Welcome to Celtnet's Hannah Glassse's Recipes for Directions for the Sick — This page gives you the entire contents of the Tenth Chapter: 'Directions for the Sick' from Hannah Glasses's 1747 volume,
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Hannah Glasse's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...
These pages have been written to be as close to the 1747 original as possible, within the limitations of HTML. As a result, the long-s symbol 'ſ' has been used in the text wherever it features in the original. Typically this is used where the s precedes a long letter such as an I, t or 1 or another long-s (to create a ligature), or where the S precedds a curved letter such as an 'a', 'e', 'o' or 's'. As a result, in the original work 'seasoned skirret soop' is typeset 'ſeaſoned ſkirret ſoop'.
You will encounter many unfamiliar culinary terms and usages in this work. Where the recipe has been redacted into modern form, these are either defined in the redaction or a link to a definition is given. However, may of the terms can also be found by browsing or searching the
glossary of cooking and food terms pages on this site.
The text presented here is derived directly from Hannah Glasse's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
Hanna Glasse's Tenth Chapter
CHAP. X.
Directions for the Sick.
I don't pretend to meddle here in the phyſical way ; but a few directions for the cook, or nurſe, I preſume, will not be improper, to make ſuch a diet, &c. as the doctor ſhall order.
To make mutton broth.
TAKE a pound of a loin of mutton, take off the fat, put to it one quart of water, let it boil and ſkim it well ; then put in a good piece of upper-cruſt of bread, and one large blade of mace. Cover it cloſe, and let it boil ſlowly an hour ; don't ſtir it, but pour the broth clear off. Seaſon it with a little ſalt, and the mutton will be fit to eat. If you boil turnips, don't boil them in the broth, but by themſelves in another ſauce-pan.
To boil a ſcrag of veal.
SET on the ſcrag in a clean ſauce-pan : to each pound of veal put a quart of water, ſkim it very clean, then put in a good piece of upper-cruſt, a blade of mace to each pound, and a little parſley tied with a thread. Cover it cloſe ; then let it boil very ſoftly two hours, and both broth and meat will be fit to eat.
To make beef or mutton broth for very weak people, who take but little nouriſhment.
TAKE a pound of beef, or mutton, or both together : to a pound put two quarts of water, ſirſt ſkin the meat and take off all the fat ; then cut it into little pieces, and boil it till it comes to a quarter of a pint. Seaſon it with a very little corn of ſalt, ſkim off all the fat, and give a ſpoonful of this broth at a time. To very weak people, half a ſpoonful is enough ; to ſome a teaſpoonful at a time ; and to others a tea-cup full. There is greater nouriſhment from this than any thing elſe.
To make beef drink, which is ordered for weak people.
TAKE a pound of lean beef ; then take off all the fat and ſkin, cut it to pieces, put it into a gallon of water, with the under-cruſt of a penny-loaf, and a very little ſalt. Let it boil till it comes to two quarts ; then ſtrain it off, and it is a very hearty drink.
To make pork broth.
TAKE two pounds of young pork ; then take off the ſkin and fat, boil it in a gallon of water, with a turnip and a very little corn of ſalt. Let it boil till it comes to two quarts, then ſtrain it off, and let it ſtand till cold. Take off the fat, then leave the ſettling at the bottom of the pan, and drink half a pint in the morning faſting, an hour before breakfaſt, and at noon, if the ſtomach will bear it.
To boil a chicken.
LET your ſauce-pan be very clean and nice ; when the water boils put in your chicken, which muſt be very nicely picked and clean, and laid in cold water a quarter of an hour before it is boiled ; then take it out of the water boiling, and lay it in a pewter-diſh. Save all the liquor that runs from it in the diſh, cut up your chicken all in joints in the diſh ; then bruiſe the liver very fine, add a little boiled parſley chopped very fine, a very little ſalt, and a very little grated nutmeg : mix it all well together with two ſpoonfuls of the liquor of the fowl, and pour it into the diſh with the reſt of the liquor in the diſh. If there is not liquor enough, take two or three ſpoonfuls of the liquor it was boiled in, clap another diſh over it ; then ſet it over a chaffing-diſh of hot coals five or ſix minutes, and carry it to table hot with the cover on. This is better than butter, and lighter for the ſtomach, though ſome chuſe it only with the liquor, and no parſley, nor liver, or any thing elſe, and that is according to different palates. If it is for a very weak perſon, take off the ſkin of the chicken before you ſet it on the chaffing-diſh. If you roaſt it, make nothing but bread-ſauce, and that is lighter than any ſauce you can make for a weak ſtomach.
Thus you may dreſs a rabbit, only bruiſe but a little piece of the liver.
To boil pigeons.
LET your pigeons be cleaned, waſhed, drawn, and ſkinned. Boil them in milk and water ten minutes, and pour over them ſauce made thus : take the livers parboiled, and bruiſe them fine with as much parſley boiled and chopped fine. Melt ſome butter, mix a little with the liver and parſley firſt, then mix all together, and pour over the pigeons.
To boil a partridge, or any other wild fowl.
