planned in the same way, and also supper.

Even when there is not much cooking to be done the same idea

prevails--that is, to begin with whatever requires the longest

time, and to do last those dishes which spoil by standing; in

other words, to be systematic, (1) because your meal is in better

condition when so done, and (2) because it is easier for yourself.

There then will be neither hurry nor worry, and work which ends

with a satisfactory result is always a pleasure.

THE FEEDING OF CHILDREN

There are three ways in which a child may be supplied with food

during its infancy: by its mother; by a substitute for its

mother--a wet nurse; and by artificial feeding. This chapter will

treat only of the latter method.

The child is fortunate whose mother can supply it with a sufficient

quantity of wholesome milk. There is nothing more to be desired for

it during the first ten or twelve months of its life. But often a

mother, for one reason or another, is not able to nurse her child,

and other means of feeding must be sought. In such cases, among

the wealthier classes, a wet nurse is sometimes employed; but with

the majority of people there is no alternative except artificial

feeding. When this has been decided upon, the question naturally

arises as to what shall be the best substitute for the natural

nourishment of the child--mother's milk, which must always be taken

as the perfect type of infants' food.[47] To this subject doctors

and hygienists have given much attention for a long time. Many

kinds of food preparations have been made and tested. The result

has been that, almost without exception, authorities agree that

milk from healthy, well-fed cows, properly prepared, is the most

valuable substitute for human milk that is at present known.[48]

The following analyses give the comparison between cow's milk and

human milk:

_Human Milk._ _Cow's Milk._

Nitrogenous substances 2.35% 4.30%

Fat 3.40% 3.80%

Sugar 4.85% 3.70%

Salts .20% .60%

Water 89.20% 87.60%[49]

Cow's milk varies considerably in nutritive properties, and for

the growing infant who receives no other food it is extremely

important that it be of the first quality. It should be tested in

every possible way to enable one to form a correct estimate of

its value, and unless unquestionably good should be rejected.[50]

When fresh from the cow, not more than two hours old, and of

superior quality, it need not be sterilized, but should be put into

perfectly cleansed and sterile vessels,[51] and kept in an ice-box,

or refrigerator, at a temperature of 50° to 60° Fahr.[52]

When obliged to buy the ordinary milk of commerce, select if

possible that which is put up in glass jars. There are farmers

who do this. Each jar is sealed, marked with the owner's name

and address, and the date of sending. Such milk does not become

contaminated with bad air in transit, cannot be tampered with by

middlemen, and must be free from dirt, as it would show through

the glass; each customer gets exactly a quart, with all the cream

that belongs to it; moreover, the owner, having attached his name,

has thus put his reputation at stake, and is not likely to sell

inferior milk. When this is not practicable, search for the best

and cleanest dairy, and see that the milk is delivered as soon as

possible after being received at the dairy. Milk should not be

bought from small stores.

The best milk comes from cows that have good pasturage, with clean

running water, and that are fed in winter on dry fodder and grain,

and not on ensilage and brewery waste.

According to the reports of the American Public Health Association,

_one fifth_ of all the deaths among infants may be traced to the

milk supply, and there is no doubt that most of the sickness of

bottle-fed children, during the summer months, is directly due to

the unhealthy condition of their food.

It then becomes the imperative duty of every mother, nurse, or

other person who has the care of children, to learn, if she does

not already know, the simpler tests for milk, and something of the

philosophy of the feeding of her charge.[53] When such knowledge

is more general, and women are able to determine intelligently the

quality of the milk which is offered them, then will milk-dealers

be forced to cease mixing, adulterating, and otherwise tampering

with the milk, which, as a general thing, is sold at the farms in

excellent condition.

The first object is to secure a good quality of milk; then comes

the consideration of how it shall be prepared: this must be in such

manner as shall render it as nearly like human milk, in composition

and digestibility, as possible.

Comparison of the tables just given shows that cow's milk contains

more nitrogenous matter and salts, and less sugar, than human

milk.[54] By diluting with water to reduce the protein and salts,

and adding sugar and a little cream, the proportions of these

different substances may be made to approximate those in mother's

milk. In both the sugar is the same--lactose, or milk-sugar; the

fats are also much alike in each; but the albuminous matter of

cow's milk differs somewhat from that of human milk, particularly

in the way in which it coagulates in the presence of acids. Human

milk forms into small, light, feathery curds; cow's milk into

large, compact, not so easily digested masses. It is necessary,

therefore, to seek the means for preventing the coagulation of milk

in large curds in the stomach of the child--in other words, to so

treat cow's milk that it shall coagulate more like human milk. This

may be done in two ways:

(1) By mixing into the milk some substance which shall separate the

particles of albumen from each other, and so cause it to form into

smaller masses.

(2) By partial predigestion.

To accomplish the first, it is necessary to use some diluting

substance of a harmless nature; if it be nutritious, so much

the better. For this, Mellin's food, barley-water, veal broth,

lime-water, and gelatin are recommended.

Mellin's food is a partially predigested grain, in such a

condition that it can be assimilated by the infant; barley-water is

valuable for its potash salts, in which cow's milk is deficient,

and which the growing babe needs; veal broth is rich in lime; and

lime-water neutralizes the acid of the gastric juice, so that

milk is not acted upon so strongly, and consequently forms into a

lighter curd.

The second method is that of partial predigestion, and is

accomplished by the use of peptonizing agents, among which

Fairchild's peptogenic milk-powder is good (directions for its

use will be given later). On account of the expense of these

preparations it is not probable that they will come into general

use, except in cases of sickness.

It is therefore evident that dependence must be placed almost

entirely upon attenuants to render the casein of cow's milk more

easily digestible. Probably for this Mellin's food is as good,

if not better, than any other of the recommended preparations.

It is not injurious, is nutritious in itself, and is a good

diluting agent, causing milk to form into looser curds than it

would otherwise do, and it contains sufficient sugar to require no

further addition of this substance.

Now arises the question whether milk shall be sterilized for

infants' feeding. The weight of evidence seems to be as follows:

if it is possible to see the conditions under which the cows live,

and to _know_ that they are unquestionably good, that the animals

are in perfect health, that the milk is drawn from cleansed udders

into cleansed vessels by clean hands, kept in a cool place, and

used fresh, then it is probably wise not to sterilize it. All

milk otherwise obtained should be made sterile before using, and

as soon as possible after milking. Looking to the standard--human

milk--there are no organisms in it. That alone is sufficient

reason why cow's milk should be freed from them.[55]

Again, most bottle-fed children do well during the cold weather

of autumn and winter; in summer the mortality is very great among

them, especially in the poorer districts of large cities. It is

well known that the chances for life with children nourished by

mother's milk are greater than with those artificially fed. Why

should this be? There is no doubt that it is owing to the presence

in cow's milk of extraneous substances, the products of bacterial

growth--products which are often absolute poisons; and it is highly

probable that cholera infantum, in a vast majority of cases, may be

traced to the action of such poisons.

Under favorable conditions of temperature, such as prevail in

the warm months of summer and early autumn, micro-organisms grow

with almost incomprehensible rapidity in any substance which is

suitable food for them. Milk is such a substance; and, as bacteria

multiply with wonderful rapidity, millions forming in a few hours

in every thimbleful,[56] it is perfectly evident that they must

produce something. This something may or may not be of a harmful

nature, depending upon what species of organism produces it. I

have no evidence at hand to show what is the nature of the product

of any one organism which finds a home in milk; but there are

instances on record where the nature of the product of certain

bacteria is known: for example, the diphtheria bacillus. This

little rod, growing upon the outside of the tonsils in the human

throat, produces a most virulent poison, which, taken up by the

circulation, pervades the whole body, and often so enfeebles its

functions as to destroy it.[57]

Reasoning from analogy, it is not impossible to suppose that other

organisms may produce substances of a similar character, poisonous

in their effects, and which, when taken into the alimentary canal,

may produce very grave digestive disorders.[58]

Further, bacteria, by their multiplication, use some of the

constituents of milk for their food, thus changing its composition.

It is very important to prevent this growth, or, in case it has

begun, to check it before it has rendered the milk unwholesome

food. Hence the necessity of sterilizing _immediately_ all milk

which is not received directly from the cow. Besides, cows are

often infected with tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease, splenic

fever, pneumonia, and other dangerous disorders. Their milk may be

a direct cause of infection. When it is sterilized there is less

danger from it; but even then it is not, of course, a wholesome

food, because of the poisons which may be produced in the animal

during the progress of the disease, and because a sick and weakened

cow cannot give wholesome milk.[59]

In many cities, through the influence of children's hospitals and

sanitariums, the knowledge and methods of sterilizing milk for

infants' food are gradually spreading.

Circular wire frames, made something like casters, and fitted with

eight bottles, each holding enough milk for one feeding, may be

bought for the purpose of sterilizing at almost any pharmacy. The

frame is to be set in a kettle with water in the bottom, which on

boiling produces steam, the heat of which does the sterilizing.[60]

This is an easy method. Another good way is to sterilize at a lower

temperature for a longer time, as less change is produced in the

constituents of the milk by the lower degree of heat. This may be

easily done by immersing the bottles in water at 190° Fahr., and

maintaining that temperature for an hour.[61]

=Care of Feeding-bottles.= Great care must be taken in cleansing

feeding-bottles. When they can be washed immediately after

using, it is easy to make them perfectly clean; but when this is

impracticable they should be put to soak in _cold_ water, then

washed with hot soap-suds, and last boiled for ten minutes in clear

water. If flecks dry on the inside, put a teaspoon of rice, or

coarse salt, into the bottle with a little water, and shake well

until all is removed. Never use shot: it might cause lead poisoning.

Plain rubber nipples alone should be used, never the tube

attachment. The nipples should be washed clean and dried after

each nursing. Before again using the nipple it should be put into

boiling water for ten minutes, and only the rim of it should be

touched in handling. The nipple should never be put into the mouth

of another person to test the milk.

=Condensed Milk.= When a large percentage of the water of milk is

evaporated, and sugar added, a thick syrup is formed, known as

condensed milk.

It is made extensively in Switzerland and America. When sealed

air-tight in cans it will keep indefinitely.

Its average composition--a mean of 41 analyses by Prof. Leeds--is

as follows:

Water 30.34%

Fat 12.10%

Milk-sugar 16.62%

Cane-sugar 22.26%

Albuminoids 16.07%

Ash 2.61%

-------

Total, 100.00

Owing to the additional sugar it is impossible to dilute it so that

the protein and sugar shall approach the standard of human milk.

