iyo8 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



21 



INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF SULPHITES IN SYRUP 

 AND MOLASSES. 



From time to time Gleanings has fur- 

 nished its readers with considerable data 

 concerning the injurious effects of sulphites 

 and sulphurous acid when combined with 

 human foods and used as such. Some may 

 have thought we were stretching the truth 

 so as to get a case against syrup, molasses, 

 and glucose. Our ideas on the subject were 

 obtained from reading the reports of physio- 

 logical experiments made in Germany, and 

 from talks with men well versed in the tech- 

 nics of sugar manufacture. Now comes a 

 bulletin just issued by the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture which more than 

 confirms all we have said. Sulphites and 

 sulphurous acid have been found guilty on 

 all counts. Every bee-keeper who sells hon- 

 ey locally ought to send for this bulletin, 

 which we think is free to all. It was issued 

 Nov. 22. As the report is founded on prac- 

 tical experiments made in Washington we 

 will give the summary of results verbatim so 

 that there need be no misunderstanding 

 anywhere. — W. K. M. 



These data clearly show that the administration of 

 sulphites and of sulphurous acid in a free state in the 

 quantities employed produces harmful effects. A ten- 

 dency is manifested in practically every case to pro- 

 duce headache and digestive disturbances. In some 

 cases these symptoms are not clearly marked, while 

 in others they are extremely well defined. In many 

 cases uneasy sensations and even pain were developed 

 in the stomach and intestines, and there were com- 

 plaints of " heartburn." The occurrence of this class 

 of symptoms during the administration of the preserv- 

 ative and their gradual disappearance during the aft- 

 er-period seem to be conclusive evidence that they 

 could have been due only to the effect of the preserva- 

 tive itself. There were also in some cases attacks of 

 dizziness, and palpitation of the heart. In a few cases 

 nausea was developed to the extent of vomiting. 



It was recognized, as in previous experiments, that 

 the mental attitude of the subject might play some 

 part in producing these symptoms, or at least might 

 affect the description of them by the man himself. 

 That this, however, does not exercise a dominant in- 

 fluence was more than established by the remarkable 

 effects of the administration of salicylic acid, where, 

 with the same opportunities for mental effects of a 

 depressing character, there was manifested, on the 

 contrary, a persistent demand for more food, the sali- 

 cylic acid apparently serving as a stimulant. There 

 is no doubt, therefore, of the fact that the symptoms 

 which are described in the medical history are those 

 actually experienced by the young men, any tendency 

 to exaggeration in the reporting of these symptoms 

 having been carefully considered at the time. 



In the case of the men who received sodium sulphite 

 the conclusion is inevitable that the administration 

 of this preservative in the great majority of cases 

 causes headache, sensations of dizziness and occasion- 

 al nausea, indigestion, pains in the stomach, and oth- 

 er unfavorable symptoms. With the men who re- 

 ceived sulphurous acid in an uncombined state, head- 

 ache was very common, there was a slight tendency 

 to dizziness, accompanied in some cases by nausea, 

 and a feeling of exhaustion and weakness. 



In general, it may be said that the most prominent 

 symptom was that of headache, which could hardly 

 have been caused by the imagination. This symptom 

 was very commonly and very persistently experienced 

 at some time during the preservative period. 



BODY WEIGHT. 



The administration of the sodium sulphite was ac- 

 companied by a slight average loss of weight during 

 the preservative period, but the full effect of the pre- 

 servative in diminishing the weight of the body was 

 shown only toward the end of the preservative period, 

 and there was a continued loss in weight during the 

 after-period. 



It appears, therefore, that the administration of sul- 

 phurous acid in the form of sulphite tends to reduce 

 the weight of the body slowly, and that this tendency 



IS continued for a considerable time after the with- 

 drawal of the preservative. There was a very slight 

 mcrease in the average weight of the body under the 

 administration of the sulphurous acid in the uncom- 

 bmed form, which increase continued in the after- 

 period. The final average effect upon weight for the 

 eleven men shows no change in the preservative peri- 

 od and a slight decrease in the after-period. 



THE NATIONAL CONVENTION AT HARRISBURG; 



A MARK OF APPRECIATION SHOWN TO 



GENERAL-MANAGER N. E. FRANCE. 



Owing to one thing and another we have 

 been unable to continue our report as given 

 on page 1430, Nov. 15th issue. We now take 

 it up where we left off. 



We listened to a very interesting address 

 by the Rev. N. E. Cleaver, on the subject "Is 

 it practicable and profitable for the average 

 bee-keeper to rear queens for market?" As 

 we published an article from him on that 

 subject on page 1445, in which he gives some 

 of the main points of his paper, we will not 

 go into a discussion of it here; but the ad- 

 dress taking the negative side of the propo- 

 sition was listened to with marked attention 

 drawing forth a great deal of interesting dis- 

 cussion. 



We next listened to an interesting paper 

 although somewhat technical, on the insect 

 enemies of the honey-bee, by Assistant State 

 Zoologist Satterthwait, of Harrisburg. The 

 main points were as follows: 



The bee-moth {Oalleria melonella); the 

 wax-moth [Achrcea grisella). Fab ; bee-killer 

 (Promachus Fitchii); bee-louse {Braula cce- 

 ca)\ oil beetle {Meloe angusticollis);Qy (Phora 

 incrassata); meal-moth and the bee- beetle 

 {Trichoides apiarius). Of less importance 

 are predaceous wolf- flies, dragon-flies, wasps, 

 hornets, ambush and assassin bugs, ants, and 

 sphinx moths. Aristotle, Virgil, Columella 

 and other ancient writers mention the bee- 

 moth as a formidable enemy of bees. It was 

 first mentioned in this country by the Boston 

 Patriot as having made its appearance near 

 that city in the spring of 1806. It was noted 

 at Mercer, Pa., in 1826, and by 1826 had over- 

 run Ohio. At the present time probably eve- 

 ry apiarian knows the work of the moth, 

 and that it can not be successfully controlled 

 in the old-fashioned box hives. Its life his- 

 tory is as follows: 



The moth, from head to the end of the 

 folded wing, is f to f of an inch; the expanse 

 IS lyV to li*o inches. The females average 

 much larger than the males. The palpi of 

 the females form a prominent "beak." The 

 palpi of the male are not so conspicuous 

 The adults fly normally after dusk, about 

 May for the first brood, and August for the 

 second brood. When the moth is at rest the 

 legs are naturally concealed. The wings 

 closely overlap on the back, when folded 

 and are drawn down at the sides. The outer 

 margin, thus folded, suggests the outline of 

 the tail of a fowl. 



When the moth is disturbed it moves with 

 a jump and a flit, making it hard to catch 

 The eggs are inserted by the telescoping ovi- 

 positor into any available crevice of the hive, 

 the number sometimes exceeding 200. 



