rn±j BEk-KEEPERS REVIEW, 



163 



most valuable both as remedy and food. 

 This opinion is the result of my own exper- 

 ience. After au attack of influenza in the 

 winter of 18!>1 an obstinate cough remained 

 which troubled me especially in the spring 

 and autumn and which increased seriously 

 in ISit'J, when I lost my appetite, and di- 

 gestion was completely upset, and in spite 

 of extreme care in avoiding the slightest 

 chill, the daily expectoration was very great. 

 I consulted ;5 doctors but notwithstanding 

 the strictest carrying out of their prescrip- 

 tions, this continued until August of this 

 year, my constitution being greatly reduced, 

 and my cough rendering me the nightly 

 torment of all the family. An apiarian 

 friend advised me to put aside the medicines 

 and try a honey -cure, that is to say, to take 

 plenty of honey in the morning with the tea. 

 I had previously sought relief in vain from 

 sweet things and had no belief in them, but 

 I thought I could but try it. Then it was I 

 began to know the real bee-honey, quite dif- 

 ferent from the fabricated honey known un- 

 der the name of tabln-honey, generally used 

 in Swiss hotels. I soon felt the benefit of 

 this honey, the lung relieved itself much 

 more easily, I lost my cough, appetite re- 

 turned, my strength increased and all my 

 friends congratulated me on my improved 

 appearence. Thanks to this remedy I am to 

 day completely recovered, and am only as- 

 tonished that I should have neglected it so 

 long, as the bee life had never been a mys- 

 tery to me. 



And how many thousands are there in the 

 same position ! Some, who have had a 

 similar experience, have afterwards become 

 most devoted disciples of bee-culture. I 

 endeavoured to repair my own negligence 

 by examining the literature concerning 

 them, and to all those who know little of bee- 

 life, I would strongly recommend the peru- 

 sal of books on this subject, for instance, 

 ' Le conduct ur au rucher, ' by Bertrand, 

 Nyon. Switzerland, obtainable at the ' Li- 

 brairie Rustique, ' 2G rue Jacob, Paris. This 

 literature is far more interesting than many 

 novels, and shows the wise arrangements of 

 our Creator, and foolish is the man who does 

 not profit by the production of these four- 

 winged insects. Their history and that of 

 honey is as ancient as man himself, the 

 Egyptian papyrus, dating from about 3500 

 years ago speaks of it and gives recipes of 

 honey, the Bible, the Jewish Talmud, the 

 Koran of Mahomet, Plinv. the Roman writ- 

 er, all mention the remedy honey. During 

 the middle ages bee-culture appears to have 

 diminished, but since then and in recent 

 times, entire and even striking cures have 

 been proved, sach as are mentioned in the 

 books of Charles Gatterer ( Vienna, 18G7, 

 Marchettigasse 4 ) , and P. Leonidas of Ad- 

 mont ( IS'.t'j ) both cured of serious chest 

 complaints by honey, after having tried 

 every other remedy in vain ; these authors 

 are still living and the former celebrated his 

 golden wedding in 188!t. There exists a 

 long list of similar facts, for instance, the 

 * Nordl Bienenztg. ' of 18S7 relates that a 

 young dressmaker suffered so acutely from 

 chlorosis that she could no longer even 



stand, every remedy proved useless and she 

 simply longed for death. Nevertheless 

 there existed a remedy which saved her, a 

 simple one, the real bee-honey ! I know 

 parents, who in times of epidemics, give to 

 their children as an antiseptic, honey in 

 abundance, and with complete success, 

 these children have invariably escaped the 

 illness I Why should it not be the same 

 with their elders ? Honey contains a certain 

 proportion of ant-acid ( bee-poison ) d'abeil- 

 les and this is the antiseptic that purities, 

 destroying any germs that may have pene- 

 trated and completely purifying the blood. 

 It is a remedy for many illnesses and those 

 who desire further details will always find 

 me ready to give them. Hydromel (honey 

 wine ) is also excellent, the hydropathic 

 Kneipp recommends it. These medicinal 

 virtues which have been known for the last 

 4000 years, should alone suffice to recommend 

 real bee-honey to every mother of a family, 

 even if the taste were sour and acid, instead 

 of being so sweet and agreeable. But. — the 

 Creator seems to have united every property 

 in this remedy, — real bee-honey is not only 

 sweet and wholesome, but also a food, a 

 blond-producer of the highest order. 



Whoever doubts it. let him first be weigh- 

 ed then take daily 100 grammes of this real 

 Swiss bpe-honey, in a month he can test 

 the result of this alimentation with the 

 scales ; my friend already alluded to, says 

 that this honey makes its own weight in 

 blood, and I quite believe it. Whoever 

 takes regularly this bee-honey will not only 

 be much better nourished, but will also be 

 spared under ordinary conditions, a heavy 

 medicine bill and will in any case increase 

 his individual capacity. The traveller can 

 scarcely find a better remedy, the daily 

 changes of food and drink requiring a most 

 healthy digestion. And yet, how do the 

 hotelkeepers err in this matter I Nearly 

 everywhere in Europe is served in the ho- 

 tels a concoction which never ought to have 

 received the name of honey : it consists of 

 80 per cent of syrup of potatoes (obtained by 

 sulphuric acid ) and scarcely 10 per cent of 

 real honey to give it a flavour. One with a 

 strong stomach can with difficulty digest 

 such a mixture, much less an invalid, and 

 for that reason many complain that honey 

 injures the stomach. Real honey never does 

 that, it is the food the most easy of digestion 

 we know, and is straightway converted into 

 blood leaving almost no residue. For this 

 reason, unfortunately, Swiss honey has not 

 always the best reputation possible. Stran- 

 gers seeking a cure in our mountains find in 

 most hotels only the aforesaid mixture, 

 ( which is not even of Swiss origin, but was 

 introduced from Germany ) and for that 

 reason foreign authors have a prejudice 

 against Swiss honey. AVrongly so ! Who- 

 ever buys bee-honey here, will certainly 

 have it real, — Swiss industry has never yet 

 tried to make money by falsifications, — and 

 I would calmly accept any hot that it is at 

 least as good as any other, I would almost 

 dare to say in all modesty, that it is even 

 better than any other ! It is natural, and is 

 incontested by all connoisseurs of honey, 



