Chapter M: Malt Extract

Malt is the product of germinating barley. The grains are allowed to germinate on a hot damp floor and the process is stopped at a certain stage by means of kiln drying. Diastase, a powerful digestive ferment, is formed in abundance so that malt extract of good quality is able to convert starch into a digestible and easily assimilated sugar. Malt is also rich in phosphates, which makes it an excellent bone and teeth former. Malt is usually sold as malt flour, which consists of the kiln dried grains in a powdered form. Derived from this, is the thick sticky substance resembling glue, called “malt extract.” If this extract is further dried, we get the dry malt extract in powdered form, which is the most convenient to use in a general way for sweetening purposes.

Malt Tea.

This can be prepared from malted barley, malt flour or extract of malt, by dilution with water to a suitable consistency.

Sweet Wort.

Let malted barley stew and soak and infuse in hot water until all the goodness has been extracted therefrom. This constitutes a form of strong sweet non-alcoholic beer and is an excellent drink which was much used in olden days. With added hops it is the actual material from which beer is made.

Malt Soups.

Take any ordinary vegetable soup and thicken it with malt flour or malt extract.

MARROW (VEGETABLE).

The marrow is practically all water, containing only a very small percentage of organic mineral matter. It is an excellent cure for obesity because the person taking it thinks he is getting a lot of food, whereas he is practically drinking water. As the salts of vegetable marrow are chiefly in, and immediately under, the skin, it is obvious that, when peeled and boiled in the usual unenlightened way, this vegetable is reduced to so much cellulose and water. When baked whole in the oven its flavour is a revelation to those who have never tasted it except in a boiled form.

Marrow Juice.

This can be extracted by the Fruit Juice Press and may be taken freely as a cooling drink, seasoned to taste.

Marrow Tea.

Cook one or more marrows with a minimum amount of distilled water until soft, strain, and take freely. This is a pleasant substitute for hot water. Do not add salt to it.

MILK.

The use of cow’s milk at meals or between meals as a beverage is one of the greatest dietetic blunders which could be perpetrated. Human milk is a nutritive fluid, very useful for the fast-growing young mammal and perfectly adapted as such for young infants.

But for adults who have ceased to grow, cow’s milk is needless and injurious. It is also one of the best culture media for tuberculosis and other germs. Therefore, it is better to use acid fruits, and fruit or vegetable juices, instead of milk when beverages are called for.

Milk is a fluid, containing its various food constituents ideally balanced for the purpose of building up the young body. With the sole exception of man, however, every animal in a state of nature ceases using milk as a food when once the period of infancy has passed. Speaking recently at the Working Men’s College on “Wild Parts of China,” Professor A. Henry mentioned as a curious fact that the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, who number one-third of the human race, abstain from the use of milk, cheese and butter. This probably accounted for the absence among them of zymotic diseases.

Buttermilk.

This is an excellent beverage if it agrees; or dried separated milk, diluted with water to the proper consistency, can be used as a substitute. It should be quite sweet and fresh from the churn.

Koumys and Kefir.

These are fermented forms of milk beverage made by adding yeast or other organisms, with sugar, to induce fermentation with the consequent production of alcohol.

Curdled Milk.

This is a form of buttermilk made by allowing pure preservative free milk to go sour naturally. The natural process is often aided by means of the addition of the cultivated germs natural to the curdling process. When this is done the finished article is more regular in taste and composition. It is a much “overrated” beverage.

Milk and Soda.

A mixture of milk and soda water in equal parts is a favourite beverage with many people. The soda water has the effect of delaying the curdling process, and so the milk becomes more digestible. The soda water should be added to the milk and not vice versa. The right proportion for making milk and soda is 1 part of soda water to 2 of milk. Lime water can be used in its place in the same proportion and 15 grains of bicarbonate of soda diluted with water is the equivalent to a third of a tumblerful of soda water. _But it should be clearly understood that inorganic mineral substances such as are contained in soda water and lime water are not capable of assimilation by the human body and have to be excreted, or retained at the peril of health._

Casein Stock.

Casein is the proteid part of milk and as such it is a valuable food, provided it is combined with other foods rich in mineral salts, such as the juices of vegetables, which replace the whey that has been removed in the production of the casein.

Casein given alone, owing to its freedom from all organic matter, is useless as a nutrient, because without the addition of the mineral salts it is just a chemical substance.

Casein is prepared from milk in the process of making whey, the curd part (rejected in the process) being precipitated, washed, and dried to form a white powder. Casein is, of course, the material from which cheese is made, and the “cottage cheese” made from milk curdled with lemon juice is one of the finest proteid foods extant, being much more nutritious and more easily digested and assimilated than ordinary cheese which contains animal rennet and is mixed with common salt and other constituents.

