Chapter 9

By Dr. Scheibler's important discovery, a new era has begun in the matter of strontianite. Deposits of considerable importance have been opened in the Westphalian districts at a very great depth, and the supply of several 10,000 tons per annum seems to be secured, whereas only a short time ago it was not thought possible that more than a few hundred tons could in all be provided.--_Chemist and Druggist._

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PARANGI--A NEWLY DESCRIBED DISEASE.

A peculiar contagious disease, called framboesia, or the yaws, has long been known to exist in Africa, the West Indies, and the northern parts of the British Islands. It is chronic in character, and is distinguished by the development of raspberry-like tumors of granulation tissue on different parts of the body.

A disease of a somewhat similar, but severer type, has for many years prevailed in Ceylon. Even less was known of this affection than of its supposed congener, until a recent careful report upon the subject by Mr. W.R. Kinsey, principal civil medical officer of Ceylon.

The disease in question is called "parangi," and is defined by Mr. Kinsey (_British Medical Journal_) as a specific disease, produced by such causes as lead to debilitation of the system; propagated by contagion, generally through an abrasion or sore, but sometimes by simple contact with a sound surface; marked by an ill-defined period of incubation, followed by certain premonitory symptoms referable to the general system, then by the evolution of successive crops of a characteristic eruption, which pass on in weakly subjects into unhealthy and spreading ulcers whose cicatrices are very prone to contraction; running a definite course; attacking all ages, and amenable to appropriate treatment.

The disease seems to develop especially in places where the water supply, which in Ceylon is kept in tanks, is insufficient or poor. The bad food, dirty habits, and generally unhygienic mode of life of the people, help on the action of the disease.

Parangi, when once developed, spreads generally by contagion from the discharges of the eruptions and ulcers. The natural secretions do not convey the poison. The disease may be inherited also.

In the clinical history of the disease there are, according to Mr. Kinsey, four stages. The first is that of incubation. It lasts from two weeks to two months. A sore will be found somewhere upon the body at this time, generally over some bony prominence. The second is the stage of invasion, and is characterized by the development of slight fever, malaise, dull pains in the joints. As this stage comes on the initial sore heals. This second stage lasts only from two to seven days, and ends with an eruption which ushers in the third stage. The eruption appears in successive crops, the first often showing itself on the face, the next on the body, and the last on the extremities. This eruptive stage of the disease continues for several weeks or months, and it ends either in convalescence or the onset of a train of sequelæ, which may prolong the disease for years.

Parangi may attack any one, though the poorly fed and housed are more susceptible. One attack seems to confer immunity from another.

Although some of the sequelæ of the disease are most painful, yet death does not often directly result from them, nor is parangi itself a fatal disease. Persons who have had parangi and passed safely through it, are not left in impaired health at all, but often live to an old age.

The similarity of the disease, in its clinical history, to syphilis, is striking. Mr. Kinsey, however, considers it, as we have stated, allied to, if not identical with framboesia.--_Medical Record._

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A CASTOR OIL SUBSTITUTE.

