# Survival > Bushcraft Medicine >  Not exactly all medicinal ...

## Alan R McDaniel Jr

A number of years ago I thinned out a Maguey (century plant. the plant tequila is made from) patch I had and took the thinnings to the ranch.  I made the mistake of tossing it bay the gate to the camp house and it made another patch.  In thinning that out I started throwing it in washouts along the roads to stop erosion.  it grows fairly easy and stops erosion well.  

It's hardly medicinal but it does have some uses.  The thorns at the end of the big leaves are very strong and very sharp.  If you carefully cut from each side and leave a strip in the middle a long stout string can be drawn from the leaf with a useable needle already attached.  These can be used to repair clothing, packs and in a pinch, with considerable teeth gritting, I'd imagine they could be used to stitch up some skin, although it would be extremely uncomfortable.

Anyway, after seeing how well the washout plants were growing I decided I'd start spreading them around the ranch, to grow some "just in case" needles and threads.

The indigenous poeples of the area did exactly that.  They would have those patches growing at all their regular stops and use them for lots of things pertaining to basketry, twine, nets, etc.  

One word of caution.  The juice will cause itching like you wouldn't believe, especially it you hit one with a weedeater.

Alan

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## JohnLeePettimore

Ok.  That was interesting.

Now tell us how you're going to make the tequila.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

My understanding is that tequila is a refinement of Mescal and mescal is a refinement of Pulque (sp) which can be made by fermenting the maguey juice (or somethinglikethat).  From those who have tried, I've been told that the name pulque might be derived from the sound one makes after trying to drink it...

Alan

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## madmax

Tequila makes me puke now.  In days gone by I ate the worm.

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## JohnLeePettimore

I don't drink it anymore, either.  I just couldn't resist asking.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

There was a time when I thought I was the second coming of John Wayne.  Hard drinking, chain smoking, and of course dashingly handsome and charming....

Then one day I thought to myself, "WTF self?"  Nobody gives a rats patoot.  Then I just started being me, which wasn't all that hot either, but it was honest.

About the time I became a high school administrator I decided that I could not, with good conscience, tell young people not to drink if I was doing it myself...  So, instead of quitting my job, I quit drinking.  I count that as being in the top five best decisions I ever made in my life.  There are some hot days I truly miss a cold beer.  I've never missed having a hangover.

Alan

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## WalkingTree

I'm glad Maguey turned out to be agave when I googled it. I was gonna say "I thought tequila came from agave". Doh.

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