The Green Forest tribune., 1909-10-22
BEES STING CURES
Che of the Latest Departures in
 European Medical Science.
Insect Inject Formic Acid That Breaks Down the Poisons in the Blood That Cause the Painful
 Disease.

London.-Bee stings are the latest cure advanced for rheumatism.
 The working of the bee vacci nator,' as this invention is termed was shown at the exhibition of the Surrey Beekeepers' association at the Crystal palace.
 It is an ingenious appliance, se- cured to small platform resembling the lid of box. This is placed over the hole of hive, and the bees read fly enter if trace of honey is applied as bait outside a perforated zinc slide, which is part of the mechanism
 By closing the slides the bees are imprisoned, the requisite number thus being secured The little 'vacci. nators" can then be removed from the hive, or inspection box, and may be sent by post or carried about ready for use.
 The actual operation of vaccination is simplicity itself. The "bee vac cinator" is placed on the affected part of the patient and knob is pressed down until the bees sting.
 Tt is one of the newest departures in medical science" well.known medical man said, and is still in the experimental stage.
 But for some time past it has been observed that, in a general way, bee keepers certainly enjoy immunity from rheumatism, or, if they have suffered from this complaint, it has disappeared after they have been stung a few times.
 The effect of bee sting is that the formic acid which the insect injects breaks down, or, speaking informally, neutralizes the poisons in the blood which give rise to the symptoms of rheumatism.
 The operation of bee vaccination should not, of course, be undergone without medical advice As for the number of bees required-that de bends on the patient, and would be for doctor to decide"
 At St. Bartholomew's hospital it was ascertained that bee vac cinator'' was actually in use in the treatment of patients suffering from rheumatism, but no official statement as to the result of the experiments was as yet forthcoming. Bees are reg ularly supplied to the hospital for the purpose.
 Personally, I have had the good fortune never to suffer from rheuma. tism, and 1 have kept bees ever since I can remember" says a man who is exhibiting at the Crystal palace
 Tt does not follow that beekeeping is positive assurance of immunity from rheumatism, but beekeepers of my acquaintance who have suffered from rheumatism have told me how these pains have disappeared after they have been sung.
 Any beekeeper will tell you that the first few stings cause inflamma ton and swelling, but this gradually goes down, and after a while he ex l periences little or no discomfort from a bee sting. A wasp sting is a diff ferent matter.
 "1 am surprised the medical profes sion has not taken up bee vaccination before.
 ''The difficulty. however, has been in manipulating the bees-that is tc persons other than beekeepers.
 People operating have been in greater danger of being stung than 1 the patient hitherto.
 This invention has solved the diff ficulty, and secured the safety of any one carrying out the operation, be cause it is impossible for any of the bees to escape from the vaccinator.'