Children fed with it are plump, but have soft flesh; they are

large, but not strong, and lack the power of endurance and

resistance to disease. Their teeth come late, and they are very

likely to have rickets.[62] This is enough to indicate that it is

not a proper food upon which to feed a child exclusively.

Condensed milk is valuable in emergencies or in traveling, and

may also be used occasionally when for any reason the milk supply

fails. It has the advantage of being free from ferments and easily

kept.

There are physicians who recommend the use of condensed milk, and

no doubt, compared with the germ-laden, watery fluid called milk,

obtainable in the poorer sections of large cities, it is infinitely

better. It should always be diluted with at least ten times its

bulk of water.

=Preserved Milk.= Preserved milk is milk which has been condensed

and canned without the addition of sugar. It would be a valuable

food for children were it not that it is expensive, and will keep

but a few hours after the can is opened. By sterilizing it in

flasks with narrow necks, plugged with cotton, it may be kept as

other milk is for an indefinite time. As soon as the can is opened,

the contents should be poured into a glass or earthen vessel, for,

on exposure of the milk to the air, chemical action takes place

with the tin.[63]

=Farinaceous Foods.= There are many farinaceous forms of food

prepared for the use of infants and children. Probably the most

valuable of them are those made according to the Liebig process.

The starch of the grain from which such foods are prepared is, in

the process of manufacture, changed into soluble dextrine, or sugar

(glucose), by the action of the diastase of malt: the very thing

which an infant cannot do.

When we consider that the digestion of starch in the alimentary

canal consists of this change into glucose, and that it is

effected principally by the saliva and the pancreatic juice, the

significance of the value of such foods will be seen.

It is also well to bear in mind that neither of these functions

(the secretion of saliva and pancreatic juice) is developed in an

infant until it enters the third month of its life, and then but

very imperfectly. That alone shows the necessity of _excluding all

starch_ from its food up to that age.

Mellin's food and malted milk are prepared according to the Liebig

process. In them the starch has been converted into soluble matter

by the action of the ferment of malt. It is really a partial

predigestion. Mellin's food does not contain milk.

The following analysis of Mellin's food is one made by Professor

Fresenius, of Wiesbaden, Germany:

Non-nitrogenous substances soluble in water 69.38%

Non-nitrogenous substances insoluble in water 3.18%

------

_Total carbohydrates_ 72.56%

Nitrogenous substances soluble in water 4.69%

Nitrogenous substances insoluble in water 5.06%

-----

_Total albuminoids_ 9.75%

_Total salts_, mostly phosphoric acid, carbonic

acid, and potassa 4.37%

------

_Total moisture_ 13.32%

Cane sugar, none. Reaction, alkaline.

Comparative analysis of Mellin's food, prepared for use, with that

of woman's milk and cow's milk.

_Mellin's _Woman's _Cow's

_Constituents._ Food._ Milk._ Milk._

Fat 2.36% 4.00% 3.30%

Albuminoids 2.83% 2.50% 3.50%

Carbohydrates 6.81% 6.50% 5.00%

Salts and inorganic matter .74% .50% .70%

Water 87.26% 86.50% 87.50%

Cellulose A trace. -- --

Cane-sugar None. -- --

Starch None. -- --

DR. A. STUTZER, Bonn, Germany.

This analysis shows that Mellin's food bears comparison with milk.

It is easily digested, and as an _attenuant_ for milk may be used

without harm during the early months of life, but it should not be

used to the exclusion of milk for more than a few days at a time,

and then only when milk is not retained by the stomach.

Later it is doubtless a valuable addition to the regular daily food

of the child.

Malted milk is made from selected grain and desiccated or dried

milk. To prepare it for the infant it needs only the addition of

water. It is probably one of the best substitutes for milk, but

should not be used for any length of time when it is possible to

get good milk.

The starch of grains may be converted into dextrine and glucose by

the action of heat as well as by the action of diastase, so that

when flour is subjected to a certain temperature, and for a certain

time, this change is produced.

Nestlé's food, Imperial Granum, Ridge's food, and some others are

made very carefully from selected wheat by this process. Nestlé's

food contains dried milk.

These foods are all valuable when made into gruel or porridge, but

should be used very sparingly under the age of twelve months, and

then only as attenuants for milk, _not as substitutes_ for it.

Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, editor of "Domestic Hygiene of the

Child," by Uffelmann (a translation), in speaking of the value of

the various preparations of infants' food on the market, says:

"There is not the slightest reason to prefer them to milk or its

preparations, except that the latter requires more care; and for

any intelligent and affectionate mother this reason is quite

insufficient.... During the first year the baby is building up

tissues and organs that are to last him throughout life; and these

will work well or ill according to the degree of perfection and

precision of structure which they attain at the beginning. And this

depends to an immense extent upon the suitability of the food, not

only to be digested, but to be absorbed, and then to be assimilated

and organized.

"So mysterious are the properties of the molecules of albumen and

fat, when once they have been thrown into the whirl of the living

organism, that we must strive to deviate as little as possible

from the exact forms given to us in nature, if only because we do

not know what remote effects might result from the deviations. If

nature provides the albumen of milk and a living fluid, we cannot

expect the same results from any other albumen, or from long dead

organic matter, as condensed milk."

The farinaceous foods have value, but they cannot replace good

milk, which should be almost the sole food of the child to at least

the age of ten months, and the principal nutrient to the age of two

years.

When a baby is nursed, and its mother has an abundance of milk, it

takes nothing else during the first ten or twelve months of life.

When a baby is artificially fed, this fact should be borne in mind.

The important thing is to attain as nearly as possible to the

standard that nature has set.

Biedert's cream mixture and the whey mixture are valuable for young

infants and those which for any reason do not thrive on milk.

=Amount for Each Meal.= A child is nourished, not by what

it swallows, but by what it digests. Giving too much or too

concentrated milk is very unwise, for the delicate system cannot

manage it, and too frequently the meal becomes a source of pain

rather than of strength. Each individual babe will require a little

different treatment in this respect from every other.

In general, for the first six weeks from two to four tablespoons

at a feeding may be given; from that age to six months, from four

to eight tablespoons, gradually increasing the amount to twelve

tablespoons at one year.

=Dilution.= Cow's milk is more easily digested when diluted with

water, and we are more likely to dilute too little than too much.

The amount of water used should vary with the age and strength of

digestion of the child. As a rule the new-born infant should have

two parts water to one of milk; at four months equal parts of milk

and water; at ten months one part water and two parts milk. When

digestion is particularly feeble, it may be necessary to dilute

milk with six or eight times its bulk of water.

=Manner of Giving.= It is best to give milk from a bottle so

constructed that suction is necessary, for it induces the flow of

the digestive juices. Use the plain rubber nipple; those with tube

attachments which extend into the bottle are to be avoided, on

account of the difficulty of making them perfectly clean inside.

Cultures from these tubes always give large numbers of bacteria, as

do also those made from the nipples, unless they are boiled.

The _intervals_ of feeding will vary somewhat with the age of the

child. Once in two or two and a half hours during the day for the

first six months, and every three hours from the sixth to the

twelfth month, is the general rule.

The _temperature_ of the meal should be 100° Fahr.

A babe needs less variety in its food than older children, and

they in turn require less than grown persons; but both must have a

certain proportion of the five essential food principles.

There is an impression in the minds of many that children should

not have fat. This has perhaps sprung from the fact that mother's

milk has a watery, thin appearance. It seems not rich; nevertheless

it has a due proportion of fat, and it is extremely important that

this be maintained when cow's milk is diluted, for this cream is

the best addition.

Fat is needed not only for the growth of brain and nerves, which is

very rapid in children, but also for the perfect formation of other

tissues.

The following table is that given by Dr. Louis Starr as a guide for

feeding:

GENERAL RULES FOR FEEDING.

_Age._ _Intervals of _Average Am't _Average Am't

Feeding._ each Meal._ in 24 hours._

First week 2 hours 2 tablespoons 1¼ pints

Second to sixth week 2½ hours 3-4 tablespoons 1½-2 pints

Sixth week to sixth month 3 hours 6-8 tablespoons 2½-3 pints

At six months 3 hours 12 tablespoons 4½ pints

At ten months 3 hours 16 tablespoons 5 pints

For the First Week; One Feeding

1 Tablespoon of whey.[64]

1 Tablespoon of water.

⅔ Tablespoon of cream.

⅙ Teaspoon of sugar.

Or Biedert's cream mixture:

1 Tablespoon of cream.

¼ Teaspoon of milk-sugar.

3 Tablespoons of water.

Or,

1 Tablespoon of milk.

¼ Teaspoon of milk-sugar.

3 Tablespoons of water.

If it is desirable to make at once a sufficient quantity of

Biedert's cream mixture for several feedings, the above rule

multiplied by eight will furnish enough for eight bottles, and is

as follows: one cup of cream, three cups of boiling water, and

one tablespoon of milk-sugar. Mix all together; put the mixture

in equal portions into eight feeding-bottles, and plug each with

cotton. Either sterilize it or put it immediately on ice to keep.

After the First Week, and Until the Sixth Week

Use either the cream mixture, the whey mixture, or the following:

2 Tablespoons of cow's milk.

4 Tablespoons of water.

1 Teaspoon of Mellin's food.

⅓ Teaspoon of milk-sugar.

From the Sixth Week to the Sixth Month

Water and milk in equal quantities, with a little cream and

milk-sugar, and some attenuant, such as Mellin's food or barley

jelly.[65]

2 Tablespoons of cow's milk.

2 Tablespoons of water.

1 Tablespoon of cream.[66]

1 Teaspoon of Mellin's food.

⅜ Teaspoon of sugar.

The above proportion to be maintained, but the amount to be varied

according to the age of the babe.

If at any time this disagrees, use instead Biedert's cream mixture

or the whey mixture. When both of these fail it may be necessary to

peptonize the food.

_To peptonize milk_:

No. 1

2 Tablespoons of milk.

2 Tablespoons of water.

1 Tablespoon of cream.

1 Small measure of peptogenic milk powder.

Put all into a clean porcelain-lined saucepan and heat it, stirring

slowly until the mixture boils: this should not require more than

ten minutes.