To prepare casein stock, add 1 oz. of casein to ½ pint of water and boil until dissolved. When cold it appears as a thin transparent jelly and will keep good for a day. This stock may be used for making soups or as an addition to coffee, tea and other beverages to increase their nutritive value. It gives body and makes them more invigorating.

MINT.

The common Spearmint of our gardens is a useful addition to salad. It has a strong refreshing smell which stirs up the appetite. Mint is chiefly used for making mint sauce, which is a useful dressing for salads. To make it, wash half a handful of freshly picked mint, add to it a third part of parsley, pick stalks from leaves, mince the leaves very fine, add a little honey to taste and 4 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice (not vinegar).

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NASTURTIUM (or Indian Cress).

This closely resembles the various cress plants, and makes an excellent addition to salads. It is easily grown in town and suburban gardens. The leaves are always clean and the washing required is but slight. The flowers also are good to use in salads.

The juice can be extracted from nasturtium leaves by passing them through the Dana Food Flaker and then pouring boiling water upon them to make an infusion.

NETTLES.

The common stinging nettle of the hedgerow possesses excellent medicinal virtues in many ailments, and is considered to be especially good for nettlerash. The young tops are used as a delicious vegetable in the springtime and resemble spinach. Nettle tea is one of the oldest beverages and has been in common use for centuries.

Nettle Tea.

Procure a quantity of nettle leaves or tops, or if they are not in season, the dried herb can be used instead. Place a handful of the leaves or tops in a warmed teapot, and pour a pint of boiling water over them. Allow to stand until drawn, and then drink while hot, or the tea can be allowed to cool and a wineglassful can be taken three times a day.

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OATS.

Oaten drinks prepared from rolled oats or oatmeal are favourites with athletic men and such drinks are especially good when hard work in the open has to be done. At harvest time in Scotland it has long been the custom to give the labourers oatmeal water as being the most quenching drink possible.

Oatmeal Water.

Take 1 oz. coarse oatmeal, add to it 1 quart of cold water, let it stand for 2 hours, draw off as wanted, stir before taking.

Alternative (a form of gruel).

Take from 4 to 6 tablespoonfuls of well cooked oatmeal porridge, add to it 1 quart of water, bring to the boil with stirring. When quite smooth strain it for use.

Alternative (3).

Mix 1 tablespoonful of oatmeal with 1 quart of boiling water. But first mix the oatmeal with a little cold water before adding the hot water. Stir constantly. Boil for 3 hours. Replenish water as necessary, strain, season and serve hot. The fine oatmeal, or oatmeal flour, is the best for this purpose.

Oaten Tea.

Procure some lightly roasted oats, grind 1½ to 2 ozs. of these and pour upon them 1 pint of boiling water, sweeten with malt extract, honey or manna, and serve hot.

Oaten Tea (2).

Toast a thin oatcake until brown, pour boiling water over it, cover jug. When cold strain, and serve cold.

ONIONS

are a natural provision for the winter months when salad vegetables are scarce. The Spanish onion being the mildest is the best to eat raw, and should be cut up into slices for salads. The smaller or spring onion is equally good to add to salads of mixed green vegetables to give them a zest. The reader will find the subject of onions fully dealt with in the author’s book, “Onions and Cress,” price 6d.

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PARAGUAY TEA.

Paraguay or Maté, Yerba Maté or Jesuits’ Tea, consists of the leaves of the Brazilian holly, which grows wild in many parts of South America. The picked leaves are dried and reduced to a coarse powder for use. Paraguay Tea has been known to the South American Indians from prehistoric times and has now been in almost universal use among the whole white population since the 17th century. It is practically the sole non-alcoholic stimulant in vogue among the working classes of that continent.

Maté contains a percentage of caffein, an astringent matter analogous to tannin, and a peculiar volatile oil. It thus closely resembles tea but is thought by those who take it to be more exciting and to possess superior invigorating powers, while its long-continued use does not appear to induce harmful results.

The South Americans drink Maté all day long and practically at every meal. The infusion is made in a cup by pouring hot water upon the powdered leaves. Into this cup is placed a metal tube or bombilla furnished with a perforated bulb or strainer at its lower end. This cup is passed round from hand to hand. To the European, Maté tastes like ordinary tea to which senna or some kind of herb has been added. This at first is nauseous, but custom makes it more pleasant.

The infusion is made by simply pouring boiling water upon the Maté and allowing it to stand as in the case of ordinary tea.

