

48 FORMATION OF BREAD. 



after purgative medicines and in cases of a morbid condition of the 

 bowels. Two parts of oat meal and six of water are mixed ; a quart of 

 boiling water is added, then boiled and stirred ten minutes, sweetened 

 and flavored. Or a pint of boiling milk is added to a pint of water, 

 with which the meal has been mixed ; boil and stir five minutes, strain 

 and sweeten. This is excellent for invalids. Wheat bran thus prepar- 

 ed is also good for such persons, for catarrh and to preserve laxity of 

 the bowels. 



Rice having no gluten is unfit for bread. It suffers no change by 

 transportation, like most grains, and is most easily prepared for food. 

 It is excellent for long sea voyages. The Chinese prepare it numer- 

 ous ways and with much delicacy. It is commonly boiled and served 

 with lintels or beans. Boiled and pressed into small cakes it is pre- 

 served a long time ready for use. A favorite porridge is made of it. 

 It nourishes with little irritation and little residuum. In violent dis- 

 eases and lingering complaints, rice diet is excellent. Inflammations 

 of the bowels, dysentery, chronic complaints of the digestive organs, 

 looseness of the bowels, with gripings, &c., are controled by rice diet 

 and rice drinks. It is seasoned with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Kice 

 jelly is made of two oz. of the flour, quarter Ib. of loaf sugar and a 

 pint of water, boiled till thick, flavored and cooled. Ground rice is 

 apt to become musty by keeping ; the grain answers all purposes. 

 In convalescence, or in forming states of disease, it is equally valua- 

 ble. In the summer complaints of children, for medicine and nutri- 

 ment, nothing, it is said, is better than rice water or rice and cream, 

 sweetened and salted. Salt is best to add for acidity of the stomach and 

 flatulency of the bowels, either to this or barley gruel. Rice and milk 

 is an excellent nourishing diet, when there is not a state of inflamma- 

 tion. The rice is simmered three or four hours with the milk. This, 

 if then baked brown, forms a very fine wholesome pudding, if desired. 



Indian corn meal, like other meal not susceptible of panification is 

 not made into bread alone, but it makes with flour an excellent bread 1 , 

 retaining its softness for 36 hours. In this country, it is thus much 

 used, and also in cakes and puddings. Mush is made by stirring a 

 portion into boiling water; it is then eaten with milk, cream or molas- 

 ses. We have spoken of many preparations of this important grain. 

 A gruel is made of it like oat and barley gruel, and for like purposes. 

 A peculiar and slightly acrid oil Is contained in the bran, so that this 

 should be entirely removed. This, however, is probably the stimulant 

 of the grain, when fed to animals. 



Buckwheat is not used in the usual form of bread, or is not suscep- 

 tible of panification. Indian meal mixed with buckwheat flour when 

 used for cakes is a great improvement. It is mixed with the flour of 

 other grains in Europe and made into bread. It has little or no glu- 

 ten ; its starch being its ehief nutriment. 