No. 2

A special preparation for sick or feeble infants, or those

suffering from indigestion.

2 Tablespoons of milk.

2 Tablespoons of water.

1 Tablespoon of cream.

1 Small measure of peptogenic milk powder.

Put all into a bottle, shake it well, place it in a bath or kettle

of hot water of a temperature of 115° Fahr. (so hot that the hand

cannot be borne in it long without discomfort), and keep it at

that temperature for exactly thirty minutes; then pour it into a

saucepan, and heat quickly to the boiling point. By this method

a very thorough predigestion takes place. The process should be

stopped before the bitter taste is developed.

From the Sixth to the Tenth Month

Increase the proportion of milk and of Mellin's food, or other

attenuant used.[67]

4 Tablespoons of cow's milk.

3 Tablespoons of water.

1½ Teaspoons of cream.

1 Tablespoon of Mellin's food.

½ Teaspoon of milk-sugar.

Boil the water, then add the milk, Mellin's food, cream, and sugar,

or put all together in a feeding-bottle, place in a kettle of water

heated to 190° Fahr., and keep it at that temperature for one

hour.[68] This amount is only a general rule, and may, of course,

be varied according to the age and individual need of the child.

The _proportion_ of the ingredients should, however, not be changed.

From the Tenth to the Twelfth Month

6 Tablespoons of cow's milk.

3 Tablespoons of water.

1½ Tablespoons of cream.

1 or 2 Tablespoons of Mellin's food.

1 Teaspoon of milk-sugar.[69]

_Mellin's Food with Condensed Milk._ Although, as has been

previously stated, condensed milk is not a proper food for

children, there are times when it may be necessary to use it: for

instance, in traveling, or when the daily supply of milk for any

reason fails.

The usual mixture of condensed milk given to babies is one part of

milk to twelve parts of water, the analysis[70] of which shows the

fat and casein to be in too small proportions. If more condensed

milk be added, the sugar will be increased too much; but by

increasing the water, and using Mellin's food and cream, a very

good mixture may be obtained. The following is recommended:

1 Teaspoon condensed milk.

1 Tablespoon of Mellin's food.

8 Tablespoons of water (1 cup).

1 Teaspoon of cream.

Boil the water, then add the condensed milk, Mellin's food, and

cream in the order in which they are mentioned, stirring until all

is dissolved.

Nothing should be used during the first twelve months except

liquid food, and that must not be of too great density.

Avoid any food which contains cellulose, or starch as such.[71]

Cellulose is but imperfectly if at all digested by grown persons;

and starch, not being a natural kind of nourishment for an infant,

is extremely liable to ferment and cause serious digestive

disturbances.

It should be remembered that, although the chief function of a babe

is to eat, sleep, and grow, its stomach cannot work all the time,

and, consequently, the wise plan is to feed it only at regular

intervals.

The best proof that a child is doing well is increase of weight,

a healthy appearance, and lack of fretfulness. Sometimes, when

restless, it is only a drink of water that it needs, as children

suffer much from thirst in warm weather.

From the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Month

Continue with milk, _undiluted_ with water, as the principal

food. Use with it Mellin's food as before, Nestlé's food, Ridge's

food, Imperial Granum, oatmeal porridge _strained_, soft custard,

soft-cooked eggs, cocoa[72] cooked in water, with milk added or

cooked in milk, and cracker-crumbs boiled in water, with milk added.

After Eighteen Months

The same diet as for the previous six months, with the addition of

scraped or pounded chicken, mutton, or beef; mashed baked potatoes

with beef-juice poured over; toasted bread or toasted crackers

rolled into crumbs, and soaked in milk or broth; junket, and plain,

simple puddings, such as cream-of-rice, tapioca, and arrowroot.

A diet similar to this should be the chief food to the seventh

year. It may be varied by farina, wheat-germ, and other grain

mushes, dried rusk and milk, or Zwieback[73] and milk, sponge cake

with cream or milk, snow-pudding, and other wholesome and delicate

desserts, and cooked fruits.

=Foods to be Carefully Avoided.= Veal, pork in any form except

bacon,[74] highly seasoned stews, curries, canned meats or dried

meats in any form, baked beans, fruit cake, also all cakes or

gingerbread made with so-called "cooking-butter" or with common

lard, raw fruits, lobsters and crabs, new potatoes, berries, and

cabbage.

DISTRICT NURSING

In England and in some parts of America district nursing, or

nursing among the very poor of certain sections of a city, is an

established part of a nurse's work. Her duties are to go from house

to house among the sick, to administer medicine and food, and to

make the surroundings of her patient comfortable.

There is no way in which one may reach the hearts and sympathies of

the poor so quickly as by helping them to, or showing them how to

do for themselves, those things which they think they need.

Their first consideration is for the immediate necessities of

life--food, clothing, and shelter. Their days are spent in a

struggle with the world for these--too often an unequal struggle,

in which the world conquers. A nurse, or any other person who can

gain admission to their homes and sympathies, may help them in

many ways as no other can. Great good may be done by teaching them

economical and simple methods of preparing their food, which as a

general thing is cooked both badly and wastefully.

A nurse doing district nursing, besides administering medicine

and making her patient generally comfortable, will inevitably and

naturally turn to the preparation of some form of nourishment for

him. If she can make it acceptably with the materials and cooking

utensils at hand, or is able to ask for that which is within the

means of the family, or to direct the buying of it, she will add

greatly to the comfort of the household.

The object of this chapter is not, however, to deal with cooking

for the sick. That will be left entirely to the judgment of the

nurse, who is supposed to have studied the subject as a part of

her training. But it has occurred to the author that a nurse doing

district nursing would often find the opportunity to help the

_families_ of her patients, and that often such help would need to

be given in order to prevent actual suffering. Especially would

this be true if it were the mother of a family who was ill, and

there was no one to prepare food for the father and children, who

must be fed. Usually there is a child, either boy or girl, who is

old enough to learn if there is some one to teach.

The following pages have been written for the purpose of

suggesting, to such nurses as are disposed to do good in this

way, some easily made and economical dishes which are really both

palatable and nutritious. A few directions about building a fire,

washing dishes, sweeping, etc., will be given, and then some bills

of fare with recipes adapted for the use of people of small means,

and taken for the most part from the Lomb Prize Essay by Mary H.

Abel, entitled "Practical, Sanitary, and Economic Cooking," and

published by the American Public Health Association, 1890.

Permission to use these recipes has been graciously granted by Mrs.

Abel, and the American Public Health Association, through Mr. Lomb.

=To Make a Fire.= First, clear the stove of ashes and cinders, then

put in wood-shavings, or twisted newspaper; over this foundation

lay small pieces of wood, crossed, so as to leave air-spaces

for draft, then larger pieces of wood, and lastly two or three

fire-shovels of coal. Light the kindling from the bottom of the

grate, and let it burn for a while before putting on more coal;

remember that it is the heat from the burning wood which ignites

the coal, and if it does not burn it is because there is not wood

enough to produce sufficient heat to start the union between the

combustible part of the coal--carbon chiefly--and the oxygen of the

air. Add coal a little at a time, thus keeping a fresh fire.

After the fire is well started regulate the dampers often, to

economize as much as possible the consumption of coal. Keep them

partially or wholly closed, unless a hot fire is needed for some

purpose. The cinders left from an old fire should be sifted and

re-burned. Many dollars' worth of coal may be saved in a year by

giving attention to the drafts of a stove.

=To Wash Dishes.= Mixing-bowls, double boilers, and all dishes

which for any reason have food clinging to them, should be put to

soak in cold water as soon as used. If this has not been done,

attend to it before making other arrangements for washing the

dishes. See then that the dish-pan or tub, dish-cloths, and sink

are perfectly clean; if not, make them so with hot water and

soap. Wash the dishes in hot soapy water, not hot water alone,

even if they are not greasy, and rinse them in a pan of clear hot

water. Take glassware, silver, and china first, then steel knives

and forks, granite-ware, kettles, tins, etc. When the dishes

are finished, wash thoroughly and dry, or put to dry, both the

wiping-towels and the dish-cloths; unless they are white, clean,

and sweet when done, boil them in clear soapy water until they

become so, changing it frequently if it looks dark.

=Sweeping and Dusting.= Sweep slowly and carefully, holding the

broom close to the floor, so that the dust shall not be thrown into

the air. _Burn the dirt_; never allow it to be thrown into a box or

into the coal-hod.

Dusting should be done with a damp cloth, wiping up the dust, not

brushing it into the air, from which it will settle upon some other

object. When you have finished, wash the duster and hang it to dry.

Never use a feather duster. With it one simply brushes the dust

from one place only to have it settle in another.

BILLS OF FARE

Mrs. Abel says, in her chapter headed "Bills of Fare": "The

following bills of fare are made out for a family of six persons,

consisting of a workingman, two women, and three children between

the ages of six and fifteen.

"The amount of food, and the proportion in which the great food

principles are represented, approximate to that which is demanded

by standard dietaries for such a family....

"To keep us in health and in working order, we ought to have a

certain amount of what is best furnished by meat, eggs, milk, and

other animal products, and we must also have fats, as well as what

is given us in grains and vegetables." The following bills of fare

are made up with this object in view:

For a family of six; average price, seventy-eight cents per day, or

thirteen cents per person.

SATURDAY, MAY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Soda-biscuit. Bread Soup. Browned Flour Soup

Sugar-syrup. Beef-neck Stew. with Fried Bread.

Coffee. Noodles. Toast and Cheese.

Cream-of-rice Pudding.

The recipe for =Soda-biscuit= will be found on page 242.

=Bread Soup.= _Ingredients_, dry bread broken in small bits, water,

salt, pepper, onion, and a little fat. Soak the bread in the water

for a few minutes. Fry the onion, sliced, in the fat, and add it to

the soup, with the salt and pepper.

Or, use milk instead of water, and toasted or fried bread. Boil

slowly for five minutes to perfectly soften the bread.

=Beef-neck stew=, page 186.

=Noodles.= _Ingredients_, three eggs, three tablespoons of milk or

water, one teaspoon of salt, and flour.

Make a hole in the middle of the flour, put in the other

ingredients, and work to a stiff dough, then cut it into four

strips. Knead each till fine grained, roll out as thin as possible,

and lay the sheet aside to dry. When all are rolled, begin with the

first, cut it into four equal pieces, lay the pieces together, one

on top of another, and shave off very fine, as you would cabbage;

pick the shavings apart with floured hands and let them dry a

little.

