The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
TRYASTING FOR RHEUMATISM.
THERE rs EVIDENCE THAT AN
ACTIVE BEE NAY WORK 4 CURE.
N,ack Physician Has Undertaken Expert.
ments, With Promising Results-FOrInic
Acid the Principle In the Poison.


Acid the Principle In the Poison.
Many strange cures have been advo-
Gated for bodily ills, but. perhaps, none
more strange was ever suggested than the
sting Of a bee. The idea in itself would
suggest great activity on the part OF the
afflicted for an verturned beehive will
dispense crowd quicker than any militia.
Yet, while the crowd will make lively
effort to leave the scene Of excitement.
from a disease which a sting or two OF the
busy bee might set to rights.
DR.. Louis b. Couch OF Nyack says that
the bee sting will benefit rheumatism.
Its curative properties were brought under
his observation accidentally and. after an
extensive investigation among people who
say they have been 30 cured. the doctor
speaks enthusiastically OF his discovery.
DR.. Couch Ia a homeopath
While giving many illustrations OF his
experiment recently at his home, in Nyack
he said:
.Thave never made the claim that the
sting Of bee IL a cure-all. ! have merely
asserted that the acid injected from the
sting has proved itself a curative remedy
for rheumatism and certain varieties OF
this disease. There are people who have
taken or, might say. suffered this treat
ment with good results. l made the dis
oovery quite accidentally. and, becoming
convinced that there was at least held
for investigation, even II there might be
nothing in II, ! requested any people to
write to me who had been stung by bees
when suffering from rheumatism. Others
had written me previously. but i desired
a larger field 10 work In.
AFTER | had secured evidence to con-
vince me that there was something in it !
began 10 experiment with a good deal OF
interest. Subsequently the experiment
verified itself.
IL found that this little insect, which has
such momentary terror for mankind in
general, contains one Of the curing con-
ailments of formic acid. a remedy which
has been coming 10 the front rapidly in
the medical profession. The acid injected
under the skin from the sting has the same
action on the skin as forinc acid itself,
This In shown by the white surface which
Immediately forms around the wound after
having been stung by the insect.
Il do not advocate that a man should
place himself purposely before beehive
and take the consequence from the infuri-
ated inmates. On the contrary, too many
stipus have a bad effect Stings too close
together on the skins surface will cause
general sloughing-off. One or two stings
are enough to begin with
.Ihave had many people write me who have
had experience with bee stings. One. a
man who has been bee-keeper for many
wears. writes that he had such severe case
of rheumatism that il practically crippled
him. One day he was severely stung ana
soon aft erward he recovered from the
rheumatism, which had lasted for years.
The cure resulting 50 suddenly after the
stinging he ascrbed IL to that alone.
Years afterward he suffered again from
rheumatism and, remembering his previous
experiment, he suffered himself to be stung
again by a dozen OF more bees and was
again cured In his opinion. bee stings are
most excellent cures, ! have other letters
OF the same nature Oh file. and, becoming
convinced that there was a possibility in
this remedy. began TO further experiment.
As found that the poison contained
the curative properties OF formic acid.
fne.t turned to formic acid itself .
"Formic acid is a clear colored liquid OF
a specific gravity OF los II Is one OF me
active principle OF the poison OF the bee.
ITO physicians who care 10 experiment
with il as have done, ] would advise a
considerable diiution 10y water, j per
sonally would experiment al first with sub
cu,sneous injections OF one part formic
acid TO five hundred parts OF water. not
oftener than twice day. ~ being new
remedy, great caution should he observed
in it's administration.
The bee sting being chemically forinic
acid, you can accomplish the same results
by simultaneous injection Of the acid itself
in milder and much less painful doses
than those derived from the bee sting, and
my late experiments have all been carried
out along this line. Many cases have come
under my observation, and am only glad
TO give tho remedy To others that sufferers
may he benefited. These subcutaneous
injections, however, must he administered
with care and only by physician or sur
geon.'
DR.. Paul Allen, in the library Of his resi-
dano. ia Eas. Forty-eighth street, also
talked OF bee stings als curatives.
I'VE have a remedy, Raid DR.. Allen,
called apis or tincture Of bee, which Is
the extract made from the poison OF the
Insect. II u used extensively in medicine,
but To my knowledge Il has never been
used for rheumatism. " has been applied
to all cryeipelatous inhammntions. acute
Inflammation of the kidneys and dropsical
conditions, ana many cures have been
effect I'd. i prescribe II very frequently
In homeopathic practice.
Again. we have remedy called formica,
This is made by crushing the bodies OF