446 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



November 



are kept in stock, in various strengths, 

 by all homeopathic pharmacies. 



The symptomatology of Apis niel- 

 lifica and Apium virus is almost iden- 

 tical, so for convenience in writing 

 only one will be mentioned. 



The action of the drug on the hu- 

 man organism is the same if taken by 

 mouth, or if injected by hypodermic 

 needle (stinging bee), although its 

 action is quicker when the injection 

 method is used, but the time savea is 

 so little that the great majority 

 would prefer to have the drug admin- 

 istered by mouth in preference to the 

 stinging method of the bee. 



Many cases of rheumatism have 

 been greatly improved, if not cured, 

 by the use of apis, but the case of 

 rheumatism must be selected to cor- 

 respond to drug symptomatogy, the 

 same as in treating any other disease. 

 Not all cases of rheumatism are alike, 

 nor will one drug prove a cure for 

 all cases of rheumatism. The variety 

 of rheumatic conditions in which apis 

 is of benefit, are all accompanied by 

 sharp, stinging pains throughout the 

 affected part, associated, also, with 

 a sensation of numbness and coldness, 

 with swelling and tenderness. Un- 

 less these symptoms are present, do 

 not expect apis to do much good. 



In dropsical conditions accompa- 

 nying almost any disease, especially in 

 effusions affecting the lower lids of 

 the eyes, apis is very efficacious, 

 when you have associated with the 

 effusions these sharp, stinging pains. 



In skin affections apis is very often 

 a great help, when associated with 

 these same sharp, stinging pains, in 

 fact, these pains are present in nearly 

 all condition for which apis is of use, 

 and they form one of the great "key- 

 note" symptoms calling for its ad- 

 ministration. 



Apis acts specifically upon the cel- 

 lular tissues, giving as its most char- 

 acteristic effect, an acute oedema, 

 both of the skin and the mucous mem- 

 brane. It also affects the serous mem- 

 brane, producing conditions similar to 

 those which are the products of 

 serous inflammations, such as hydro- 

 cephalus, hydrothorax, ascites, etc. 

 In fact, its effects are noted in nearly 

 every organ or part of the body. 



One could enumerate many condi- 

 tions in which apis would be of great 

 benefit, but it is unnecessary in an 

 article of this kind, as I only wished 

 to show that apis is a very useful drug 

 in the treatment of the sick, that it 

 has been in use by physicians for 

 many years, and, that one to derive 

 benefit from it does not have to sub- 

 mit to the hypodermic injection of the 

 drug as applied by our little friends, 

 the bees. 



Massachusetts. 



home of the Hoffman family, where 

 the wife and daughter still reside, and 

 continue in the business of beekeep- 

 ing. They still have the same hives 

 used by Julius Hoffman during his 

 lifetime. The frame he used was 12 

 inches deep with a top bar 12 inches 

 long. The comb is accordingly not 

 quite as wide as it is deep. It will be 

 noticed, also, that the peculiar spacing 

 feature now in general use on the end 

 bar was used on the top bar also. It 

 was the self-spacing feature that dis- 

 tinguished the Hoffman frame from 

 others in common use. 



ORIGINAL HOFFMAN FRAME 



The Hoffman frame has come into 

 such general use in the Langstroth 

 hive that few beekeepers are unfa- 

 miliar with it. However, the frame as 

 made by Mr. Hoffman was of another 

 size entirely, as will be seen by the 

 illustration shown herewith. Re- 

 cently the associate editor enjoyed 

 the privilege of a short visit to the old 



Original Ilollinaii frame, made by Julius Hoff- 

 man 



UNEDITED LETTERS OF HUBER 



(Continued from October) 

 Gentleness of Bees 



To Miss Elisa De Fortes 



Lausanne, May 15, 1828. 



Your mother, my dear Elisa, does 

 not disapprove that I should inter- 

 est you with the subject of my favor- 

 ite studies, those good bees which 

 have diverted me from the insepara- 

 ble sorrows of humanity and hav.^ 

 done me so much essential good that 

 they will surely do for you what they 

 did for me, if you are in need of it, 

 and surely will do you no harm. Be 

 it so! 



I should like to see bees about you 

 and to think that they will sometimes 

 remind you of the friend who has had 

 so much to do with them. The first 

 and only word that I wish to say i,o 

 you about them today is not to con- 

 sider them as formidable as is gener 

 ally believed ; it is a truth proven by 

 me through a half century of observa- 

 tions and which the mo.st simple rea- 

 soning might have taught us. 



If the bees, the wasps, the humble- 

 bees and all the beings that are pro- 

 vided with stings had received from 

 nature an offensive instinct or hostile 

 dispositions, in view of their pro- 

 digious number, the wings with which 

 they have been provided and the 



speed of their flight, the earth would 

 be uninhabitable for us and for all 

 animals. 



If chance had presided at this part 

 of creation, such a condition might 

 have obtained, but it is to a Father, 

 to a true Father, that we owe our ex- 

 istence. He has also thought of the 

 happiness of his children, otherwise 

 the bees, instead of being a blessing 

 would be but a curse to us and the 

 treasure that they could bestow upon 

 us would have been a dead loss: their 

 wax and their honey would have cost 

 us too high a price. 



If truly fearful weapons have 

 been given to the bees and other in- 

 sects of their kind, it is uniquely for 

 their defense, to preserve that which 

 is dearest to them — their queen, their 

 young, their companions or their sis- 

 ters, and their treasures, against the 

 attacks of numerous enemies. When 

 you have given this some thought, 

 kind Elisa, and will believe a friend 

 who has not the least desire to see 

 you struggling against the poisoned 

 dart of the bees, I will advise you, 

 and your mother will permit you to 

 observe my favorites in a glass hive. 

 One finds beautiful lessons in the 

 study of natural history and espe- 

 cially in that of the beings which I 

 have most studied. 



Constant obedience to the laws 

 which have been imposed upon them, 

 and the happiness which results from 

 it are a spectacle of the highest inter- 

 est for us. If wisdom is without 

 merit when it is compulsoiy, it is a . 

 great merit for the bees that we be 

 compelled to seek the Law-maker and 

 see Him in His works. 



A thousand caresses for you and 

 yours, my beloved Elisa. 



TO THE SAME 

 The Sting of the Bees Has Been 

 Given Them for Their Defense — 

 Lizard Killed in a Hive — The Odor 

 of the Sting Irritates the Bees. 



Lausanne, May 17, 1828. 



You do not believe, dear Elisa, that 

 those bees which I desire you to love 

 have invented the laws which rule 

 them. I ended my last letter in tell- 

 ing you what you must believe as I 

 do; that it is to the supreme Law- 

 maker that our admiration is due, as 

 well as our love and our gratitude, 

 for He has evidently thought of the 

 existence and the well-being of crea- 

 tures which, like ourselves, have no 

 means of defending themselves 

 against the attacks of those who are 

 constantly provided with a sting ac- 

 companied with mortal poison. What 

 would be our fate, if we could not 

 walk about our gardens without be- 

 ing in risk of attack and pursuit from 

 thousands of winged and wicked be- 

 ings? 



Let us see what has been done for 

 those bees, which are, also, his chil- 

 dren, by this best of Fathers. If at- 

 tack has been forbidden them, they 

 have been ordered to defend them- 

 selves; do they then have enemies? 

 A very large number of insects and 

 rc-ptiles plot against their treasures 

 and try, through robbery, to enter 

 their homes. Others try to enter 

 there, to deposit upon their combs 



