they appear already to enjoy immunity to bee stings at the outset. 

 Such, however, is not really the case, for it is more apparent than 

 real. The more severe the rheumatism the less effect there is of the 

 consequences of a sting. As the dosage of bee venom is increased, 

 the rheumatic symptoms gradually disappear, taking perhaps one 

 or more years to do so, according to the severity of the complaint. 

 This change may be accompanied by increasing sensitivity to the 

 effects of a bee sting, but the reactions will ultimately subside as 

 immunity is finally reached. 



Treatment. As might be expected in a craft which has come down 

 through the ages from the earliest times, the number and methods 

 of treatment and remedies for bee stings are almost numberless, but 

 most of them are suggestive rather than curative in their properties. 

 How far back in ancient times the remedies for bee stings 

 were described is not known, but it is certain that there were recog- 

 nised means of treatment, and these were passed on by word of 

 mouth and through notes in physicians' manuscripts. Dr. H. Malcolm 

 Fraser, to whom I am indebted for the information, draws my 

 attention to the fact that the great Roman naturalist Pliny mentions 

 a cure for bee stings in his Natural History, which commends a 

 foment derived from the juice of mallows or ivy leaves. He also 

 refers me to several other early writers, as well as to Butler's Feminine 

 Monarchie of 1609, wherein he writes: — 



" Therefore when you are stung, instantly wipe off the 



bee, sting and all, and wash the place with, your spittle: so 



shall you prevent both pain and swelling: for the poison is 



so subtle, that it quickly pierces the flesh and the wound so 



little, that no antidote can follow £«fter: and yet I have 



heard commended for a remedy, the juice of House Leek, 



of rue, of mallows, of ivy, of a marigold leaf, of hollyhock, 



and vinegar, of salt and vinegar, and divers other things . . . ." 



When stung, the sting penetrates the outer skin layer into the 



true skin, which is underneath and is known as the " dermis," 



but it seldom goes much further. The dermis contains many tiny 



blood vessels and nerve endings in its tissue, and the former when 



struck or damaged by the sharp tip of the sting, bleed while the 



pressure and venom act on the nerves, setting up immediate pain. 



The swelling and irritation follow as the body reacts to the poison. 



The most important step in first aid is to remove the sting itself 

 from the wound with all speed, for the longer it remains there the 

 greater will be the quantity of venom injected. Care should be taken 

 when removing the sting not to squeeze it with the fingers lest the 

 contents of the poison sac be let into the already punctured skin. 

 Those who are immune will not of course mind a little extra venom. 

 A pen-knife is the most serviceable instrument to use. Place the 

 blade flat on the flesh, and draw it forward with a scraping movement 

 towards the sting so that it is lifted out. Next squeeze the wound 

 so as to eject as much of the poison as possible. 



Of subsequent treatment there is not much that can be regarded 



34, 



