Food for the Sick by Mrs. Luella B. Priddy

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 27, 1910

Food for the Sick

By Mrs. Luella B. Priddy

MRS. LUELLA B. PRIDDY

In some cases of critical illness an indiscretion in the choice of food may cost the life of the patient. Sometimes it is exceedingly difficult to find anything that can either be relished or assimilated. The tempting dish that may be accepted once, may be refused the second time it is offered.

In a sudden attack of an acute disease it may be beneficial to abstain from food altogether for a short time, but when the illness is likely to continue for some time, it is often of great importance that the patient be provided with food adapted to his condition, that his strength may be sustained until recovery. Even if the food has to be so modified as to contain very little nourishment, it may add greatly to the comfort of the patient to eat something. Liquid foods are not the best diet for people in health, but they are often necessary in sickness. When the patient is progressing toward recovery, he should gradually accustom himself to the use of solid food, before a habit of living upon a restricted diet is established.

Do not offer too much food at a time to the invalid. Prepare the food in as tempting a manner as possible. If he is not able to eat it, carry it out of the room at once. Perhaps a dish of something else prepared an hour or two later, and taken to him when he is not expecting it, will be accepted.

Cook foods for the sick in a bright stew-pan that has not been used in cooking food that has a strong flavor. Sometimes the appetite is very sensitive to such things. Following are a number of recipes:—

1. Graham Gruel.—Take one tablespoonful of fine flour and two of Graham flour. Sift lightly to remove the coarser particles of bran. This may not always be necessary, but in some localities the Graham is too coarse. Braid the flour in a little water, and stir into one quart of boiling water. Let it boil briskly for a few minutes, then set back on the stove, where it will simmer gently for two hours. Salt to taste. Add half its bulk of rich hot milk. The gruel should be quite thin.

2. Very Bland Graham Gruel.—Blend two tablespoonfuls of Graham flour and one of white in a little water. Turn the batter into a perfectly clean thin white cotton sack, and press out as much of the contents as possible with the back of a spoon, and stir into a quart of boiling water. Then tie up the sack and drop it into the kettle of gruel. The flavor will boil out in this way, and the gruel will be as clear as fruit juice. Let it boil for two hours. Remove the sack, and serve. This gruel is improved by the addition of milk or cream, but if the patient can not take milk, it is very good without it. This recipe was prepared for a patient who was suffering from ulcerated stomach. She had not been able to retain anything except milk diluted with water, for some days, but this gruel was eaten and relished.

3. Rolled Oats Gruel.—This gruel can be made according to the above recipe, only the rolled oats need to soak for an hour in water before they will press well out of the sack.

4. Egg and Milk Broth.—Thoroughly beat an egg, and pour over it one pint of boiling milk, stirring rapidly for a few moments until the egg is sufficiently cooked. Add salt.

5. A Nourishing Drink.—A patient who is confined largely to a milk diet, and is not able to take anything as solid as toast, may obtain a little variation of flavor in this way: Toast a slice of bread nicely, and turn over it a cup of slightly salted scalding milk. Let it stand a few minutes, and pour off the milk. It will have absorbed considerable of the flavor of the toast. Serve the milk hot.

6. Bean Broth.—Some who can not eat beans on account of the skins, may obtain considerable of the nourishment by dipping off the clear broth.

7. Rice Water.—The water off of boiled rice, served with cream, is an agreeable dish.

8. Cereal Coffee.—Sometimes nausea can be relieved by slowly sipping cereal coffee. It should be served without sugar in such cases.

9. Cereal Coffee With Milk.—When a patient can take no other food, sometimes a cup of cereal coffee can be relished when served as follows: Make the coffee real strong. Fill the cup only half full, and finish filling with milk. The milk will add to the nourishment, and the coffee flavor will be retained if made strong.

10. Lemon Soup.—Extract the juice of half a large lemon,—more if small,—remove all pulp and seeds, and turn into a pint of boiling water. Sweeten, and thicken with a tablespoonful of corn-starch braided in water.

Many fruit juices are good served hot. In many cases the sick one can not take cold food.

Ellesmere, Ontario.