284 PHYSIOLOGY. 



sting gradually, when we ourselves are stung, 

 which if we had sufficient firmness and presence 

 of mind to remain still, she would instinctively do, 

 by bringing the beards close down to the sides of 

 the darts, the life of this valuable insect might be 

 preserved, and the pain in the wounded part be 

 much lessened : but the alarm of both parties 

 seldom admits of such forbearance. The wasp is 

 not so liable to leave its sting behind as the bee, 

 the beards of the former being rather shorter, and 

 the insect stronger and more active. 



The sooner the sting is extracted the less venom 

 is ejected, and consequently less inflammation in- 

 duced. To alleviate the irritation, numberless 

 remedies have been proposed, of the most opposite 

 kind and uncertain effect ; as oil, vinegar, bruised 

 parsley, burnet, mallow, or the leaves of any suc- 

 culent vegetable (renewed as soon as warm, and 

 probably therefore operating by cold alone), honey, 

 indigo dissolved in water, &c. &c. The most effec- 

 tual remedy appears to be the Aq. Ammon. or 

 Spirit of Hartshorn : nor is this surprising, when 

 we consider that the venom of the bee, or wasp, is 

 evidently acid. If a humble-bee be irritated to sting 

 paper tinged with litmus, or any other of the vege- 

 table blues, the colour is changed by the acid of the 

 venom to a bright red; this acid appears not to 

 differ from the acid (bombic) of silk-worms, or 

 (formic) of ants. The acrimony of the latter 





