When patients object to the taste of raw milk or tire of it, it may be flavoured in a variety of ways. When there is no objection on the score of the nervous system, a teaspoonful or two of black coffee is one of the best means at hand, or a little of the extract of coffee may be added. Very weak tea may be preferred. Caramel is another excellent flavouring substance which may be freely employed, and ginger is also used. Other patients may take a little chocolate or cocoa or cocoa nibs infusion with their glass of milk. Some prefer the addition of common salt or a little black pepper. The various meat extracts, fluid or solid (see Meat Preparations, pages 815,818), may often be used to advantage. When alcohol is not contraindicated many patients are willing to drink much milk in the form of weak punches, or as eggnog in which cognac, whisky, sherry, or rum may be employed to disguise the pure-milk taste.

The various malt extracts are enjoyed by some when given in milk, and their disagreeable sweetness is thereby removed. A tea-spoonful of malt may be added to a pint of milk which is gently warmed for half an hour, after which it is boiled for twenty minutes. This prevents the formation of large curds.

None of these additions materially affect the nutritive value of milk, and the occasional variety which may be secured by experimenting with different substances will usually overcome all prejudices. I have often induced patients to take large quantities of junket flavoured with a little spice (see Receipts for Invalid Foods), not realising that they were really eating only pure milk which had passed into the first stage of digestion. Patients who object to milk because they have to drink so much fluid may take the same quantity in the form of junket because they can eat it with a spoon.

Much milk may be disguised sometimes in custards, gruels, etc., where there is no objection to the addition of other easily digestible foods.