This section is from the book "Practical Dietetics: With Reference To Diet In Disease", by Alida Frances Pattee. Also available from Amazon: Practical Dietetics: With Reference to Diet in Disease.
(Individual Rule.) 2 teaspoons arrowroot. 1 cup boiling water or milk.
2 tablespoons cold water. Salt.
Sugar, lemon juice, wine or brandy as required.
Blend the arrowroot and cold water to a smooth paste. Add to the boiling water or milk. Cook in double boiler two hours. Add salt. Strain and serve hot.
Arrowroot is the purest form of starch, and beneficial in case of diarrhoea if not given too hot.
(Individual Rule).
1 tablespoon barley flour. 1 cup scalded milk.
2 tablespoons cold milk. Salt.
Blend the barley flour with the cold milk and stir into the scalding milk. Cook in double boiler twenty minutes. Season with salt to taste, and add sugar if desired. Strain.
(Individual Rule).
1 tablespoon barley flour. ½ cup milk (if desired).
2 tablespoons cold water. Salt.
1 cup boiling water.
Blend carefully the barley flour and the cold water; add gradually to the boiling water and cook twenty minutes. Add milk and salt to taste, reheat to boiling point, strain and serve or bottle for keeping.
For jelly omit the milk and strain.
Rice or oat gruel may be made in same way as Barley Gruel No. I or II, using the prepared flour for the purpose.
(Two Servings).
2 cups beef broth. 2 tablespoons cold water. 2 tablespoons barley flour. 1 saltspoon salt.
1 Calculated with milk.
Mix barley flour and salt with the cold water to form a smooth paste. Add gradually to the boiling stock and boil one-half hour. Strain and serve very hot.
(Individual Rule).
2 tablespoons sifted cracker crumbs. 1/8 teaspoon salt.
1 cup scalded milk.
Pour hot milk gradually onto cracker crumbs, stirring constantly. Cook in double boiler five minutes or two minutes over direct heat.
Before preparing crumbs, crackers may be baked in a slow oven until a delicate brown; or graham crackers may be used. A convenient way to prepare the crumbs is to put them several times through a meat chopper and then sift.
(Individual Rule).
¾ cup scalded milk. ¼ cup cold milk. ½ tablespoon flour.
Speck salt.
1 dozen raisins.
Scald the milk. Mix the flour with the cold milk to make a smooth mixture, and stir into the scalding milk. Cook in a double boiler one-half hour or on back of stove in a saucepan.
Stone and quarter the raisins, then add water enough to cover; cook slowly until water has all boiled away. Add to gruel just before serving. Add salt. Strain and serve, or it may be eaten with the raisins in it.
This gruel may be made without the raisins. Never use raisins in bowel troubles.
 
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