Put the cocoa and sugar into a saucepan, and pour in the boiling water; cook for two minutes, then add the milk, and let it heat just to the boiling-point. When most other brands are used, as a general thing a larger proportion of powder will be necessary. It is therefore important to experiment with each until it is found what amount will make a drink equal in strength to the above. This valuable food is often made so strong that ill persons cannot digest it. COCOA-SHELLS Put a tablespoon of shells into a pint of water, and simmer for two hours; add one tablespoon of sugar and a cup of milk, then strain out the shells, and it is ready to serve. This is a mild and delicately flavored drink, and may be used freely in cases of great thirst. COCOA-NIBS Boil one teaspoon of cracked cocoa in a pint of water one hour; then add a cup of milk and a tablespoon of sugar, let it heat to the boiling-point again, strain out the nibs, and it is ready to serve. It is necessary to _boil_ cracked cocoa, otherwise you will have a bitter infusion, lacking the good flavor which is extracted by the higher degree of heat. This is an instance in which a few degrees more or less of heat make a great difference in the result. CHOCOLATE Put _one third_ of a square (one ounce) of Baker's chocolate, with one cup of boiling water and a tablespoon of sugar, into a saucepan. Set the saucepan on the fire, and stir for a while, moving the piece of chocolate through the water occasionally until it is melted. _As soon as it boils_ add a cup of milk, and when it again reaches the boiling-point it will be ready to serve. If chocolate is allowed to boil for a length of time, separation of the fat from the other ingredients takes place, rendering it indigestible. Chocolate, if delicately and carefully made, is as nice as cocoa, much more nutritious, on account of the fat which it contains, and less expensive. TEA Tea has refreshing and invigorating properties very comforting to one spent with toil. Its active principle is theine, a crystalline alkaloid found in both tea and coffee. Theine and caffeine were once supposed to be different substances, but have recently been found to be identical. Tea is a valuable article of diet, though not a direct nutrient. It is classed with the so-called "accessory" foods, and, although not itself nutritious, aids, by its good flavor and stimulating properties, the digestion of other things. It is a nerve tonic, and is quite valuable as a curative agent for headache and some forms of indigestion. The slight stimulation resulting from its use is unattended by any after ill effects. It is good for soldiers, hard-working people, travelers, and others who are much exposed to the rigors of climate.[33] COMPOSITION OF TEA