The infusion should be drunk shortly after making as it blackens on standing. The leaves will bear two or three steepings. The natives usually add a lump of burnt sugar and sometimes a few drops of lemon juice, but seldom milk or ordinary sugar.

Maté possesses a great advantage over tea in that it is laxative, and thus a good remedy for constipation and sluggish action of the liver. To attain the best results, a large very hot cupful should be taken in the morning fasting, followed by a walk or suitable gymnastic exercises.

PARSLEY.

This common herb of our kitchen gardens, so much prized by the votaries of the culinary art, is thought to be mildly aperient and to act upon the kidneys. There are two varieties, the tall and the curled. Parsley is mostly used in the preparation of sauces of which the less said the better.

Decoction of Parsley.

Take a handful of curled parsley, wash it, bruise the stalks and boil for ten minutes; then pick out the stalks, chop the leaves very fine, put back into the water, boil for another ten minutes, strain and serve as a hot drink, taking a small wineglassful at intervals.

Parsley Tea.

Put a handful of well chopped parsley into a warmed teapot, pour boiling water upon it, let it stand a few minutes, then strain and serve.

Parsley Tea (alternative).

Take a handful of parsley, a little scraped horseradish root, mince and pound and then add 1 pint of boiling water. A few young onions, lemon juice and oil can be added to modify the flavour if preferred.

PEAR.

The pear is not much used for simple beverages. In the countries where this fruit grows plentifully an intoxicating drink known as perry is made which closely resembles cider and by many is preferred to it.

Pear Soup.

2 lbs. hard stewing pears, 6 ounces of water, half a teaspoonful of aniseed, honey to taste, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 pints of water. Stew slowly until dissolved, strain, and serve either quite cold or very hot.

PEAS, BEANS AND LENTILS.

Dried peas, as well as beans and lentils, are theoretically the most nourishing foods extant and food reformers are fond of comparing them with meat and other foods to prove this. It is, however, in practice that we often find these comparisons unreliable. Most people find the pulse foods markedly difficult to digest; so that the relatively greater amount of nutriment that they contain does not serve them much. Pulses are good for those fortunate people who have very strong digestions which they can back up with plenty of open air exercise. It does not avail much for the city dweller with deficient digestive power to try to live on pulse foods when he finds that it only leads to endless dyspeptic discomforts.

Green peas and green broad beans as well as French beans _in a fresh green state_ are, however, quite valuable articles of diet. They contain far less nutriment, but they are, in return for this, much more easily digested. They go well in salads uncooked, if flaked or grated.

Green Pea Soup.

Take 4 ozs. of green peas, or green broad beans or an equivalent amount of well soaked and softened marrowfat peas. Pass once or twice through the Dana Flaker and mash well, add pulped rhubarb, cucumber and tomato to flavour; mix all with 1 pint of boiling water; allow to infuse, or boil for a few minutes, strain, and serve hot.

PEPPERMINT.

This herb is universally employed as a corrective of dyspepsia and colic. It contains 1 per cent. of volatile oil, to the presence of which its medicinal virtues are due. Peppermint possesses warming properties which also make it valuable for relieving pain. For this reason the bruised leaves or the expressed oil are often used as an outward application. Peppermint enters into the composition of many of the warming comforting drinks which are sold commercially under a variety of names.

Peppermint Tea.

Take 1 oz. of the dried or fresh leaves, add to them 1 pint of boiling water, strain, and take a wineglassful as a dose.

PINEAPPLE.

The fresh pineapple contains an abundant supply of a powerful ferment or vegetable trypsin which possesses strong digestive powers. The juice of a pineapple will freely digest flesh meat and other animal or vegetable products. The ferment is so powerful that the workpeople who prepare pines for tinning have to wear rubber gloves to protect their skins.

Pineapple Juice.

This can be extracted by means of the Fruit Juice Press. The fresh fruit must first be cut up into slices and the outer skin removed to facilitate the passage of the pineapple pieces through the machine. Fresh pineapple juice is a valuable remedy for sore throat and for diphtheria. The syrup of tinned pineapple is in no sense a substitute for the above, since it is chiefly sugar and water.

POTATO.

It is a singular fact that children have been known to munch a raw potato whenever they can get a chance of doing so. The potato is the most alkaline of all the root vegetables. It will clean dirty hands as well as old pictures or walls. It is the organic soda which does this. The potato is anti-scorbutic or a remedy against scurvy. This is why all ships carry a big supply of this tuber with them. The pulp of a grated raw potato is the finest remedy for acidity and stomach fermentation. Its earthy taste is objectionable. To correct this, one need only pour over the grated or pulverised roots some hot vegetable soup.

