Remedies for the Sting of a Bee. 87 
Many remedies have been prefcribed, moft 
of them to little purpofe, to cure the wound 
received by a fting. Oil of olives, or any mild 
oil, is thought by many to be effectual. Bruif- 
ed parfley is recommended by others ; the ho- 
ney taken out of the bee that inflicted the 
wound, is prefcribed by a third clafs. Some 
fay, that the {weet f{pirit of vitriol, well rubbed 
into the wound, will prevent both the pain 
and the fwelling. Repeated experiments, how- 
ever, have fhown that the eafe, received from 
any of the above medicines, is not always to 
be depended upon, and therefore may be im- 
puted as much to accidental circumftances, 
fuch as the wounded perfon’s ftate of health, 
blood, &c. as to any peculiar fpecific virtue; 
although I doubt not, but that any or all of 
them may fometimes afford relief. 
The fting and its poifon are injected ina 
moment, and the painand {welling inftantly 
fucceed, when fuch remedies are often very dif- 
tant. My remedies are more fimple, and one 
or other of them is always at hand. The mo- 
ment I am wounded, after pulling out the 
fting, I take a blade of kail, dock, afh, or al- 
moft any green leaf of any plant or fhrub 
neareft me, and, bruifing it a little, rub the 
juice 
