816 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
once be procured. Bevan recommends the use of spirits 
of hartshorn, and says that, in cases of severe stinging, 
its internal use is also beneficial.* 
Timid Apiarians, and all who suffer severely from the 
sting of a bee, should by all means protect themselves 
with a bee-dress The great objection to such a dress, as 
usually made, is, that it obstructs clear vision, so highly 
important in all operations, besides producing such exces- 
sive heat and perspiration, as to make one using it pecu¬ 
liarly ofiensive to the bees. I prefer what I call a hee-hat 
(Plate XI., Fig. 25), of entirely novel construction. It is 
made of wire-cloth, the meshes of wliicli arc too fine to 
admit a bee, but coarse enough to allow a free circulation 
of air, and to permit distinct sight. The wire-cloth should 
be first sewed together like a hat, and made large enough 
to go very easily over the head ; its top may be of cotton 
cloth, and the same material should be fa.stened around its 
lower edge. If the top is made of sole leather, it will 
serve a better jJurpose. A piece of wire-cloth one foot 
• It u)ay be some comfort to novices to know that the poison will produce less 
and less effect upon their system. Old bee-keepers, like Mlthiddates, appear almost 
to thrive upon poison Itsolf. When I first hecame Interested In boos, a sting was 
quite a formidable thing, the pain being often very Intense, and tho wound swelling 
80 U8 sometimes to obstruct my sight. At present, the pain Is usually slight, and, 
If tho sting is quickly extracted, no unpleasant consequences ensue, even If no 
remedies arc used. Ilulsh speaks of seeing tho bald head of Hunner, a celebrated 
practical Apiarian, covered with sllugs, which seemed to produce upon him no un¬ 
pleasant effects. Tho Rev. Mr. Kleine advises beginners to suffer themselves to bo 
stung frequently, assuring them that. In two seasons, their system will become 
Accustomed to tho poison 1 
Ad old English Apiarian advises a person who has been stung, to catch as speedily 
as possible another bee, and make it sting ou the same spot Even an entbuslastlo 
disciple of Huber might hesitate to venture ou such a singular honucopatbio 
remedy; but as this old writer had stated, what I hud verified in my own exi)e* 
rlonco, that tho oftener a pcr8t)n was stung the loss he suffered from the venom, I 
determined to make trial of his prescription. Allowing a sting to remain until It 
had discharged all Ita poison, 1 compelled another bee to insert Its sting, os ncai ly 'is 
possible, in the sumo spot. I used no remedies of any kind, and bud the satisfac¬ 
tion, in iny zeal for new discnveile.'*, of suffering more from the pain and swclliJig 
than for years before. 
