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done, that it is unpardonable to do it badly, although I am sorry to say that it is too often the case, even in many of our first hospitals and other public establishments, where they have provisions in abundance, and of the first quality.
Perhaps you may fancy I am too severe upon that delicate subject, but I can assure you that I have for years been in the habit of visiting some of these institutions for the sick, and can therefore speak with confidence. I have grieved often to see it, and have wished that they would follow a system I would lay down, but there are some people who would not change their style, however bad, for a better one, for the world.
Now I must here claim all your intelligence, for pointing out those receipts the accomplishing of which is most plain, and will insure success to those who may try to do them, and cause them to persuade others to follow their example. I therefore inclose the following. Yours, &c.
HORTENSE.
COMFORTS FOR INVALIDS.
54. Meat for Invalids.—The best meat as food for invalids is, in fact, that which is principally used, mutton and beef, lamb, if not too young (sweetbreads, I consider, ought oftener to be introduced), and calves’ feet or head, scalded and boiled until tender, are very nutritious; chickens, pigeons, partridges, are also very inviting. All the above-mentioned articles are easy of digestion, excepting perhaps the beef, which may require to be gently stewed until tender, if for a delicate stomach just ordered to take meat after a serious fit of illness.
55. Plain Mutton Broth for Invalids.—Get one pound of scrag of mutton, break the bone with a chopper, without separating the meat, then put it into a stewpan with three pints of water and a salt-spoonful of salt; boil gently two hours, carefully removing all the scum and fat, which is easily done by allowing it to simmer slowly by the side of the fire; it will be by that time reduced to about one quart, and is then ready to serve. This broth must not be expected to drink very palatable, being deprived of vegetables and seasoning, being in fact more like a beverage than a soup: at the commencement of convalescence more strength may be given if ordered by the doctor, by reducing the original quantity to one pint. This broth is often administered by a spoonful only at a time.
56. Seasoned Mutton Broth.—Put the same quantity of mutton and water into your stewpan, add double the quantity of salt, and a quarter ditto brown sugar, quarter of a middle-sized onion, very little celery, and one ounce of turnip; set it upon the fire, and when beginning to boil draw it to the side; let it simmer gently two hours; skim off all the scum and fat, and pass it through a sieve, and use it when required. When finished, there ought to remain about a quart of broth; but if by neglect it has boiled too fast, add more water, and set to boil for a quarter of an hour longer. If the patient is getting better, his medical man will probably order him to eat a little of the meat, or even turnips, in which case serve them on a plate separately; should the meat not be required by the patient, it is very excellent for a healthy person, with a few spoonfuls of onions or caper sauce, or even plain. If pearl-barley is required to be taken with the broth, put a tablespoonful of it in with the water when you first put it upon the fire, the whole will then be done together; if the barley is to be eaten by the patient, take out the meat and vegetables, and skim off every spot of grease; but if the barley is not required, pass the broth, as before, through a sieve.
57. Mutton Broth (with variations). With Vermicelli.—Having made your broth, and passed it through a sieve, as before, put the meat and vegetables upon a plate, and the broth back into the same stewpan; when boiling, if about a quart, add one or two tablespoonfuls of vermicelli, depending upon the strength of the patient’s stomach; ten minutes’ boiling will be sufficient to cook vermicelli.
58. With Rice.—One spoonful of best rice in the stewpan, with mutton and water the same as the barley, as it is better for the rice to be in pulp than underdone.
59. With Semoulina.—Semoulina is very delicate and glutinous, and I am quite confident that the faculty would approve of it after a trial or two; it is good in any kind of broth or milk for invalids, of very easy digestion, and having also the advantage of being tolerably cheap and quickly cooked; proceed as directed for vermicelli.
60. With Arrow-root.—After having passed your broth, place it again into the stewpan to boil; when boiling, put two teaspoonfuls of arrow-root into a cup, which mix smoothly with a gill of cold broth, or half ditto of water; then pour it into your boiling broth, which keep stirring with a spoon; let it simmer ten minutes, and it is ready for use.
61. Veal Broth (French method).—The following is much recommended by French physicians:—Put one pound of veal from knuckle, with but very little of the bone, into a stewpan with three pints of water and a salt-spoonful of salt, place it over the fire to boil; when boiling, take off all the scum; then add a small cabbage-lettuce and a few sprigs of chervil, if handy; let simmer slowly for two hours, it will then be reduced to about a quart; pass it through a sieve, letting the meat drain, and it is ready to serve.
62. Another way, more palatable.—Take the same quantity of veal as before, which cut into small dice (as you should cut all meat if possible), put it into the stewpan, with a small pat of butter, half an onion, about the same quantity of carrot and turnip, a little celery, and a teaspoonful of salt; set the stewpan upon the fire, keeping the contents stirred, for about ten minutes, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a whitish glaze, then add three pints of hot water; let the whole simmer one hour at the corner of the fire, skim well, pass it through a sieve, and use when required. This broth is most palatable and very digestible, but of course only to be given to the convalescent; it may be served with vermicelli, rice, arrow-root, and semoulina, as directed for mutton broth.
63. Another very Refreshing and Strengthening Veal Broth.—Put two pounds of knuckle of veal into a stewpan, with a calf’s foot split, and the bone taken out and chopped up, add three quarts of water, a good-sized onion, one leek, a piece of parsnip, and two salt-spoonfuls of salt (if allowed by the doctor, if not, the salt must be omitted), set it upon the fire, and when beginning to boil, skim, and let it simmer at the corner of the fire four hours; twenty minutes before passing, again skim off all the fat, and add ten large leaves of sorrel, or twenty small, one cabbage-lettuce, and a handful of chervil, and when done pass it through a sieve, when it is ready for use. This broth is very cooling and nutritious when taken cold, as it is then quite a jelly; vermicelli, rice, &c., may be added when served hot, and the veal and calf’s foot is very excellent, eaten with parsley-and-butter or sharp sauce; but should the patient require any, it must be quite plain, with a little of the broth and only the gelatinous part of the foot.
The above also makes an excellent dinner soup, and if put in a cool place, would keep a week in winter and three days in summer.
64. Soyer’s new way of making Beef Tea.—Cut a pound of solid beef into very small dice, which put into a stewpan, with a small pat of butter, a clove, two button onions, and a salt-spoonful of salt, stir the meat round over the fire for a few minutes, until it produces a thin gravy, then add a quart of water, and let it simmer at the corner of the fire for half an hour, skimming off every particle of fat, when done pass through a sieve. I have always had a great objection to passing broth through a cloth, as it frequently quite spoils its flavor.
The same, if wanted plain, is done by merely omitting the vegetables, salt, and clove; the butter cannot be objectionable, as it is taken out in skimming, pearl-barley, vermicelli, rice, &c., may be served in it if required.
65. Real Essence of Beef.—Take one pound of solid beef from the rump, a steak would be the best, cut it into thin slices, which lay upon a thin trencher, and scrape quite fine with a large and sharp knife (as quickly as possible, or the juice of the meat would partially soak into the wood, your meat thus losing much of its strengthening quality), when like sausage-meat put it into a stewpan or saucepan, and stir over the fire five or ten minutes, until thoroughly warmed through, then add a pint of water, cover the stewpan as tightly as possible, and let it remain close to the fire or