Beef-Tea, a preparation commonly made for persons whose energy of the stomach is reduced, either after recovery from diseases, or in consequence of complaints arising from indigestion. It has been a common practice, to treat valetudinarians, or patients, with viper-broths, instead of beef-tea : the former, however, does not appear to possess any superior efficacy, though it certainly is more nauseous than the latter.

Beef-tea is usually made, by cut-ting one pound of the lean part of a buttock of beef into very thin slices, or shreds, and boiling it with nearly a quart of water: w hen it grows hot, the rising scum must be taken off, while it continues boiling for about twenty minutes. After it grows cold, this liquor i strained and decanted; in which state it resembles a light infusion of fine green tea : has a very grateful flavour, and is more stregthening than other broths. This recipe is similar to that given by the late Dr. Barry, in his classical "Trea-on the three different Digestions and Discharges of the Hun dy, " etc. 8vo. 6s. 1759. But, on considering the of heal on the volatile and spirituous parts of the animal fibre, when immersed in a fluid medium, we venture to suggest a more economical method of preparing beef-tea. Instead of boiling the meat, we would advise to reduce it to a pulp (provided it be perfectly clean and fresh) with a wooden pestle, in an iron or marble mortar, and then to ex] all its juice. After straining this, liquor, a little spice may be added, and an equal, or larger proportion of boiling water. Thus, the whole nee of the meat will be preserved, part of which would be volatilized by cooking. Nor does it admit of a doubt, that such a liquor possesses greater bracing powers, than if prepared after the usual manner; and that half a pound of beef in this way, is nearly equal to one pound used accord-ing to the former method.

It is, however, a common error, that beef-tea, or any other broth, is more easily digested than solid food: on the contrary, all liquid nutriment.of this nature, unless mixed with bread, rice barley, or other vegetable aliment, requires much stronger efforts of the stomach to effect digestion. Hence we are induced to deprecate the custom of inundating, as it were, patients, after their recovery from chronic diseases with soups, broths, and spoon-meat of every description.