Miscellanies. 391 



Decoction of moss, made by boiling half an ounce clear moss in 

 a pint and a half of water or milk until reduced to a pint, is recom- 

 mended as food for children affected with scrofulous or rickety dis- 

 eases, for such as are delicate and weakly and for infants. 



There are some printed direction for the manner of using the car- 

 rageen moss for medicinal, and culinary purposes, accompanying some 

 imported from England, from which I shall make here an extract. 



Directions for using the Moss Medicinally. — Steep a quarter of 

 an ounce of Moss in cold water for a few minutes — then withdraw 

 it, (shaking the water out of each sprig) and boil it in a quart of new 

 or unskimmed milk, until it attains the consistence of warm jelly 

 strain, and sweeten it to the taste with white sugar or honey, or if 

 convenient, with candied Eryngo Root ; should milk disagree with 

 the stomach, the same portion of water may be used instead. The 

 decoction made with milk is recommended for breakfast for con- 

 sumptive patients ; and with water will be found a most agreeable 

 kind of nourishment, taken at intervals during the day, the flavor 

 being varied with lemon-juice or peel, Seville orange-juice, cinnamon, 

 or wine, of any sort most congenial to the taste. 



The decoction in water is also taken for the relief of cough, at 

 any time in the course of the day, when it is troublesome, and it is, 

 , for this purpose, simply sweetened with honey. 



In Dysentery, the decoction either in milk or water, may be ad- 

 ministered with equal advantage, and in addition to the sweetening 

 matter, if a tea-spoonful of the Tincture of Rhatany be mixed with 

 each cupful of it, tone will thereby be given to the intestines, at the 

 same time that nourishment will be conveyed to the system, and ir- 

 ritation prevented — a large tea-cupful of the decoction may be taken 

 three or four times a day. 



As a pleasant strengthening food, boiled with milk and strained 

 with the addition of a little sugar, it is unrivalled for infants. Per- 

 sons take it in this way for breakfast or supper, with the happiest ef- 

 fect, who are sustaining an attack of the cholera. 



Culinary Directions. — To make Blanche-Mange : — take half an 

 ounce of Moss, and having cleansed it by the process above describ- 

 ed, boil it in a pint and half new milk, until it is reduced to a prop- 

 er thickness to retain its shape ; to be sweetened and flavored with 

 lemon, white wine, or any thing to suit the palate. 



To make Orange Lemon or Savory jellies : — use a similar process, 

 substituting water for milk — add lemon, orange, herbs, &c. accor- 

 ding to taste. 



