STINGS 
785 
as the result of a runaway horse or team, 
there is liable to be a general stinging 
fracas. The owner should not be tempted 
to go into a yard at such times without 
veil and gloves, and a smoker well ignited. 
To do so without protection is only inviting 
disaster. 
WHAT KINDS OF BEES STING WORST. 
The general decision now is, that pure 
Italians, Caucasians, and Camiolans are 
the most easily handled. (See Races of 
Bees.) Not only do they sting less, but 
as they keep their places on the combs 
without getting excited when the hives are 
opened properly, they are far less likely 
to get under one’s clothing than black 
bees. Queenless bees are not as quiet as 
those that have a queen. It may be be¬ 
cause they seldom work with energy, and 
have therefore no fresh accumulation of 
stores that would tend to put them on their 
good behavior. All bees are much worse 
after a sudden stoppage of nectar secre¬ 
tion, especially after a basswood or buck¬ 
wheat flow. A great many stings are re¬ 
ceived from bees that are in no way badly 
disposed at all, simply from getting pinched 
accidentally while on the person of the 
beekeeper. 
The pure races may be handled all day, 
with no mishap; but after working among 
the old-fashioned blacks or hybrids one 
often finds a dozen or more under the coat, 
in the sleeves, if they can get up, and, 
worst of all, up the trousers, unless the 
precaution has been taken to tuck them 
into the boots—or stockings when wearing 
low shbes. (See Veils.) This one thing 
alone should decide one in favor of the 
Italians, if they were no better than the 
blacks in other respects. Hybrids, as be¬ 
fore stated, are worse to sting than either 
of the races when pure; while Cyprian and 
Holy Land bees are so much worse still, 
that sometimes smoke has no effect on 
them. See Cyprians, under Italians; also 
Races of Bees. 
bee-sting poison. 
When bees are very angry and elevate 
that portion of their bodies containing the 
sting, a tiny drop of some transparent 
liquid can often be seen on its point. This 
liquid is the poison of the bee’s sting. It 
has a sharp, pungent taste; and when 
thrown in the eyes, as sometimes happens, 
it has a stinging, acrid feeling, as if it 
might be a compound of cayenne pepper, 
onion-juice, and horseradish combined; 
and one who tastes or gets it in his eyes, 
concludes it is not so strange that such a 
substance, introduced into the circulation, 
should produce severe pain and local fever 
for a few hours. 
HOW IT IS DONE. 
It is quite an interesting experiment to 
let a bee sting one on the hand, and then 
observe the whole performance without 
disturbing it. After the bee has worked 
the sting so deeply as to be satisfied, it 
begins to find itself a prisoner, and to 
consider means of escape. It usually gets 
smashed at about this stage of proceedings 
unless successful in tearing the sting— 
poison-bag and all—from the body; how¬ 
ever, if allowed to work quietly it seldom 
does this. After pulling at the sting to 
see that it will not come out, it seems to 
consider the matter a little, and then com¬ 
mences to walk around the sting, in a cir¬ 
cle, just as if trying to twist a screw out 
of a board. If one can be patient and let 
the bee alone, it may work it out, but in 
most cases the sting either tears out from 
the body of the bee or breaks off. In 
either case it should be removed from the 
flesh at once. 
ODOR OF BEE-STING POISON. 
After one sting has been inflicted, there 
seems a much greater chance of getting 
more stings. Mr. Quinby has suggested 
that this is owing to the smell of the 
poison, and that- the use of smoke will 
neutralize this scent. It is advisable to 
blow smoke on the wound. The heat re¬ 
lieves the pain somewhat, and the smoke 
does, no doubt, obscure the bee-sting odor. 
POISON OF THE BEE-STING AS A REMEDIAL 
AGENT. 
For some years past there have been 
running in the daily press many reports 
in regard to the agency of bee-stings in 
the cure of certain forms of diseases, espe¬ 
cially rheumatism. From the facts put 
forth, any candid reasoner will have to 
admit that being stung frequently does 
have the effects of relieving certain forms 
