Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-09-09

-OCC3 ltAC 1uouy uuuduo3 LAS UlduCuCo
out somewhat on its original industry
of gatheringehone and setsup ASA,
healer" on quite an extensive scale.
. In biladclphia lat present. quite "a
number of sufferers are taking the bee
I Treatment for rhumatism and it is
probable that to the Hninitiated the
treatment seems worse than the
disease, for If amounts to nothing less
than being stung by the insect. :
{ The method of procedure is to rem
derthe affected part antiseptic by: use.
of such solutions as the DOCTOR may
adsisess Ehen by the aid :of forceps
salsipgle bee is selected from a box
preyioilsly secured from the, apiarist,
and held to the part affected blythe
rheumatism. In short order 1the-in-.
fuMated bee stings the patient, leay-
iingshis sting behind, which later has
obe removed. During the first twen-;
ty-fonr hours the swelling of the af-
fected area is, of. course, increased;
bnt rapidly diminishes in the next.
tweny- -four Shours,. taking away much
Sof The original rheumatic swelling
and pain.
The bee virus when analyzed by
chemists shows large proportion; OF
formic acid and some fatty residue.
This asid is found to considerable
extent In other insects. such as ants
; some caterpillars and Singing net
. Ties Many of theseS "pests o,in fact,
SSihold an important place In the ma
:steria a-medica of today
8. The bee sting theory was discover
sed quite by accident, as often is the
ease in great discoveries. It is said
9:ahat the owner Of "a bee farm was one
clay showing his old father the hives,
when something occurred to. irritate
the bees, ,sard .they made furious at,
tack on the visitors. The old man,
being much crippled with rheumatism
Mss nnahfe to move rapidly, and con-
ss;sednently- received the brunt of the
s;;sipgs. Two days later upon recov-
SSeriag from the unwelcome attack he
ssfSRad himself to be irismneh less pain
sssnd in every way smore active than
ShpShad been for twenty years. The
iAsne days wonder soon found its way
sto The medical world and was there
spsoven to be really wonderful cure.
TIE honey bee, technically known
fhe apis meIlifcus, belonging to
fhe family of hymenoptera, has been
sasvaluable acquisition in medical cir
elsss In the homeopathic pharma-
capoeia. are many, drugs coming direct
from the bee., The dessicated insect
itssIf, ,.,or the virus, soluble in alco-
hoi, Ssare remedial agents in many ills
whea: given internally. According to
the shdne eopathic principle of "like
curing like, = thesesinseete drugs are
usually given foqg . :ceHdition similar
to ths:efect. which they produce For
instance, bee virus is given for the
stinging, burning rash accomp
scarlet; fever, differently prepared, it
issnsed for hives and so on Through
-eut long list: of applied 'therapeu-
sSLics. .f,a-y.
The ant also is. an important fac
tor in medicine. When irritated they
emit a fluid containing both formic
and maiic acid, and by infusing ants
1 In boiling water and acid as strong as
vinegar IS sebe stained, which has been
used III place of vinegar: Formic acid
lis commercially prepared by heating
oxalic acid separating into formic
ACID and teasbon adioxide, The result
us a, .colorless fluid Of strongly acid
smell, which produces a's blister and
great PAIN ,':.s:when dropped on the
skin, which is really a good deserip.
ton of a'bee sting. - s,
-. IL c q