Potato Juice.

By passing clean scrubbed potatoes through the Enterprise Press we get a pungent alkaline liquid which is strongly antiseptic, but very nauseous. Some people are willing to drink it if their sufferings are great, but others will think that the remedy is worse than the complaint. The flavour of the juice can be improved by adding honey and lemon juice, or a little fresh carrot juice.

Potato Water.

Bake a large potato in the oven; then cut up skin and all, and add pint of boiling water; allow to stand; strain, and serve hot.

PRUNE.

The dried plum or prune does not lend itself much to the making of beverages. To prepare prunes first clean and then soak them in warm water, for 8 hours, more or less, according to the size, age, and hardness of the fruit; then chill them, and carefully dry them in a cloth for use. Their flavour and appearance are quite spoilt when they are cooked in the customary foolish fashion, namely, boiled furiously for an hour with sugar. If cooked at all, they should be placed with water in a jar in the oven and allowed to stew very slowly until swollen to the full roundness of fresh fruit, adding a little water, if necessary, during the process, but no sugar--there is plenty of natural sugar in the fruit. People who follow this method for the first time are always greatly astonished at the delicious flavour and handsome appearance of the fruit. And this applies to practically all dried fruits.

Prune Soup.

½ lb. prunes; 3 pints of water; simmer until soft; sieve, boil again and serve either hot or iced. The addition of fresh apple juice just before serving is an improvement.

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RAISINS.

Raisins, especially the muscatel variety, are often better food than grapes, because the sugar they contain has been thoroughly matured and ripened, and because only the best and healthiest of the grapes can be used in their preparation. Very pale raisins should be avoided as their light colour is the result of added sulphur.

Raisin Syrup.

This is a favourite Indian drink (Draksherash) and is made from raisins with a few spices.

Raisin Tea.

3½ ozs. chopped raisins; 1 pint of water. Boil until soft and then strain for use. This is an excellent remedy for constipation.

RASPBERRY.

The raspberry when in season is an excellent fruit for making beverages. The following is an example:

Raspberry Lemonade.

Mash a quantity of the fruit with a wooden spoon; strain through a jelly bag. To 1 pint of the juice add ¼ to ½ lb. pure honey and 1 quart fresh lemon or lime juice. Boil for a minute or so, and strain off the scum. When cold, bottle and cork with corks dipped in paraffin wax or melted resin.

RED CURRANTS.

These must not be confused with dried currants. They should only be very sparingly used, as they are strongly acid and astringent. Eaten to excess they are apt to scour the system and bring out nettle rash and eczema among those who have irritable skins.

Red Currant Soup.

1 lb. ripe red currants, 2½ pints water, simmer until soft, sieve, season with lemon and honey, and add a little oatmeal flour to thicken.

Red Currant Punch.

8 ozs. strong red currant juice, 1 quart of water, 2 ozs. malt extract or honey. Simmer 5 minutes and allow to cool. Slice 2 lemons and 2 oranges thin, and put them all into a bowl with ice.

Red Currant Drink.

One ¼ lb. jar red currant jelly, 1 pint hot water. Dissolve, and give in small quantities as a fever drink.

RHUBARB.

This is an excellent vegetable uncooked, and may be sliced and added to salads as a substitute for lemons. The natural grown stalks are better than the forced variety, as the latter contains much manure poison which makes them liable to disagree.

Rhubarb Juice.

This is a good substitute for lemon juice or vinegar in dressing salads. The rhubarb can be grated for the purpose on an ordinary flat grater, when it breaks down into juice and stringy fibres; or the Enterprise Press will quickly do the work.

Rhubarb Water.

½ lb. to 1 lb. of rhubarb stalks, 1 pint of cold water, honey, malt extract, black treacle or liquorice to taste. Extract the juice from the stalks, strain, add to the water and sweeten to taste. Beetroot well grated, or the juice of beetroot, is a good addition to this rhubarb water as it adds other valuable organic salts and also sweetens the drink. Banana pulp can also be used for the same purpose.

RICE.

During the Indian Mutiny, in certain besieged towns, the Europeans ate the rice and the natives drank the rice water. The latter had the best of the bargain for the rice water contained the bulk of the organic mineral salts. The former consisted mainly of starch.

The starch granules of rice are the smallest of any of the starchy foods, and the rice berry contains less mineral salts than any other grain. For this reason a diet of rice has been strongly recommended in cases of Bright’s disease. The unpolished rice should always be used. The use of the polished variety is now known to produce the Indian disease called “Beri-Beri.”

Rice Water.

