Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-02
How to Feed an Invalid.

of something that is particularly palata-
BILE to the patient, and your efforts will
be rewarded by your soon beholding
him eating with an appetite. For in
stance, you are bound to give mince, and
equally bound not to give pastry. Your
patient, however, is fond of pastry.
What you must then do is this. You
must make col ai1re,t case, and fill it
with minced chicken or lamb. Then.
though your patient may not eat q single
mouthful of the crust, the look of the
whole thing calls up the pleasurable
feelings associated with the Uol an cent,
in lieu of the feeling of disgust excited by
q dish of mince. On this day you will
find that he enjoys his meal; on another
occasion you can surround the mince
with a wall of mashed potatoes or boiled
rice. Again, you may send up your
mince in the guise of 6 cottage pie. -
This, as every one knows, is just a layer
of minced meat placed at the bottom Of
a small pie-dish, covered with q three
inch layer of potatoes, put in the oven
and nicely Drowned. Yet, again, you
may put the mince into rissoles, or roll
it up inside batter, or, failing all these,
can make three-cornered sandwiches
with it. In this last case the mince
should be of chicken, and, instead OF
buttering both pieces OF the bread. you
might spread the faintest Soa.pco's of
potted ham on one of them.
In catering for such an invalid as we
have in view, our aim is to get him to
take certain amount of meat per diem.
The doctor has ordered him so many
ounces a day, to be given in any form
(save the solid) in which he can bein-
duced to swallow it. As long, then, as
this quantity gets taken, our object is
secured. We. may give it, if we like,
through the medium of soup, or through
that Of meat jellies. 1t isquite possible
then, to let two, or even three days in
the week pass without mince in any one
of its Protean shapes being present.
We can make chicken panada, and
put in as much as is equivalent to the
specified number of ounces into a. plate
of soup; or, again, we can make some
strong ox-tail Jelly, and administer a
couple of glasses to him; and then,
when we have given the due allowance
of meat, we are ableto include in that
days menu things which are more APP
petizing, though less nourishing. than
mince. We can give him souffie fla
vored with vanilla, served in q Asmoking
tin, with snowy white napkin round
it. Charlotte russo, macaroni with
sweet sauces, roast apples Ito be eaten
with baked milky rice pudding), stewed
pears covered with cream, and innum-
cradle other puddings, can be given
with great benefit, since, by causing
your invalid to derive pleasure from
some portion at least of his meal, you
prevent lim from regarding all eating
as distasteful. rY E
But, above all, it must be remembered
that the way in which things are served
is the most important element III the.
matter. The trays should be covered
with the freshest of cloths, and even be
rendered bright by a vase of flowers.
You should never set a plate before an
invalid containing the exact quantity OF
meat, fish or pudding you want him to
eat. If you do, he will be sure to leave
half, with the complaint that he has no
appetite. He should always have every
thing served on small dishes, and should
be allowed to assist himself. His vegeta-
bles and sauces should never be heaped
on his plate, but should come up in tiny
vegetable dishes and pretty sauce boats.
Above all, he should never be told be-
forehand what he may expect, so that
his meals have all the charm of sur
prise. In short, an invalid's meals
should be 30 managed that he should
look forward to them with pleasure as
to break in the days monotony, in
stead of turning from them with disgust,
as from some disagreeable ordeal to be
undergone with all the resolution he can
muster.-IHe Queen.