The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-11

the combs, whose beautiful workmanship
and admirable contrivance no geometric-
ian can excel The beaten paths of thy
Lord he says, ARE the ways through
which, by Gods power, the bitter flowers
passing the bees stomache, become honey;
or, the method of making honey he has
taught her by instinct, or else the ready
way home from distant places to which
that insect flies The liquor proceeding
from the bellies, Al-Beldawi says, lis the
honey, the color of which is very differ
ent, occasioned by the different plants on
which the bees fed; some being white,
some yellow, some red and some black.
He appends note to where Mahomet
says, therein is a medicine for men, The
same being not only good forfood, but a
useful remedy in several distempers. -
There is story that a man once came to
Mahomet, and told him his brother was
afflicted with violent pain in his belly ;
upon which the Prophet babe him give him
some honey. The fellow took his advice;
but soon after, coming again, told him
that the medicine had done his brother no
manner of service. Mahomet answers
go and gire him more honey, for God
speaks truth, and thy brothers belly lies.
And the dose being repeated, the mar, by
Gods mercy, was Immediately cured"
Butler, in his Feminine Monarchy
speaks as follows:
"Honey is hot and dry in the second
degree it is of subtle parts, and there
fore don't pierce as oil, and easily passes
into the body. 1t has power to cleanse,
and some sharpness withal and therefore
it openeth distractions it cleareth the
breast and lights of those humors which
fall from the head to those parts looseth
the belley, and purgeth the foulness Of
the body, and provoketh urine it cut
teth and casteth up phlegmatic matter,
and therefore sharpeneth the stomachs Of
them, which by reason thereof have little
appetite it purgeth those things which
hurt the clearness Of the eyes: it nourish-
eth very much: it stirreth up and preserv-
eth natural heath, and prolongeth old
age: it keepeth all things uncorrupt,
which are put into it. and therefore ply.
sicians do temper Herewith such medi.
cines as they mean to keep long; yea, the
bodies of the dead being embalmed with
honey, have been thereby preserved from
putrefaction. 1t is sovereign medca-
ment for outward and inward maladies.
1t helpeth the griefs of the jaws, the kerr
nels growing within the mouth, and the
squinanci or inflammation of the muscle of
the inner gargil, for which purpose it is
gargarized and the mouth washed with it.
1t is drunk against the biting of SER
pent. All which premises being con-
sidered, no marvel though the wise king
said My son eat honey, for it is good
Yea, honey, if it be pure and fine, is so
good in itself, that it must needs be good
eeen for them whose quesay stomachs are
against it."
Butler refers to Aristotle, Galen, Pliny
and a number of of old writers. Having
no time now, to examine what all these
old and modern writer's have said on the
virtues Of honey, and TO show in how
instances the effects produced by its use
upon the human system, must have been
owing to the presence Of the bee poison
few quotations from the elder Pliny
(born Ammo Domini 23) on the virtues of
of honey, will be of peculiar interest. l
extract from Hollands translation pub
lished in London, in 1901.
"Honey combs given in a cruel made
of furmitie first parched and dried at
fire, is singular for the bloody Aux and
exul cation of the bowels" Vol. 9, page
l37. "In the throat the kernels Of each
side thereof called tonsils, for the squin.
anci (quinsy), and all the other evils be-
falling to the mouth, as also for the dry.
ness of the tongue through extremity of
heat in fevers, it is the most sovereign
thing in the world page 1876. "Honey
boiled is singular for the inflammation of
the lungs and for the pleurisy also, it
cureth the. wounds inflicted by the sting
or teeth of serpents. :. Honey, together
with the oyle of roses, dropped into the
ears, cureth their sting and pain. be.
ing used simply alone and not compound
ed with other things, it is hurtful to the
eyes and yet others give council to touch
and anoint the corners Of the ewes
Herewith, when they are exulerate." 1T
is an excellent thing for them that be
stung, TO take the rery bees in drink, for
it is an approved cure" Gas touch
ing divers sorts Of venomous honey,
have written already; but for to repress
the poison thereof, it is good to use other
honey acherein numJer Offices hare been
forced 10 die; and such honey so prepared
and taken in time, is sovereign remedy
for all the accidents which may come by
eating or surfeiting upon flesh" Page
1863. The italics are mine.
l will close by relating conversation
| had two weeks ago with Mr.. Eli Whit.
ney, of New Haven, Conn, son of the
celebrated Eli Whitney, inventor of the
cotton-gin. Knowing the interest took
in bees and honey, he told me that for
years he had suffered from acute chronic
catarrh, and that on one occasion he OBJ.
tanned relief from severe pain his nostrils
feeling almost closed. He rubbed his
little finger in some honey before him,
which was exuding from the comb, and
applied it to the inner nostris as an emol-
lient or lubricator Experiencing almost
instantaneous relief, he continued to use
honey freely for his purpose, until now he
is almost entirely cured. Had he used
boiled honey, he would probably have
been but little, if any benefited thereby;
and had he used sugar syrup with bee
poison added, presume it would have
proved equally curative with the honey.
The use Of honey for catarrh is clearly
suggested by the above extracts from
Pliny and Butler. l.. l.. LANGsTRoTL.
Oxford, Ohio, March 10, 1871.
y ! must prefer this good old Anglo Saxon term
to Apis meiLifoa, the name given to it by the
homeGopathists, but which is the proper scientific
name the honey bee itself