THE AMERICAJSI hKK JUURHAL. 



647 



these especial inicro-organisuis, wliieli seem essential to their 

 propaKaiidii, is prevented by it. I have tried infecting honey 

 and KrowinK bacilli in it, but without tlie smallest approach to 

 success. 



Nevertheless, to feed honey from foul-broody hives (or, as 

 1 ou.nht to say, colonies infected with Bacillus alvei) to healthy 

 ones without taking some precaution would be absurd; but 

 boiliuK is ueitlier the most conveuieut nor the best plan, as we 

 shall see presently. I anticipate here the iiuestiou, "Is honey, 

 taken from diseased bees, tit for human food'?' Morally, 1 

 should object to sell for table purposes honey which bad been 

 stored in tlie fetor of a diseased colony, but scienlifically I 

 could see no cause for impeachment if the flavor of the honey 

 were good, for the chance contamination of a baccillus would 

 be no risk. Even pathogenic bacilli may be swallowed, appar- 

 ently without harm, if there be no internal rupture of the 

 unicous membrane, while human saliva, containing as it does 

 micro-organisms, derived from the air, will often kill small 

 animals if a particle of it be inserted beneath their skins. 



My belief is that the gnibs are most usually infected by the 

 antennse of the nurses. These traveling in the darkness of the 

 hive become aware of the condition and needs of radi iii-cu)iaut 

 of the brood-cells by constantly inserting their auteinue, which 

 must continually, w"here disease reigns, be brought into contact 

 with larva^ full of bacilli, and also into contact with those 

 sticky masses into which the larv» change about two days 

 after death. The removal, then, of spores is highly lu'oo- 

 able, and these transferred to the next gi-ub fed, will there start 

 tliediseasd. These sticky masses willne fomid, too, to extend 

 to the very front of the' cells, and as the bees perambulate 

 their combs, the claws, or more probably the pulvillus, which 

 stands between tliem will be in danger of removing spores, and 

 depositing them upon other cell-edges, to infect other grubs at the 

 critical time of cocoon-spinning. 



The supposition that in the dried condition of the dead larva 

 the "micrococci" (?) are thrown off into the surrounding air 

 must be replaced by facts founded upon observation. Tlie first 

 authorities are in general agreement that micrococci are not 

 thrown off at all; and even it their opinion stood the other way, 

 it would not affect the question, since 1 liojie I have successfully 

 shown that no micrococci exist in these dried larvie. If it were 

 othenvise, tlie face of every honey-cell would be closely dusted 

 with death-dealing germs, ami the case would appear hopeless: 

 but this is not contradicting that it is possible, or even extremely 

 likely, that the tramp of the bees does frequently detach numbers 

 of spores which tiy about in the air, and settle here and there, 

 often wliere they "take effei-t, niaiiy iif them being carried into 

 healthy colonies by the in(lraiii;ht set up by the fanners. When 

 a hive is robbed, 1 strongly incliiir to the belief that it is rather 

 the feet and the antknn.b which carry infection home with the 

 robbers than the honey in their sacs. Indeed, the ordinary 

 opinion would appear to have no better fonndatioii than very 

 many other of the guesses which have impeded the progress of 

 truly scieiititic apiculture; ami I find that Mr. Cowan remarking 

 nearly six years ago, " The honey is suiipused to contain the 

 spores, although I must say I have never been alile tn detect any 

 by the microscope." This part of my subject is extn-mely ditii- 

 cult of positive proof, but with a body of facts before us our 

 conclusions are not likely to be seriously wide of the mark. A 

 very large number of observations has shown me that the disease 

 is not found at all. except as infrequent exci'i>ti()iis in the digestive 

 tube of the larva, but it lies wholly anil alisolutely in the blood; 

 but did honey convey it we sliouhi certainly often see its traces 

 in the alimentary sac. In the adult bee, on the contrary, the 

 disease, although present in the blood, is generally very aciite in 

 the chyle stomach, and tlie effivts seem to be those of consump- 

 tion of the bowels. The reason for the difference, I have no time 

 now to explain, but will simply point out whatl believe no 

 observer but myself has discovered— that the bowel of the larva 

 is cast off with the skin at the time the chrysalis condition is 

 assumed, and that the digesti\e ajiparatus of the imago bee is an 

 entirely new and different organization from that possessed in 

 the larval state. The size of "Bacillus alvei " is such th.it a 

 quadruple string of them extending from London to New York 

 could be formed out of one cubic inch of material. Ordinary 

 dust motes to these iirganisms would be lilce hen's eggs to sand- 

 grains, .so that tlie (lilliculty, if any had been felt, respecting 

 their being earned uliout, should vanish. Nor is their multitude 

 less astonishing. 1 have examined many grubs which must at 

 least have contained 1,()00,000,IJ(JO of tlieii'i. A statement which, 

 after inspection of the many microscopic slides I have prepared, 

 will be accepted without question. In the royal jelly, so-called, 

 of a queen dead of bacillus, I could discover no bacilli, nor have 

 1 succeeded better with the food provided to the workers, not- 

 withstanding that I examined several liundreds of the cells 

 containing feeding grubs, surrounded by dead larvie; so that, 

 although I would not dogmatize, my strong opinion is, that 

 commonly neither honey nor pollen carry the disease, but that 

 the feet and antenn.e of the bees usually do. I also think it 

 probable that occasionally, at least, nurse bees infected bring 

 the disease-genns to t'le mouth in feeding the lahv.e, and then 

 turning foragers, leave a germ orgerms in thenectary of a tlower, 

 which visited by another bee becomes the means of infection to 

 it; the malady is thus carried by adult bees into other, and 



perhaps somewhat distant, apiaries. Balancing all the probar 

 bilities, it would appear that most generally the adult bee takes 

 the disease, and then carries it ilirectly or indirectly to the brood. 