Take 1 oz. best unpolished rice, a stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoonful of seeded raisins (if no bowel trouble is present); wash the rice well in cold water, add the raisins and cinnamon, steep in 2 pints of water, keep just warm 2 to 3 hours. Then boil slowly for 1 hour and carefully strain. Season to taste or add cream.

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SAFFRON.

This remarkable herb consists of the dried stigmata of our cultivated Crocus Sativus. It is a herbal remedy which was much believed in and used in the olden days. Saffron was thought to clean the blood and it was often given to children for their usual ailments and fevers. Saffron contains a strong yellow colouring matter, and it is still much used for the purpose of colouring butter, cheese, bread and cakes which the ancient housewife thought increased their dietetic value. Saffron Tea is one of the most ancient as well as one of the most popular of herbal drinks.

Saffron Tea.

Take 1 small teaspoonful of saffron, add this to a pint of fast boiling water, allow to stand, strain, and take of it a wineglassful occasionally.

SALT.

Most food reformers object to the addition of salt to their beverages on the score that it is an inorganic mineral poison which the body cannot utilise. It is always easy to leave it out when making beverages of any kind. The necessity for adding salt is, however, so ingrained in the minds of the average cook that unless recipes are made up personally it is often impossible to get the salt excluded. Salt is a strong and stable mineral and it thus greatly increases the flavour of soups, coffee, tea, etc. The use of salt is specially bad where the kidneys, and the system generally, are clogged up with waste poisons, and it is a common experience among food reformers that an almost complete cessation of colds follows the absolute avoidance of table salt.

SARSPARILLA.

Grown chiefly in India and the West Indies, sarsparilla is reputed to be an excellent remedy for purifying the blood. It is not an uncommon thing to see hawkers at country fairs selling it as a beverage. The usual preparation used is the Decoction which is made as follows:

Decoction of Sarsparilla.

Take 1 part of Jamaica roots cut up transversely, add to it 12 parts of boiling distilled water, allow it to soak for 1 hour, boil 10 minutes, cool, strain, and add water to make 8 parts. A wineglassful of this decoction can be taken at intervals.

SEAWEEDS AND MOSSES.

There are various forms of mosses, lichens and seaweeds which are collected and sold commercially. Among these may be included the seaweeds known as Iceland moss and Carrageen or Irish moss, as well as the lichen moss grown in Japan called Agar-agar.

Carrageen Decoction.

1 oz. each Iceland moss and Carrageen; thoroughly clean in several lots of boiling water to remove bitter principles and sand; then boil ¾ hour in 1½ pints of water, strain and flavour to taste.

Agar-agar Decoction.

Take 2 ozs. of any kind of fruit juice, add 1 pint of hot water in which a few small strands of agar-agar have been previously dissolved.

Alternative with Milk.

½ pint fresh milk, 1 oz. dried separated milk, ⅛ oz. agar-agar, a little cinnamon or nutmeg to flavour. Simmer until all is dissolved and then stand aside to set. Serve cold as a jelly, or warm up to use as a thick demulcent drink.

Tomato Jelly.

¾ lb. fresh tomatoes, rubbed through a sieve, 2 bay leaves, 1 small onion, 2 ozs. lemon juice, ¼ oz. agar-agar, 1 pint water. Simmer until the agar is dissolved, strain and serve cold as a jelly or warm up as a thick demulcent drink.

SPINACH.

This vegetable, which can be made to grow almost anywhere, has the highest percentage of organic mineral salts among the green vegetables. One rarely, however, hears of anyone eating it until these salts have been boiled out of it and it has been served up in one of the customary unscientific ways. It should be picked when young and tender. If one has a garden, it can be put in as successive crops to come up at intervals of about a fortnight apart. In this way a supply of young tender leaves will always be available. The large coarse leaves are not suitable for salad purposes but they can be used for making teas or for producing spinach juice. Spinach should be combined with other salad vegetables. It is richer in iron than even eggs or flesh meats; hence its value in cases of anæmia.

Spinach Juice.

This can be freely extracted by the Fruit Press and can be given as a blood tonic in doses of from 1 to 3 wineglassfuls daily. It is a far better blood producer than all the pills of the Pharmacopœia.

Spinach Tea.

This is made by chopping or bruising a quantity of the young leaves, then pouring boiling water upon them, and when drawn, serving for use. The acrid bitter principle found in spinach can be neutralized by adding a little milk, or oatmeal flour, or lemon juice with honey.

STRAWBERRY.

Growing as it does near or upon the ground this fruit contains a full supply of soda, potash, lime, iron and silica, in this resembling the vegetable rather than the fruit.

