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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Sept. 29, 1904. 



cally by bee-keepers, and to say the least its value as a for- 

 age plant would not be underrated ; so it is not strange that 

 some of the German bee-keepers should enter a protest 

 against praising phacelia too highly as a forage plant. 



Pastor Eck, in Praktischer Wegweiser, speaks highly 

 of phacelia as a honey-plant, and adds : 



"But that phacelia is a good forage plant, and as such 

 to be recommended to farmers for cultivation, we bee-keep- 

 ers dare not assert, for it would be foolish to awaken in our 

 neighbors hopes that would not be realized. Such a thing 

 would soon bring its bitter revenge." 



The testimony of a well-known Californian, W. A. 

 Pryal, hardly agrees with this. He says in Gleanings in 

 Bee-Culture : 



" Some of the varieties are of rather delicate growth ; 

 others are robust. The former are relished by cattle ; and 

 where it grows in quantities it is a valuable pasturage. I 

 have found bees working on all the varieties I have noticed^ 

 but I do not think it can be counted on for any large honey- 

 flow." 



Probably no one in this country has done more than 

 Dr. Miller to call attention to phacelia, but a Stray Straw 

 in Gleanings says : 



"Phacelia doesn't come up to expectations. I have a 

 patch about 10 feet square that I've been watching closely. 

 The bees don't work on it as thickly as I expected, from 

 having seen them on a few plants years ago. Possibly that 

 was in a time of dearth. A patch of buckwheat would have 

 more bees on it. Horses will eat it, tut do not seem to 

 hanker for it ; neither does a bed of it look as pretty as I 

 expected — don't believe it's worth booming in this locality." 



Del niele e Suoi Usi. 



That's the name of a pamphlet received, no doubt a 

 very interesting one, upon honey and its uses, but unfor- 

 tunately Italian is not the common medium of communica- 

 tion in this otSce. The work contains 24 neatly printed 

 pages, written and published by Carlo Perucci, Treia 

 (Marche), Italy. 



Hiehael Ambrozic, of Austria, one of the most widely 

 known bee-keepers of Europe, died recently. He was an 

 extensive advertiser and an up-to-date apiarist. 



Mondeng Mfg. Co., have already issued their 1904-05 

 catalog of a full line of bee-keepers' supplies. It has 64 

 pages and cover. They are out for business, and expect to 

 get their share of the patronage of bee-keepers. A copy of 

 their catalog can be had by addressing Mondeng Mfg. Co., 

 147-149 Cedar L,ake Road, Minneapolis, Minn. 



A Serious Experience with Bee-Stings.— The Alka- 

 loidal Clinic for September — a leading medical journal pub- 

 lished in Chicago, contains the following account of the 

 very serious effects of bee-stings on one of its Missouri 

 readers, who evidently is also a bee-keeper : 



BEE-STINGS. 



I have had some personal experience with bee-stings 

 recently, which I wish to report and if possible get some 

 help. 



June 17, in helping a neighbor hive a swarm of bees, 

 several of them stung me. In a few minutes I became very 

 sick. There was an intense tingling over the entire body, 

 the skin became flushed, eyes suffused, the heart's action 

 became tumultuous, and there was a sense of oppression. I 

 soon felt nauseated, but at this time did not vomit. In a 

 few minutes purging commenced and was quite active and 

 imperative. This condition continued for an hour or more, 

 then gradually subsided. But for two or three hours if I 

 would so much as move a foot a wave of tingling would 

 pass over my entire body. 



Yesterday, July 4, in working with my bees, one stung 

 me on the forearm. Within 3 minutes I became sick, only 

 more intensely so than on June 17. At this time I vomited 

 and purged within 10 minutes of being stung. All the 

 former symptoms were present. Both times I was stung 

 soon after the noon-day meal. I have been stung often 

 before, with no ill-results ; having many times remarked 

 that bee-stings did not hurt me as much as mosquito bites 

 — and this was an absolute fact. The sting yesterday 

 caused considerable swelling which now, more than 24 hours 

 .after, still continues unabated. 



The books give very little treatment, except alkalies 

 locally. One book recommends strychnine arsenate and 

 quinine arsenate. Also hyoscyamine for spasm. In my 

 case there was decidedly the reverse of spasm. With me it 

 acted as a vasomotor paralyzer. The condition simulated 



that produced by an overdose of hyoscyamus, except the se- 

 cretions of saliva, etc, were not diminished. 



Can the editor or some brother tell me of some means I 

 can use which will prevent this unpleasant effect every time 

 I am stung? No doubt the best plan would be to let the 

 other fellow look after the bees. But I really enjoy the care 

 of bees, but of course can not continue handling them if I 

 must suffer thus and at the same time lose so much time 

 from my business. 



There was also a peculiar roughness of the skin which 

 on my arms had the appearance of cutis anserina, but over 

 my body the elevations were as large as peas, or larger. 



W. W. Shafer. 



The Alkaloidal Clinic's editor replies thus to Mr. Shafer: 



Our personal acquaintance with bees has been limited 

 and not at all satisfactory. Apis niellifera seems to look 

 upon us as a suspicious character, and if we go within speak- 

 ing distance of the hive we get it — and though the effects 

 are not quite as marked as you describe, they are decidedly 

 uncomfortable — enough so, at any rate, to make us return 

 the antipathy. Perhaps some apiculturist will give you the 

 information you seek. The injection of a 2-percent solution 

 of potassium permanganate is unquestionably the best 

 remedy for the sting — after you have got it. The best pro- 

 phylactic we know is — keep away from the bee. But this is 

 really a serious matter and we call upon members of the 

 Clinic family to come to the brother's assistance — our's 

 also. 



And we also pass on the invitation to any M.D.'s among 

 our readers, to come to tlie aid of both the Clinic's editor 

 and his bee-keeping correspondent, if possible. 



Rheumatism Cured by Bee-Stings.— Mr. W. A. Bal- 

 linger, of San Juan Co., New Mex., sends a clipping from 

 the Denver Post about bee-stings as a cure for rheumatism. 

 The only danger may be that much of it is mainly a news- 

 paper story, something like the manufactured-comb-honey 

 canards that are forever going the rounds of the press. But 

 we give the item herewith, as it is well known that bee- 

 stings are used in the preparation of certain medical 

 remedies : 



Philadki,phia, June 20. — After long experiments by 

 bacteriologists, a firm of wholesale chemists has sent 

 agents to Texas to obtain all the bee-stings, from which 

 serum will be made for the cure of rheumatism. 



A farmer afflicted with rheumatism was set upon by a 

 swarm of bees and frightfully stung. His face, neck and 