 All ailment of a rather different kiiiil, from which the hoiise-lly 

 suffers, is known to lake ellVct by its germs settling on tlio 

 spiracles, or between the abdomiiml rings. The spiracles of the 

 larva ot the bee may also he the es)iccinlly vulnerable points. 

 But 1 must hasten to the third, and practically tlii^ most impor- 

 tant section of the subject. 



THE METHOD OP CUKE. 



Those whose apiaries are suffering from the ravages of foul 

 brood have had two classes of advisers: those recommending 

 curative measures, and those counselliug destruction. The former 

 {•lass has been Init a small one; and I remember that years ago 

 Mr, Cowan and myself almost stood alone in this matter. We 

 iiad had, unfortunately, to deal with foul brood; we had at- 

 tempted curative measures, and had succeeded. We were anxious 

 that others should share the knowledge of our methods of 

 treatment, for they were not identical; out from reasons, which 

 from my point of view I will endeavor to explain, the destroyers 

 seem for tlie moment to have the best of it. 



Salicylic acid has been the substance which has been hitherto 

 constantly used as a remedial agent; but it has had three main 

 difticullies to contend with. First, it is troublesome in applica- 

 tion; next, the question of dose has never been properly worked 

 out; and lastly, it has, from a mistaken idea of its insolubility, 

 been associated with borax, which has reduced its curative effect, 

 and made the tieatment somewhat dangerous. 



1. It i^ lioiiblcsoiiie ill application. It has been recommended 

 to uncap tlie dead nyinphs, ri-iiioving their bodies when iiossible, 

 and to spray the combs and frames thoroughly, and next feed 

 with syrup containmg salicylic acid. All this must be done 

 regularly and through a considerable period. My observations, 

 more especially during the last three summers, lean me to believe 

 that the good effects almost all arise from the food, and that the 

 s]iraviiig is often a mischief instead of a benelit. 2. The question 

 of diisc has never been worked out. Mr. Cowan recommends 

 l-so salicylic acid, 1-80 borax as a spraying fluid (1-40 of the 

 whole); or if the drugs be bought by Troy weight, which they 

 almost certainly would be, 1-.37 of the whole; while my fonnula 

 was 35 grahis in 8 ounces of water, or 1 in 140; and Mr. Hilbert 

 recommends 1 in 300. In addition, spraying is a most uncertain 

 and variable quantity. One man willsoak combs and bees by the 

 .spray, another will only dampen tlieiii. 1 think in any case 1-40 

 too high a proportion. Three wei'ks since 1 rcceivi'd a comb in a 

 box, accompanied by a letter, asking what was to be done. Foul 

 brood had broken out, and salicylic acid had been used, but 

 without beneflt. The comb contained a large number of dead 

 grubs; and I commenced a microscopic examination, expecting 

 to find the usual living bacilli, and In other cases the spores; but 

 to my bewilderment, the first eight dead larv.e contained neither 

 bacillus nor spore, the ninth was filled with the former, and had 

 undoubtedly died of the disease in the normal way. But what of 

 the others? My suspicion was that they had been poisoneil by- 

 excessive drugging, and writing at once for details, 1 obtained 

 infonnation which puts the suspicion beyond doubt. 



Mr. Raitt, some vears since, comiilained that salicylic acid was 

 a hiimliui;, and gave as one rca-;oii that he had used so niiicli that 

 he had killed the grubs, and yet it did not cure. Depend upon it, 

 the order of mind that concludes if 1 ounce of salts will keep off 

 a bilious attack for a fortnight, M of a pound will keep it off for 

 two months, exists In the boiliesof many bee-keepei s amongst 

 the humbler classes, and so the extremely uncertain quantity 

 given by spraying has its dangers, beside which, spraying chills 

 terribly, and takes all pluck out of the bees. Salicylic acid is a 

 poison. The French "ComiteConsiiltalif d'llygiene Publiqiie" 

 has twice reported against the employment of salicylic 

 acid, even in small quantities, as a preserving agent in 

 food. These reports have been strongly opposed by interested 

 parties; but it has been shown that it has frequently acte<i as a 

 cumulative poison, and has hi several instances proved fatal. 



The borax shall be dismissed with a word. It does nothing 

 but, by making a new compound with tlie salicylic acid, gives it 

 great solubility. Using hot spray, as 1 have recoinmeded, makes 

 it needle^s. It adds to the complexity and nauseousness of the 

 remedy; and I notice that Mr. Cowan, in the last edilion of his 

 "Guide-Book," has substituted Hubert's for Mutli's formula, and 

 so omits the borax. But Mr. Cowan now introduces to us 

 Bertraiid's Fumigator. If all beekce]iers were as scientiflc as 

 Mr. Cowan, I should believe in its bci g a great service; liut it is 

 simply a subliming apparatus in which for every sized hive, and 

 every strength of colony, and every possible number of frames, 

 1.5J<'gi-ains of salicylic acid must be used. The dose seems to 

 have been worked o'ut here with great refinement; although no 

 doubt the 1.5X grains is but the equivalent of I gi-am named as 

 the quantity by M. Bertrand; hut when we call to mind that at 

 156° C. salicvlic melts, and at 330 decomposes; when we remem- 

 ber, too, that in chilling the acid drops in a dew, we can easily 

 see that one operator with the same 15}-^ gi-ains would get twenty 

 times a.s large a quantity into the hive a-s another: and so my hope 

 of Bertraiufs invention is but slight indeed. The plan, too, of 

 feeding with medicated s\ rup those colonies that are not, but may 

 be attacked, is one that 1 think the best understanding of the case 



