Wartime Recipes for the Sick and Wounded.

Once upon a not-too distant time, a huge part of a nurse’s job was day to day involvement with the preparation of food for their patients. I knew this, of course, when I picked up a copy of  A war cookery book for the sick and wounded : compiled from the cookery books by Mrs. Edwards, Miss May Little, etc., etc.(1914) by Jessie M. Laurie, but the following list really brought it home to me:-

POINTS FOR NURSES

•        See that the tray, cloth and the napkin are spotlessly clean and that the food is nicely arranged on the plate.
•        Only the freshest and best material should be used and served.
•         In cases of serious illness the doctor's orders must be kept to the letter.
•        Use very little seasoning without instructions.
•         Liquid food must be varied as much as possible.
•        All food should be given in small quantities and served at once when cooked.
•         Where possible, no dish should be served a second time.
•         All food must be covered when carried from kitchen to sickroom. 
•          Never consult a patient about a meal.
•          Put all medicines out of sight at meal-times and let the meals themselves be punctual.
•          The food must be absolutely hot or cold, as the case may be nothing lukewarm.
•          Vegetables and fruit should not be given without the doctor's consent.
•          Steaming is the best method of cooking - fried foods are rich, and should be avoided in serious cases.
•          All cooking utensils must be scrupulously clean.
•          Oysters are excellent, as they contain a self-digesting ferment. Tripe is a good and cheap substitute, as it is digested in an hour.

What do you think about the instruction to “never consult a patient about a meal”?

The following recipe from the book would hit the spot, methinks, whether the eater be sick or well - in spite of the rather confused instructions:

Potato Soufflés.

Make a nice mashed potato adding the yolk and white of an egg, and about 1 oz. of butter. Mix in the butter, the yolk of an egg, and a little salt and pepper. Whip in the white, mix into the soufflé. Butter some little soufflé cases and fill them with this. Bake in a quick oven for 20 minutes. If liked, this can be served in a soufflé dish.