STINGS. 



406 



STINGS. 



tried them, have been enough to till this 

 whole chapter. We have tried a great many 

 of them, and, for a time, we imagined they 

 "did good;" but after giviug them a more 

 extended trial, we have been forced to con- 

 clude that they were entirely futile. Nay, 

 further: they not only did no good; but if 

 the directions with the remedy were to rub 

 it in the wound, they did positive harm; for 

 the friction diffused the poison more rapidly 

 into the circulation, and made a painful 

 swelling of what would have been very triti- 

 ing, if let alone. Please bear in mind that 

 the poison is introduced into the tlesh 

 through a puncture so minute that the tinest 



IT PAYS TO GRIN AND UEAli IT. 



Mr. Clialon Fowls, of Oberlin, Ohio, numbers among his cus- 

 tomers an amateur bee-keeper who has the faculty of seeing 

 the bright side of life under adverse circumstance.s. This pic- 

 ture, sent to Mr. Fowls as a postcard, shows that it pays to 

 " grin and bear it." 



cambric needle could by no manner of 

 means enter where the sting did, and that 

 the tlesh closes over so completely after it as 

 to be practically impossible for the remedy 

 to penetrate this opening; now, even if you 

 have a remedy that will neutralize the poi 

 son, in something the same way that an 

 alkali neutralizes any other acid, how are 

 you to get it in contact with the poison? 

 We know of no way of doing it unless we 

 resort to a surgical operation; and if you 

 will try that kind of "tinkering'' with one 

 bee-sting you will probably never want to 

 try another. There is no remedy in the 



world like letting an ordinary sting alone, 

 and going on with the work without even 

 thinking about it. But, suppose we get a 

 sting under the eye— one that closes up that 

 very important organ ; shall we go on with 

 our work'? That depends. If it brings on 

 headache or causes great discou.fort we 

 would rest a while, and in the meantime 

 apply a cold wet cloth until the local fever 

 is allayed. Sometimes applying a hot and 

 cold wet cloth alternately brings relief. 



A year or two ago kerosene oil was sug- 

 gested as a remedy, and two of our friends 

 regarded it of such importance that they 

 almost got into a controversy about who was 

 entitled to the honor of the dis- 

 covery. Well, having received 

 a very bad sting on the hand, we 

 went for the oil-can and drop- 

 ped oil on the spot for some' 

 time. As kerosene will remove 

 a rusty bolt or screw when no- 

 thing else will avail, and as it 

 seems to have a wonderful 

 power of penetrating all cracks 

 and crevices, we began to have 

 faith that it might follow the 

 sting of the bee, and in some 

 way neutralize the poison. But 

 the only result was one of the 

 most painful and lasting stings 

 we ever had. 



WHAT TO DO WHEN STUNG A 



GREAT NUMBER OF TIMES 



AT ONCE. 



Severe cases of stinging are 

 usually the result of careless- 

 ness, either from allowing 

 combs to be scattered, causing 

 robbing, or because a hive has 

 been bumped over by careless 

 driving, or by some animal 

 allowed the range of the apiary. 

 There are a number of cases 

 on record where hordes have 

 been stung to death ; and it is hardly safe 

 to hitch such animals within a few feet of 

 a hive, nor yet to let them run loose in a 

 bee-yard, although a few sheep may be 

 let in to keep the grr.ss down to advantage. 

 Mr. Chalon Fowls, of Oberlin, Ohio, left 

 a horse hitched near some hives of what 



he thought were gentle Italians ; but by 

 some means or other the animal bumped 

 one of the hives, irritating the bees, causing 

 them to rush out and sting. The horse, of 

 course, began to plunge and kick, with the 

 result that he demolished completely all 

 the hives within reach. Mr. Fowls said the 



