ALMONDS. 39 
and somewhat sedative to an irritable, or qualmish stomach, 
the macaroon (“‘ maccare,” to reduce to pulp) is admirable, 
either at breakfast (instead of the customary egg, including the 
yolk), or by way of an improvised luncheon, or as an occasional 
snack, about the easy digestion of which no fear need be enter- 
tained. The albuminous white of egg, the demulcent, reinvigora- 
ting sweet almond, the comforting sugar, and the tranquillising 
modicum of bitter almond, with its infinitesimal quantity of 
prussic acid as a sedative to the gastric nerves, make 
altogether a most happy combination for the objects now 
particularized. 
In the dietetic treatment of diabetes sweet almonds may be 
employed for making a kind of bread without starch in it, this 
being a tolerable substitute for wheaten bread, which is prohibited 
because of its starch, convertible into sugar. For this purpose 
the sweet almonds are first blanched, then expressed strongly 
together so that a portion of their oil may be squeezed out; 
they are next treated with boiling water in which some tartaric 
acid has been dissolved for expelling the sugar; and finally they 
are ground into a powder, which can be used for making bread, 
or for cakes, and puddings, when combined with eggs, and cream. 
Almond drink is softening and nutritive in chest affections, 
being easily prepared by rubbing up a couple of ounces of the 
compound powder of almonds with a pint of water. This is 
serviceable in fever, and other acute diseases. Again, Almond 
soup is a nourishing dish for a delicate stomach disposed to 
nausea. A quarter of a pound of Jordan almonds, and five bitter 
almonds, are to be blanched, peeled, and pounded, with half-a-pint 
of milk added during the process, and a pint of milk afterwards ; 
then warm the mixture, and pour it over a pint and a half of 
rice milk, also made hot; mix both these together, when hot 
enough, in a tureen. 
It may be that the so-called Jordan almonds have derived 
their name from the “ Jordan,” an old English vessel (of clay), 
in shape like a modern soda-water bottle, which was formerly 
made use of by physicians. Most persons suppose, unthinkingly, 
that these almonds (which arrive here about Christmas time 
. with other dried fruits) come from the neighbourhood of the 
river Jordan in Palestine; but it is better known that they 
derive their distinctive name from an enterprising Englishman 
of that title who planted, and reared them first at Malaga. They 
