meat cut without fat and bone, and choose a nice
fleshy piece. Cut it into small pieces about the size of dice, and put
it into a clean saucepan. Add the water _cold_ to it; put it on the
fire, and bring it to the boiling-point; then skim well. Put in the salt
when the water boils, and _simmer_ the beef tea _gently_ from 1/2 to 3/4
hour, removing any more scum should it appear on the surface. Strain the
tea through a hair sieve, and set it by in a cool place. When wanted for
use, remove every particle of fat from the top; warm up as much as may
be required, adding, if necessary, a little more salt. This preparation
is simple beef tea, and is to be administered to those invalids to whom
flavourings and seasonings are not allowed. When the patient is very
low, use double the quantity of meat to the same proportion of water.
Should the invalid be able to take the tea prepared in a more palatable
manner, it is easy to make it so by following the directions in the next
recipe, which is an admirable one for making savoury beef tea. Beef tea
is always better when made the day before it is wanted, and then warmed
up. It is a good plan to put the tea into a small cup or basin, and to
place this basin in a saucepan of boiling water. When the tea is warm,
it is ready to serve.

_Time_.--1/4 to 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. per pint.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 lb. of meat for a pint of good beef tea.

MISS NIGHTINGALE says, one of the most common errors among
nurses, with respect to sick diet, is the belief that beef tea
is the most nutritive of all article. She says, "Just try and
boil down a lb. of beef into beef tea; evaporate your beef tea,
and see what is left of your beef: you will find that there is
barely a teaspoonful of solid nourishment to 1/4 pint of water
in beef tea. Nevertheless, there is a certain reparative quality
in it,--we do not know what,--as there is in tea; but it maybe
safely given in almost any inflammatory disease, and is as
little to be depended upon with the healthy or convalescent,
where much nourishment is required."

SAVOURY BEEF TEA.

(_Soyer's Recipe_.)

1859. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of solid beef, 1 oz. of butter, 1 clove, 2
button onions or 1/2 a large one, 1 saltspoonful of salt, 1 quart of
water.

_Mode_.--Cut the beef into very small dice; put it into a stewpan with
the butter, clove, onion, and salt; stir the meat round over the fire
for a few mi