SURPLUS HONE? IN BOXES AND EXTRACTED. CQ 



held also an important place among medicines. In this age of chemis 

 try and new and patent medicines, almost any one of which will cure 

 any disease from toothache to cancer or consumption, the virtues of 

 such an old fashioned article as honey are almost lost sight of; but 

 when quackery shall have had its day, it will again be found, we believe, 

 that there is great virtue in honey, especially in diseases affecting the 

 lungs and throat. 



Many of the old doctor books give receipts for the medical use of 

 honey. In the Paris catalogue of edibles and drinkables says John 

 Hunter; in his "Manual of Bee-Keeping:" "Were shown honey-bread, 

 spiced bread, fruits preserved in honey, jellies, sweetmeats, cakes, 

 bon bons, pastiles, and chocolates, whilst for eau de vie we need not 

 leave old England, seeing it is made both frem honey and was. Then 

 we have hydromel, or metheglin, champagne, red and white wines, 

 liquors, fruit syrups, vinegar and fruit cordials. This is a pretty list 

 of delicacies for our housewives to exercise their ingenuity and skill 

 upon. Regretfully I say I have no knowledge how to make most of 

 these good things." He thus describes the process of making metheg- 

 lin: "When the comb has been drained of its honey, put it in a large 

 vessel, then pour in sufficient luke warm water to swim it nicely. Let 

 it stand two days, stir occasionally, then strain it. Skim the scum 

 from the liquor carefully, filter the sediment through a flannel, then boil 

 one hour. To three gallons add two pounds of raisins, one ounce ground 

 ginger, and seven or eight laurel leaves, then cool. Add a little brewers' 

 yeast, let it stand part of a day, then barrel it, leaving the barrel open 

 for two or three days; bung it up and let it remain untouched for six 

 months, then bottle it. * * The longer it is kept the better it will 

 be. " If an egg will float on the liquor it will be about the right strength. 

 Metheglin may of course be made from run honey, but by soaking the 



