MIXTURES OF FLOUR AND GRAIN. 47 



is made into light nourishing aliment, alike valuable to the diseased 

 and healthy, and among the useful additions to it is rice. This boiled 

 and mixed in the proportion of 1 to. 3 of flour, and made into dough 

 with the water in which it has been boiled, affords 1 Ib. and 14 oz. of 

 fine bread. The flour of beans added to wheat flour also makes a nu- 

 tritious bread. Five pounds of this with 50 of the flour of wheat, 

 kneaded with salt and yeast produce 93 Ibs. of dough, or 82f Ib3. of 

 bread ; the wheat flour alone yields but 69 Ibs. of bread. 280 Ibs. of 

 flour are estimated to make 347 Ibs. of bread ; but flour varies ia 

 the weight of water it absorbs. In London it is said the amount of 

 bread calculated upon for each person of a family is 6 Ibs. per week or 

 13oz. per day. 



Ginger-bread is an important bread, from the extent of its use, for 

 the composition of which the following receipt is given by a distin- 

 guished English writer 1 Ib. of flour; Ib. of molasses ; i Ib. of raw 

 sugar ; 2 oz. of butter ; ^ oz. of carbonate of magnesia ; oz. of tartaric 

 acid ; oz. of ginger ; oz. of cinnamon and 1 oz. of nutmegs, or 

 these in corresponding proportions. In this way the bread is ready for 

 the oven in an hour. 



Eye flour is one of the most common mixtures with that of wheat. 

 The grains are grown and ground together for this purpose in many 

 places. Thus-grown they are called metcil in France. The bread is 

 very wholesome and well flavored, having less solidity in the stomach 

 than wheat bread. The proportion of the flours, when mixed, is one- 

 third or little more of rye flour. Rye bread retains its humidity and at 

 the same time its flavor. When ground coarse, the bread is good for 

 the dispeptic and costive. Boiled in water (rye-mush) it is recom- 

 mended by the faculty, with milk or molasses, in the morning, for con- 

 stirpation, and also in some surgical cases. 



Barley, from its small quantity of gluten, does not make good bread. 

 The husk is acrid and laxative ; but deprived of this, in which state it 

 is pearl barley, it is quite nutritious and is much used. 2 oz. of pearl 

 barley to 4 pints of water forms the well known barley water which, 

 with lemon juice, is a very refreshing drink in fevers and is otherwise 

 very nourishing. Rice water is used in a similar way. The first is 

 made as follows : wash the seeds, then boil a short time in half-pint 

 of water, throw away the water, pour on four pints of hot water, boil 

 down to two pints, and strain. This may be made of barley flour; 

 two spoonfuls being boiled for ten minutes in one quart of water, strain- 

 ed, sweetened and flavored. 



Oat meal, though not easily made into bread, forms fine cakes with 

 milk and aromatic seeds, baked before the fire. Boiled with water till 

 rather thick, it is nutritious and useful in sickness; but the meal fer- 

 mented in water, boiled and strained, forms a jelly still better. The 

 bread is bitter; the meal is chiefly used in gruels, which is good, drank 



