APIS. 



especially of the genitalia or urinary passages (Scudder) ; hot, dry, burning 

 stinging, or irritation, the parts appearing as if stung; hives; vesical a,nc 

 urethral irritation, with constant desire, but inability, to urinate, the urins 

 being deep-red; pufifiness of parts with tendency to edtma..— King's Amencm 

 Dispensatory (Felter-Lloyd). 



BEE STING IN RHEUMATISM. 



It will be observed that one or two of the foregoing authorities 

 have mentioned the subject of Apis in Rheumatism. The use of the 

 remedy for this affection -has been recently commented upon by man) 

 writers, some of whom could certainly not have heard of its previous 

 employment in that direction. In 1904, at the meeting of the Kansas 

 Eclectic Medical Association, a paper on this subject was read b) 

 Dr. E. B. Packer that attracted much attention, as it embodied Dr 

 Packer's experience in a case that came accidentally to his attention 

 This paper is thus reproduced : 



My case was as follows: A Mr. Gardner, of this city, had been laic 

 up with articular and muscular rheumatism for four years, and had beer 

 unable to walk any distance, and that only slowly and with a pair oi 

 crutches. In August, 1903, he was hobbling around the yard on his 

 crutches and accidentally got his crutch caught and had a fall. In fallins 

 he fell against a hive of bees and upset it. The bees, enraged at sucr 

 treatment, pounced on him by the hundreds, and before he could be res- 

 cued by his wife was nearly stung to death. After the stinging he was 

 very sick from the absorption of so much of the virus from the stings 

 He vomited freely and often for about twenty-four hours, aftemwhich he 

 got better, and found he had no more rheumatic pain. Nor has he hac 

 any rheumatism from that time to the present. 



In a letter, dated January 30, 1909, Dr. Packer states ; 



I saw Mr. Gardner yesterday on the street, and he says that he has 

 never had a rheumatic pain from that time to this, and that if he thoughl 

 another stinging, such as he had then, would release the ankylosis of the 

 knees and ankles and back that is the result of the rheumatism, he woulc 

 go and kick over the first hive of vicious bees he could find, notwithstanding 

 the fact that the former stinging nearly killed him. — B. B. Packer, M. D. 



In the Medical Arena, June, 1904, a report was published frorn 

 Dr. P. C. Gress, of Atchison, Kans., in which the sting of the bee 

 was utilized for the cure of a long-standing case of rheumatism. Fron: 

 the good results obtained in these two cases, both Dr. Packer and 

 Dr. Gress were encouraged to continue the use of this heroic method 

 of treatment, as evidenced by another extract from the letter of Dr, 

 Packer, above referred to: 



Dr. Gress and myself have been treating rheumatism with bee stings 

 for the past five years, but of course the treatment has not been as vicious 

 as that reported in the case of Mr. Gardner. From 3 to 5 stings, at as 

 many sittings, will produce all the relief required. I usually extend the 

 sittings from five to twenty days, and I never use the second bee before 

 the swelling or irritation from the previous sting is gone. 



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