Acid - Albuminous - Starchy - Miscellaneous Beverages, Including Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, And Cocoa, And Special Non-Nutritive Beverages.

Beverages serve primarily to relieve thirst. The universal beverage is water. 1 Other beverages answer the same purpose, because their chief constituent is water. They are also taken for their temperature - cold or hot; for their flavor, which helps to arouse or appease the appetite; or for their stimulating properties. Usually they have little or no energy value, but when made with milk, eggs, cocoa, chocolate or other highly nutritive materials, they become a valuable means of administering food in a liquid form.

All beverages need to be made with much care and served daintily. Hot drinks should be served at a temperature of 122-140° P. When water is used it should be freshly drawn, brought to a boil and used at once. This serves to sterilize it and also to develop a better flavor.

Cold drinks should be given thoroughly cooled, but iced liquids lower the temperature of the stomach unless sipped very slowly, and thus tend to retard digestion. They are therefore better for serving between meals than with them. Do not use ice in a beverage unless it is made from pure water, but cool by placing the receptacle on ice. Use a separate spoon, and taste every beverage just before serving to be sure it is properly seasoned and of correct temperature.

Never allow a drink to stand any length of time in a sick room. If it has to be carried any distance, be sure that it is covered.

1See Water, page 23.