AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL-. 



81 



water, slightly acidified in order to set 

 the formic acid free, and in small re- 

 torts subjected to distillation. The pro- 

 duct of this distillation when tested was 

 acid, and with nitrate of silver gave the 

 unmistakable reaction of formic acid. 



Thus the proof of the presence of 

 formic acid in the blood of the bee was 

 brought. Even if on account of the 

 weak reaction Indicating this (due to 

 the extreme difficulty in obtaining ma- 

 terial), doubts could arise as to 'the 

 original presence of formic acid in the 

 blood,' its much more plentiful appear- 

 ance in the salivary glands of the head 

 and thorax leaves no doubt that those 

 glands — as well as the glands of the 

 poison-sac — are able to produce formic 

 acid from its elements in the blood, and 

 furnish it ready for use. 



What is there further ? The addi- 

 tional question was as follows: "Does 

 the formic acid get from the blood into 

 the salivary glands of the head and 

 thorax, and from these into the honey?" 

 To answer this the secretion of these 

 salivary glands must be examined. I 

 proceeded with this as I did in the pro- 

 duction of the bee-ferment, which 

 method I described at the time. The 

 heads and thoraces of a couple of hun- 

 dred bees were cut off and crushed in a 

 mortar containing water which was then 

 filtered. This filtrate gave an acid re- 

 action. It was then distilled, and the 

 distillate, like that of the blood, was 

 found to be acid, and far more strongly 

 so than the latter. With nitrate of sil- 

 ver it indicated unmistakably the pres- 

 ence of formic acid. 



Thus formic acid exists also in the 

 salivary glands. How does it get there? 

 Schoenfeld has previously expressed his 

 opinion of this. The blood, which 

 streams through the whole body, reaches 

 also the salivary glands, by means of 

 which the formic acid and at the same 

 time the ferment having inverting 

 powers, is secreted. From there both 

 of these substances are given off into 

 the cavity of the mouth. This takes 

 place through the common duct leading 

 from the salivary glauds of the head and 

 thorax, which opens into the cavity of 

 the mouth. Every swallow of nectar 

 which is brought to the honey-stomach 

 through the mouth cavity receives its 

 addition of saliva, that is to say, anti- 

 septic formic acid and inverting ferment 

 — of course probably in minute and very 

 highly diluted traces. 

 r- Formic acid is then proven to exist in 

 the salivary glands also. How is it to 

 be followed further, that is, into the 



cell ? If the contents of the honey- 

 stomach are examined, they are found 

 to be acid. But nectar is not so. The 

 presence of formic acid in honey I have 

 already proven. 



The last act in connection with the 

 honey consists in its deposition in the 

 cells. Here it remains until on the 

 average its proportion of water is 20 

 per cent., whereupon, furnished with 

 the label, "ripe honey," it is sealed 

 over. The honey has now been changed 

 to the miraculous balsam in which form 

 we know it. 



Fitted out with nearly a dozen sub- 

 stances it supplies* valuable material in 

 the shape of plastic and respiratory 

 elements. Its keeping quality has be- 

 come, so to say, unlimited — its healing 

 powers are endless. Last year, perfectly 

 preserved honey from the fifteenth cen- 

 tury was found in the buried cellar of a 

 city hall in Dresden. 



If, finally, a glance at the preceding 

 presentation of the subject be taken, 

 the thought would naturally occur, of 

 placing the source of the formic acid of 

 honey where I found it — in the blood. 

 The difficulties lay only in tracing the 

 proof. These have been overcome — the 

 fort has been stormed and, as I venture 

 to believe, the proof brought of the 

 origin of the formic acid in the blood. 

 Dr. Adolf v. Planta. 



Note. — The foregoing article we re- 

 gard as an exceedingly valuable work. 

 In the first place, through it is furnished 

 the scientific proof, lacking up to this 

 time, of the correctness of the views 

 which Pastor Schoenfeld expressed in 

 Nos. 11 and 12 of the last volume of 

 our journal, concerning the poison-gland 

 of the honey-bee, and which he only 

 based on physiological grounds. Then 

 the excellent investigations of von 

 Planta also furnish at the same time, in 

 conjunction with Schoenfeld's represen- 

 tation of the subject, incontestable 

 proofs that the great value which has 

 ever been placed upon honey, especially 

 by physicians, rests upon no exaggera- 

 tion ; that no artificial product can re- 

 place honey ; that its keeping qualities 

 are unlimited, its healing properties 

 endless. Our learned investigators have 

 thus done much for us bee-keepers. Let 

 us now do our part also, that is, let us 

 build diligently on, since we now stand 

 upon a firmly-established basis, so that 

 the great worth of our product will con- 

 stantly become plainer to the public, 

 and thus its consumption increased more 

 and more. — C. J. H. Gravenhorst. 



— Gravejihorxfs lUustrwrtf I])'e)ie7izeitun(/. 



