1896. 



TUB AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



251 



tlie same slight physiological change 

 while there, and we do not know how 

 rapid this change may he. Now, this 

 was the first honey that they had for 

 three days, and I tell yon they enjoyed 

 it hugely. Now, after seeing no had 

 effects on the hees, my next, to com- 

 plete this experiment was on the hu- 

 man, so I told my assistant, who is a 

 Mexican boy of fourteen Summers, 

 that we would swallow this newly 

 gathered honey between us ; I was 

 obliged to swallow first, taking only 

 one half of an ounce, the boy swal- 

 lowed the remaining one and a half 

 ounces. This honey had a splendid 

 flavor, only leaving a slight astringent- 

 like taste in the palate. Now for the 

 direct physiological effect on man and 

 boy. About one half hour after swal- 

 lowing this honey I suddenly became 

 giddy, and a slight loss of sight ; felt 

 as if being- whirled around. I imme- 

 diately introduced my finger as far 

 down the throat as possible, and vom- 

 ited sweet laurels up, which relieved 

 me instantly. The dose with the boy 

 stayed with him all 0. K. for one 

 hour. Will state right here, dear 

 reader, the Almighty being my helper, 

 1 will never try another experiment 

 on any human again, and advise you 

 all to do likewise. Just listen to these 

 honey symptons ; the boy fell with a 

 violent ^convulsion, hard contracted 

 stomach, cold hands and feet, profuse 

 perspiration, mouth tightly closed, 

 eyes opened and rolled back, pupils 

 dilated, face flushed, twitching of low- 

 er limbs, and great difficulty of breath- 

 ing, pulse full, only fifty per minute, 

 but strong. Being more than satis- 

 fied, and greatly alarmed with these 

 symptons, 2 one-tenth grains of Apo- 

 morphia was administered hypoder- 



mically, in the left biceps, which 

 promptly produced an emetic effect 

 that relaxed all muscular contraction; 

 after a good vomit, he sat up com- 

 plaining of pain in the stomach and 

 back of the neck. Two ounces of cas- 

 tor oil was administered, which opera- 

 ted in about two hours, bringing 

 away a great deal of bile and undi- 

 gested honey ; there was a great deal 

 of honey in the vomits also. The boy 

 was quite broken up and unwell for a 

 week, but is now bright as a dollar, as 

 though nothing ever happened. I 

 hope, after this little experiment, those 

 who are sceptic ou Laurel honey' be- 

 ing poison, will only try a small bit 

 on themselves, and know, personally, 

 how it feels. I will assure you that 

 ■a little of the above symptons will 

 convince and put you straight. Some 

 may say, why does it not produce such 

 effects on the bee? Well, tliis I do 

 not know, nor does any one else. It 

 is true that when the nectar is gath- 

 ered from flowers, it undergoes a 

 slight, peculiar physiological change, 

 that strains, refines and reduces the 

 amount of acid, to prevent fermenta- 

 tion, but does not alter its natural 

 constituents ; if it did, all honey 

 would look and taste alike ; there 

 would be no necessity of grading our 

 honey for the market. By this pecu- 

 liarity of over deposit of alkaloid in 

 each flower enables us to distinguish 

 its class when eating, and when this 

 process is taking place it is just as 

 natural for the bee as for the nurse 

 girl to let a good bit slip down when 

 chewing for the baby ; it is the same 

 honey, only prepared and purified for 

 us. Bees cannot carry honey from 

 the field in buckets or bottles ; Nature 

 has provided each one wiih a little 



