Starchy food should not be given to a child until it is able to
masticate. (See digestion of starch, Chap. VIII.)

Arrowroot, cornstarch, rice, etc., _must not be given to infants_.


FLOUR BALL.

Put a bowlful of flour into a strong cloth, tie it up like a pudding,
and place it in a kettle of boiling water. Boil for 10 or 12 hours.
When boiled turn it out of the cloth and cut away the soft outside
coating. When cool, grate the hard inside portion and use a
teaspoonful at each feeding, for a baby 8 months old, increasing the
amount for an older child. This may be prepared in the same manner as
cornstarch or flour. The long boiling converts the starch into
dextrine, which is more easily digested than starch. This is
especially valuable in cases of diarrhoea, and may be used instead
of barley gruel as a food.


OATMEAL GRUEL.

Pound a cupful of oatmeal in a pestle or on a bread board. Put in a
bowl and pour over it 1 pint of cold water. Stir it up, then let the
mixture settle for a few minutes. Pour off the milky fluid, repeat
this process. Boil this water for an hour, adding a pinch of salt, and
use it to dilute the milk instead of water.

A thicker gruel may be made from oatmeal by allowing 1 tablespoonful