50 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAT, 



[Sept., 



"I had given it as my own opinion tliat the 

 disease was probably, in most cases, produced by 

 feeding infected honey derived from foulbroody 

 colonies ; but that we were still constrained to 

 believe that it had also an independent origin, 

 which would probably be found in some delete- 

 rious substance mixed with the nutriment of the 

 bees. 



"A reason for this assumption I found in a 

 communication from Mr. Hoffman to the Eich- 

 stadt Bienenzeitung, in which he stated that in 

 all foulbroody colonies examined byhim, he found 

 most of the pollen in the cells covered by a slimy, 

 fatty substance and the pollen itself in a state of 

 fermentation. I then said that if this discovery 

 be confirmed by further observation and scientific 

 investigation, deteriorated pollen would prob- 

 ably be found to play an important part in the 

 production of the disease in question, and per- 

 haps account for the well known fact that in 

 colonies infected with foulbrood, the larvae die 

 only after being sealed up. I also expressed the 

 hope that we should have the aid of science — 

 especially of pliysiology and chemistry — in the 

 farther prosecution of the infjuiry ; as it is only 

 by ascertaining the nature and origin of the dis- 

 ease, that we coald liope to obtain the means of 

 effectually counteracting and controlling it. 



"We had to wait long for these elucidations, 

 but they have come at last, and we may well be 

 proud that the Hanover Centralblatt contributed 

 so materially to the result so far. 



"I now come to the second subdivision of the 

 question — What is to be thought of Lambrecht's 

 tlieory ? 



"This theory is briefly thus : Pollen, in pecu- 

 liar circumstances, and vmder the influence of 

 heat and moisture, begins to ferment ; and the 

 fermentive process is then communicated to the 

 honey. If this fermenting nutriment be now 

 fed to the larvjie, their organism becomes thereby 

 deranged and disorganized, they die and putre- 

 faction follows. Here we find tlie original source 

 and cause of foulbrood. The detailed explanation 

 of this so simple theory, given with the direct- 

 ness of scientific demonstration, yet in popular 

 language readily understood, is contained in the 

 pages of the Centralblatt. Its correctness is not 

 to be doubted, for the proof of it is clearly fur- 

 nished by this simple experiment : Expose a 

 mixture of pollen and water to the heat of the 

 sun, or otherwise to a temperature sufficiently 

 high to bring on fermentation, and feed there- 

 with the bees of a colony containing larvae just 

 hatched, and foulbrood will speedily be jiroduced 

 in the hive. I made this experiment myself in 

 the summer of 1868, and though I felt some mis- 

 givings before, every doubt was dissipated by 

 the result obtained, foi" the thus infected colony 

 might have claimed a premium as ajnime prize 

 case of the disease. I here submit to the con- 

 vention, for inspection, a piece of foulbroody 

 comb thus obtained. The contagiousness of the 

 artificially originated foulbiood is also demon- 

 strated by the fact, that the disciiso has been 

 communicated from it to several other colonies 

 in my apiary. Otiier bee-keepers have repeated 

 this experiment with like results ; so that there 

 is no longer room to doubt, or to susjiect de- 

 ception. 



"The fermented or fermenting condition of 

 the nutritive matter with which the ]arv« of 

 bees are fed, is thus, according to Lambrecht's 

 theory, the cause of foulbrood. I doubt much 

 whether tliis scientifically grounded doctrine will 

 ever be scientifically refuted. 



" We have here, accordingly, the poiut at 

 which the insidious foe is to be attacked, if we 

 would hope for success. This, Lambrecht alleges 

 that he does, and claims that he has devised a 

 reliable method of cure, as shown in the experi- 

 mental case at Brunswick. To doubt the truth 

 of the statement made by the committee super- 

 intending that experiment, would be to impugn 

 the untarnished honor of tliose gentlemen. But 

 unfortunately, we are not yet made acquainted 

 with the composition of Lambrecht's remedy. 

 For the ))i"esent, he treats it as a secret, intend- 

 ing to publish it in a pamphlet and tlius com- 

 pensate himself for his discovery. For this, he 

 has been subjected to reproach and abuse. Allow 

 me to express my surprise at this. We find 

 fault with Lambrecht for that which we approve 

 in ourselves and others. The inventor strives to 

 secure to himself the profits of bis invention by 

 taking out a patent ; and the author indemnifies 

 himself for his laboi'S by procuring a copyright, 

 or accepting a premium from his publishei'. I 

 have not hesitated to accept such compensation 

 myself, when the opportunity was properly pre- 

 sented ; and others, here, I presinne, may find 

 themselves under like condemnation. Why then 

 cast stones on Lambrecht, who, probably, hf s 

 very valid reasons for imitating our example, for 

 his experiments presuppose a large sacrifice of 

 time and money on his part. 



"I will not deny that, for one, I should have 

 preferred if Mr. Lambrecht had disinterestedly 

 published his curative process in a communica- 

 tion to the Centralblatt. For if No. 7 of the 

 volume for 18(58 is now out of print, in conse- 

 quence of the increased demand created for it by 

 his first article on the subject, there is no doubt 

 a very large edition would have been required of 

 the number containing his cure ; and what a 

 powerful impetus that would have given to the 

 success of the Centralblatt ! But I should have 

 been ashamed to a^jproach Mr. Lambrecht with 

 a request based on calculations so selfish, when 

 I understood that l;e intended to reserve the in- 

 formation for his own benefit. But there is thus 

 within our reach a secret of great importance 

 and value to all bee-keepers ; and since we have 

 no prosjtect of obtaining a knowledge of it in 

 any other way than by the publication of his 

 pamphlet, I advise you all to subscril)e for it 

 and induce others to do so likewise, so that the 

 work may speedily be published, and the veil 

 withdrawn that possibly conceals a matter of 

 vital importance to bee-culture. 



"Mr. Lambrecht ^f as requested by the Presi- 

 dent of the Nuremberg Convention to attend 

 its meeting, and present his theory among the 

 regular orders of the day, for discussion. I felt 

 confident he would comply with the request, and 

 considered that the most suitable mode of bring- 

 ing his theory to the knowledge of the bee- 

 keepers generally and securing the required 

 number of subscribers to his pamphlet. But, 

 according to the report of the proceedings, the 



