Soak one pound of beef, cut into pieces, in a quart of cold water for
half an hour; then boil it slowly, keeping it closely covered for two
hours. Strain it. The last half hour, add half a cupful of tapioca
(which has been soaked an hour in a little water), a small sprig of
parsley, and a thin cut from an onion. When done, remove the parsley and
onion; season with a very little pepper and salt, and two or three drops
only of lemon-juice. When just ready to serve, put into the soup an egg,
carefully poached in salted water, the white being merely set.
If patients are not too ill, any kind of beef soup made from stock, as
explained on page 80, ought to be advantageous.