So far back as 1849, Mr. Alexander Ure investigated the purgative properties of the oil of anda. The specimen with which the experiments were tried had not been freshly prepared, and had indeed been long regarded as a curiosity. Twelve ounces were alone available, and it was a yellowish oil, quite bright, about the consistence of oleum olivæ, devoid of smell, and free from the viscid qualities of castor oil. There was a small supply of anda fruits differing a good deal in appearance one from the other, but we are not aware whether these were utilized and the oil expressed; as far as our recollection serves, the subject was abandoned. It was known that the natives of Brazil used the seeds as an efficient purgative in doses of from one to three, and it was in contemplation to introduce this remedy into England, though it was by no means certain that under distinctly different climatic influences equally beneficial results might be expected. Mr. Ure determined, by actual experiment, to ascertain the value of the oil in his own hospital practice. He found that small doses were better than larger ones, and in several reported cases it appeared that twenty drops administered on sugar proved successful. Oil of anda-açu, or assu, therefore, would stand mid-way between ol. ricini and ol. crotonis. These researches seem to have been limited to the original sample, although the results obtained would appear to justify a more extended trial. M. Mello-Oliveira. of Rio Janeiro, has endeavored to bring the remedy into notice under the name of "Huile d'Anda-Assu," and possibly may not have been acquainted with the attempt to introduce it into English practice. He describes the anda as a fine tree (_Johanesia princeps_, Euphorbiaceæ), with numerous branches and persistent leaves, growing in different parts of Brazil, and known under the name of "coco purgatif." The fruit is quadrangular, bilocular, with two kernels, which on analysis yield an active principle for which the name "Johaneseine" is proposed. This is a substance sparingly soluble in water and alcohol, and insoluble in chloroform, benzine, ether, and bisulphide of carbon. Evidence derived from experiments with the sulphate of this principle did not give uniform results: one opinion being that, contrary to the view of many Brazilian physicians, this salt had no toxic effect on either men or animals. Local medical testimony, however, was entirely in favor of the oil. Dr. Torrès, professor at Rio Janeiro, using a dose of two teaspoonfuls, had been successful. Dr. Tazenda had obtained excellent results, and Dr. Castro, with a somewhat larger dose (3 ijss.), was even enthusiastic in its praise. It might, therefore, be desirable at a time when new remedies are so much in vogue, not to abandon altogether a Brazilian medicament the value of which is confirmed both by popular native use and by professional treatment. M. Mello-Oliveira comes to the conclusion that oleum anda assu (or açu) may be employed wherever castor oil is indicated, and with these distinct advantages: first, that its dose is considerably less; secondly, that it is free from disagreeable odor and pungent taste; and thirdly, being sufficiently fluid, it is not adherent to the mouth so as to render it nauseous to the patient. In this short abstract the spelling of the French original has been retained. As this therapeutic agent claimed attention thirty years ago, and has again been deemed worthy of notice in scientific journals, some of our enterprising pharmacists might be inclined to add it to the list of their commercial ventures.--_Chemist and Druggist._

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HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER RECIPES.

Mr. Jas. W. Parkinson gives in a recent number of the _Confectioner's Journal_ the following useful recipes:

CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING.

Stone a pound of bloom raisins; wash and clean a pound of Zante currants; mince finely a pound of beef suet; mix with this, in a large pan, a pound of stale bread crumbs and half a pound of sifted flour. Beat together in another pan six eggs, and mix with them half a pint of milk. Pour this over the suet and flour, and stir and beat the whole well together; then add the raisins, currants, and a seasoning of ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg, powdered ginger, and a little ground cloves, a teaspoonful of salt, one pound of sugar, and a glass of Jamaica rum. This pudding may now be boiled in a floured cloth or in an ornamental mould tied up in a cloth. In either way it requires long and constant boiling, six hours at least for one such as the above. Every pudding in a cloth should be boiled briskly, till finished, in plenty of water, in a large pot, so as to allow it to move about freely.

To take the boiled pudding out of the cloth without breaking it, dip it into cold water for a minute or two, then place it in a round bottomed basin that will just hold it, untie the cloth and lay bare the pudding down to the edge of the basin; then place upon it, upside down, the dish on which it is to be served, and invert the whole so that the pudding may rest on the dish; lastly, lift off the basin and remove the cloth. The use of the cold water is to chill and solidify the surface, so that it may part from the cloth smoothly.

Plum pudding may also be baked in a mould or pan, which must be well buttered inside before pouring the pudding into it. Two hours' boiling suffices.

PLUM-PUDDING SAUCE.

Put into a saucepan two ounces of best butter and a tablespoonful of flour; mix these well together with a wooden spoon, and stir in half a pint of cold water and a little salt and pepper. Set this on the fire and stir constantly till nearly boiling; then add half a tumbler of Madeira wine, brandy, or Jamaica rum, fine sugar to the taste, and a little ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg. Make the sauce very hot, and serve over each portion of the pudding.

NATIONAL PLUM PUDDING.