_To use._ Boil the strips a few at a time in salted water, taking

them out with a skimmer, and keeping them warm. Strew over them

bread crumbs fried in butter, or use like macaroni.

These noodles will keep indefinitely when dried hard. Therefore,

when eggs are cheap, they may be made and laid up for the winter.

The water in which they are boiled is the basis of noodle soup. It

needs only the addition of a little butter, a teaspoon of chopped

parsley, and a few of the cooked noodles.

=Cream-of-rice Pudding=, page 206.

=Browned Flour Soup.=

2 Tablespoons of butter or fat.

½ Cup of flour.

2 Pints of water.

1 Pint of milk.

1 Teaspoon of salt.

Cook the flour brown, in the fat over a slow fire, or in an oven.

Add slowly the water and other ingredients. Serve with fried bread.

=Toast and Cheese.= Toast some slices of white or Graham bread,

arrange them in a platter, and pour over sufficient salted water

to soften them. Grate over enough old cheese to cover the toast.

Set it in the oven to melt, and place the slices together as

sandwiches. This is the simplest form of "Welsh Rarebit."

SUNDAY, MAY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Milk Toast. Beef Stew. Noodle Soup.

Coffee. Creamed Potatoes. Broiled Herring.

Dried Apple Pie. Bread.

Bread and Cheese. Tea.

Corn Coffee.

=Milk Toast=, page 130. =Beef Stew=, page 186. =Creamed Potatoes=,

page 166.

=Dried Apple Pie.= Make a crust in the following manner: One quart

of flour, one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of butter or lard,

or butter and suet, one scant pint of sweet milk, or water, with

one teaspoon of soda and two of cream of tartar, or three teaspoons

of baking powder.

Sift the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and soda together twice, put

it into a chopping-tray, and chop in the shortening, which should

be cold and hard, till all is fine and well mixed. Now add the milk

a little at a time, still mixing with the chopping-knife. Turn the

dough on to a molding-board, and roll it out quickly. When half

an inch thick, bake in a sheet or cut it into rounds, and bake in

layer cake tins.

When done, split it in two, and spread each half with dried apples,

stewed with a little lemon-peel and sugar. Lay the two pieces

together, and eat while warm.

Any other fruit may be used in the same way, and if a richer crust

is wanted, two tablespoons of fat instead of one may be used.

=Corn Coffee.= Roast common field corn as brown as possible without

burning. Grind coarsely, and steep like coffee. Add milk and sugar,

and you will find it a delicious drink.

=Noodle Soup=, page 305.

MONDAY, MAY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Oatmeal Mush, with Pea Soup. Bread Pancakes.

Milk and Sugar. Mutton Stew. Fried Bacon.

Bread. Broiled Potatoes. Tea.

Coffee. Bread.

=Oatmeal Mush=, page 91.

=Pea Soup.= _Ingredients_, one pound of peas, one onion, two

tablespoons of beef fat, salt and pepper. Additions to be made

according to taste. One fourth of a pound of pork, or a ham-bone,

a pinch of red pepper, or, an hour before serving, different

vegetables, as carrots and turnips, chopped and fried.

Soak the peas over night in two quarts of water. In the morning

pour it off, put on fresh water, and cook with the onion and fat

until very soft. Then mash or press the peas through a colander or

soup-strainer to remove the skins, and add enough water to make two

quarts of somewhat thick soup. Season.

=Mutton Stew=, page 187.

=Bread Pancakes.= Make in the following manner: One quart of milk,

three eggs, one tablespoon of butter, one teaspoon of salt. Add to

this one cup of flour, and two cups of bread crumbs that have been

soaked soft in milk or water and mashed smooth. The batter should

be rather thick. Bake in small cakes, adding more flour if they

stick.

TUESDAY, MAY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Oatmeal Mush and Fried Fish, with Fried Farina Pudding.

Milk. Mint Sauce. Broiled Salt Pork.

Buttered Toast. Fried Potatoes. Bread. Tea.

Coffee. Bread.

=Mint Sauce.= Two tablespoons of chopped green mint, one tablespoon

of sugar, one half cup of vinegar. Mix and let stand an hour or two.

=Fried Farina Pudding.= One pint of water, one pint of milk, one

teaspoon of salt, one half pint of farina, two eggs. Mix the flour

and eggs smooth with a part of the milk. Heat the remainder to

boiling, and stir in the egg and flour. Continue stirring until it

thickens, then cook for fifteen minutes in a double boiler. When

cold, cut it in slices and fry them brown on a griddle.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Soda-biscuit. Pea Soup. Corn Mush and

Baked Potatoes, with Irish Stew. Molasses.

Drawn Butter Sauce. Bread. Bread and Grated

Cocoa. Cheese. Tea.

=Drawn Butter Sauce.= Make according to the rule for White Sauce

(page 130), except use water instead of milk, and part beef fat

instead of all butter.

=Irish Stew= (page 186).

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Oatmeal and Milk. Broiled Beef Liver. Lentil Soup, with

Bread and Butter. Boiled Potatoes Fried Bread.

Cocoa. and Carrots, with Smoked Herring.

Fried Onions. Bread.

Bread and Cheese. Barley Porridge.

=Boiled Potatoes, and Carrots with Fried Onions.= Slice hot boiled

potatoes and boiled carrots together. Season them with salt and

pepper, and pour over them hot fried onions.

=Lentil Soup.= Made like Pea Soup, page 307.

=Fried Bread.= Cut bread into small cubes and fry it in hot fat

until light brown.

=Barley Porridge.= Made with pearl barley soaked over night in

water, and then cooked for two hours, or until it is soft. During

the last hour add milk instead of water. Flavor with salt and

butter.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Buckwheat Cakes. Giblet Soup. Codfish Balls.

Fried Bacon. Baked Potatoes, with Cheese.

Coffee. Drawn Butter Sauce. Bread.

Bread. Tea.

=Giblet Soup.= Giblet soup is made from the heart, liver, and

neck of chicken and other fowls, which in city markets are sold

separately and very cheap. Clean them very carefully, wash in cold

water, cut into small pieces, and boil for two hours with onions

and herbs. Then add a little butter, thickening, salt, and pepper.

=Codfish Balls= (_Salt Cod_). Codfish is one of the cheap foods

that seems to be thoroughly appreciated among us, and good ways

of cooking it are generally understood. It must be freshened by

laying it in water over night. When soaked, put it into cold water,

and bring gradually to the boiling point; then set the kettle back

where it will keep hot for half an hour; at the end of that time

separate it into fine shreds, add an equal amount of fresh mashed

potato, make into balls, and fry on a griddle.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Fried Bacon. Boiled Corned Beef, Pea Soup.

Boiled Potatoes. with Yeast Biscuit and

Bread. Horse-radish Sauce. Butter.

Coffee. Stewed Cabbage. Stewed Fruit.

Bread.

Barley Porridge.

=Boiled Corned Beef.= Boil the beef for three hours, very slowly at

first, changing the water once if it is very salt.

=Horse-radish Sauce.= Add grated horse-radish to drawn batter

sauce. Simmer a few minutes.

Barley Porridge, page 309.

SATURDAY, JANUARY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Fried Bacon. Browned Flour Soup. Baked Beans.

Corn Bread. Stewed Mutton. Bread.

Coffee. Mashed Potatoes. Apple Dumplings, with

Bread. Pudding Sauce. Tea.

=Corn Bread.= (1) Plain. One cup of sweet milk, one cup of sour

or buttermilk, or both of sour milk, one teaspoon of salt, one

teaspoon of soda, one tablespoon of butter or suet or lard, three

cups of Indian meal, and one cup of wheat flour, or all of Indian

meal. Mix, pour into a tin, and bake forty minutes.

(2) Richer. The same, with an egg and one half cup of sugar added.

(3) Very nice. No. 1, with the addition of three eggs, one half cup

of sugar, and one third of a cup of butter, one cup of meal being

omitted.

=Browned Flour Soup=, page 305.

=Apple Dumplings, with Pudding Sauce.= _The Dumplings._ Make a

crust like that used in dried apple pie. Cut it in squares; place

sliced apples in the middle, and gather up or pinch the corners.

Bake or steam.

_Sauce._ One pint of water made into a smooth paste with a heaping

tablespoon of flour. Cook ten minutes. Strain if necessary, sweeten

to taste, and pour it over one tablespoon of butter, and the juice

of a lemon, or other flavoring. If lemon is not used, add one

tablespoon of vinegar. This can be made richer by using more butter

and sugar. Stir them to a cream with the flavoring, and then add

the paste.

SUNDAY, JANUARY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Fried Codfish. Sheep's-head Stew, Potato and Onion

Bread and Butter. with Soda-biscuit Salad.

Coffee. Dumplings. Broiled Salt Pork.

Baked Potatoes. Bread.

Bread and Grated Corn Mush, with

Cheese. Cocoa. Pudding Sauce.

=Sheep's-head Stew= (see Mutton Stew, page 187).

=Potato and Onion Salad.= Slice some potatoes (fresh boiled and

slightly warm are best). Sprinkle them with minced onion, salt, and

pepper. Dress with a little melted butter and vinegar.

=Pudding Sauce=, the same as that for Apple Dumplings.

MONDAY, JANUARY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Fried Mush and Soup from Boiled Boiled Potatoes, with

Molasses. Beef, with Macaroni. Butter Gravy.

Bread. Broiled Beef Flank, Dried Apple Roly-

Coffee. with Mustard Sauce. poly Pudding.

Bean Purée. Bread. Bread. Tea.

=Mustard Sauce.= Make some drawn butter in the following manner:

A heaping tablespoon of butter, or beef fat, is put into a

saucepan. When it boils, one heaping tablespoon of flour is added,

and stirred as it cooks. To this add gradually one pint of water,

one teaspoon of salt, and one fourth of a teaspoon of pepper. If

you wish to unite economy and good flavor, use one half teaspoon of

beef fat in making the sauce, and add one half teaspoon of butter

cut in small pieces just before serving. Add a little mustard, and

you have mustard sauce.

=Bean Purée.= Make like Pea Soup, page 307.

