BEE DISEASES 107 



consider tlie welfare of the patient but 

 only that of the colony. Consequently a 

 sick bee does not get any tender care from 

 the doctor — its name is Dennis right from 

 the start and the only fate it can hope for 

 is to perish as quickly and quietly as pos- 

 sible. I suspect that if the society for the 

 prevention of cruelty to animals and the 

 anti- vivisection agitators knew how many 

 sick bees were put to death every year 

 they would raise a howl to be heard in 

 Mars. 



The two most serious bee diseases are 

 known as American and European Foul- 

 brood, respectively. The names really do 

 not indicate anything regarding the ori- 

 gin of the diseases for both of them are 

 known on both sides of the Atlantic. Long 

 usage has established the nomenclature, 

 however, and by these names they will 

 probably always be known. 



Both are diseases of the larvae, as might 

 be supposed from the names, and both are 

 of bacterial origin. American foulbrood 



