Drink for the Sick
Pour a table-spoonful of capillaire, and the same of good vinegar, into a tumbler of fresh cold water. Tamarinds, currants, fresh or in jelly, scalded currants or cranberries, make excellent drinks; with a little sugar or not, as most agreeable. Or put a tea-cupful of cranberries into a cup of water, and mash them. In the meantime boil two quarts of water with one large spoonful of oatmeal, and a bit of lemon peel; then add the cranberries, and as much fine Lisbon sugar as shall leave a smart flavour of the fruit. Add a quarter of a pint of sherry, or less, as may be proper: boil all together for half an hour, and strain off the drink.
Source: The Cook And Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary, Mary Eaton
Court Plaster
This plaster is a kind of varnished silk, and its manufacture is very easy. Bruise a sufficient quantity of Isinglass, and let it soak in a little warm water for twenty-four hours. Expose it to heat over the fire until the greater part of the water is dissipated and supply its place by proof Spirits of Wine, which will combine with the Isinglass. Strain the whole through a piece of open linen, taking care that the consistency of the mixture shall be such that when cool it may form a trembling jelly. Extend a piece of black or flesh-colored silk on a wooden frame, and fix it in that position by means of tacks or twine. Then apply the Isinglass, after it has been rendered liquid by a gentle heat, to the silk with a brush of fine hair (badger’s is the best). As soon as this coating is dried, which will not be long, apply a second, and afterward, if the article is to be very superior, a third. When the whole is dry, cover it with two or three coatings of the Balsam of Peru. This is the genuine court plaster. It is pliable and never breaks, which is far from being the case with spurious articles sold under the same name.
Source: One Thousand Secrets of Wise and Rich Men Revealed, C. A. Bogardus
Sassafras Jelly
Take the pith of sassafras boughs, break it in small pieces, and let it soak in cold water till the water becomes glutinous. It has the flavor of sassafras, and is much relished by the sick, and is also good nourishment.
Source: Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book, Catherine Beecher
Restorative Jelly
1/2 box of gelatine.
1 tablespoonful of granulated gum arabic.
3 tablespoonfuls of sugar.
2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice.
2 cloves.
1/2 pint of port.
Put all the ingredients in a bowl for two hours. At the end of that time place the bowl in a saucepan of boiling water, and cook, stirring frequently, until all the ingredients are dissolved. Strain, and set away to harden. The bowl must be kept covered all the time the jelly is soaking and cooking.
This jelly is to be used when the patient finds it difficult to swallow either liquid or solid food. A small piece of it, placed in the mouth, melts slowly, and is swallowed unconsciously. The sugar may be omitted, and a gill of port and a gill of beef juice be used; the beef juice to be added when the jelly is taken from the fire. Other stimulants may be substituted for port.
Source: Miss Parloa’s Young Housekeeper, Maria Parloa
Filed under Remedy | Tags: beef, cloves, gelatine, gum arabic, jelly, lemon, lemon juice, parloa, port, sugar | Comment (0)Arrowroot Wine Jelly
1 cup boiling water.
2 heaping teaspoonfuls arrowroot.
2 heaping white sugar.
1 tablespoonful brandy or 3 tablespoonfuls of wine.
An excellent corrective to weak bowels.
Source: Common Sense in the Household, Marion Harland
Filed under Remedy | Tags: arrowroot, bowel, bowels, brandy, commonsense, digestion, jelly, sugar, weak bowels, wine | Comment (0)Broth for Sick and Convalescent Persons
Put a Crag-end of a Neck of Mutton, a Knuckle of Veal, and a Pullet into a Pipkin of water, with a spoonful or two of French-barley first scalded in a water or two. The Pullet is put in after the other meat is well skimmed, and hath boiled an hour. A good hour after that, put in a large quantity of Sorrel, Lettice, Purslane, Borage and Bugloss, and boil an hour more at least three hours in all. Before you put in the herbs, season the broth with Salt, a little Pepper and Cloves, strain out the broth and drink it.
But for Potage, put at first a good piece of fleshy young Beef with the rest of the meat. And put not in your herbs till half an hour before you take off the Pot. When you use not herbs, but Carrots and Turneps, put in a little Peny-royal and a sprig of Thyme. Vary in the season with Green-pease, or Cucumber quartered longwise, or Green sower Verjuyce Grapes; always well-seasoned with Pepper and Salt and Cloves. You pour some of the broth upon the sliced-bread by little and little, stewing it, before you put the Herbs upon the Potage.
The best way of ordering your bread in Potages, is thus. Take light spungy fine white French-bread, cut only the crusts into tosts. Tost them exceeding dry before the fire, so that they be yellow. Then put them hot into a hot dish, and pour upon them some very good strong broth, boiling hot. Cover this, and let them stew together gently, not boil; and feed it with fresh-broth, still as it needeth; This will make the bread swell much, and become like gelly.
Source: The Closet Of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened, K. Digby
Filed under Remedy | Tags: barley, beef, borage, bread, broth, bugloss, carrots, chicken, cloves, convalescence, convalescent, cucumber, digby, grapes, green peas, jelly, lettuce, mutton, pease, pennyroyal, pepper, pipkin, potage, pullet, purslane, salt, sick, sorrel, thume, turnips, veal | Comment (0)To Prevent Mold on Top of Glasses of Jelly
Melt paraffine and pour over the jelly after it is cold. No brandy, paper, or other covering is necessary.
Source: Things Mother Used To Make, L.M. Gurney
Baked Lemon for a Cold
Dose a teaspoonful. Bake a lemon till soft, take out all the inside, and mix with as much sugar as it will hold, strain and stand till cold when it will jelly.
Source: My Pet Recipes, Tried And True
To Prevent Mold on the Top of Glasses of Jelly
Lay a lump of paraffine on the top of the hot jelly, letting it melt and spread over it. No brandy paper and no other covering is necessary. If preferred the paraffine can be melted and poured over after the jelly is cold.
Source: The White House Cookbook, F.L. Gillette
Restorative Jelly
One-half box gelatine, 1 cup port wine, 1 tablespoon of powdered gum arabic, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 cloves. Put all together in a glass jar, and cover closely. Place the jar on a trivet in a kettle of cold water. Heat it slowly and when the mixture is dissolved, stir well and strain. Pour into a shallow dish, and when cool cut it into small squares. This is good for an old person or a very weak patient.
Source: Tested Recipe Cook Book, Mrs H.L. Wilson