AUGUST 1, 1914 



597 



sides the local reaction, this secondary reac- 

 tion is often accompanied by chill, fever 

 (39 degfrees C. and even higher), vomiting, 

 diarrhoea, difticulty in breathing, palpita- 

 tion, headache, dizziness, etc., but it need 

 give no uneasiness. Fever and swelling of 

 the part where the stings are applied may, 

 with some intermittenee, last a few days. 

 During such a time the number of stings 

 may be lessened, or treatment for a few 

 days suspended (this latter is rarely neces- 

 sary). After this point in the treatment is 

 reached the application of stings must be 

 continued until complete immunity, which 

 in severe cases of long standing requires 

 much time and patience on the part of the 

 patient and physician. Especially in severe 

 cases, there occur during the treatment re- 

 lapses. The patient must be brave and per- 

 sistent to hold out until the cure is complete. 



The bees are taken into the room where 

 they fly to the window from which they ai'e 

 taken with the bare fingers and put on that 

 part of the patient where the pain is located. 

 After the stinging the bee will get loose; 

 but the sting, on account of its barbs, re- 

 mains. It bores itself deeper into the flesh, 

 and the attached poison-bladder endeavors 

 by contractions to empty itself of the last 

 particle of poison. Prof. Dr. Langer has 

 made an authentic analysis of bee-poison. 

 It is formic acid, and a base which is de- 

 stroyed by the digestive ferments. 



The daily increase of the number of stings 

 is according to the case and the age and 

 condition of the patient, from two to five or 

 even ten stings. At the beginning the in- 

 crease ought to be very gradual. Patients 

 who receive at one sitting too many stings 



show often besides a higher blood pressure 

 and increased pulse; an injection in the 

 conjunctiva (red eyes), and always get red 

 in the face. Dizziness, palpitation; sick- 

 ness at the stomach, etc., are signs to stop 

 with the treatment for that day. There is 

 no need to be alarmed. 



During the bee-sting treatment no other 

 medicines ought to be given. No special diet 

 need be prescribed. No alcohol is allowed. 

 These three points were invariably adhered 

 to in all cases treated. (Dr. Terc has about 

 1500 and Dr. Keiter 500 patients.) Only 

 where in the swelling stage the itching was 

 very annoying, lanoline creme or a cooling 

 poultice was used to allay the itching. After 

 the swelling stage is over the acute symp- 

 toms — sleeplessness, pain, and immovability 

 of the joints diminish, while the general 

 health and appetite improve, and the patient 

 gains in weight. The particular part treat- 

 ed will have changed so much that further 

 stings will cause hardly any pain. 



It seems best to make use of the bee-sting 

 treatment only under the advice of a physi- 

 cian — especially in cases of long standing. 

 The first time two or three sting-s on the 

 aching part seem to be sufficient in most 

 cases; then gradually increase daily the 

 number of stings until the secondary reac- 

 tion sets in. Up to that time the rheumatic 

 poison seems to have been neutralized or 

 destroyed. At this stage the patient reacts 

 like a healthy person not accustomed to 

 stings. It is well at this swelling stage to 

 treat the patient just as at the beginning, 

 and gradually increase until immunity is 

 reached. 



Markt Oberdorf, Bavaria, Germany. 



THE POPPY AS A POLLEN- PLANT 



BY W. G. M'XAIR 



Being a beginner in beekeeping, and 

 having heard that poppies stupefy bees, I 

 kept a close watch on my bees and poppies. 

 So far as I could see, the poppies had any 

 thing but a stupefying effect on them. I 

 have seen them gathering pollen from pop- 

 pies at five o'clock in the morning as fast 

 as they could go. 



In gathering pollen from a single poppy 

 the bee never alights on the flower. It 

 stands in the air, as it were, above the sta- 

 mens, and combs off the pollen and packs it 

 in its bread-baskets. 



From the double poppy it works in 

 among the petals to get at the pollen; and 

 as soon as her baskets are full she is off. 



I have watched them for hours, and have 

 never seen them sip any thing from the 



poppy. They seem to recognize the poppy 

 as a friend, and work it for pollen as hard 

 as they can go. 



When the poppy blooms here, there is 

 plenty of pollen to be had from other 

 l^lants, and it seems very odd that any 

 insect which has the instinct that the bees 

 possess would gather pollen from a plant 

 that is deadly to them. 



The only trouble that I can see in regard 

 to the poppy is that, when honey is scarce 

 and poppies plentiful, the bees might store 

 too much pollen in their combs. 



The poppies that the bees work the most 

 on are Shirley, Iceland, Single Annual, and 

 Simi Doable varieties. 



Hamilton, Ontario. 



