The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-15
HONEY AS A MEDICINE.
History of It's Use as n Curative Agent il
All Countries

History Oh ltS u Sc as u Curative Agent II
All Countries.
In early days honey was of more value az
food and medicine than at present; during
the Old Testament dispensation honey is
spoken of with great praise. Palestine-the
land promised to the descendants of Abra-
ham-was said to be the land where milk
and honey tloweth; David. the sweet singer,
knew of no better illustration than to conf
pare the preciousness of the word of Jeho-
yah to honey and honeycomb, and as a
proof that ancient Israel made use of honey
as food, we read that Samson. Jonathan
and John the Baptist ate it, the latter SUBJ
sisting wholly on locusts and wild honey.
With ancient Greece honey as food and
medicine was highly thought of, for they
considered it as the food of the gods, Tam.
brosia,) and even Zeus, who was trained
and instructed by the honey nymph, Me-
LISA. according to their saying under
stood the art of mixing honey drinks to
put his father, Chronos. to sleep before he
would attempt to attack him: and the nm
cient Greeks claimed that honey originated
in heaven and that it came from thence in
the form of dew-that it was too precious
to be produced by bees.
According to Diodas, of Sicily, honey
constituted staple article of food in Italy:
they claimed even that it prolonged life and
prevented disease. Enormous quantities of
honey were used in that country, and all
sorts of fruits weTo by it preserved and
eatables and drinks sweetened.
Even the powerful ancient Teutons (Ger
nians). VIII did not know how to make
their eatables palatable dixie the ancient
Greeks and Romans) with honey, yet thew
understood and knew how to value honey
in the preparation of their national drinks,
and on ali occasions, at their festivals. they
drank freely and felt themselves translated
into Walhalla, the region of perfect Bliss
and great quantities they must have pre-
pared and always had en- hand, for when,
in the year 10l5, at Nielsen, the enemy had
set fire to the city, and water being scarce
IN the city, they extinguished the flames
with it, According to Rhenish legends the
Sch9ffen Justice OF the peacel had at every
day OF each court sessions pail of honey
wine placed in his office, SO full that tly
sitting on the edge of the bucket could drink
out of it.
Honey during the past ages constituted a
staple article as food and medicine. and
much more SO than in our first DAYS. and
what is the cause? The first cause is the
immense manufacturing of cane sugar
which has found its way to every family of
the land. and although honey is on a level
with 1t III price, yet the latter is crowded
out.
vegetable sugar from the sugar beet. to the
finest apple jelly, and their manufactured
sweets combined have nearly banished hon
ey from every hearth. and as a medicine
money has been substituted by gIycerine etc.
The ancient Romans knew that honey
was great preventive of disease, and an
Important medicine for epidemic diseases.
Experience and medical skill is teaching
the present population of this world with
Still more force that honey is forming the
connecting link i'll natures remedies, which
none other of natures products can do. and.
consequently. large field lies here omen for
honey as the sole agent which no other
product can fill.
The writer keenlv asserts that there is no
better remedy in the kitchen. drug store or
in any school which can fill the place of
honey in cases of Group, diphtheria, la
grippe bronchial affection asst hma, consump
ton and all diseases of the blood and bow
els.
The writer takes liberty here to saw that
by his experience and observation honey has
proved IN all cases what is claimed for it as
remedy for worms, relief of constipation
ana inyigorator of the blood and a regu-
Iator of the liver and bowels.
Having suffered for over three wears past
from cold feet, poor circulation and irrec.
ular pulse, made a practice to use it freely,
and on every morning the first thing would
take cup of hot water with a spoonful of
honey diluted and taken as hot as could be
drunk, and the same at retiring at evening.
and the result has been a marvellous cure
Rev. Stephen Reese, in american. Bee Jonr
nal