WHEN your water boils, put in your partridge, let it boil ten minutes ; then take it up into a pewter-plate, and cut it in two, laying the inſides next the plate, and have ready ſome bread-ſauce made thus : take the crumb of a halfpenny-roll, or thereabouts, and boil it in half a pint of water, with a blade of mace. Let it boil two or three minutes, pour away moſt of the water ; then beat it up with a little piece of nice butter, a little ſalt, and pour it over the partridge. Clap a cover over it ; then ſet it over a chaffing-diſh of coals four or five minutes, and ſend it away hot, covered cloſe.
Thus you may dreſs and ſort of wild fowl, only boiling it more or leſs, according to the bigneſs. Ducks, take off the ſkins before you pour the bread-ſauce over them ; and if you roaſt them, lay bread-ſauce under them. It is lighter than gravy for weak ſtomachs.
To boil a plaice or flounder.
LET your water boil, throw ſome ſalt in ; then put in your fiſh, boil it till you think it is enough, and take it out of the water in a ſlice to drain. Take two ſpoonfuls of the liquor, with a little ſalt, a little grated nutmeg ; then beat up the yolk of an egg very well with the liquor, and ſtir in the egg ; beat it well together, with a knife carefully ſlice away all the little bones round the fiſh, pour the ſauce over it : then ſet it over a chaffing-diſh of coals for a minute, and ſend it hot away. Or in the room of this ſauce, add melted butter in a cup.
To mince veal or chicken for the ſick, or weak people.
MINCE a chicken or ſome veal very fine, taking off the ſkin ; juſt boil as much water as will moiſten it, and no more, with a very little ſalt, grate a very little nutmeg ; then throw a little flour over it, and when the water boils put in the meat. Keep ſhaking it about over the fire a minute ; then have ready two or three very thin ſippets toaſted nice and brown, laid in the plate, and pour the mince-meat over it.
To pull a chicken for the ſick.
YOU muſt take as much cold chicken as you think proper, take off the ſkin, and pull the meat into little bits as thick as a quill ; then take the bones, boil them with a little ſalt till they are good, ſtrain it ; then take a ſpoonful of the liquor, a ſpoonful of milk, a little bit of butter, as big as a large nutmeg, rolled in flour, a little chopped parſley as much as will lie on a ſixpence, and a little ſalt if wanted. This will be enough for half a ſmall chicken. Put all together into the ſauce-pan : then keep ſhaking it till it is thick, and pour it into a hot plate.
To make chicken broth.
YOU muſt take an old cock or large fowl, flay it ; then pick off all the fat, and break it all to pieces with a rolling-pin : put it into two quarts of water, with a good cruſt of bread, and a blade of mace. Let it boil ſoftly till it is as good as you would have it. If you do it as it ſhould be done, it will take five or ſix hours doing ; pour it off, then put a quart more of boiling water, and cover it cloſe. Let it boil ſoftly till it is good, and then ſtrain it off. Seaſon with a little ſalt. When you boil a chicken ſave the liquor, and when the meat is eat, take the bones, then break them and put to the liquor you boiled the chicken it, with a blade of mace, and a cruſt of bread. Let it boil till it is good, and ſtrain it off.
To make chicken water.
TAKE A cock, or large fowl, flay it, then bruiſe it with a hammer, and put it into a gallon of water, with a cruſt of bread. Let it boil half way, and ſtrain it off.
To make white caudle.
YOU muſt take two quarts of water, mix in four ſpoonfuls of oatmeal, a blade or two of mace, a piece of lemon-peel, let it boil, and keep ſtirring often. Let it boil about a quarter of an hour, and take care it does not boil over ; then ſtrain it through a coarſe sieve. When you uſe it, ſweeten it to your palate, grate in a little nutmeg, and what wine is proper ; and if it is not for a ſick person, ſqueeze in the juice of a lemon.
To make brown caudle.
BIOL the gruel as above, with ſix ſpoonfuls of oatmeal, and ſtrain it ; then add a quart of good ale, not bitter ; boil it, then ſweeten it to your palate, and add half a pint of white wine. When you don't put in white wine, let it be half ale.
To make water-gruel.
YOU muſt take a pint of water, and a large ſpoonful of oatmeal ; then ſtir it together, and let it boil up three or four times, ſtirring it often. Don't let it boil over, then ſtrain it through a ſieve, ſalt it to your palate, put in a good piece of freſh butter, brew it with a ſpoon til the butter is all melted, then it will be fine and ſmooth, and very good. Some love a little pepper in it.
To make panada.
YOU muſt take a quart of water in a nice clean ſauce-pan, a blade of mace, a large piece of crumb of bread ; let it boil two minutes, then take out the bread, and bruiſe it in a baſon very fine. Mix as much water as will make it as thick as you would have ; the reſt pour away, and ſweeten it to your palate. Put in a piece of butter as big as a walnut, don't put in any wine, it ſpoils it ; you may grate in a little nutmeg. This is a hearty and good diet for ſick people.
To boil ſago.
PUT a large ſpoonful of ſago into three quarters of a pint of water, ſtir it, and boil it ſoftly till it is as thick as you would have it ; then put in wine and ſugar, with a little nutmeg to your palate.