The strawberry comes in for a few weeks and then goes out of season again just as one is, after a few painful experiences, becoming accustomed to it. The little seeds, being new to the stomach, are apt to disagree with people and to upset their gastric arrangements. Yet the strawberry, if it could only be made available all the year round, would be one of our most valuable fruit foods. It is said to be good for gout and rheumatism, but many people seem to get these very diseases, including piles, from eating them because the irritating seeds, and the fruit acids, together with the added sugar and cream eaten with them, act as complicating elements.

Strawberry Juice.

Can be extracted easily from the fruit by pulping, straining the juice, and using it as required. The time will come when some enterprising fruit grower, instead of allowing his fruit to go to waste because of a glut, will take to bottling the juice, and he will certainly find a ready market, for strawberry juice is fully equal in nutritive value to apple juice and grape juice, both of which now find a remunerative field commercially.

Strawberry Drink.

Take a wineglassful each of strawberry and cucumber juice, mix, and drink cold.

Strawberry Tea.

Take 1 lb. of ripe strawberries, and after first removing the stalks, cleaning the fruit and mashing them, add to a pint of boiling water and serve hot without added sugar.

SUGAR.

In the West Indies, where the sugar cane is indigenous, the negro consumes sugar juice and not manufactured sugar and he has fine teeth and excellent health. The juice of the sugar cane contains saline mineral matter, with albumen, etc., and is a natural food just as is beetroot in its uncooked salad state. But sugar as we know it here is a chemical or inorganic substance.

Majendie and others showed that animals fed on commercial sugar perished in from two to four weeks with all the symptoms of exhaustion and atrophy.

A diet consisting largely of white bread and sugar, especially if the latter is taken melted in various beverages, will produce catarrhs of every type.

The inordinate use of sugar produces heartburn, neuralgia of the stomach, acid eructations, loss of appetite, anæmia, and either a state of constipation or diarrhœa. Muscovado (sold as “pure cane” Barbados and Puerto Rico) is the old-fashioned sugar boiled in peculiar open pans. When the juice comes from the crushed canes it resembles dark thick treacle. This requires to be strained to remove the grit and other impurities. After that it has to be boiled and subjected to other processes to get the uncrystallizable portion of the juice or the treacle separated from the crystallizable or ordinary sugar of commerce. Then the best kinds are filtered through animal charcoal and, when sufficiently purified, allowed to crystallize. The soft brown cane sugars (Barbados, etc.) are the least harmful; while the worst are the white crystallized and dyed yellow beet sugars which form by far the largest bulk of what is sold in Great Britain.

Those who wish to maintain a high resistance to disease and decay, and a clean digestive and circulatory system, should wean themselves away from the habit of sugaring their tea and coffee, lemonade and other beverages, and rely more and more upon the natural sugars present in honey, dried and fresh fruits, malted grains, etc. It has been picturesquely, but truthfully, said that “sugar burns in the body like thin paper in the fire: it flares up, giving momentary heat, but leaves a lot of useless waste in the grate.”

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TAMARINDS.

The “tamr hindee,” or Indian date, is chiefly grown in the West Indies. The pulp is preserved in sugar. It is both sweet and acidulous. The latter attribute is due to citric, malic and tartaric acids as well as potash bitartrate. Tamarinds are an essential ingredient of Indian curries. The tamarind is an excellent antiseptic and is thus advantageously used in fever cases.

Tamarind Water.

4 ozs. tamarinds, 1 pint cold water. Pour the water over the tamarinds and let stand 1 hour. Before using, stir or beat, and strain. Chopped figs are a useful addition to this beverage. The dose of tamarind water is from 2 teaspoonfuls to 2 table spoonfuls or more.

Tamarinds with Milk.

1 tablespoonful of tamarinds, 1 pint of milk warmed. Allow to dissolve, strain, and then drink.

If this beverage is made by boiling the two ingredients together, a whey is obtained which is very palatable.

TAR (VEGETABLE).

Vegetable tar is obtained by dry distillation from various pines and firs. It consists of resinous matter, united with acetic acid, oil of turpentine and charcoal.

Tar Water.

Bishop Berkeley in 1744 published a remarkable treatise on the wonderful virtues of tar water, and this treatise was much criticised and satirized at the time. It is prepared by stirring 1 pint of vegetable tar with ½ a gallon of water for 15 minutes, then allowing the tar to subside and straining off the liquid. Half to 2 pints can be taken daily in divided doses. It is not an unpleasant drink and can be sweetened with honey or liquorice if desired. Tar water is practically a coffee made from roasted wood so that the difference between it and ordinary coffee is not so great as one might imagine.

TEA.

Tea is drunk in different ways, according to local custom.

In China, where tea is rarely used until it is a year old, and is drunk constantly during the day, a small quantity of the leaves is put in a cup and hot water poured upon them. This is allowed to stand for a very short time and is then taken without any admixture of either milk or sugar.

In Russia, where only the very best teas are used, a slice of lemon is added to the infusion, and it is drunk without milk or sugar.

“The Mongols and Tartars use what is called brick tea. This is the refuse of tea mixed with decayed leaves and twigs, and made into hard masses or bricks with the fluid of ox or sheep’s blood. It is rubbed into powder, boiled with the impure water of the Steppes, and salt and fat are added. This is drunk in enormous quantities, mixed with milk, butter and meal.” (Cassell’s Family Doctor.)

Tea contains approximately: Caffein or thein (combined with tannic acid) 1·8, dextrin 9·7, albumen 2·6, cellulose 22·0, tannin 15·0, extractives 20·0, ash containing potash, soda, magnesia, phosphoric acid, chlorine and iron, with oil, wax, resin and silica 5·4.

“Tea is stimulative and restorative, and its action upon the nervous system is reinforced by the fact that it is usually taken hot. It results in the pulse being quickened. The elimination of pulmonary carbonic acid and that of the skin being increased.”

“The active principle in tea called theine exerts a very powerful influence upon the nerve structure of human beings if administered in a concentrated state. It first lessens the heart’s stroke, then producing a feeling of pleasant excitement. In large doses it causes wakefulness. In very large doses it may be followed by convulsions and death. It is a compound similar to morphia and nicotine. 2 teaspoonfuls furnish 4 to 6 grs. which is a full stimulant dose. 1 lb. of the leaves contains about 175 grs. of theine.” (Dr. R. J. Mann: Familiar lectures on the physiology of food and drink).

“Tea is a light beverage and taken in moderate quantity is exhilarating and restorative. When tea is consumed in a strong state and immoderately, it is capable of acting in a powerful manner on the nervous system; nervous agitation, muscular tremors, a sense of prostration and palpitation constitute effects that have been witnessed. It also constipates.” (Pavy.)

Tea-tasters suffer from head troubles, tremors and eye disorders, heart troubles and dyspepsia also occur.

Tea checks stomach and bowel digestion, and the digestion of starch ceases entirely in the presence of tea and coffee.

Tea and coffee are among the most powerful poisons of the vegetable kingdom. Their bewitching influence lies in their narcotic properties.

Strong Indian tea is a cause of excessive constipation.

“_Green tea_” is seldom used nowadays. Its colour and flavour are produced by a peculiar method of drying the leaves. As this method includes the use of copper pans, and the tea appropriates a proportion of copper, the use of green tea is to be strongly deprecated. A cup of green tea will, it is true, temporarily cure even the severest headache, but the cause of the headache, whatever it may be, is untouched, and possibly only aggravated by such irrational methods of “cure.”

The drinking of “Chinese Soup” (as we may call it) is a habit which may profitably be dispensed with altogether. The British custom of deliberately coaching children into the taste for tea is very silly. Children whose diet from the outset contains fresh fruit and pure water, will never crave for tea, coffee, or alcohol.

1 lb. of tea contains about 2 ozs. of tannin. This is a powerful astringent and is the same as the oak bark used by tanners to harden the skins of animals in the process of manufacturing leather. It has been computed that if a person consumed a good average number of cups of strong tea (with milk) daily he would partake in one month of enough liquid leather to make a fair sized pair of boots! There is, indeed, no doubt whatever that the tannin present in all tea (and to the largest extent in the popular Indian tea of to-day) hardens the lining of the stomach and bowels, thus inevitably inducing many serious disorders. It also hardens the food eaten, and in particular delays and diminishes the digestion of proteid substances.

China tea contains more theine and less tannin than the Indian or Ceylon varieties. This fact should make the former more popular, especially when the more delicate flavour comes to be appreciated.

Tea is best kept in lead foil or in tins impervious to moisture. It readily absorbs strong odours, and is soon tainted thereby. It also acquires the taste of the paper in which it is wrapped.

An early morning cup of weak China tea _taken without sugar or milk_ is a source of comfort and refreshment to a good many persons, when the mental and physical faculties are in a more or less lethargic state. The preparation of the early morning tea necessitates the stirring betimes of the domestics of the household, who are thus enabled to set a good example to those who employ them!