An excellent plum pudding is made as follows: Half a pound of flour, half a pound of grated bread crumbs, a pound of Zante currants, washed and picked; a pound of raisins, stoned; an ounce of mixed spices, such as cinnamon, mace, cloves, and nutmeg; an ounce of butter, two ounces of blanched almonds, cut small; six ounces of preserved citron and preserved orange peel, cut into small pieces; four eggs, a little salt, four ounces of fine sugar, and half a pint of brandy. Mix all these well together, adding sufficient milk to bring the mixture to a proper consistency. Boil in a floured cloth or mould for eight hours.

THE SAUCE FOR THE ABOVE.

Into a gill of melted butter put an ounce of powdered sugar, a little grated nutmeg, two wine glasses of Madeira wine and one of Curacoa. Stir all well together, make very hot, and pour it over the pudding.

EGG-NOG, OR AULD MAN'S MILK.

Separate the whites and yolks of a dozen fresh eggs. Put the yolks into a basin and beat them to a smooth cream with half a pound of finely pulverized sugar. Into this stir half a pint of brandy, and the same quantity of Jamaica rum; mix all well together and add three quarts of milk or cream, half a nutmeg (grated), and stir together. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth; stir lightly into them two or three ounces of the finest sugar powder, add this to the mixture, and dust powdered cinnamon over the top.

EGG FLIP.

Beat up in a bowl half a dozen fresh eggs; add half a pound of pulverized sugar; stir well together, and pour in one quart or more of boiling water, about half a pint at a time, mixing well as you pour it in; when all is in, add two tumblers of best brandy and one of Jamaica rum.

ROAST TURKEY.

The turkey is without doubt the most savory and finest flavored of all our domestic fowls, and is justly held in the highest estimation by the good livers in all countries where it is known. Singe, draw, and truss the turkey in the same manner as other fowls; then fill with a stuffing made of bread crumbs, butter, sweet herbs rubbed fine, moistened with eggs and seasoned with pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg. Sausage meat or a forced meat, made of boiled chicken meat, boiled ham grated fine, chopped oysters, roasted or boiled chestnuts rubbed fine, stewed mushrooms, or last but not the least in estimation, a dozen fine truffles cut into pieces and sauted in the best of butter, and added part to the stuffing and part to the sauce which is made from the drippings (made into a good brown gravy by the addition of a capful of cold water thickened with a little flour, with the giblets boiled and chopped fine in it). A turkey of ten pounds will require two and a half hours' roasting and frequent basting. Currant jelly, cranberry jelly, or cranberry sauce should always be on the table with roast turkey.

WOODCOCKS AND SNIPE.

Some epicures say that the woodcock should never be drawn, but that they should be fastened to a small bird spit, and should be put to roast before a clear fire; a slice of toast, put in a pan below each bird, in order to catch the trail; baste them with melted butter; lay the toast on a hot dish, and the birds on the toast. They require from fifteen to twenty minutes to roast. Snipe are dressed in the same manner, but require less time to cook. My pet plan to cook woodcock is to draw the bird and split it down the back, and then to broil it, basting it with butter; chop up the intestines, season them with pepper and salt, and saute them on a frying pan with butter; lay the birds on toast upon a hot dish and pour the saute over them.

CANVAS-BACK DUCKS.

Select young fat ducks; pick them nicely, singe, and draw them carefully without washing them so as to preserve the blood and consequently the full flavor of the bird; then truss it and place it on the spit before a brisk fire, or in a pan in a hot oven for at least fifteen or twenty minutes; then serve it hot with its own gravy, which is formed by its own blood and juices, on a hot dish. It may also be a little less cooked, and then carved and placed on a chafing dish with red currant jelly, port wine, and a little butter.

PHEASANTS.

A pheasant should have a clear, steady fire, but not a fierce one. The pheasant, being a rather dry bird, requires to be larded, or put a piece of beef or a rump steak into the inside of it before roasting.

WILD DUCKS.

In order to serve these birds in their most succulent state and finest flavor, let them hang in their feathers for a few days after being shot; then pluck, clean, and draw, and roast them in a quick oven or before a brisk fire; dredge and baste them well, and allow them twenty minutes to roast; serve them with gravy sauce and red currant jelly, or with a gravy sauce to which a chopped shallot and the juice of an orange has been added.

WILD FOWL SAUCE.