=Dried Apple Roly-poly Pudding.= Make the soda-biscuit dough which

is used in dried apple pie. Roll it out into a thin sheet, and

spread with stewed and flavored dried apples. Roll it into a round

or loaf, and bake in a pan containing a little water.

TUESDAY, JANUARY

_Breakfast._ _Dinner._ _Supper._

Fried Potatoes. Browned Farina Bean Soup.

Bread. Soup, with Toast. Milk Toast.

Coffee. Stewed Mutton, with Tea.

Yeast Dumplings.

=Browned Farina Soup.= Make like Browned Flour Soup, except use

farina.

For other similar bills of fare and recipes, see the Lomb Prize

Essay, entitled "Practical, Sanitary, and Economic Cooking," which

is published and sold at a low price by the American Public Health

Association, and may be bought at any book-store. It is most

heartily recommended to nurses who do district nursing as a book

which will be found useful among the poor and those possessed of

moderate means.

LITERATURE

In preparing the preceding pages the following authorities have

been consulted. Their works will be found useful for reference

on subjects connected with the chemistry of food, bacteriology,

nutrition, health, practical cooking, and allied topics.

"The Chemistry of Cookery." W. MATTIEU WILLIAMS. 1885.

"Food Materials and their Adulterations." ELLEN H. RICHARDS. 1886.

"The Chemistry of Cooking and Cleaning." ELLEN H. RICHARDS. 1882.

Various Articles on Food in "The Century Magazine." W. O.

ATWATER. 1887-88.

"Elementary Manual of Chemistry." ELIOT AND STORER. Compiled by

W. RIPLEY NICHOLS. 1880.

"A Manual of Practical Hygiene." EDMUND A. PARKES. Edited by

FRANÇOIS DE CHAUMONT. 1887.

"A Simple Treatise on Heat." W. MATTIEU WILLIAMS. 1880.

"Food for the Invalid." J. MILNER FOTHERGILL. 1880.

"Food and Feeding." SIR HENRY THOMSON. 1880.

"The Boston Cook Book." D. A. LINCOLN. 1884.

"New England Breakfast Breads." LUCIA GRAY SWETT. 1890.

"Miss Parloa's New Cook Book." MARIA PARLOA. 1880.

"Diet for the Sick." MARY E. HENDERSON. 1885.

"Food in Health and Disease." I. BURNEY YEO.

"Delicate Feasting." THEODORE CHILD. 1890.

"The Story of the Bacteria." T. MITCHELL PRUDDEN. 1890.

"Dust and its Dangers." T. MITCHELL PRUDDEN. 1890.

"Bacteria and their Products." GERMAN SIMS WOODHEAD. 1892.

"The Methods of Bacteriological Investigation." FERDINAND HEUPPE,

M. D. 1886.

"Microbes, Ferments, and Molds." E. L. TROUESSART. 1886.

"Principles of Bacteriology." ALEXANDER C. ABBOTT, M. D. 1892.

"The Human Body." H. NEWELL MARTIN. 1890.

"A Text-book of Human Physiology." AUSTIN FLINT, M. D., LL. D.

1888.

"Domestic Hygiene of the Child." JULIUS UFFELMANN, M. D. (A

Translation.) Edited by MARY PUTNAM JACOBI, M. D. 1891.

"A Treatise on the Diseases of Infancy and Childhood." J. LEWIS

SMITH, M. D. 1886.

Article in the "Medical News" on "Diseases of Children Incident

to Summer." VICTOR C. VAUGHAN. June 9, 1888.

"Practical, Sanitary, and Economic Cooking." MARY H. ABEL. 1890.

(The Lomb Prize Essay.)

"The Town Dweller." DR. FOTHERGILL.

"A Guide to Sanitary House Inspection." W. PAUL GERHARD. 1890.

"Papers of the American Public Health Association." 1892.

"Foods." EDWARD SMITH. 1883.

CHARTS

Charts of the composition of various foods may be made like the

following, for use in a cooking school. They are valuable and

convenient for reference.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF AN EGG

_Shell._

Carbonate of lime.

_Yolk._

Nitrogenous matter 16.00%

Fat 30.70%

Salts 1.30%

Water 52.00%

_White._

Nitrogenous matter 20.40%

Salts 1.60%

Water 78.00%

COMPOSITION OF COW'S MILK

Water 87.4%

Fat 4.0%

Sugar and soluble salts 5.0%

Nitrogenous matter and insoluble salts 3.6%

DR. MILLER.

COMPOSITION OF COCOA

Cocoa butter 48.00%

Nitrogenous matter, albumen, etc. 21.00%

Theobromine 4.00%

Starch and traces of sugar 11.00%

Cellulose 3.00%

Coloring matter and aromatic essences Traces

Mineral matter 3.00%

Water 10.00%

PAYEN.

COMPOSITION OF BREAD

Nitrogenous matter 8.10%

Carbohydrates, starch, sugar, etc. 51.00%

Fatty matter 1.60%

Mineral matter 2.30%

Water 37.00%

Cellulose 0.00%

COMPOSITION OF POTATO

Water 75.00%

Starch 18.80%

Nitrogenous matter 2.00%

Sugar 3.00%

Fat 0.20%

Salts, principally potash 1.00%

APPARATUS

The following is a list of the necessary furniture, utensils,

china, and miscellaneous articles for furnishing a cooking school:

CHINA FOR SERVING

3 Glass cream pitchers.

6 Small china cream pitchers.

6 Coffee-cups and saucers.

6 Tea-cups and saucers.

3 Cocoa-cups and saucers.

2 Bouillon-cups and saucers.

3 Egg-cups.

3 Egg-glasses.

6 Tall, slender glasses for milk-punch, egg-nog, etc.

1 Small red goblet for serving beef-juice.

6 Tumblers.

1 Spoon-holder.

3 Glass sugar bowls.

2 Soup bowls.

2 Salad bowls.

2 Finger bowls.

3 Small teapots.

1 Cocoa-pot.

1 Tête-à-tête set.

1 Oatmeal set.

1 Cracker jar.

6 Dinner plates.

6 Tea plates.

6 Individual bread plates.

6 Individual Butter plates.

6 Glass sauce dishes.

6 Bone dishes.

1 Vinegar cruet.

2 Individual salt-cellars.

2 Individual pepper-bottles.

3 Small oval platters.

3 Medium-size oval platters.

3 Silver or planished tin covers, for platters or vegetable, dishes.

6 Silver knives.

6 Silver forks.

6 Silver spoons.

1 Pair of silver sugar-tongs.

1 Champagne tap.

COMMON KITCHEN CHINA

3 Large pitchers.

3 Small pitchers.

6 Half-pint cups.

6 Saucers.

12 Custard cups.

6 Individual scallop dishes.

3 Mixing bowls.

6 Quart bowls.

6 Pint bowls.

3 Large vegetable dishes.

3 Small vegetable dishes.

3 Pudding dishes.

1 Large jelly-mold.

6 Small jelly-molds.

GRANITE-WARE

2 Six-quart covered kettles.

1 Six-pint double boiler.

2 Three-pint double boilers.

1 Quart double boiler.

1 Coffee-pot.

3 Stew-pans.

6 Saucepans.

2 Omelet-pans.

2 Hand-basins.

IRON AND TIN WARE

1 Tin tea-kettle.

6 Half-pint measure cups in thirds.

6 Half-pint measure cups in fourths.

2 Tin jelly-molds.

1 Large-mouthed tunnel.

3 Small tunnels.

1 Colander.

1 Taper soup-strainer.

3 Coarse wire strainers.

3 Fine wire strainers.

2 Tea-strainers.

1 Flour sieve.

1 Dredging box.

1 Egg-poacher.

1 Grater.

1 Whip-churn.

2 Dover egg-beaters.

1 Lemon-squeezer.

1 Meat-press.

1 Potato-masher.

2 Large wire broilers.

2 Small wire broilers.

1 Oyster-broiler.

1 Wire cake-rest.

2 Large tin pans.

3 Frying-pans.

2 Iron baking-pans for bread.

2 Sponge-cake pans.

1 Iron gem pan.

2 Muffin tins.

1 Chafing-dish.

3 Lacquered trays.

3 Small trays.

12 Japanned boxes of different sizes,

for flour, etc.

6 Tea-caddies.

1 Biscuit-cutter.

4 Cutting-knives.

3 Vegetable knives.

1 Chopping-knife.

1 Meat-cleaver.

6 Forks.

1 Set of steel skewers.

1 Corkscrew.

1 Can-opener.

1 Ice-pick.

1 Sugar-scoop.

1 Basting-spoon.

6 Mixing-spoons.

12 Tablespoons.

12 Teaspoons.

WOODEN WARE

1 Coffee-mill.

1 Ice-cream freezer.

1 Salt-box.

1 Spice-box.

1 Dish-tub.

1 Large oval chopping-tray.

2 Meat-boards.

1 Bread-board.

1 Molding-board.

1 Rolling-pin.

2 Butter-spatters for butter-balls.

2 Cake-spoons.

2 Salt-spoons.

2 Vegetable brushes.

2 Scrubbing brushes.

LINEN

Table-cloths.

Napkins.

Hand-towels.

Tea-towels.

Dish-cloths.

Mops.

Ice-bag.

Jelly-bags.

Cleaning-cloths.

MISCELLANEOUS

1 Chemists' thermometer.

1 Oven thermometer.

1 Arnold sterilizer.

1 Feser's lactoscope.

1 Quevenne's lactometer.

1 Hamper for soiled linen.

6 Quart Mason jars.

6 Pint Mason jars.

FURNITURE

1 Cooking stove, with appurtenances.

1 Coal-hod.

1 Coal-shovel.

1 Galvanized iron covered waste-pail.

1 Galvanized iron sink.

2 Towel-racks.

2 Tables.

1 Refrigerator.

1 China-closet.

1 Open dresser.

6 Chairs.

1 Broom.

1 Dust-pan.

1 Dust-brush.

INDEX

Absorption, 68.

Adaptation of food to particular needs, 69.

Air, 14, 15, 18, 20, 38-44, 54, 56, 64.

Albumen, 17, 25, 27, 52, 59, 61, 76, 146, 152, 168, 169, 283, 292.

Albuminoids, 17, 25, 62.

Ale, 119.

Apparatus for furnishing a cooking-school, 315.

Apple dumplings, 311.

Apple (dried) pie, 306.

Apple soup, 144.

Apples, 130.

