Instructions issued by Francisco Luis Hector, Baron De Carondelet, concerning food rations for patients in the hospital at Plaquemines

              1793, June 8
INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY FRANCISCO LUIS HECTOR,
BARON DE CARONDELET, CONCERNING FOOD RA-
TIONS FOR PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL AT PLA-
QUEMINES. D (copy in the hand of Pien-e-Joseph Favrot). 4
pp. Spanish. Richmond.
Copy of instructions issued from the general accounting
office of the army and the Royal treasury of the province of
Louisiana in accordance with an official communication of this
date from Don Francisco [Luis Hector], Bar6n de Carondelet,
governor and intendant general of the said province. These in-
structions are to be followed by the storekeeper of the post of
Plaquemines regarding the rations to be issued to the patients in
the Royal hospital, which was established there in conformity
with regulations, approved by His Majesty in the Royal order of
August 22,1776, and applicable to all the dominions of America.
ORDINARY RATION. This ration consists of one pound of
fresh beef, including bone, one ounce of bacon, one ounce of
chick-peas, fourteen ounces of bread, and one-half ounce of lard,
which shall be served as follows:
Breakfast: Soup made of two ounces of bread and one-
half ounce of lard.
Lunch: Eight ounces of fresh beef, one-half ounce of
bacon, one-half ounce of chick-peas, and six ounces of bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.

HALF RATION. This ration consists of eight ounces of
fresh beef, one ounce of bacon, one ounce of chick-peas, eight
ounces of bread, and one-half ounce of lard, which shall be
served as follows:
Breakfast: Soup made of two ounces of bread and one-
half ounce of lard.
Lunch: Four ounces of fresh beef, one-half ounce of
bacon, one-half ounce of chick-peas, and three ounces of bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
HEN RATION. The hen is divided into five parts, four parts
of the body and one of giblets, which includes the feet, wings, and
neck. This ration is composed of one of the said five parts, one
ounce of bacon, one ounce of chick-peas, one-half ounce of lard,
and fourteen ounces of bread, which shall be served as follows:
Breakfast: Soup made of two ounces of bread and one-
half ounce of lard.
Lunch: One of the said five parts of the hen, one-half
ounce of bacon, one-half ounce of chick-peas, and six ounces of
bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
[End of Page 1]
HALF HEN RATION. This ration is reduced to one-fourth
of a hen, one ounce of bacon, one ounce of chick-peas, one-half
ounce of lard, and eight ounces of bread, which shall be served
as follows:
Breakfast:  Soup made from two ounces of bread and
one-half ounce of lard.
Lunch: One-half of one-fourth of a hen, one-half ounce
of bacon, one-half ounce of chick-peas, and three ounces of
bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
EGG RATION. This ration consists of four eggs, one-half
ounce of lard, and fourteen ounces of bread, which shall be
served as follows:
Breakfast: Soup made from two ounces of bread and
one-half ounce of lard.
Lunch: Two eggs and six ounces of bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
SOUP RATION. This ration is composed of fourteen oun-
ces of bread and one-half ounce of lard, which shall be served as
follows:
Breakfast: Soup made from two ounces of bread and
one-half ounce of lard.
Lunch: Soup made from six ounces of bread and a serv-
ing portion of broth from the common pot.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
CHICKEN RATION. This ration is composed of a chicken,
one ounce of bacon, one ounce of chick-peas, one-half ounce of
lard, and fourteen ounces of bread, which shall be served as fol-
lows:
Breakfast: Soup made from two ounces of bread and
one-half ounce of lard.
Lunch: One-half chicken, one-half ounce of bacon, one-
half ounce of chick-peas, and six ounces of bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch.
ROAST BEEF RATION. This ration is composed of one
pound of fresh beef, one and one-half ounces of lard, and four-
teen ounces of bread, which shall be served as follows:
Breakfast:  Soup made from two ounces of bread and
one-half ounce of lard.
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Lunch: Eight ounces of beef, boiled until half done and
then roasted and basted with one-half ounce of lard, and six oun-
ces of bread.
Dinner: The same as for lunch. With the roast beef at
both lunch and dinner shall be served one cup of broth from the
common pot.

DIET RATION. This ration consists of twelve ounces of
fresh beef, including bone, one ounce of chick-peas, and one
ounce of bacon for each patient. To this shall be added one hen
for every five patients. Out of this shall be made a soup that is
served as follows: Each patient shall have one cup every four
hours, or according to the instructions of the physician or the sur-
geon major.
ORDINARY DIET RATION. This ration is composed of
twelve ounces of fresh beef, including bone, one ounce of chick-
peas, two ounces of biscuit, one ounce of bacon, and one-fifth of
a hen. One-half of the above is to be made into three cups of
soup that shall be served to each patient every four hours. The
other half is also to be made into soup and served to each patient,
one cup every four hours during the remaining twelve hours.
WINE RATION. This ration is composed of twelve ounces
of wine, six ounces served with lunch and six with dinner. This
ration is served only on the specific order of the physician or the
surgeon major.
HALF WINE RATION. This ration is limited to six ounces
of wine, three ounces to be served with lunch and three with din-
ner, on the specific order of either the physician or the surgeon
major.
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DIET WITH PURGATIVE. Patients given purgatives shall
be served either the whole or half hen ration, according to the
order of the physician or the surgeon major. One cup of broth
shall be served for breakfast, two hours after the purgative.
MILK RATION. A simple milk ration of one pint of milk.
A double ration consists of two pints.
It is understood that the physician or the surgeon major
may prescribe anything else that the individual case may require
for patients who are treated by unctions of panacea [a "univer-
sal remedy," but in this case probably a mercury unguent for the
treatment of venereal disease] when their mouths appear much
irritated by the action of the medicine and they suffer from an
excessive flow of saliva.
In case the storekeeper at the new hospital of Pla-
quemines cannot obtain all the provisions that are required by
these instructions, in compliance with the will of His Majesty,
who urgently recommends assistance for the military patients, it
is left to the decision of the commandant to conform as much as
possible under the local circumstances. New Orleans, June 8,
1793.
JOSEPH DE ORUE