044 



GLEANIA^GS m BEE CULTUKE. 



Aug. 



so, provided lie is correct as to his Itiets. If, on 

 closer investigation, it lie found that lie is in error, 

 it will be in order lor tliose authors to handle him 

 as vigorously as was recently done by the editor 

 of the British Bee Jouinal on the subject of bacteria. 

 There does not seem to be as much " gush " and 

 "slopping- over" amongst writers in the old coun- 

 try as we sometimes see on this side of the water. 



Referring- to the similarity of the digestive 

 pi'ocess in all animals, on page hS of "Bees and 

 Bee-Keeping," Mr. Cheshire says: "During- the 

 process of chewing, or mastication, glands, of 

 which we, lilfc the bees, have three pairs, pour in- 

 to the mouth saliva, whose principal office is to 

 chemically change some parts of our food, and 

 notably starch, which, under its action, begins to 

 be formed into sugar, one of the most soluble 

 bodies furnished by the plant world." 



Regarding this statement. Prof. Cook rcmarlis 

 as follows: "Here ^Ir. Cheshire makes a strange 

 error in the statement that our saliva is wholly a 

 digestive liciuid, that it changes starch into sugar. 

 It is well established, that our saliva is almost 

 wholly mechanical in its function, and that the 

 pancreatic juice digests the starch." Prof. Cook 

 probably follows Dr. J. C. Dalton, Jr., who says: 

 "The function of saliva is altogether a physical 

 one. Its action is simply to moisten the food and 

 facilitate its mastication, as well as to lubricate 

 the triturated mass, and assist its passage down 

 the ii'sophagus." Dr. Dalton refers to the investi- 

 gations of leading French and German authors 

 in support of his view; but their observations 

 were made on the masticated food (f some of the 

 lower animals, in which cases no ghrcose was 

 found. The results of these observations do not 

 necessarily pi'ove that Dr. Daltoa is correct; be- 

 cause later investigations have shown that. " whilst 

 the saliva of man and some few animals possesses 

 the remarkable diastastie fciment, it is absent 

 from the saliva of a majority of animals." 



On the other hand, on page Ul of his Physiology, 

 Prof. Huxley says: "The secretion of these saliva- 

 rj' glands, mixed with that of the small glands of 

 the mouth, constitute tsaliva — a fluid which, 

 though thin and watery, contains a small quantity 

 of animal matter called ptyalin, which lias certain 

 very peculiar pi-operties. It does not act on pro- 

 teid food-stufls, nor upon fats; but if mixed with 

 starch, and kept at a moderately warm tempera- 

 ture, it turns the starch into g^'ape sugar. The 

 importance of this operation becomes apparent 

 ■when one reflects that stareli is insoluble, and 

 therefore, as such, is useless as a nutriment; while 

 sugar is highly soluble, and readily oxidizable." 

 And on page 154 he says: "The conversion of 

 starch into sugar, which seems to be suspended 

 wholly, or partially, so long as the food remains 

 in the stomach, on account of the acidity of the 

 chyme, is resumed as soon as the latter is neutral- 

 ized, the pancreatic and intestine juices operating 

 powerfully in this direction." 



In his article on " Nutrition," in Kitcyc. Brit., 

 published in 1884, Prof. Gamgee sa;is: "The pro- 

 cess of mastication, besides triturating- the food 

 and mixing it with the alkaline saliva, permits it to 

 become raised nearly to the body temperature, in 

 which condition the dextrine and the starches 

 readily fall a prey to the ptyalin, and begin to be 

 converted into dextrine and maltose. This change 

 is very rapidly effected— it begins instantly, if the 



starch is already boiled, po that, unless the food is 

 " boiled," a considerable (juantity of soluble dex- 

 trine and sugar is formed before the bolus is 

 swallowed." 



From the foregoing it will be seen that, although 

 he disagrees with Dr. Dalton, Mr. Cheshire is in ac- 

 cord with some of the latest and best authorities 

 of the day. S. Couneil. 



Lindsay, Out., Can., July 2(>, 1886. 



Thank you, fritnul C. ; but when doctors 

 disagree iii such matters, who shall decide V 

 Unless some special reason shall make it 

 very important to know the exact truth, I 

 can not see why it matters very much after 

 all, as to who is right and who is wrong. 



A SUGGESTION IN REGARD TO HAN- 

 DLING EOUL BROOD. 



,\r,SO SOMETHING ABOUT THE NAMELESS BEE- 

 UlSEASE. 



TN Gleanings for Aug. 1, 1888, page GIO, you de- 

 ||f scribe what is evidently foul brood. In burn- 

 W ing- the combs you did all right; but why starve 

 "*■ the bees, when there is a better -way? In my 

 experience in bee-keeping of over 31 years, I 

 have had to deal with foul brood four ditlerent 

 times, either in my own yard or in the yards of 

 some of my friends. I condemn the practice of 

 starving the bees, as it makes them almost worth- 

 less after such treatment for future comb-building. 

 I l)elit've it is well understood, that bees must be 

 fat to build comb to anj- extent. Put them in a box, 

 and feed them; make them build comb for three or 

 four days; feed them well; keep them fat; then put 

 them on other combs or foundation, and they will 

 be in condition to build combs and rear brood. 

 Don't be afraid. The comb -building- in the box 

 uses up all the honey the bees may have carried 

 with them from the foul-brood combs. 



THAT bee-disease that has no name. 



Let me call your attention to Gleanings for Oc- 

 tober 1, 188,5, pages G.fjS and 677. For several years, at 

 times, I have seen those nervous, shiny-loolting 

 bees (made shiny by the other bees worrying them 

 trying to get them out of the hive), but I have nev- 

 er known of any loss of whole colonies until the 

 present season. In this locality the disease is quite 

 pi-evalent, in some instances causing the loss of the 

 entire swarm. Changing the queen does not stop 

 the complaint. Sometimes a swarm afflicted with 

 the disease will recover in a few days, and remain 

 well, while others, after recovering- the first time, 

 will again be taken down with the same disease. I 

 have used salt, a small handful, placed at the en- 

 trance of each hive, where the breath of the bees at 

 night dissolves a portion of the salt, which the bees 

 seem to like. With some swarms it seems to help 

 them, curing- them in a few days completely, while 

 with others it seems to have no etfect. I have in 

 some instances seen from a pint to a quart of bees 

 thrown out in ;34 hours. 



question. 



What effect, if any, does this disease have on a 

 swarm, that, having- once had it, survives the win- 

 ter'? Does it follow that they will have the same 

 disease the second year? Will some one who has 

 had experience with this disease answer? 



So far as my obser\'ation goes, the liroad is not af- 

 fected by the disease— at least it looks healthy. 



