Notes and recipes, freshman domestic science, H. Sophie Newcomb memorial college

Selection of food for invalids is as important as medicine and nursing. Sometimes diet is the only means of cure. The nurse must understand what is meant by Liquid, Light and Convalescent Diets, in order to supply the patient's needs. Liquid Diet is food for very sick people. Milk is the best all-round article on this list, alternated by broth and white of eggs raw. Milk is varied by adding different flavors, by difference in temperature, or by giving it as koumis, malted milk and gruels. Acute disease is usually accompanied by fever, indicating that body tissues are being destroyed rapidly and must be replaced. The digestive apparatus is out of order, and it cannot dissolve solid food. Milk, eggnog, gruel, broths, are valuable at this time. They are digestible and nourishing. Eggnog. 1 egg 1 T. lime water, and speck of % C. milk salt 2 T. sugar 1 T. lemon juice Beat yolks till foamy. Add other ingredients, stirring constantly. Add stiffly beaten white of egg and a dash of nutmeg. White of egg is almost pure albumin, easily digested. The milk contains emulsfied fat and a small amount of casein, which sometimes becomes solid in the stomach. The lime water is put into the eggnog to counteract this tendency. Flour gruel is an old-time favorite with nurses. It is easily prepared. But is it always cooked long enough? Flour means starch, and starch means long, high cooking. Cook 30 minutes. If cornstarch is used, cook one hour. Flour Gruel. 1 Tb. flour 1 C. milk Mix flour with cold milk until smooth. Scald remainder of milk. Stir into batter, cook in double boiler. If flavors are added they should be pure natural flavors. Invalid Cocoa. 1/2 C. milk 1 T. sugar 1 C. boiling water 2 T. prepared cocoa Few grains of salt Mix dry ingredients. Dilute with boiling water to smooth paste. Add remaining water and boil 10 minutes. Add milk, and Avlien hot serve. There are two important points in making invalid cocoa : one, the length of time required to cook it, and the other, the addition of salt. They both go back to the same source — starch. Chocolate is about 50% fat, and 10% starch, but when made into cocoa about one-half the fat is removed, which makes it less rich and more digestible for the invalid. The proportion of starch, however, is increased because of this change. High heat is required to rupture starch cells and make them digestible for the normal stomach. Is it not more important that they should be well cooked for an invalid ? The salt brings up the flavor of starch and makes the beverage more palatable. Mill with Dover egg-beater, and serve in a pretty cup. Variation : Serve with beaten egg, or with beaten white only. The average invalid, when he begins to recover, craves something more substantial than liquids. He is right. These liquid foods are given because his digestion is impaired, and not because he does not need more solid nourishment. When he can digest more nourishing food, he should have it. Mrs. Hart, a celebrated English nurse and writer, compares liquid diet to a crutch. They both must be discarded as soon as possible. The invalid may then be put on a Light Diet, which consists of cream soups, soft custards, gelatine preparations, eggs, etc. Serving : Use tray large enough to hold dishes well. A round tray is convenient for serving an article of liquid diet;