DINNER.

Hospital of
25 Beds		Hospital of
50 Beds		Hospital of
100 Beds
Soup 5 qts.10 qts20 qts.
Croutons or Crackers 2 lbs. 5 lbs.10 lbs.
Roast, Rib 8 lbs.12 lbs.20 lbs.
Lamb, Leg10 to 12 lbs.15 to 18 lbs.25 to 30 lbs.
Chops 2 doz. 4 doz. 7½ doz.
Potatoes 1 pk. ½ bush. 1 bush.
Celery 1 doz. stalks  1 large bun. 2 large bun.
Beets ½ pk. 1 pk. ½ bush.
Bread, bakers 1 lb. loaves  3 loaves 6 loaves 1 doz. l’ves
Tea ¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb.
Sugar 2 lbs. 3 lbs. 5 lbs.
Milk 3 qts. 7 qts.15 qts.
Dessert, Rice pudding 4 qts. 6 to 7 qts.18 to 20 qts.
Ice Cream, in bulk 4 to 6 qts. 8 to 10 qts. 4 to 5 gal.
Ice Cream, brick 2 to 3 br’k 4 to 8 br’ks 10 bricks

SUPPER.

Hospital of
25 Beds		Hospital of
50 Beds		Hospital of
100 Beds
Scalloped Potatoes,
(potatoes, milk, butter) 3 qts. sliced   6 qts.10 to 12 qts.
Bread6 loaves12 loaves 2 doz.
Butter1½ lbs. 3 lbs. 6 lbs.
Fruit, stewed2 qts. 5 qts.10 to 12 qts.
Tea¼ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb.
Milk4 qts. 6 to 7 qts.10 to 12 qts.
Eggs, special diets1 doz. 2 doz. 4 doz.
Cream1 pt. 1 qt. 1 gal.
Oysters, raw2 to 3 qts. 3 to 5 qts.  6 to 8 qts.

CHAPTER VIII.

Preparation of Food

If the purchase of a good quality of food for the patients in a hospital is important, the preparation and serving of it is of still greater importance. The most expensive food may be spoiled in cooking, or be served in such a manner that the patient has no desire for it. On the other hand, the cheaper article may be so tastily prepared that it will be readily partaken of.

In dealing with the sick, the method of preparation and the manner of serving food assume an importance that is not sufficiently appreciated by the untrained. It is hardly possible for every hospital to have a trained chef or a diet cook. Much of the cooking must needs be done by the ordinary servants, but the hospital housekeeper should have an intelligent appreciation of the needs of her family, her influence should pervade the domestic region constantly, and her standards and methods be understood by every one who handles food for the patients. The difference between the kind of cooking needed for the sick and the well needs also to be thoroughly understood, and while in reality the housekeeper must cater to both classes, yet the sick are her especial care. The fact must be borne in mind, too, that in a hospital we are dealing with people in whom frequently the functions of the organs of digestion and assimilation are seriously disturbed and weakened. These changes are accompanied by a loss of appetite and often a disgust for food. Yet the waste of the body, because of the sickness, is increased, and special effort is needed to supply the most nutritious food with the minimum tax on digestive powers.

Objects of Cooking