Personal Immimity. Immunity is the degree of resistance to infec- 

 tion, or in our case the amount of resistance developed by a bee- ( 

 keeper against the effects of bee-venom. Since every individual 

 differs in his bodily constitution, his degree of immunity of necessity 

 depends on the abihty of his blood, as well as certain of his tissues, 

 to resist the invasion of his body by a foreign protein. 



Thus, some persons by virtue of their robust constitution are 

 better equipped to withstand the effects of a bee sting, which may 

 perhaps produce only local disturbances, whereas others, ap- 

 parently strong, may prove to be extremely vulnerable and will 

 react violently to the venom. Immunity is a lessening of the reactions 

 to a bee sting. 



Despite the fact that some people do not suffer from the con- 

 sequences of a sting to the same extent as others, it does not follow 

 that they are endowed with a natural resistance within their system 

 to bee venom. In every case immunity must be acquired either by 

 stings or by injections of venom. As mentioned above, prepared, but 

 pure bee venom, is now available from a leading drug manufacturer 

 ready for injection, and this lends itself admirably for the acquisition 

 of immunity through a short medical treatment. Those who are by 

 nature or family history allergic to hay fever, pollen or other proteins 

 are almost certainly allergic to bee venom, and should seriously (' 

 consider this form of pre-treatment against the effect of bee stings, 

 if they wish to enjoy their bee-keeping. 



The human body very quickly forms an anti-toxin to protein c' 

 poisons,* and in the case of bee venom it is capable of manufacturing ' 

 an anti-toxic serum in 12 days, provided that the poison is adminis- 

 tered in small amounts, and that the blood is not over-saturated by a 

 single dose. In the latter case, of course, it just breaks down with 

 serious consequences. Although an anti-toxic serum cannot be 

 artificially manufactured from bee venom, in the same way that an 

 anti-snake poison serum can be (at least not with certainty), yet 

 there is no denying the fact that over 80 per cent, of bee-keepers do 

 acquire immunity. 



As the amount of venom injected from the bee is normally 

 insufficient to overpower the system, this reaction to venom takes 

 place from the first sting. In this way then, immunity to the venom 

 is gradually built up by the small increment of poison received 

 during the season's bee-keeping, and as immunity is developed, so 

 do the effects of the venom grow less. The rapidity with which this 

 happy state is acquired depends on the condition of the blood., and 

 the quantity of stings received over a given period. It is best, 

 therefore, to avoid getting an overdose of stings all at once in the 

 early stages, but to do so gradually. It seems almost needless, there- 

 fore, to warn beginners of the risks of having accidents in their early 

 days, and to exercise care and caution during manipulations with 



•These words as used in the text are a simple form of expressing a complicated 

 process. It means, very roughly, that a liquid (called a serum) can be formed, 

 in the blood, which is resistant to any poisons that may enter the tissue of 

 the body. 



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