APIS. 



In December, 1908, probably without any information concerning 

 le experience of Dr. Packer, Dr. E. T. Burton, of Birmingham, 

 England, reports in the British Medical Journal the beginning of 

 is use of the sting of the bee in several seemingly hopeless cases of 

 lieumatism, and in March, 1909, of the same journal, records his 

 arther experience as follows: 



ly E. T. Burton, M. D.: 



Case 1. A man, aged 76, tells me he has suffered not for ten, but fif- 

 ;en years. He is continuing the treatment at the rate of twelve stings 

 week, and the pain which "left his hips and went into the thighs" changed 

 s position to the knees on December i6th; on December 30th it returned 

 lightly to the left hip, and on January 12th moved to the calves of both 

 :gs. He had only had fifty bees on the last date, having been shy at the 

 ain in the commencement. 



No. II still has some intercostal pain, but very much shorter in dura- 

 on. She gave up the bees, but recommenced them after ten days. 



No. Ill is coming to Birmingham again to have more bee stings, as 

 e has been much freer from pain, which is much less, especially at night. 



No. IV continues quite free from pain and is in excellent health. 



The following cases are new: 



No. V. F. C, a mechanic, aged 34, suffered from sciatica for eighteen 

 lonths. For four months, he was under the care 'of a private medical man 

 ■ho ordered him to Droitwich, where he had the usual baths for fourteen 

 ays. He went there also for the next eight or nine week-ends, having 

 n each occasion four baths. He returned little improved, and attended 

 hospital for fourteen days as an out-patient. After that for four months 

 e was treated at the same institution by massage, and the galvanic bat- 

 ;ry, but without relief. On November 27,th he commenced with twelve 

 ee stings, which were repeated every week for six weeks. In five weeks 

 lere was marked* improvement, and when I saw him last, on January 

 5th, he said he had been getting steadily better, so that he frequently diil 

 ot know he had sciatica. He had had, up to the last date, one hundred bee 

 tings. 



No. VI. K. H., a married woman, aged 36, had during the past three 

 ears suffered from rheumatism and arthritis in the jaws, hips, knees, feet, 

 Ibows, wrists, shoulders, and hands. The bees were applied first on De- 

 ember 1st, and she had twelve every week till January 4th, or sixty in all. 

 Results: Rheumatism nearly gone from the shoulders. Right wrist a 

 ttle free. Right arm not quite set, but apparently released a little. Not 

 3 much pain generally. For the past two years there was incessant acute 

 ain, whether active or idle." 



No. VII. E. N., a single woman, aged 35, had suffered for three years 

 nd a half with rheumatoid arthritis in wrists and fingers, which are much 

 eformed, and also in the ankles. She had been treated as an out-patient 

 t a hospital and was an in-patient for ten weeks, when, she says, she "re- 

 vived some relief from the rest from work." She commenced the bee 

 linging on November 21, igo8, and on Jamfary i6th had had sixty-six 

 :ings. The grasp was much stronger, the wrists, fingers, and ankles more 

 lovable, stronger, and quite free from pain. Her nights, which had been 

 equently very bad, are much better. 



No. VIII. H. D., a mechanical engineer, aged 54, was lamed by a kick 

 bove the left knee when ten years old, and had some bone removed. For 

 le past thirteen years he has been gradually getting worse in the other 

 :g from increasing sciatica. On January 8th and each of the following 

 ates I applied eight bees to the region of the sciatica nerve — for I am sat- 

 fied that the stinging is not only antitoxic, but also counter-irritant — and 

 n the following day he told me that before stinging he had to hang on to 

 irious articles of furniture to assist him crossing the dining-room, but 

 hen he returned home, after being stung, he could do so without aSsist- 



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