24 ON THE CHOICE OF MEATS, AND HOW TO COOK THEM. out the spit. Cut the ears off the head, and lav them at each end, cut the under jaw in two, and lay the parts on each side: melt some good butter, take the gravy you saved, and put in it, boil it, pour it in the dish with the brains bruised fine, and the sage mixed together, and then send it to the table. If just killed, a pig will require an hour te roast; if killed the day before, an hour and a quarter. If a very large one, an hour and a half. But the best way to judge is when the eyes drop out, and the skin is growing very hard; then rub it with s coarse cloth, with a good piece of butter rolled in it, till the crackling I crisp, and of a light brown color. Time, distance, basting often, and a clear fire of a proper size for what is required, are the first articles of a good cook's attention in ruasting. (14.) To Roast Mutton and Lamb.. In roasting mutton, the loin, haunch, and saddle, must be done as beef; but all other parts of mutton and lamb must be roasted with a quick, clear fire; baste it when you lay it down; and just before you take it up, drudge it with a little flour; but be sure not to use too much, for that takes away all the fine taste of the meat. Some choose to skin a loin of mutton, and roast it brown; be sure always to take the skin off a breast of mutton. A leg of mutton of six pounds will take an hour at a quick fire; if frosty weather, an hour and a quarter; nine pounds, an hour and a half; a leg of twelve pounds will take two hours; if frosty, two hours and a half. (15.) To Roast Venison. Spit a haunch of venison, and butter well four sheets of paper, two of which put on the haunch; then make a paste with flour, butter, and water, roll it out half as big as the haunch, and put it over the fat part; then put the other two sheets of paper on, and tie them with pack thread: lay it to a brisk fire, and baste it well all the time of roasting. If a large haunch of twenty-four pounds, it will take three hours and a half, unless there is a very large fire; then three hours will do: smaller in proportion. (16.) To Roast a Tongue or Udder. Parboil it first, then roast it, stick eight or ten cloves about it, baste it with butter, and have gravy and sweet sauce. An udder eats very deliciously done the same way. (17.) To Roast a Leg of Pork. Choose a small leg of fine young pork; cut a slit in the knuckle with a sharp knife, and fill the space with sage and onion chopped, and a little pepper and salt. When half done, score the skin in slices, but do not cut deeper than the outer rind. Apple-sauce and potatoes should be served to eat with it. (18.) Rolled Neck of Pork. Bone it put a force meat of chopped sage, a very few crumbs of oread, salt, pepper, and two or three berries of allspice over the inside; then roll the meat as tight as you can, and roast it slowly, and at e good distance at first. (19.) Spare Rib. Should be basted with a very little butter, and a little flour, and then sprinkle with a little dried sage crumbled. Apple-sauce and po tatoes for roasted pork. (20.) Beef a-la-Mode. Choose a piece of thick flank of a fine heifer or ox, cut into long alices some fat bacon, but quite free from yellow; let each bit be near an inch thick; dip them into vinegar, and then into a seasoning ready prepared, of salt, black pepper, allspice, and a clove, all in a fine pow der, with parsley, chives, thyme, savory, and knotted marjorum, shred as small as possible, and well mixed. With a sharp knife make holes deep enough to let in the larding, then rub the beef over with the seasoning, and bind it up tight with tape. Set it in a well tinned pot over a fire or rather stove; three or four onions must be fried brown and put to the beef, with two or three carrots, one turnip, a head or two of celery, and a small quantity of water; let it simmer gently ten or twelve hours, or till extremely tender, turning the meat twice. (21.) Rolled Beef that equals Hare. Take the inside of a large sirloin, soak it in a glass of vinegar mix ed, for forty-eight hours; have ready a very fine stuffing, and bind it up tight. Roast it on a hanging spit, and baste it with a glass of port wine, the same quantity of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of pounded allspice. Larding improves the look and flavor; serve with rich gravv in the dish; currant-jelly and melted butter in tureens. (22.) Leg of Veal. Let the fillet be cut large or small, as best suits the number of your company. Take out the bone, fill the space with fine stuffing, and let it be skewered quite round; and send the large side uppermost. When half roasted, if not before, put a paper over the fat; and take care to allow a sufficient time, and put it a good distance from the fire, as the meat is very solid: serve with melted butter poured over it. You may pot some of it. (23.) Stewed Beef-Steaks. Bea hem with a rolling-pin, flour and season, then fry with sliced onion of a fine light brown, lay the steaks into a stew-pan, and pour as much boiling water over them as will serve for sauce; stew them very gently half an hour, and add a spoonful of catsup, or walnut iquor, before you serve. (24.) Cucumber Sauce. Put into a sauce-pan a piece of butter rolled in flour, some salt, pepper, and one or two pickled cucumbers minced fine. Moisten it with boiling water. Let stew gently a few minutes, and serve it up 2 ON THE TREATMENT OF INFANTS. WOULD that parents generally were aware of the importance, and adequately understood the principles, of properly taking care of children. One-half of the diseases of mature life have their origin in our early years. In the following treatise may be found a complete code of precepts for the bringing up of children. It is from the highest medical authority, and I cannot too highly commend it to the attention of all parents, and all those who ever expect to become such. (1.) Rules for Treatment of the Chila after Birth and before Weaning. Give the breast within twelve or eighteen hours after birth, at latest. Foment the breasts with warm water if the milk does not flow; avoid rubbing the breasts with spirits. If there be too much milk, drink little, and take opening