Baked, 225, 226.

Stewed, 226.

Apple-tea, 106.

Arrowroot, 32, 34, 85.

Atmospheric pressure, 38.

Bacon, 300.

Bacteria, 23, 49, 99, 285.

Bacterial poisons in milk, 285, 286.

Bacteriology, 5, 313.

Baking-powder, 236, 245.

Barley jelly, 296.

Barley porridge, 309.

Barley pudding, 205.

Barley-water, 101, 284.

Beef, 169, 170, 310.

Beef-juice, 75.

Bottled, 76.

Broiled, 76.

Beefsteak, 27, 170, 171.

Beef-tapioca soup, 140.

Beef-tea, 75, 116.

Bottled, 77.

With hydrochloric acid, 77.

Beer, 119.

Biedert's Cream Mixture, 293, 295.

Bile, 51, 61.

Bills of fare, 304.

Birds, 175.

Field-larks, 180.

Grouse, 179.

Partridge, 176.

Pheasants, 178.

Reed-birds, 179.

Squabs, 176.

Snipe, 177.

Woodcock, 178.

Biscuits, cream-of-tartar, 242.

Biscuits, twin, 243.

Blanc-mange, 209, 210.

Boiled corned beef, 310.

Boiled potatoes and carrots, with fried onions, 309.

Bouillon, 143.

Brandy-milk, 98.

Bread, 34, 76, 232.

Composition of, 315.

Cream-of-tartar biscuit, 242.

Gluten, 245.

Graham, 241.

Graham gems, 244.

Milk, 239.

Oatmeal muffins, 244.

Rusk, 240, 241.

Snow-cakes, 243.

Sticks, 240.

Water, 238.

Bread pancakes, 307.

Bread soup, 304.

Broths, 27, 75.

Beef, 78.

Beefsteak, 79.

Chicken, 80.

Clam, 82.

Mutton, 81.

Oyster, 82.

Scotch, 80.

Serving of, 275.

Browned farina soup, 312.

Browned flour soup, 305.

Butter-cream, 193.

Buttered water toast, 129.

Cake, 246.

Care in baking, 247.

Chocolate, 250.

Dream, 252.

Feather, 249.

Invalid's sponge, 248.

Layer, 250.

Process of making, 247.

Rose, 250.

White, 251.

Cake filling and frosting, 252.

Caramel, 252.

Chocolate, 253.

Cream, 253.

White mountain, 252.

Calf's-foot jelly, 28.

Caramel, 37, 38, 115.

To make, 197.

Carbohydrates, 18, 19, 31, 62, 63, 64, 65, 58, 71.

Carbon, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 29, 36, 37, 171.

Carbonic acid, 10, 11, 14, 15, 21, 40, 42, 54, 107, 234, 235.

Carmine for coloring, 210.

Carrageen, 209.

Cellulose, 299.

Charts, 314.

Chemical changes, 10, 11, 15.

Chemistry of foods, 313.

Chicken, broiled, 174.

Chicken jelly, 126.

Chicken panada, 141.

Chicken soup, 135.

Chicken-tapioca soup, 139.

China for serving, 316.

Chocolate, 108, 110, 200.

Serving of, 269.

To make, 109.

Clam broth, 82.

Cocoa, 108, 299, 315.

Cocoa cordial, 119.

Cocoa-nibs, 109.

Cocoa-shells, 109.

Codfish balls, 309.

Coffee, 9, 22, 23, 114, 307.

Composition of, 116.

Serving of, 269, 275.

To make, 117, 118.

Coffee jelly, 124.

Coffee-syrup, 104.

Composition of the body, 16, 17, 18, 24.

Condensed milk, 288, 298.

Consommé, 142.

Contagious diseases, care of dishes in, 271.

Convalescent's diet, 260.

Corn bread, 310.

Corn coffee, 307.

Cream, 30, 63, 104.

Cream, condensed, 296.

Cream-of-celery soup, 137.

Cream-of-rice soup, 138.

Cream of tartar, 10, 236.

Cream-of-tartar biscuit, 242.

Creams, 127, 195.

Chocolate, 200.

Coffee, 199.

Egg, 198.

Peach foam, 202.

Rice, 202.

Tapioca, 201.

Velvet, 199.

Cream sauce, 149.

Cream toast, 130.

Croutons, 132, 135.

Custards, 195.

Soft, 195, 278.

Baked, 196.

French, 197.

Rennet, 197.

Dextrine, 33, 63, 128, 163, 290.

Diastase, 34, 50.

Diet, 72.

Diet lists or menus for the sick, 254.

Digestibility of foods, 9.

Digestion, 9, 49, 66, 110, 116.

Digestive fluids, 50, 51.

District nursing, 301.

Drawn butter, 194.

Drawn butter sauce, 308.

Dried apple pie, 306.

Drinks, 95.

Egg-nog, 95.

Eggs, 25, 26, 52, 152, 314.

Composition, 152.

Omelets, 156.

Creamy, 157.

Foamy, 158.

Orange, 160.

Spanish, 160.

To serve, 277.

With chicken, 159.

With ham, No. 1, 158.

With ham, No. 2, 159.

With jelly, 159.

With parsley, 160.

With tomatoes, 159.

Poached, 155.

Scrambled, No. 1, 156.

Scrambled, No. 2, 156.

Soft-cooked, 154.

Egg toast, 131.

Elements, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 56, 57, 59.

Ether, boiling-point of, 30.

Extractives, 24, 25, 26, 28, 59.

Farina, 87, 91, 92.

Farinaceous foods, 289, 291, 292.

Fats, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29, 30, 31, 58, 60-65, 68, 71, 169, 292, 294.

Feeding of children, 280.

Analysis of Mellin's food prepared for use, 291.

Care of feeding-bottles, 287.

Condensed milk, 288.

Farinaceous foods, 289.

Food.

Amount at each meal, 293.

Dilution, 293.

First week, 295.

From the first to the sixth week, 295.

From the sixth week to the sixth month, 296.

From the sixth month to the tenth, 297.

From the tenth to the twelfth month, 298.

From the twelfth to the eighteenth month, 299.

Food after eighteen months, 299.

Foods to be carefully avoided, 300.

Field-larks, 180.

Fire, 14, 302.

Fish, 5, 191.

Boiled, 194.

Broiled, 193.

Creamed, 193.

To prepare, 191.

When in season, 192.

Flavors, 9, 59, 79.

Flaxseed tea, 105.

Food, 9, 14, 18, 25, 49, 53.

French toast, 131.

Fried bread, 309.

Fried farina pudding, 308.

Fruits, 224, 71, 208, 225, 229.

Apple compote, 220.

Apple jelly, 230.

Apples, baked, 225, 226.

Apples, stewed, 226.

Cranberry jelly and sauce, 227.

Grape jelly and sauce, 228.

Prunes, stewed, 227.

Serving of, 276.

Fuel and kindlings, 16.

Gastric juice, 50.

Gelatin, 28, 53, 59, 76, 120, 122, 168, 169.

Gelatine, 120, 121, 222.

Gelatinoids, 17, 25, 28.

General rules for the feeding of children, 294.

Giblet soup, 309.

Glucose, 35, 37, 52, 63.

Graham bread, 241.

Graham gems, 244.

Granite-ware, 316.

Grape jelly, 228.

Grape juice, 105.

Grouse, 179, 180.

Gruels, 83.

Arrowroot, 84.

Barley, 84.

Cracker, 87.

Farina, 87.

Flour, 86.

Imperial Granum, 88.

Indian meal, 89.

Oatmeal, 85, 86.

Racahout des Arabes, 88.

Serving of, 83, 275.

Glycerin, 30.

Glycogen, 63, 64, 65.

Hamburg steak, No. 1 (scraped beef), 172.

Hamburg steak, No. 2, 173.

Heat, 2, 10, 13, 14, 15, 20, 56, 54, 61, 169, 218.

Hemoglobin, 17, 59.

Horse-radish sauce, 310.

Human milk, 281.

Hydrochloric acid, 10, 11, 28, 52, 77, 78.

Hydrogen, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 24, 29.

Ice-cream, 217.

Frozen custard, 221.

Philadelphia, 220.

Royal, 220.

With an improvised freezer, 221.

Ice-cream freezers, 217.

Ices, 217.

Apricot, 224.

Ideal diet, 68.

Imperial Granum, 291, 297.

Inorganic matter of the body and of food, 18, 65, 66.

Jellies, 120.

From fruits:

Apple, 230.

Cranberry, 227.

Grape, 228.

Serving of, 276.

To preserve, 230.

From gelatine, 120.

Chicken, 126.

Coffee, 124.

French, 125.

Lemon, 123.

Orange, 123.

Puncheon, 126.

Wine, No. 1, 122.

Wine, No. 2, 122.

Restorative, 125.

Junket, 198, 278.

Kitchen china, 316.

Kumiss, 106, 107.

Lactometer, 46.

Lactoscope, 46.

Lactose, 18, 37.

Lamb chops, 184.

Lead, 12.

Lemonade, 97, 275.

Lemon jelly, 123.

Lentil soup, 309.

Lettuce salad, 213.

Light diet, 256.

Lime-water (experiment with), 21.

Linen, 318.

Liquid diet, 254.

Literature, 313.

Liver, 63.

Lobsters, 300.

Lomb prize essay, 302.

Malted milk, 290, 291.

Meats, 5, 168.

Mellin's food, 283, 284, 290, 297, 298, 299.

Menus for the sick, 254.

Micro-organisms, 1, 2, 22, 23, 40, 46, 47, 49, 98, 230, 281, 284, 285.

Milk, 30, 44-49, 57, 273.

Composition of cow's, 45, 281, 315.

Condensed, 298.

Malted, 290.

Pasteurized, 288.

Preserved, 289.

Serving of, 275.

Sterilization of, 47, 48, 49, 99, 100, 281, 284, 287.

Supplies, 49, 281, 282.

Milk and seltzer, 100.

Milk and soda-water, 101.

Milk lemonade, 97.

Milk-punch, 95, 275.

Milk toast, 130.

Milk-sugar, 298.

Mineral matter in milk, 283.

Mineral salts, 18, 57, 65, 66, 71, 111, 162, 175, 226.

Mint sauce, 308.

Mock-bisque soup, 135.

Mulled wine, 118.

Mush and porridge, 90.

Cracked wheat, 93.

