0)1 the TJicory and Practice of Cookery 



60 1 



16 per cent, of saline matter. The extract is 

 always acid ; and it should be of a pale 

 yellowish-brown colour, with an agreeable 

 meat-like odour and taste. It should also be 

 l^erfectly soluble in cold water, and should not 

 contain albumen, fat, or gelatine. 



False views have been entertained of the 

 nutritive power of this extract, for, as one 

 pound of it represents the soluble constituents 

 of from 30 to 34 pounds of lean meat, or from 

 45 to 48 pounds of ordinary butchers' meat, 

 it has been assumed that its nutritive power 

 is in this proportion; but Liebig has taken 

 care to correct this error, by shewing that the 

 extract, when properly prepared, merely re- 

 presents the soup or beef-tea obtainable from 

 that quantity of meat ; and, as it is deficient 

 of albumen, it must be conjoined to substances 

 which are rich in this material, as beans and 

 peas. No dou-bt the physiological action of 

 the extract is due to the alkaloids which it 

 contains \ and as the former of these are of 

 tea and coffee (theine or caffeine) in their 

 effects on the body, it must be concluded 

 that extract of meat is more of a vital restora- 

 tive than a nutritious food. It is from this 

 point of view that Parmentier, Proust, and 

 even Liebig himself are disposed to regard 

 the physiological effects of the preparations. 

 " In the supplies of a body of troops," says 

 Parmentier, " extract of meat would offer to 

 the severely-wounded soldier a means of in- 

 vigoration which, with a little wine, would 

 instantly restore his powers, exhausted by 

 great loss of blood, and enable him to bear 

 being transported to the nearest field hospital ;" 

 and, in almost the same language, Proust re- 

 marks that " we cannot imagine a more fortu- 

 nate preparation under these circumstances ; 

 for what more invigorating remedy, what more 

 powerfully-acting panacea than a portion of 

 genuine extract of meat dissolved in a glass of 

 noble wine? 



I\IEAT BISCUITS. 



As in the case of soup and beef-tea, its 

 nutritive power must be assisted by vegetables 

 and other substances which are rich in nitro- 

 genous matters. Conjoined, therefore, with 

 wheaten flour, with peas or lentils, or even 

 with the gluten obtained in the manufacture 



of starch by Durand's process, it may be made 

 to have the nutritive power of meat. Already 

 there is a preparation of it by Messrs Peek, 

 Frean, & Co., in which the extract is mixed 

 with baked flour and pressed into small bis- 

 cuits ; indeed, as far back as the year 185 1, 

 Mr Borden, jun., obtained a patent for com- 

 bining extract of meat with flour, farina, or 

 meal, and baking it in the form of biscuits. 

 In this manner, by using the extract of 5 lb. 

 of meat with i lb. of flour, he produced bis- 

 cuits which contained 32 per cent, of nitro- 

 genous matter, and i oz. of the biscuit grated 

 into a pint of water, then boiled and flavoured, 

 made a good soup. la the case of Liebig's ex- 

 tract of meat, one pound of the preparation is 

 sufficient, with the usual rations of potatoes 

 and other vegetables, to make soup for 130 

 men ; and a strong broth is made by dissolv- 

 ing a teaspoonful of it (about 150 grains) in 

 half a pint of boiling water, and flavouring 

 with salt and pepper. 



A still more nutritious broth, containing 

 the albumen of the meat, is obtained by in- 

 fusing a third of a pound of minced meat in 

 14 ounces of cold soft water, to which a few 

 drops (4 or 5) of muriatic acid, and a little 

 salt (from 10 to 18 grains) have been added. 

 After digesting for an hour or so, it should 

 be strained through a sieve, and the residue 

 washed with 5 ounces of water and pressed. 



The mixed liquids thus obtained will fur- 

 nish about a pint of cold extract of meat, con- 

 taining the whole of the soluble constituents 

 of the meat (albumen, creatine, creatinine, 

 ^x.), and it may be drank cold, or slightly 

 warmed — the temperature not being raised 

 above 100^ Fahr. for fear of coagulating the 

 albumen. 



VESSELS FOR COOKING — CAPT. WARREN's POT, 



There are many questions connected with 

 the economy of cooking, and as to the 

 simplest and cheapest apparatus for the 

 purpose. Foremost among them is the 

 cooking-pot of Captain Warren. It is a sort 

 of double saucepan, and is easily made by 

 fitting a small covered saucepan into a 

 larger one. The inner vessel contains 

 the joint or other thing to be cooked, 



