80 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
feverish disorders, or as a soothing decoction for sore lining 
membranes of the chest, and the bladder. Barley is especially 
rich in iron, and phosphoric acid. Barley bread, always of close 
texture, was exclusively used in England as late as the time of 
Charles the First, though, because of its deficiency in gluten, 
it cannot be made light of itself; if mixed with wheaten flour 
its combination answers very well, and the bread becomes 
palatable. Throughout Cumberland in the seventeenth century 
wheaten bread was an indulgence only allowed about Christmas 
time, even among the principal families. The crust of the 
everlasting goosepie which adorned the table of every county 
magnate, was invariably made of Barley meal, which is rich in 
mineral matter, and contains more fat than wheat. 
Tf an ounce of gum arabic be dissolved in a pint of a hot 
decoction of Barley, this makes a most soothing drink to allay 
- irritation of the bladder, and of the urinary passages. Honey 
may be added beneficially to the decoction for bronchial coughs. 
Barley bread (or porridge) is apt to purge; but such was in 
ancient times the bread of the Egyptians, likewise of the Jews 
in the days of our Saviour, as we learn from the miracle wrought 
with respect to the lad’s five barley loaves, (and two fishes). 
For Barley soup, put a quarter of a cup of well-washed Barley, 
with a bayleaf, and a small blade of mace, into a pint and a half 
of cold water, and boil slowly for three hours. Take out the 
bayleaf, and mace ; then add a small onion (sliced fine), with two 
French carrots (cut in dice), and cook these until tender; next 
add a pint of milk, a good tablespoonful of butter, with salt and 
pepper to taste; let it come to the boil, then remove it from 
the fire, and stir into it the yolk of one egg, perhaps beaten 
with two tablespoontuls of cream. 
Sixty or seventy years ago the breakfast of Cornish apprentice 
lads on a farm was invariably “sky-blue and sinkers.” Into a 
three-legged crock fixed over a brisk fire of furze, and turf, was 
poured a quantity of water. While this was coming to the boil 
some Barley-flour was mixed in a basin with scalded milk, and 
the same was emptied into the water in the crock, and allowed 
to boil for a minute or two. Next it was poured into basins 
containing sops of Barley bread. These sops sank to the bottom, 
nothing being visible but the liquid mess, sky-blue in colour, 
and therefore called in its entirety “ sky-blue and sinkers,” 
_ being eaten with an iron spoon. As the price of wheat was in 
