Does the Invalid Need Beef Tea?

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 18, 1907

Does the Invalid Need Beef Tea?

In many of the acute and chronic diseases and digestive disorders, a liquid diet may be necessary for a short time. Usually meat tea, or beef extract, is first thought of and considered just the food needed. That this is a deception will be seen from what W. Gilman Thompson, M. D., in his “Practical Dietetics,” says:—

“Liebig’s extract of meat consists of the flavoring extractive matters, such as kreatin, isolin, decomposable hæmatin, and salts. Some of these substances are excrementitious, and on this account Masterman compares it to urine, although it contains less urea. A pound of mutton is represented by two fifths of an ounce of the extract. It contains no albumin or fibrin, hence its nutritive power is practically nil.”

Any one acquainted with chemistry will at once recognize most of these elements as poisons formed in the body of the animal as the result of breaking down of tissue. All meat extracts are composed of these soluble waste products.

The only part of the meat that has any real value as a food is the insoluble part, or the meat fiber. This part is rendered more wholesome by the removal of the soluble wastes. In fact, the orthodox Jew carefully washed all meats, just as we do dirty garments, to get rid of this organic filth, which is now considered such a delicacy for invalids and on board ship. As far as the nutritive value of beef tea in heat units is concerned when compared with other liquids which are pure, the following table will enlighten us:—

Beef tea, No. of heat units, or calories 18 Orange juice, “ “ “ 90 Milk, “ “ “ 123 Grape juice, “ “ “ 144

In acute diseases or in fevers the digestive organs are usually out of order. The gastric juice is diminished; digestion is slowed or absent. The foods naturally tend to decay. This accounts for the coated tongue found in fevers. Beef tea is one of the worst things to give in such cases, for it favors the cultivation of germs, and the formation of poisons which feed the fever.

The same may be said of milk. For years I have found it necessary to withhold even milk from fever cases. Fruit juices, on the contrary, destroy germs of disease. Grape juice will destroy typhoid fever germs in a few minutes. Orange juice is known to be destructive to germs of cholera. Where patients are fed on fruit juices, the coating on the tongue is absent, and the breath is not foul. These are, therefore, the best liquid foods to give patients.

In some cases milk may be safely given, but beef tea never.—Australasian Good Health.