Farina, 92.

Granula, 93.

Hominy, 94.

Imperial Granum, 93.

Indian meal, 94.

Oatmeal, 91.

Wheat germ, 92.

Mustard sauce, 312.

Mutton, 181, 182.

Nestlé's food, 291, 297.

Nitrogen, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 42, 59.

Nitrogenous compounds, 53, 58, 62.

Noodles, 305.

Noodle soup, 305.

Nutrition, 53, 57, 313.

Absorption, 68.

Adaptation of foods to particular needs, 69.

Definition, 54.

Ideal diet, 68.

Imperfect, 70.

Inorganic matters and vegetable acids, 65.

Summary of the digestibility of foods, 68.

Value of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and extractives, 58-65.

Ways in which food supplies the wants of the body, 56.

Oatmeal, 80, 85, 86, 90, 91.

Oatmeal muffins, 244.

Oil, 10, 30.

Cod-liver, 63.

Fixed and volatile, 28.

Olive, 30, 31, 211.

Omelets, 156.

Orange jelly, 123.

Oxygen, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 29, 40, 42, 59, 64.

Oysters, 145.

Broiled, 149.

Broth, 150.

Chafing-dish, 151.

Composition, 145.

Creamed, 148.

Fancy roast, 150.

Pan-broiled, 150.

Raw, 147.

Roasted in the shell, 147.

Serving, 277.

Soup, 134.

Stew, 148.

Tea No. 1, 82.

Tea No. 2, 82.

Panada, 79, 141.

Pancreatic juice, 51, 61, 290.

Paraffin, 230.

Partridges, 176.

Pasteurized milk, 288.

Peach foam, 202.

Peas, 190.

Pea soup, 307.

Peptogenic milk powder, 284.

Peptonized milk, 296.

Pheasants, 178.

Phosphated gelatine, 121.

Physical changes, 10, 11, 12.

Pigeons, 180.

Pink blanc-mange, 210.

Pink sugar, 209.

Poisons in milk (bacterial), 22, 285, 286.

Porridge, 90, 91.

Porter, 119.

Potato and onion salad, 311.

Potatoes, 32, 34, 70, 161.

Baked, 165.

Boiled, 163.

Composition, 161.

Creamed, 166.

Duchess, 166.

Mashed, 164.

Roasted, 165.

Potato soup, 136.

Preserved milk, 289.

Protein, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 60, 62, 64, 68, 71.

Puddings, 195.

Baked custards, 196.

Barley, 205.

Chocolate cream, 200.

Coffee cream, 199.

Corn-starch, 204.

Cream-of-rice, 206.

Egg cream, 198.

French custard, 197.

Fruit tapioca, 207.

Irish moss blanc-mange, 209.

Orange baskets, 208.

Orange layers, 208.

Orange omelet, 160.

Peach foam, 202.

Pink blanc-mange, 210.

Princess, 204.

Rennet custard, 197.

Rice cream, 202.

Slip, 197.

Soft custard, 195.

Snow pudding, 203.

Tapioca cream, 201.

Tapioca jelly, 207.

Velvet cream, 199.

Puncheon jelly, 126.

Racahout des Arabes, 88, 89.

Reed-birds, 179.

Rennet, 198.

Restorative jelly, 125.

Rice, 76, 79, 81.

Rice-water, 102.

Ridge's food, 291, 297.

Roly-poly pudding, 312.

Rules for the feeding of children, 294.

Salads, 10, 71, 211.

Celery, 216.

Chicken, 214.

Lettuce, 213.

Potato, 215.

" with olives, 216.

Salad Dressing, 211.

French, 212.

Mayonnaise, 212.

Saliva, 50, 290, 51.

Salt (sodium chlorid), 11, 18, 66.

Scotch broth, 80.

Scraped beef, 172.

Serving, 267.

Sherbets, 217, 277.

Lemon, 222.

Orange, 223.

Sherry and egg, 98.

Sippets, 132.

Snipe, 177.

Soda-water, 101.

Sodium chlorid, 11, 18.

Soups, 4, 27, 134.

Apple, 144.

Beef-tapioca, 140.

Bouillon, 143.

Bread, 304.

Browned farina, 312.

" flour, 305.

Chicken, 135.

Chicken panada, 141.

Chicken-tapioca, 139.

Consommé, 142.

Cream-of-celery, 137.

Cream-of-rice, 138.

Giblet, 309.

Lentil, 309.

Mock-bisque, 135.

Noodle, 305.

Oyster, 134.

Pea, 307.

Potato, 136.

Queen Victoria's favorite, 139.

Spores, 23, 24, 48, 99.

Squabs, 176.

Starch, 31, 33, 34, 35, 62, 63, 65, 68, 51, 18, 58, 83, 85, 128, 161.

Digestion of, 51, 52, 84, 290.

Composition, 32, 58.

Tests for, 32.

Steak (beef), 27, 70, 171.

A la Maître d'Hôtel, 173.

Hamburg. No. 1 (scraped beef), 172.

" " 2, 173.

Tenderloin, 173.

Steam, 12, 20, 29.

Sterilization,

of Milk, 47, 48, 98, 99, 100, 287, 284.

of Vessels for holding milk, 281.

of Water, 19, 23, 24.

Stews, 185.

Chicken, 185.

Beef, 186.

Mutton, 187.

Strawberries, 102, 103, 105, 121, 224.

Sucrose, 36, 52.

Sugar, 18, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 62, 58, 63, 65, 68, 283.

Sweeping and dusting, 303.

Sweetbreads, 188.

Creamed, 189.

Fricasseed, 189.

With peas, 190.

Syrups, Apple, 103.

Apricot, 103.

Chocolate, 104.

Coffee, 104.

Currant, 103.

Orange, 103.

Peach, 103.

Raspberry, 103.

Strawberry, 102.

Vanilla, 104.

Tapioca, 34, 76, 79, 81, 201, 207.

Tea, 22, 110, 269.

Composition, 111.

Kinds, 112, 113.

Serving of, 275.

To prepare, 113, 114.

Value as food, 110, 23.

Tenderloin (steak), 173.

Thermometers (oven), 239.

Toast, 128.

Cream, 130.

Croutons, 132.

French, 131.

Milk, 130.

Sippets, 132.

Vermicelli, 133.

Water (buttered), 129.

Toast and cheese, 306.

Tomatoes, 135.

Vanilla syrup, 104.

Veal broth, 284.

Venison, 70, 180.

Ventilation, 42.

Volatile oils, 28.

Washing of dishes, 303.

Waste, 19, 67.

Waste-pails, 5.

Water, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 54, 65, 218.

Water-ice, 217, 224.

Wheat-flour, 232.

Whey, 295.

Wine, 96.

With rennet, 96.

White-sauce, 130.

Wine jelly. No. 1, 122.

Wine jelly. No. 2, 122.

Wine, mulled, 118.

Wine whey, 96.

Woodcock, 178.

Wooden ware, 317.

Yeast, 232, 233.

Liquid, 237.

Zwieback, 300.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A notable exception is the "Boston Cook Book."

[2] Although in some hospitals it is not practicable for a nurse

to do much cooking for her patients, she has the control and

distribution of the food which is prepared.

[3] Carbonic acid is composed of one part of carbon and two parts

of oxygen. Its symbol is CO_{2}. One volume of hydrogen united with

one volume of chlorin forms hydrochloric acid, HCl. Common salt,

or sodium chlorid, is composed of one part sodium and one part

chlorin. Symbol, NaCl.

[4] Oxygen is often called the _supporter_ of combustion, but it is

no more so than the carbon and hydrogen of fuels, since they are

necessary for a fire.

[5] Hydrogen is 14.44 times lighter than air.

[6] See Eliot and Storer's "Chemistry," the revised edition, edited

by Nichols, and the "Elementary Text-book of Chemistry," by Mixter.

[7] Mattieu Williams, in "Chemistry of Cookery."

[8] The carbonic acid breathed in has united with the lime, thus

leaving the water without excess of it.

[9] As a general thing water does not contain organisms that form

spores.

[10] Atwater.

[11] The decline in the sardine trade during the last few years

is accounted for by the fact that cotton-seed oil has so largely

replaced olive-oil in the packing of these fish. People who once

regarded them as a great delicacy no longer find them satisfying.

[12] This is not the first instance of the discovery of organisms

in hail; but Dr. Abbott, if not the first, is one of the first

bacteriologists to demonstrate the fact in this country.

[13] Parkes's "Practical Hygiene."

[14] For a detailed description of this method of heating and

ventilation, see the report of the Johns Hopkins Hospital for the

year 1891.

[15] Variations in the composition of cow's milk (300 analyses):

_Minimum._ _Maximum._

Albuminoids or Protein 2.04% 6.18%

Fat 1.82% 7.09%

Sugar 3.20% 5.67%

Salts .50% .87%

--KÖNIG.

[16] The following is the police order for milk, published in

Darmstadt, 1879: (1) All milk must have a specific gravity of

1.029-1.033. (2) When skimmed it must have a specific gravity of

1.033. (3) All milk with a specific gravity under 1.027 is to be

considered as watered and immediately confiscated. (4) All milk

with specific gravity over 1.027, if after twenty-four hours

standing and skimming the specific gravity is under 1.033, must

also be confiscated, also all skimmed milk with a specific gravity

under 1.033. (5) All milk must be considered skimmed which has less

than 2.8 per cent. of fat.

[17] See article on the Feeding of Children.

[18] Spores may be further described as resistant forms which some

organisms assume in times of danger, or lack of nourishment for the

purpose of preserving their lives. Not all organisms form spores.

[19] It is supposed, but I think not yet demonstrated, that

bacteria are among the transforming agents of our food, in the

alimentary canal. Organisms in the saliva have been isolated and

found to produce substances which will partially digest starch.

[20] Flint's "Physiology."

[21] It is possible that albumen and fibrin are acted upon by some

of the juices secreted in the mouth.

[22] The body loses each day, in the performance of its ordinary

and usual functions, about nine pounds of matter (Martin);

therefore, that amount of income of food, water, and air will be

needed in every twenty-four hours.

[23] Prof. Atwater, in "The Century Magazine," 1887-88.

[24] Hemoglobin, the red coloring matter of the blood, contains

albumen.