medicine. As a nurse, wear easy dresses about the bosom and chest. Keep down the tendency of the abdomen to enlarge, by exercise. If the nipple is small, or turned in, have it drawn by an older or stronger infant, not by artificial means; but let the new-born child have the first milk. Choose a hired wet nurse [when required] nearly of the same age with the mother, like her in constitutional peculiarities, and who has been confined about the same time. When nursing, live on nutritious but not heavy diet A full habit requires less nutriment than a delicate constitution. Stimulating liquors are to be avoided. Simple diluents, such as tea, are quite enough as drinks for many mothers. The mother's milk is the best food for the new-born child for three months. An infant from two to four months old requires to be suckled once about every three hours. The best substitute for the breast, but as temporary as possible, is asses' or diluted cows' milk; but on no account should farinaceous food be given at this early period. Apply a flannel bandage to the lower part of the body in bowel complaints. A warm bath soothes irritation. After six months an approach may be made to more solid diet. Give no stimulants, carraway-seeds, carminatives, &c.; they are most pernicious. Give as little medicine to a child as possible, and always by advice. Never over-feed, and never stop crying by feeding Avoid rough jolting and patting of the back. Train an infant to regularity in all its wants. (2.) Rules for Weaning. Wean gradually, discontinuing suckling in the night the gradual changes beneficial to both mother and child. Avoid weaning in severe weather. Take for yourself a cooling purgative, and refrain from fluids and stimulating diet. In weaning, apply to the breasts three ounces compound soap liniment, three drachms laudanum, one drachm campl.or liniment. If this be too irritating, foment with warm water, or poppy-heads and chamomile flowers boiled together in water. Avoid tightness or pressure from the dress, and all roughness, for fear of abscess. Avoid drawing the breasts: avoid exposure to cold. (3.) Rules for Treatment after Weaning—Food. Study the child's constitution, digestive powers, teeth, strength, and proportion the kind and quantity of food. Animal food, in small quantity, once a day, if the teeth can masticate, is necessary when there is rapid growth. Avoid too nourishing a diet with a violent tempered child. Both over-feeding and under-feeding produces crofula and consumption. The spoiled and petted child is injured both in health and temper. Avoid scasoned dishes, fried and salted meats, pastry, uncooked vegetables, unripe fruits, wine and rich cake. Insist on thorough chewing or mastication. Vary the food from day to day, but avoid variety at one meal. Animal food should be tender, and eaten with a little salt, vegeta bles, and bread. Take care that the child's food is well cooked. Give no new bread. Sweetmeats and confections are only to be given to children in a very sparing manner, if given at all. Never pamper or reward with eatables. (4.) Rules for Sleep. Allow the child plenty of sleep, without disturbance. Avoid accustoming the child to sleep on the lap; it will not sleep in bed if so accustomed. Establish times for regular sleeping. Keep the hands, feet, and face comfortably warm-blankets are better than sheets. Support every part of the body, raising by a slope the head and shoulders. Avoid laying the child in the same bed with an adult, unless for a short time, to restore warmth if it fail. Never rouse the child by play when taken up during the night. (5.) Rules for Clothing. In the first stage of infancy, warmth depends on clothing alone, for there is no muscular movement. Avoid a degree of warmth which produces sensible perspiration. Flannel and calico are the best materials in all seasons. Dress the child loosely, and fasten with strings, not with pins. Attend to the form and size of the child's shoes, so that the feet shall not be cramped. The practice of plunging infants into cold water, to render them hardy, is exceedingly dangerous. Let a child's washing be very completely and carefully performed. Keep the child always perfectly clean and neat. Be very attentive to ventilate the apartment where a child lives, but never expose it to draughts of air. Begin early to form habits of personal cleanliness and delicacy. (6.) Vaccination. Let the child be vaccinated from six weeks to two months after birth, and that by a proper medical attendant. Vaccination should take place before teething. (7.) Deformities and Distortions. Consult the surgeon upon the first appearance of any deformity; and do not allow fears for giving pain to the child prevent the use of the necessary remedies. Be very vigilant with rickets or soft bones. Never allow the rickety child to support its own weight. It ought to be kept on its back for many months, and carried about on a little mattress on a board or tray, and have nourishing diet, and the proper medicines to give solidity to the bones. Never jerk or swing children by the arms; much mischief has been done by this practice. When a child falls, or meets with any accident, it is highly culpable in a nurse to conceal it. If she do not immediately mention it, she may be the cause of the child's deformity and lameness for life. With proper attention, a tendency to be left-handed may be easily cured in a child. Prevent all tricks and ill-habits which injure the features and organs; such as stuffing the nostrils, ears, &c., distending the mouth with too large a spoon. Curvature of the spine is of very frequent occurrence from mismanaging children, by tight lacing, long sitting without support to the back (all school seats and forms should have backs). Take all de.. formities of the spine in time, before they get fixed. (8.) Precocity. When a child appears to be over-intelligent, or too clever or wise for its age, this is a symptom of an unnatural development of the brain; it is a kind of disease. Avoid, therefore, exercising the child's ability treat it as an animal, with nutritive food, muscular, out-door exercise, and plenty of sleep; and do this, and this only, for some years. |