1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KKEPER. 



1\VL 



PULQUE. 



The Plant That Is Res'arded In Mexico as 

 the Poor 3Ian's Cow. 



The picturesque maguey plant, of which 

 our century plant is a diminutive species, 

 is found almost everywhere in Mexico. It 

 looks so royal, even amid the foliage of the 

 tropics, that it would seem to belong to 

 the gardens of the dons and grandees, but 

 it is cultivated chiefly by the Mexican In- 

 dian races, and is regarded as the poor 

 man's cow. It is of slow growth, and 

 when it reaches maturity it is millied un- 

 til it dies, and a young plant is set in its 

 place. 



Tlie juice of the maguey plant is called 

 puhiue — pronounced poolkay — and is a na- 

 tional beverage among the poor of Mexico. 

 When fermented, it tastes like sour milk, 

 and it is in this condition that it is com- 

 monly used. It is slightly intoxicating 

 when taken in large quantities, and of 

 late the same moral o))jectiou has been 

 brought against it as against light wines, 

 ale and common beer. It is said to make 

 people dull, sleepy and lazy. 



It has becoine a somewhat famous rem- 

 edy for diseases of tlie kidneys, as people 

 who use it are said to be exempt from such 

 weaknesses. A like claim has been made 

 for sour milk and buttermilk. Many 

 Americans go to Mexico to drink pulque 

 as a medicine. What its real value is in 

 such cases remains to be determined. We 

 can see how the pulque habit, once formed, 

 might lead to other habits which might 

 prove seriously detrimental. 



It is a curious sight in the city of Mex- 

 ico to see the pulque venders come down 

 from the hills of the country with sacks of 

 the jnilk on their backs. Their bronze 

 faces are not devoid of beauty, but are so 

 serious as to indicate a hard life. They 

 look like pack horses. 



"Let us go out and see an Indian milk 

 his cow," said a Mexican gentleman to an 

 American boy visiting his hacienda. 



The Indian went to a large pulque plant 

 and cut out the main stem. He then in- 

 serted a gourdlike object, exhausted the 

 air in it and so drew into it the sweet 

 milk, which he poured into his sack. He 

 then put back the main stalk. 



"He will not have to milk his cow 

 again," said the Mexican. "Milk will 

 gather in the cavity for months. So you 

 see he has the advantage over you Amer- 

 icans." — Youth's Companion. 



NAPOLEON'S STOMACH ACHE. 



Of Value In Murder Cases. 



A spectroscope detector by which one 

 part of blood in a solution of 850,000 parts 

 can be discovered has been invented by M. 

 de Thierry. It will be of value in murder 

 cases where the stains are very minute. 



It Played an Important Part In the De- 

 feat of the French. 



Suddenly, in the midst of an order to 

 General Vandamme, who was to head oflf 

 the retreat near Kulm, 100 miles to the 

 north, the emperor gave a sharp cry, clap- 

 ped a hand over his lower waistcoat but- 

 tons and doubled up completely, unable to 

 think or act. 



Napoleon had the stomach ache. 



You laugh at this, but let me tell you 

 there is nothing so demoralizing as pain. 

 Headache and indigestion have wrecked 

 more than one great cause» Men who can 

 withstand armies have surrendered to the 

 toothache. Napoleon was never victorious 

 on the sea because he was always too sea- 

 sick to command in person. Napoleon 

 could not endure pain and lost his crown 

 through a stomach ache. For the cramp 

 that caught him that day at Pirna kept 

 him from pursuing his routed foes, and 

 with that failure to act began the con- 

 queror's downfall. 



At all events, he gave up his plan of 

 conducting the pursuit in person. He re- 

 turned to Dresden. Disaster fell upon his 

 generals whenever they fought without 

 him. Oudinot was beaten at Grossbeeren; 

 Macdonald was overthrown at Katzbach; 

 Vandamme was captured at Kulm ; Ney 

 was routed at Dennewitz. The allies 

 turned back. With fresh troops swelling 

 their recovering ranks they drew about 

 the man they had sworn to destroy. 



His vassals forsook him ; his tributaries 

 deserted him. France was left alone, and 

 yielding to the advice of his marshals rath- 

 er than following his own wise judgment 

 Napoleon gave up his plan of marching 

 upon Berlin. His enemies drew about 

 him, they inclosed him in a ring of steel, 

 and on the K^th of October, 1813, the em- 

 peror and his men stood at bay under the 

 walls of quaint old Leipsic, a handful 

 against a host. 



That bloodiest battle of modern times 

 has been called the Battle of the Nations. 



It was France against all Europe. For 

 three days it raged. Ninety-four thousand 

 men were killed or wounded. Then the 

 Saxons in the ranks of France went over 

 in a body to the enemy. Retreat was a 

 necessity. Napoleon was beaten. — "A Boy 

 of the First Empire," by Elbridge S. 

 Brooks, in St. Ni cholas. 



A Doubtful Reformation. 



Fuddy— They tell me that Mart Tenny 

 has reformed and that he isn't drinking 

 apy more. 



Duddy — Isn't drinking anymore! Of 

 course not; how in time could hef — Bos- 

 ton Transcript. 



