Foods For the Sick 1910

c. 1910

The following come straight from the book pictured above.  Most are ludicrous, a few plausible, none prescribed today. 

All are entertaining, even humorous for us today and a part of our heritage and ancestry. 

You may remember some of your own "old family remedies."  Feel free to share them in the comment box below. 

I'd love to hear from you!

Foods for the Sick

and How To Prepare Them

Beef Tea by Cold Process  

Let finely chopped round steak and pinch of salt sit in a covered jar full of cold water for 5-6 hrs.  Strain and squeeze, twisting hard in muslin.  Very nutritious and better than extract from the store.

Beef Juice from Broiled Steak

With one pound of round steak, all fat trimmed off, broil slightly and press juice out.  You'll get 2-4oz.  Season with salt.

Mutton Broth

Take one pound lean mutton, including some of the bone, one pt of water and pinch of salt.  Cook three hrs. over a slow fire adding water as necessary to make half pint.  Strain through muslin cloth.  Cool.  Remove fat.  A very nutritious and delicious broth is made from this by adding corn starch or arrowroot, cook ten min., add three oz. milk or 1 1/2 oz. cream.


Meat Pulp

With rare round or sirloin steak, outer parts trimmed, shred with a knife and salt well.  one teaspoon to one tablespoon may be given to child eighteen months and over.

Junkets or Curds and Whey

One pint fresh cows milk, warmed, pinch salt and teaspoon sugar;  add two teaspoons essence of pepsin, or liquid rennet, or one junket tablet dissolved in water;  stir for a moment then allow to stand at room temp. for 20min. or until firmly coagulated; set in ice box or cool place until thoroughly cold.  For older children may be seasoned with grated nutmeg.

Whey

The coagulated milk, prepared as above, is broken up with a fork and the whey is strained through muslin.  This is best given cold.  If some stimulant is desired, sherry wine in the proportion of 1:12, or brandy 1:24 may be added.  This whey is useful in many cases of indigestion.

Barley Jelly from the Grains

Take three tablespoons of pearl barley, soak overnight then place in 1qt. fresh water;  add pinch of salt and boil in double boiler steadily 4hrs. or down to 1pt., adding water from time to time;  strain through muslin..

When cold this makes a rather thick jelly.  If a thinner gruel or barley water is desired, one half the quantity of barley should be used.

(Same goes for oatmeal, wheaten grits, or rice grains.)

Albumen Water

Put the white of one egg into half glass of water; stir slowly for 5min. without getting it frothy.  Strain through cheesecloth.  If necessary, sweeten and flavor to suit child.

Another way is to take the white of 1 fresh egg, 1/2 pt. cold water, pinch of salt and 1 tsp brandy.  Shake thoroughly and feed cold either with spoon or from bottle.  This is useful in cases of vomiting and can sometimes be retained by a very irritable stomach.

(I'm just going to add another reminder that this is no longer prescribed.  This is for amusement and slightly educational purposes only.)

Coddled Egg

A fresh egg with the shell on is placed in boiling water which is immediately afterwards removed from the fire.  The egg should cook slowly in the water for 7-8 min. when the white should be the consistency of jelly.  Add salt and, for a delicate stomach, give the white only.

Lime Water

Take a heaping teaspoonful of slaked lime (an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2) and 1 qt. bottled or distilled water;  place in a corked bottle and shake thoroughly 2-3x during 1st hr.;  then allow the lime to settle for 24 hrs.  Carefully pour off and use the clear fluid.  From a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful may be given at a feeding.

Egg and Barley Water

To the white of 1 egg add 8 oz. of barley water and 1 1/2 tsp. sugar.  This is good for children recovering from a sickness when milk is not successful.  Rice water may be substituted for the barley water if preferred.