650 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
much curry powder as will lie on a shilling.” Plain Turtle Soup 
is often concocted from dried Turtle after it has been sufficiently 
soaked, seasoning this with a little salt only. ‘‘ The Tortoise ” 
(says Clarke, 1678), “which they call Turtle, eats like veal.” 
In May large numbers of the same come ashore to lay their eggs, 
which are much esteemed, and are eagerly sought for. The 
Turtle digs a hole in the sand, and deposits its eggs therein, then 
proceeding to cover them over. For ascertaining where the 
nest is located a sharp stick, or iron rod, is used to prod the 
ground. The edible Tortoise (Scwlpetje) supplies restorative 
food for children who are atrophied, or wasting away ; the juice 
of the boiled flesh to be taken when strained. It is remarkable, 
by correspondence, that the vitality of the Turtle is wonderful, 
and its strength prodigious. If you want to kill him he clings 
to life with a tenacity almost ridiculous. Redi, the well-known 
Zoologist, deprived a large Turtle of its head, and it insisted 
upon living for twenty-three days afterwards. Another Turtle, 
which had its head cut off in the evening by the cook, knocked 
him down the next morning with its fin. A quart of real Turtle 
Soup, with the same quantity of good stock, makes an excellent 
combination. Add a small piece of lump sugar. All Soups 
should have a little sugar added. 
Dr. Haig admonishes that “‘ Meat Soup contains one decimal 
our per cent of uric acid, or xanthin, which is objectionable 
for gouty persons. Soup Maigre is made without meat. ‘ Take 
a well-grown Savoy Cabbage, i.e., one possessing a good green 
heart ; wash it thoroughly in salt, and water, and trim off the 
outer leaves, putting it in an earthen crock, and pouring on 
sufficient boiling water to entirely immerse it; cover, and stand 
it aside for a quarter of an hour, when it will be ready to be 
sliced with a sharp knife, and mixed with three onions, a couple 
of small turnips, and a large carrot, these having been previously 
chopped into dice. Melt two ounces of dripping in a stewpan, 
put in the various ingredients, and cook them through (without 
browning them in the least degree,) which process will extract 
the flavour. Next, wash, and drain a quarter of a pound of 
pearl barley, throw it into the pan, and pour in a quart of boiling 
water, simmering the whole slowly for two hours, or more, 
according to whether, or not, the barley becomes soft; and, 
at the end of that time, if, as will probably be the case, the Soup 
is too solid, liquefy it with another pint and a half of boiling 