The following exquisite sauce is applicable to all wild fowl: Take one saltspoon of salt, half to two-thirds salt spoon of Cayenne, one dessert spoon lemon juice, one dessert spoon powdered sugar, two dessert spoons Harvey sauce, three dessert spoons port wine, well mixed and heated; score the bird and pour the sauce over it.

BROWN FRICASSEE OF RABBITS.

Cut a couple of rabbits into joints, fry these in a little fresh butter till they are of a light brown color; then put them into a stewpan, with a pint of water, two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, the same of mushroom catchup, one of Worcester sauce, and a couple of burnt onions, a little Cayenne and salt; stew over a slow fire till perfectly done; then take out the meat, strain the gravy, and thicken it with a little flour if necessary; make it quite hot, and pour it over the rabbits.

ORANGE PUDDING.

Beat up the yolks of eight eggs, grate the yellow rinds from two oranges, add these to a quarter of a pound of finely powdered sugar, the same weight of fresh butter, three teaspoonfuls of orange-flower water, two glasses of sherry wine, two or three stale Naples biscuits or lady fingers, and a teacupful of cream. Line a dish with puff paste, pour in the ingredients, and bake for half an hour in a good oven.

VENISON PASTRY.

A neck or breast of venison is rendered very savory by treating it as follows: Take off the skin and cut the meat off the bones into pieces of about an inch square; put these, with the bones, into a stewpan, cover them with veal or mutton broth, add two thirds of a teaspoon of powdered mace, half a dozen allspice, three shallots chopped fine, a teaspoonful of salt, a saltspoon of Cayenne, and a tumbler of port wine; stew over a slow fire until the meat is half done, then take it out and let the gravy remain on the fire ten or fifteen minutes longer. Line a good sized dish with pastry, arrange your meat on it, pour the gravy upon it through a sieve, adding the juice of a lemon; put on the top crust, and bake for a couple of hours in a slow oven.

CHRISTMAS RED ROUND.

Rub well into a round of beef a half pound of saltpeter, finely powdered. Next day mix half an ounce of cloves, half an ounce of black pepper, the same quantity of ground allspice, with half a pound of salt; wash and rub the beef in the brine for a fortnight, adding every other day a tablespoonful of salt. At the expiration of the fortnight, wipe the beef quite free from the brine, and stuff every interstice that you can find with equal portions of chopped parsley, and mixed sweet herbs in powder, seasoned with ground allspice, mace, salt, and Cayenne. Do not be sparing of this mixture. Put the round into a deep earthen pan, fill it with strong ale, and bake it in a very slow oven for eight hours, turning it in the liquor every two hours, and adding more ale if necessary. This is an excellent preparation to assist in the "keeping of the Christmas season."

PLUM PORRIDGE FOR CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES.

Make a good strong broth from four pounds of veal and an equal quantity of shin of beef. Strain and skim off the fat when cold. Wash and stone three pounds and a half of raisins; wash and well dry the same weight of best Zante currants; take out the stones from two and a half pounds of French prunes; grate up the crumbs of two small loaves of wheat bread; squeeze the juice of eight oranges and four lemons; put these, with a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, half a dozen cloves, and five pounds of sugar into your broth; stir well together, and then pour in three quarts of sherry. Set the vessel containing the mixture on a slow fire. When the ingredients are soft add six bottles of hock; stir the porridge well, and as soon as it boils it is fit for use.

SUGARED PEARS.

Half a dozen of those fine pears called the "Bartlett" will make a small dish worthy the attention of any good Christian who has a sweet tooth in his head. Pare the fruit, cut out the cores, squeeze lemon juice over them, which will prevent their discoloration. Boil them gently in enough sirup to cover them till they become tender. Serve them cold, with Naples biscuit round the dish.

TABLE BEER.

