MILK OATMEAL GRUEL.—­Take a pint of milk and one of water, and heat to boiling.  Stir in three heaping table spoonfuls of oatmeal, and cook in a double boiler for two or three hours.

MILK PORRIDGE.—­Take one pint of milk and the same quantity of water, and heat to boiling.  Stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of cornmeal or Graham grits, boil, stirring continuously, until the meal has set, then turn into a double boiler and cook for two hours or longer.  Season with salt, and a tablespoonful of sweet cream if allowed.

OATMEAL GRUEL.—­Into one quart of boiling water stir two heaping tablespoonfuls of fine oatmeal; let it boil until it thickens, stirring all the time; then turn into a double boiler and cook for three and a half or four hours.  Strain before serving.  A little cream may also be added, unless contra-indicated by the patient’s condition.

OATMEAL GRUEL NO. 2.—­Pound one half cup of coarse oatmeal until it is mealy.  The easiest way to do this is to tie the oatmeal in a coarse cloth and pound it with a wooden mallet.  Put it in a pint bowl, and fill the bowl with cold water.  Stir briskly for a few moments until the water is white, then allow the meal to settle.  Pour off the water, being careful to get none of the sediment.  Fill the bowl a second time with cold water, stir thoroughly, let settle, and pour off the water as before.  Do this the third time.  Boil the liquid one half hour, strain, and serve hot.  If very thick, a little cream or milk may be added.

OATMEAL GRUEL NO, 3.—­Add to one cup of well-cooked oatmeal while hot two cups of hot milk, or one cup of hot milk and one of hot water.  Beat all thoroughly together, add a little salt if desired, strain, and serve.

PEPTONIZED GLUTEN GRUEL.—­Prepare the gruel as directed for Gluten Gruel No. 1.  Strain if needed, cook to lukewarm, and turn it into a pitcher, which place in a dish containing hot water even in depth with the gruel in the pitcher; add the peptonizing fluid or powder, stir well, and let it stand in the hot water bath for ten minutes.  The temperature must not be allowed to rise over 130 deg.  Put into a clean dish and serve at once, or place on ice till needed.  Other well-cooked gruels maybe peptonized in the same way.

RAISIN GRUEL.—­Stone and quarter two dozen raisins and boil them twenty minutes in a small quantity of water.  When the water has nearly boiled away, add two cups of new milk.  When the milk is boiling, add one heaping tablespoonful of Graham or whole-wheat flour which has been rubbed to a thin paste with a little cold milk.  Boil until thickened, stirring all the time; then turn into a double boiler and cook for twenty minutes or half an hour.  Season with salt and serve.

RICE WATER.—­Wash half a cup of rice very thoroughly in several waters.  Put it into a saucepan with three cups of cold water and boil for half an hour.  Strain off the rice water, season with salt if desired, and serve.