Broth

Broth is an infusion or decoction of vegetable and animal substances in water. It is customary to use more or less meat, ox-flesh or mutton, with bone, and certain vegetables, as cabbage, greens, turnips, carrots, pease, beans, onions, &c. The whole are mixed together in cold water, heat slowly applied, and the materials allowed to simmer for some hours. The meat yields up certain ingredients, whilst others are retained in the residual flesh. Flesh heated with water yields to the water albuminous matter, gelatin, kreatin, extractive matters, lactic acid, salts, fat, saccharine matter; and leaves in the boiled meat fibrin, coagulated albu- men, gelatinous tissue, fat, nervous matter. The vegetables yield albuminous constituents, colouring and mucilaginous matter, and volatile oils and salts. The real nutritive material present in broth is less than is generally thought, though it aids in satisfying the cravings of the appetite, and acts to a certain extent as a mild stimulant. See SOUP, BEEF-TEA.