Table beer of a superior quality may be brewed in the following manner, a process well worth the attention of the gentleman, the mechanic, and the farmer, whereby the beer is altogether prevented from working out of the cask, and the fermentation conducted without any apparent admission of the external air. I have made the scale for one barrel, in order to make it more generally useful to the community at large; however the same proportions will answer for a greater or less quantity, only proportioning the materials and utensils. Take one peck of good malt, ground, one pound of hops, put them in twenty gallons of water, and boil them for half an hour; then run them into a hair-cloth bag or sieve, so as to keep back the hops and malt from the wort, which when cooled down to sixty-five degrees by Fahrenheit's thermometer, add to it two gallons of molasses, with one pint, or a little less, of good yeast. Mix these with your wort, and put the whole into a clean barrel, and fill it up with cold water to within six inches of the bung hole (this space is requisite to leave room for fermentation), bung down tight. If brewed for family use, would recommend putting in the cock at the same time, as it will prevent the necessity of disturbing the cask afterward. In one fortnight this beer may be drawn and will be found to improve to the last.

MINCE MEAT.

This inevitable Christmas luxury is vastly improved by being mixed some days before it is required for use; this gives the various ingredients time to amalgamate and blend.

Peel, core, and chop fine a pound of pippin apples, wash and clean a pound of Zante currants, stone one pound of bloom raisins, cut into small pieces a pound of citron, remove the skin and gristle from a pound and a half of cold roast or boiled beef, and carefully pick a pound of beef suet; chop these well together. Cut into small bits three-quarters of a pound of mixed candied orange and lemon peel; mix all these ingredients well together in a large earthen pan. Grate one nutmeg, half an ounce of powdered ginger, quarter of an ounce of ground cloves, quarter of an ounce of ground allspice and coriander seed mixed, and half an ounce of salt. Grate the yellow rind of three lemons, and squeeze the juice over two pounds of fine sugar. Put the grated yellow rind and all the other ingredients in a pan; mix well together, and over all pour one pint of brandy, one pint of sherry, and one pint of hard cider; stir well together, cover the pan closely, and when about to use the mince meat, take it from the bottom of the pan.

PUMPKIN PIE.

"What moistens the lip, and what brightens the eye? What calls back the past like the rich pumpkin pie?"

Stew about two pounds of pumpkins, then add to it three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and the same quantity of butter, well worked together; stir these into the pumpkin and add a teaspoonful of powdered mace and grated nutmeg, and a little ground cinnamon; then add a gill of brandy, beat them well together, and stir in the yolks of eight well-beaten eggs. Line the pie plates with puff paste, fill them with the pumpkin mixture, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake.

BRANDY PUNCH.

Take three dozen lemons, chip off the yellow rinds, taking care that none of the white underlying pith is taken, as that would make the punch bitter, whereas the yellow portion of the rinds is that in which the flavor resides and in which the cells are placed containing the essential oil. Put this yellow rind into a punch bowl, add to it two pounds of lump sugar; stir the sugar and peel together with a wooden spoon or spatula for nearly half an hour, thereby extracting a greater quantity of the essential oil. Now add boiling water, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Squeeze and strain the juice from the lemons and add it to the mixture; stir together and taste it; add more acid or more sugar, as required, and take care not to render it too watery. "Rich of the fruit and plenty of sweetness," is the maxim. Now measure the sherbet, and to every three quarts add a pint of cognac brandy and a pint of old Jamaica rum, the spirit being well stirred as poured in. This punch may be bottled and kept in a cool cellar; it will be found to improve with age.

BOEUF A LA MODE (FAMILY STYLE).

The rump is the most applicable for this savory dish. Take six or eight pounds of it, and cut it into bits of a quarter of a pound each; chop a couple of onions very fine; grate one or two carrots; put these into a large stewpan with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, or fresh and well clarified beef drippings; while this is warming, cover the pieces of beef with flour; put them into the pan and stir them for ten minutes, adding a little more flour by slow degrees, and taking great care that the meat does not burn. Pour in, a little at a time, a gallon of boiling water; then add a couple of drachms of ground allspice, one of black pepper, a couple of bay leaves, a pinch each of ground cloves and mace. Let all this stew on a slow fire, and very gently, for three hours and a quarter; ascertain with a fork if the meat be tender; if so, you may serve it in a tureen or deep dish. A well-dressed salad is the proper accompaniment of boeuf à la mode.

PUNCH JELLY.