MULDER, Grit/km) JOHAN/TES, a distinguished living chemist, was b: in 1802 at Utrecht, where his father was practicing as a physician. After obtaining the degree of doctor of medicine at the university of his native town in 1825, he commenced the prae tip of his profession at Amsterdam, where he was appointed to teach botany, and subse quently chemistry, in the newly-established medical school of that city. In 1841 be was elected professor of chemistry at the university of Utrecht, in consequence of the ability lie had displayed in various memoirs published in the Dutch scientific journals. He is best known to the general reader as the discoverer of proteine (q.v.), which he maintains to be the main ingredient of albumen, fibrin, casein, etc.; but the existence of which as an independent chemical compound is at the present day not generally admitted. He is the author of numerous excellent works on physiological and agricultural chemistry, on the chemistry of wine and beer, on diet and nutrition, etc., which, in consequence of their being written in Dutch, are far less known in this country than they deserve. His Chemistry of Vegetable and Animal Physiology has been translated into English by Dr. Fromberg, and his Chemistry of Wine by Dr. Bence Jones.
MULE (Lat. mulus, supposed to be connected with Gr. moZos, labor, and with Eng. moil), a hybrid animal, the offspring of the male ass and the mare, much used and valued in many parts of the world as a beast of burden. The ears are long.; the head, croup, and tail resemble those of the ass rather than those of the horse; but in bulk and stature the mule approaches more nearly to the horse. The mule seems to excel both the ass and the horse in intelligence; it is remarkable for its powers of muscular endurance; and its sure-footedness particularly adapts it to mountainous countries. It has been common
from very ancient times in many parts of the east; and is much used also in most of the countries around the Mediterranean sea, and in the mountainous parts of South America. Great care is bestowed on the breeding of mules in Spain and Italy, and those of particu lar districts are highly esteemed. In ancient times the sons of kings rode on mules, and they were yoked in chariots. They are still used to draw the carriages of Italian cardi nals and other ecclesiastical dignitaries. Both in Spain and in South America mutes employed to carry burdens are driven in troops, each preceded by an animal—in South America usually an old mare—called the madrina, or godmother, to the neck of which a little bell is attached, and the mules follow with the greatest docility. When troops mingle in their hahing-rlaces or elsewhere. they are readily separated, as they recognize at once the sound of their own bell. Mules are in Britain, although it is alleged that work is done at less expense by the employment of mules than by the employment of horses.
As in other hybrid animals generally, males are more numerous among mules than females, in the proportion, it is said, of two or three to one. There is no instance on record of offspring produced by two mules; but instances occur, although rarely, of their producing offspring with the horse and with the ass. The mule is very superior in size, strength, and beauty to the hinny, the offspring of the male horse and the female ass.