1870.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



gradually assume a nearly round and tubular 

 form, each terminating beyond tlie base of the 

 sting within the body of the bee and has an arm 

 attached to it at right angles which forms a part 

 of the muscular mechanism by which their move- 

 ment is eftected. 



Also, to each of the chief parts, and located in 

 the cavity formed at the base of the sheath, is 

 attached a i^lano-convex valve, the convexity of 

 which is adapted to the inner side of this recep- 

 tacle, and they occupy about o.ie half of the space 

 therein. AVhen the sting is in action, each of 



^^C^ 



Sectional view of the parts of a Bee stint 



Bee sting magnified, sbowing the barbs. 



the chief parts is thrust out and withdrawn, 

 alternately ; so that when working its way into 

 a woinid, the valves by their action force out the 

 poison which fills the cavity, and which is re- 

 ceived from a sac situated apart from tlie base of 

 the sting. The poison readily passes along the 

 tube (which is a continuation of the cavity) and 

 finds its way into the wound with great facility, 

 owing to the peculiar formation of the sting. 



It may often liappen that one or both of the 

 chief parts of the sting ai-e left in the wound, 

 when the sheath is withdrawn, but are rarely 

 perceived on account of their minuteness, the 

 IJerson stung congratulating himself at the same 

 time that the stiug has been extracted. I have 

 had occasion to prove this fact repeatedly, in my 

 own person and others. Very recently a bee 

 stung me immediately under the left eyebrow. 

 It was perhaps fifteen seconds before the sting 



was extracted, when I at once put it under the 

 microscope and found that both of the chief 

 parts were wanting, having been torn away near 

 the base. They unquestionably were left in the 

 flesh, which caused me additional pain and 

 swelling. This peculiarity of the sting renders 

 it a formidable weapon, and may perhaps account 

 in some measure for those deaths from the sting 

 of a bee, lately recorded as having occurred in 

 this country. I certainly dread them more now 



' li;: i 



;:l; / 



Point of Bee sting higlily mai;nifl'iil, showing tlie barbs. 



than before my investigation, though ordinarily 

 we find no serious results ensue, owing no doubt 

 to the fact that the substance of the sting, on 

 account of its nature, is readily dissolved by the 

 fluids of tlie body — consequently giving irritation 

 as a foreign body for only a short time compara- 

 tively. The sting, when boiled in water, be- 

 comes tender and easily crushed. 



When stung, a person should instantly extract 

 the sting, should it be left by the bee in the flesh, 

 as it continues its working motion for several 

 seconds after being torn from the body of the 

 bee, and thereby gradually buries itself so deep 

 as generally to make it impossible to withdraw 

 all of it. 



J. R. Bledsoe. 



Natchez, Miss. 



