HONEY. 407 
and bottle it after ten days. An old and musical name for mead 
was hydromel. More recently as we read— 
** When the young players get to Islington 
They fondly think that all the world’s their own : 
Where many a man at variance with his wife 
With soft’ning mead, and cheese-cake ends the strife.” 
Art of Cookery, 1708. 
Beeswax consists chemically of myrosin, cerolein, and cerotic 
acid. Mrs. Earle quotes Dr. Dabbs, of Shanklin, concerning the 
cure of troublesome corns with beeswax. An old wife when on 
her deathbed communicated to the said doctor this wonderful 
cure, for which she had obtained a local notoriety in the Isle of 
Wight. ‘ For curing karns,” said she, “you takes beeswax, 
and you drops it hot right on the karn, and covers ’un; then yo’ 
puts on a bit of swealed rag, and lets ’un set for fower days ; 
then you pulls ’un out after you’ve a soaked your foot in water 
hot enough for ye to bear; and when ee’s out you'll see a big 
hole where ’ee was.” It may be observed that Dr. Haig has 
shown that simplicity of diet will do much to prevent, and cure 
corns, 
To prepare a Honey Cake: Take half a breakfastcupful of 
brown sugar, one breakfastcupful of rich sour cream, two 
breakfastcupfuls of flour, and half a teaspoonful of carbonate 
of soda in powder, adding honey to taste. Mix the sugar and 
cream together, dredge in the flour with as much honey as will 
flavour the mixture agreeably ; stir well, that all the ingredients 
may be thoroughly mixed ; add the carbonate of soda, and beat 
the cake well for five more minutes ; put it into a buttered tin, 
and bake for from half to three quarters of an hour; it may be 
eaten warm. For making Honey Cakes at the Cape: One and 
a half pounds of flour, half a pound of sugar, three quarters of a 
pint of honey. Boil the sugar and honey together; add one 
teaspoonful of cloves, and two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon pounded; 
then remove these from the fire; add half an ounce of potash, 
and one tablespoonful of brandy; mix the flour with half a 
teaspoonful of soda; then mix the hot syrup and flour well 
together, working the dough thoroughly with the hands, and 
roll out thinly. Put into a buttered pan, and bake in a slow 
oven for from half to one hour, and cut into squares. Preserved 
citron cut into strips, and mixed with the dough, improves the 
flavour. These cakes will keep for some time. 
