It is generally allowable to give a little liquid food every two hours in acute diseases.  It should be given at regular intervals in the conscious or unconscious patients, especially in long continued diseases.

[644 Mothers’ remedies ]

Liquid diet.

1.  Cream soups; tomato, pea, corn, celery, rice, spinach, asparagus, potato.

2.  Gruels; oatmeal, cornmeal, cream of wheat, flour gluten (for diabetes).

How to Albuminize Fruit Juices.—­Into a cup of lemonade, orangeade, grape juice, etc., put white of an egg slightly beaten, mix thoroughly, strain and serve.

The following may or may not be albuminized.

3.  Fruit juices; lemonade, orangeade, unfermented grape juice, currant, berry juice.

4.  Milk; peptonized milk, albuminized, buttermilk, malted milk, and milk porridge.

5.  Stimulating drinks; tea, coffee, cocoa.

6.  Broths; beef broth, mutton broth, chicken broth, bouillon, consomme, oyster broth, clam broth, oyster soup, clam soup, beef tea, and beef juice.

7.  Eggs; raw eggs and egg-nog.

8.  Cooling and nourishing drinks; oatmeal water, rice water, barley water and toast water.  Ices and ice cream may be included in the liquid diet list.

Soft diet.—­This diet includes everything in the liquid diet list, and the following additional foods: 

1.  Bread:  soft bread; dry toast; milk, water or cream toast, brown bread (after the first day on soft diet).

2.  Eggs:  poached, soft-boiled and shirred.

3.  Cereals:  all cooked for some hours; cornmeal, oatmeal rice, sago, wheaten grits and cream of wheat.

4.  Desserts:  junket, custards, milk puddings, rice, thoroughly cooked, tapioca, jellies, baked and stewed apples, prunes whipped and stewed, ices and ice cream.

[Nursing department 645]

Convalescent diet.—­This includes everything in the liquid and soft diet lists and the following in addition:—­

1.  Breads:  wheat, rye, Boston brown and graham bread and biscuits.

2.  Meats:  broiled steak, mutton, fish, game and fowl, or stewed fowl.  Also calf’s head, calf ’s brains, shell fish and oysters.

3.  Eggs, as in soft diet.

4.  Drinks as in soft diet.

5.  Vegetables:  tomatoes, green peas, string beans, potatoes (Irish and sweet), lettuce, cresses, asparagus, onions, celery, spinach and mushrooms.

6.  Desserts:  custards, creams, jellies, ripe fruits and stewed fruits.  No pastry or rich puddings.

FOODS FOR DIFFERENT MEALS FOR THOSE WHO CAN EAT, BUT WHO DO NOT HAVE MUCH APPETITE.

Breakfast; drinks:  tea, coffee, cocoa, milk or albuminized fruit juices; cereal with cream; eggs; omelet, scrambled or poached on a piece of round toast, or soft boiled in a hot cup; muffins or gems.