Treatment of Stings. 223 



fire-chamber and escape-pipe of the smoker become filled with 

 soot, they can easily be cleaned by revolving an iron or hard- 

 wood stick im^ide of them. 



CHLOEOFOKM. 



Mr, Jones finds that chloroform is very useful in quieting 

 bees. He puts a dry sponge in the tube of the smoker, then 

 a sponge wet in chloroform — it takes but a iew drops — then 

 puts in another dry sponge. These dry sponges prevent the 

 escape of' the chlb -oform, except when the beUows is worked. 

 Mr. Jones finds that bees partially stupified with chloroform 

 eceive queens without any show of ill-wilL As soon as the 

 bees begin to fall, the qiieen is put into the hive and no more 

 of the vapor added. I tried this last sumnier ^ith perfect 

 success. This was recommended years ago in Germany, but 

 its use seems to have been abandoned. It is more than like- 

 ly that Mr. Jones' method of applying the ansethetic is what 

 makes it more valuable. The smoker diffuses the vapor so 

 that all bees receive it, and none get too much. I should use 

 ether insteadof chloroform, as with higher animals it is a little 

 more mild and safe. 



TO CURE STINGS. 



In case a person is stung, he should step back a little for a 

 moment, as the pungent odor of the venom is likply to anger 

 the bees and induce further stinging By forcing a little smoke 

 from the smoker onto the part stung, we will obscure this odor. 

 The sting should be rubbed oiT at once. I say rubbed, for we 

 should not grasp it with the finger-nails, as that crowds more 

 poison into ihe wound. If the pain is such as to prove trouble- 

 some, apply a little ammonia. The venom is an acid, and is 

 neutralized by the alkali. A strong solution of saltpetre I 

 have found nearly as good to relieve pain as the ammonia. 

 Ice cold water drives the blood from any part of our body to 

 which it is applied, and| so it often gives relief to quickly 

 immerse the part stung in very cold water. In case horses are 

 badly stung, as sometimes happens, they should be taken as 

 speedily as possible into a barn (a man, too, may escape angry 

 bees by entering a building)» where the bees will seldom follow, 

 then wash the horses in soda water, and cover with blankets 

 wet in cold water. 