To boil ſalup.
It is a hard ſtone ground to a powder, and generally ſold for one ſhilling an ounce : take a large tea ſpoonful of the powder and put it into a pint of boiling water, keep ſtirring it till it is like a fine jelly ; then put wine and ſugar to your palate, and lemon, if it will agree.
To make iſinglaſs jelly.
TAKE a quart of water, one ounce of iſinglaſs, half an ounce of cloves ; boil them to a pint, then ſtrain it upon a pound of loaf ſugar, and when cold ſweeten your tea with it, You may make the jelly as above, and leave out the cloves. Sweeten to your palate, and add a little wine. All other jellies you have in another chapter.
To make the pectoral drink.
TAKE a gallon of water, and half a pound of pearl barley, boil it with a quarter of a pound of figs ſplit, a pennyworth of liquorice ſliced to pieces, a quarter of a pound of raiſins lf the ſun ſtoned ; boil all together till half is waſted, then ſtrain it off. This is ordered in the meaſles, and ſeveral other diſorders, for a drink.
To make buttered water, or what the Germans call egg-ſoop, who are very fond o it for ſupper. You have it in the chapter for Lent.
TAKE a pit of water, beat up the yolk of an egg with the water, put in a pice of butter as big as a ſmall walnut, two or three knobs of ſugar, and keep ſtirring it all the time it is on the fire. When it begins to boil, bruiſe it between the ſauce-pan and mug till it is ſmooth, and has a great froth ; then it is fit to drink. This is ordered in a cold, or where egg will agree with the stomach.
To make ſeed water.
TAKE a ſpoonful of coriander-ſeed, half a ſpoonful of caraway ſeed bruiſed and boiled in a pint of water ; then ſtrain it and bruiſe it with the yolk of an egg. Mix it with ſack and double-refined ſugar, according to your palate.
To make bread ſoop for the ſick.
TAKE a quart of water, ſet it on the fire in a clean ſauce-pan, and as much dry cruſt of bread cut to pieces as the top of a penny loaf, the drier the better, a bit of butter as big as a walnut ; let it boil, then beat it with a ſpoon, and keep boiling it till the bread and water is well mixed : then ſeaſon it with a very little ſalt, and it is a pretty thing for a weak ſtomach.
To make artificial aſſes-milk.
TAKE two ounces of pearl-barley, two large ſpoonfuls of hartſhorn ſhavings, one ounce of eringo root, one ounce of China root, one ounce of preſerved ginger, eighteen ſmails bruiſed with the ſhells, to be boiled in three quarts of water, till it comes to three pints, then boil a pint of new milk, mix it with the reſt, and put in two ounces of balſam of Tolu. Take half a pint in the morning, and half a pint at night.
Cows milk, next to aſſes milk, done thus.
TAKE a quart of milk, ſet it in a pan over night, the next morning take off the cream, then boil it, and ſet it in the pan again till night, then ſkim it again, boil it, ſet it in the pan again, and the next morning ſkim it, warm it blood-warm, and drink it as you do aſſes-milk. It is very near as good, and with some conſumptive people it is better.
To make a good drink.
BOIL a quart of milk, and a quart of water, with the top-cruſt of a penny-loaf and one blade of mace, a quarter of an hour very ſoftly, then pour it off, and when you drink it let it be warm.
To make barley-water.
PUT a quarter of a pound of pearl-barley into two quarts of water, let it boil, ſkim it very clean, boil half away, and ſtrain it off. Sweeten to your palate, but not too ſweet, and put in two ſpoonfuls of white wine. Drink it luke-warm.
To make ſage tea.
TAKE a little ſage, a little baum, put it into a pan, ſlice a lemon, peel and all, a few knobs of ſugar, one glaſs of white wine, pour on theſe two or three quarts of boiling water, cover it, and drink when dry. When you think it ſtrong enough of the herbs, take them out, otherwiſe it will make it butter.
To make it for a child.
A LITTLE ſage, baum, rue, mint and penny-royal, pour boiling water on, and ſweeten to your palate. Syrup of cloves, ice and black-cherry-water, you have in the Chapter of Creserves.
Liquor for a child that has the thruſh.
TAKE half a pint of ſpring water, a knob of double-refined ſugar, a very little bit of alum, beat it well together with the yolk of an egg, then beat it in a large ſpoonful of the juice of ſage, tie a rag to the end of the ſtick, dip it in this liquor, and often clean the mouth. Give the child over-night one drop of laudanum, and the next day proper phyſic, waſhing the mouth often with the liquor.
To boil comfrey-roots.
TAKE a pound of comfrey-roots, ſcrape them clean, cut them into little pieces, and put them into three pints of water. Let them boil till there is about a pint, then ſtrain it, and when it is cold, put it into a ſauce-pan. If there is any ſettling at the bottom, throw it away ; mix it with ſugar to your palate, half a pint of mountain wine, and the juice of a lemon. Let it boil, then pour it into a clean earthen pot, and ſet it by for uſe. Some boil in milk, and it is very good where it will agree and its reckoned a very great ſtrengthener.
Back to the contents of Hannah Glasse's 1774 book
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy
