El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-31
Is PulQue an Enemy
to MeXiCO'S SCOurge?
Claims That the National Drink
and VIC American Investigate

into acetic acid and ends In the putrid
fermentation.
By reason of the fact that the liquor
ferments so easily it is very difficult to
preserve it for long time without the
aid of anti-putrid substances, such as
salicylic acid and others.
A distinguished Mexican hygienist,
who has studied the properties of pull
que, declares it to be q nourishing be-
verage, tonic of the nervous system
aud general economy, regenerattng
blood and containing salts which can
cure some complaints and carbonic acid
which determines many effects favor
able to digestion.
This statement the Investigations of
either confirm or disprove. The inter-
esting discovery has been made in the
first place that the national drink of
Mexico swarms with bacteria, and it ia
believed that this discovery accounts
for the hitherto unaccountable fact
that the drinking of pulque was found,
quite by accident, to be q cure for
scurvy, which may be described as the
national disease of Mexico, so that the
national drink seems to be provision
of all-wise nature for counteracting
the effects of the miserable lives that
the natives live here.
The medical man who claims to have
discovered that pulque cures scurvy is
DR.. Francisco Martinez Baca physi
clan of the penitentiary and chief
director of the Anthropology Depart
ing the effect of the drinking of pulque
on the prisoners under his charge DR..
Baca says
81 prescribed the national drink dur
ing an outbreak of scurvy for the sake
of strengthening the patients, and be-
gan to see the effects of it at once. The
horrible facial appearance that scurvy
gives the patient began to disappear,
The mum Der of patients decreased, and
before thirty days the prison was en-
tirely free from the disease. Ever since
scurvy has found the doors closed
"Directly I see the signs of it appear
ing I attack it with the national drink
and it Immediately disappears.
DR.. Baca's theory in the matter is
that just as in the miscroscopical world
the universal biological law of the
struggle for life is imperative, giving
triumph to the stronger over the weak
er. In the micro-Organic world this
law Ia no exception, and it is probable
some of the PSYCHOLOGICAL colonies in
troduced into the economy by the
drinking of pulque struggle against
those existing in the scorbutical bIodo
and overcome them.
IL tnl3 theory is correct then the dis
covery accid entslly made by DIR. Baca
is in the highest degree important, as
it provides cure for q miserable dis
ease that has baff1ed the medical world
for long time.
This matter Drs. Rose and Hough
will investigate closely, SO that the
world may look for q report of engross-
ing interest to scientists as well as
useful to humanity. After they have
enlightened the Mexicans regarding
their national drink the two Washing
ton gentlemen will penetrate to the
interior and may be lost the civiliza-
ton for long time.
When they emerge the world will
probably be presented with q most i'm
portant chapter on the ruins of Aztecs
and the subjects of kindred interest
pertaining to the ancient history of this
continent.
The Yaqui tribe of Indians Is TO be
studied carefully and the primitive
arts Of the race investigated, some
thing that white men have fought shy
of doing in the past for the reason that
the Yaquis show very bad temper
when approached too inquisitively by
strangers.
DR.. Hough declares, however, that
be will brave any danger to penetrate
to the country where these unconquer-
ed tribesmen live their wild lives
New York Sun.