Coughs and Colds.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 163, 31 July 1886, Page 7

Coughs and Colds.

Colds and influenza are very prevalent at this season, and therefore the following recipes for the alleviation 'of the suffering caused by coughs - and colds will no doubt be appreciated by many readers of The Farmer :—: — ,

Oatmeal Gruel. Mix two tablespoonsful of fine fresh * oatmeal with a pinch of salt and a little cold milk ; when quite smooth gradually pour t iiito it half a pint more. ,Set it over a clear fire in a lined saucepan, and stir without intermission. Many cooks let the gruel stand to simmer at the, side of the lire, only stirring: occasionally^ but this is a great mistake. To be good, gruel must be stirred the whole time. After it comes to boilingpoint, pour in another quarter of a pint of cold milk, and boil for twenty minutes. If approved, sweeten the gruel with loafsugar, and flavour it with a 1 pinch of hutmeg and a small shred of cinnamon. If it is not approved, serve it plain. .There is nothing move delicious than a basin of well-made gruel, and nothing more- unp'easant to take," or even to look at, than the badly -made gruel so often sent up to an invalid by a lazy cook. Gruel is also a mo&t soothing remedy tor a bad cold.

A Tonic to Take After Influenza* Put two dozen camomile-flowers in a jug, with a quarter of an ounce of gentian-root, sliced. The same quantity of bruised columba, the dried rind of a lemon, the same of two oranges, forty ' cloves, crushed slightly in a mortar, and rather more than a pint of cold water. Let it stand two days. Then carefully, without shaking the jug, pour off the liquor clear. Take half a wine-glassful for a dose, every mox'ning before breakfast.

Home-made Extract of Majlt for Coughs. Pour upon half a bushel of pale ground malt as much \ery hot, but not quite-boil-ing water as will cover it : let it stand for two whole days, then let the liquor run off clear, without disturbing the malt grains. Put the liquor into a large preserving-pan, where there will beplenty of room toboil it as quickly as" possible without boiling over. As soon as it thickens, stir continually. Boil until it is as thick as treacle. When cool, bottle 1 it. Take one dessertspoonful three times a day. This malt extract is a most excellent tonic for deliftate chests and throats.

A Pleasant Draught for a Cold. Boil a quarter of an ounce of gelatine in a pint of new milk. Reduce it to half the quantity, add sugar to taste, and a drop of almond essence. This should be taken at bedtime, not too warm.

llice Caudle. This is an excellent remedy for any case where a sudden chill has brought on diarhoea. Soak some rice for an hour in cold water, strain it, and put two tablespoonsful of rice into a pint or rather more of new milk. Simmer till it will pulp through a sieve. Put the pulp and milk into a saucepan, with a bruiseci clove, a bit of cinnamon and loat-sugar to taste. Simmer ten minutes more. If too thick, add a little milk. Serve with exceedingly thin strips of dry toast.

Mulled Wine. Boil a chip of cinnamon and four cloves in a wineglassful of water until the flavour is gained ; strain it through muslin ; add an equal quantity of port or claret, a squeeze from a ripe lemon, sugar to taste, and ground nutmeg : heat all together until just at boiling-point. Pour into a warm glass or silver mug, and serve \t ith hot dry toast.

For a Feverish Cold. Put a small branch of sage, two eprigs of balm, and a little sorrel into a china jug, having first washed and dried them ; peel a lemon so thin that there is no white upon it ; slice the lemon, and put it and the peel into the jug ; pour over it three pints of boiling water ; sweeten to taste, and cover close. Take a wineglassful, cold, several times a day.

Draughts for a Hacking Cough Beat a perfectly fresh egg thoroughly, and mix it with a pint of new milk, lukewarm. The milk must be boiled first, and allowed to cool. Add a tablespoonful of capillaire. This is made by boiling a pound of lump sugar in a pint and a half of water until ib thickens. Add to the milk, egsj, and capillaire a tablespoonful of rose-water and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Drink it the first and last thing night and morning, Prom ' ' New Zealand Farmer "