[25] Protein may be converted into fat; but although this will

happen, it will not do to depend upon it for the supply in the

nutrition of the body; for either it cannot be formed in sufficient

quantity, or the excess of nitrogen acts as a poison. The body

suffers unless a due amount of fat _as such_ be taken. (Martin.)

[26] By regulating the amount of fat taken each day with food, so

that a little less than is needed is consumed, one may reduce the

amount of fat of the body and become thin, or reduce an excess of

fat without injury to health. The process must be gradual, and

continued for a number of months. Bismarck, by the advice of his

physician, reduced himself in this way without loss of energy or

any ill feeling.

[27] Flint's "Physiology."

[28] Parkes.

[29] Martin.

[30] Martin.

[31] Composition of oatmeal:

Nitrogenous matter 12.6%

Carbohydrates, starch, etc. 63.8%

Fatty matter 5.6%

Mineral matter 3.0%

Water 15.0%

-------

Total 100.00%

LETHERBY.

From Prof. Mott's Chart of the Composition, Digestibility, and

Nutritive Value of Food.

[32] For a further account of micro-organisms in milk, see the

chapter on Milk.

[33] George Kennan, in his accounts of his perilous journeyings

through Siberia, bears ample testimony to the comforting effects of

hot tea. Often when he and his companion were chilled through, and

almost dead with cold and fatigue, after many hours' travel over

the frozen snows, they were revived by draughts of hot tea provided

at the stations.

[34] The ash of tea contains potash, soda, magnesia, phosphoric

acid, chlorin, carbonic acid, iron, silica, and traces of manganese.

[35]

{ Water 74.00%

Egg Whole { Nitrogenous matter 14.00%

{ Fat 10.50%

{ Inorganic matter 1.50%

PAVY.

[36] Another analysis is that of Payen, the distinguished French

chemist.

Water 74.4%

Starch, sugar, pectose 21.2%

Nitrogenous matter 1.7%

Fat .1%

Cellulose and epidermis 1.5%

Inorganic matter 1.1%

-------

Total 100.00%

Pohl found the proportion of starch, judging by specific gravity

in different varieties, to be as follows: 16.38%, 17.11%, 18.43%,

18.95%, 20.45%, 21.32%, 24.14%.

DR. SMITH'S "Food."

[37] Mattieu Williams.

[38] From actual experiment.

[39] From Mrs. Lincoln's "Boston Cook Book."

[40] Pink sugar may be made by putting a few drops of carmine into

a cup of powdered sugar, and sifting it several times until the

carmine is entirely distributed through it.

[41] Mrs. Richards.

[42] A portion of the starch and sugar is consumed to feed the

growing yeast. It has been estimated that about 1/7 of a barrel of

flour is lost in raising bread--that is, that amount is consumed by

the yeast used.

[43] Oven thermometers may be obtained of Joseph Davis & Co.,

Fitzroy Works, London, S. E., England. 400° Fahr. is a good

temperature for the first fifteen minutes. Some writers give 380°,

but the higher temperature is better, provided it can be gradually

decreased; it should not fall below 250° until the loaf is done.

[44] There is, of course, an exception in the case of the use of

milk for young children, it being a perfect food for them during

the first year or year and a half of life.

[45] In England it is the custom to serve eggs in the shell, and it

is considered bad form to open them, but in America the latter way

is general; for an invalid there is no question but that it is the

most convenient way to do.

[46] The spatters should be soaked in boiling water for a few

minutes, and then in cold water, to prevent the sticking of the

butter.

[47] It should not be inferred from this that mother's milk is

the best under _all_ circumstances. It not infrequently happens

that a mother, disregarding all indications to the contrary, will

continue to nurse her baby after it has become disastrous both to

herself and the infant to do so. If a baby remains puny, and the

mother is exhausted and languid without any known cause, it is the

part of wisdom to call in the aid of a physician, and have the

milk analyzed. Good and careful feeding is infinitely better than

nursing a baby upon impoverished milk, even if the quantity seems

sufficient. A mother, in nursing her child, should do so at stated

regular intervals. If it is injurious for a grown person to eat at

odd times all day long, it is far more injurious for an infant. It

will not hurt a child to be occasionally hungry, or even to cry,

whereas it _will_ hurt it seriously and perhaps induce life-long

dyspepsia if food is introduced into the stomach while there yet

remains in it that previously taken in an undigested, or partly

digested, condition. The cry which a young mother thinks indicates

hunger, and hopes to allay by feeding, is often only a dyspeptic

pain, which is increased by the very means she takes to lessen it.

[48] The milk of goats and asses is said to be more easily digested

than cow's milk, but is procurable only in exceptional cases.

[49] From Uffelmann's "Hygiene of the Child."

[50] See chapter on Milk.

[51] Vessels for holding milk may be made sterile by boiling them

in water for fifteen minutes. Glass is best.

[52] A low temperature retards the growth of micro-organisms.

[53] Test for reaction, fat, and specific gravity. See article on

Milk.

[54] The following mineral substances occur in both cow's and

woman's milk: potassa, soda, lime, magnesia, iron, phosphoric acid,

sulphuric acid, and chlorin.

[55] It is worthy of notice, in this connection, that children have

been known to be made ill by drinking water which has stood for a

length of time--such water containing great numbers of bacteria,

but none of the so-called _disease-producing_ organisms. The same

water, when boiled, produced no ill effects.

[56] Stated by Sedgwick.

[57] Welsh.

[58] Since writing the above I have learned that Prof. Vaughan has

isolated a poisonous matter--the product of the growth of certain

organisms which multiply readily in milk--which caused active

vomiting, purging, collapse, and death when injected into the lower

animals.

[59] In England and America many cases of scarlatina, typhoid

fever, and diphtheria have been traced to the milk supply. But

there is no satisfactory evidence that those diseases were

transmitted from the cow; more probably the milk, which is an

especially good nutritive medium for bacteria, became infected

after leaving the cow. In October, 1891, an epidemic of diphtheria

prevailed in Melrose, Mass. Thirty-three cases were reported. On

investigation it was found that every case could be traced to

the milk supply. The farm from which it came was situated in an

adjoining town, and the family of the dealer had been afflicted

with diphtheria, two of the children having died. The use of the

milk was, of course, promptly stopped.

[60] A simple and inexpensive apparatus for sterilizing milk

consists of a covered tin kettle ten inches in height by eight

inches in diameter, a wire basket, which fits easily into the

kettle, supplied with supports or legs projecting one and a half

inches from the bottom, one dozen eight-ounce nursing-bottles, and

a bundle of fresh cotton wadding. The whole apparatus, costing

about $1.25, is kept in most drug stores.

Milk for twenty-four hours' use is properly sweetened and diluted

with water in a clean pitcher, and as much of this as the child

will take at one feeding is poured into each bottle, and the bottle

stopped with cotton wadding, which should fit only moderately tight

in the neck of the bottle. The kettle is filled to the depth of

one half to one inch with water, the basket containing the bottles

placed in it, the kettle covered and placed over a fire until the

steam comes out from the sides of the top for half an hour, when

the basket containing the bottles should be removed and put in a

cool place. When the milk is to be used, it should be heated by

placing a bottle in warm water for a few minutes. The cotton is

then removed, and a sterilized nipple attached. After the feeding

the bottle is cleansed and kept in an inverted position until used

again. The above directions are those of Dr. Booker, specialist of

children's diseases, Johns Hopkins Hospital.

[61] In the Walker-Gordon Milk Laboratory, in Boston, milk is

sterilized at 175° to 180° Fahr. for fifteen minutes, and it is

claimed that this temperature gives the best results for milk to be

used within twenty-four hours. If the milk has to be kept a longer

time, a higher temperature is necessary, as only the bacteria and

not the spores are destroyed by 175° Fahr.

Machines are in use in France which will heat great quantities

of milk to about 155° Fahr. and then rapidly cool it. Not all,

but nearly all, forms of bacteria likely to be found in milk are

destroyed at the temperature of 155°, and the good flavor of the

milk is not injured. Such milk is known as _Pasteurized milk_.

[62] See the works of Drs. Louis Starr, Uffelmann, and Jacobi.

[63] The amount of condensation in preserved milk may be easily

ascertained by noting the amount of water which it is necessary to

add in order to make its specific gravity equal to that of ordinary

milk.

[64] To prepare whey: 1 pint of milk mixed with 1 teaspoon of

liquid rennet. Set in a warm place until the curd is formed; then

break the curd and put it into a cloth or a wire strainer to drain.

[65] To make barley jelly: Boil two tablespoons of pearl barley in

a pint of water for two hours. Strain. It will form a tender jelly.

[66] The condensed cream of the Highland Co. may be used when other

cream cannot be obtained.

[67] Malted milk, Nestlé's food, Ridge's food, Imperial Granum, or

barley-flour, may be used as attenuants.

[68] Enough for the whole day may be made by multiplying the rule

by eight, dividing the quantity into eight bottles, and sterilizing

all at once. Keep in a cool place until needed.

[69] Milk-sugar may be obtained without difficulty, and always, at

a pharmacy. It is better for infants than cane-sugar, because it is

a little easier of digestion.

[70]

Water 92.60%

Fat 1.00%

Casein .84%

Sugar 5.40%

Ash .16%

DR. MEIGS.

[71] Although Mellin's food is made from grain, the starch in

it has been changed in the process of manufacture into easily

assimilated dextrine and sugar.

[72] The ordinary powdered cocoa, which has been deprived of oil.

Dutch brands are good.

[73] Zwieback is a slightly sweetened and dried bread, which may be

bought at any grocer's. It is like dried rusk.

[74] Bacon is very easy of digestion, and is a valuable form of fat

for children four or five years old. Given with bread or potatoes,

it will often be eaten when butter is refused.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been

corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within

the text and consultation of external sources.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,

and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example,

milk-supply, milk supply; beef-tea, beef tea; over night, overnight;

to-day; oxid; inclosing; peptonizing.

Table of Contents:

Pg vi, insert missing entry: 'EGGS 153'.

Main text:

Pg 152, 'Laws and Gilbert' replaced by 'Lawes and Gilbert'.

Pg 264, 'Potato. Stewed Mushrooms.' replaced by

'Potatoes. Stewed Mushrooms.'.

Index:

Format of the entry for 'Apples' changed to make its subheadings

consistent with all other subheadings.

End of Project Gutenberg's A Handbook of Invalid Cooking, by Mary A. Boland