It is very unwise to purchase cheap tea, for it is not only much more astringent and harmful (being made from the coarse leaves of the tea plant) but it is not really economical. Fine tea (1s. 10d. to 2s. 6d. per lb.) if purchased of reliable blenders is always more healthful, goes farther, and gives greater pleasure to the consumer. The middle and upper classes in Russia would not tolerate the quality of tea which is generally used in Great Britain.

The presence in tea (as bought) of tiny golden “tips” is a good indication of it containing a fair proportion of the tenderest shoots of the tea plant--a distinct sign of sound quality.

Those who really wish to break off the tea and coffee habit will find that the sipping of any pure fruit or vegetable juice (in summer cold, and in winter hot) such as this book describes, is by far the best method. The use of “cereal coffees” seldom eradicates the craving for stimulant.

On Brewing Tea.

Care and exactitude are imperative. Earthenware pots are best as, if warmed, they retain the heat better, although they do not get so quickly heated as metal pots. The pot used should be quite clean and free from old leaves. Metal pot infusions are often stronger than those prepared in earthenware pots, because the polished surface quickly takes up the heat and retains it, if previously scalded out; but the heat radiates more quickly from a metal surface, therefore, it more quickly cools.

Freshly drawn water should be used. See that it boils thoroughly. Do not allow it to boil for more than a few minutes. If water contains much lime or iron it will not make good tea. First clear such water by boiling or other means to get rid of the temporary hardness and then pour through a watering can two or three times to get it well aerated and then proceed to boil it again for use. Distilled water, thus aerated is the best to use. The quality of the tea is much influenced by the kind of water used, and one tea will do better with one kind of water than another.

To boil the water use a kettle free from fur. Allow 1 teaspoonful of tea to each person. Infuse 5 minutes. When the leaves sink it is ready. Pour off from the leaves, or put tea in a muslin bag and when drawn take out the bag and throw it away. A cold teapot spoils the tea. Therefore warm the teapot first. Always use _furiously_ boiling water.

The Japanese powder the tea, put a certain portion in a teacup, pour boiling water upon it and drink it as soon as it is cool enough.

Other Methods of Infusing.

Put the tea in a kettle with cold water, cover it close, place it on the fire and make it all but boil. When a sort of white scum appears on the surface take it from the fire. Another method is, on the night before, to pour cold water on the leaves. The next morning pour off liquor and heat it as required.

Tea with Lemon (Russian style).

Use black, not green or mixed teas; place a very thin slice of lemon in the cup after it is filled. Use no milk. The organic citric acid in the lemon juice offsets the tannin.

Tea Punch.

Quart of made tea, wineglassful of grape juice (the freshly extracted juice is the best), 2 ozs. lemon juice, and some orange juice. Serve cold.

Cold Tea.

This is very refreshing in summer and is widely used throughout Australia, especially in the Bush. It is a remarkable fact that in Australia, where the consumption per head of meat and tea is the highest in the world, the mortality from cancer is also highest. This may not be a strong enough basis for a definite theory, but it should surely give English people cause to “furiously think.”

TOAST AND WATER.

This is a very old and still popular drink. It is thought to purify the water by reason of the charcoal which it contains. Cut crusts from a stale wholemeal loaf, twice as thick as usually cut, toast carefully until browned and hard, but not burnt or blackened. Instead, the crusts may be cut up into dice and slowly roasted.

Next pour boiling water into a heated jug and put the toast crust or the roasted dice into the jug. Do not pour the water upon the toast. Let it stand until cold, strain to remove grit, and serve either hot or cold as desired.

A little sliced lemon, orange juice, currant jelly or grated apple can be added for flavouring as desired. The beverage should be as brown as sherry.

“Put into a jug of hot water
A piece of bread toasted dark brown;
It’s refreshing in any complaint
And helps to keep fever down.”
(_Cookery Rhymes by Miss Potter_, 1862.)

TOMATO.

This is a splendid salad vegetable which closely approximates to fruit. The flavour is much appreciated although often an acquired taste. Far from being a cause of cancer (as is still ignorantly held by some) the free use of tomatoes is one of the best methods of preventing it. The finest tomatoes in the market are those grown in soils free from animal manures.

Tomato Juice.

It is easy to extract the juice from sound ripe tomatoes. First scald the tomato to easily remove the skin; then pulp the fruit and strain through butter muslin.

Tomato Soup.

To make this, first skin the tomatoes, then beat up and mash into a pulp, add celery or parsley and water, simmer until soft, then strain and serve.

TURNIP.

The turnip lends itself to uses similar to those indicated on other pages where vegetables of the salad or root variety are referred to. Scraped or grated it forms an excellent addition to salads. It makes a good addition to soups, and a tea can be made from it by infusing the grated turnip pulp in boiling water.