SOME years ago I was commissioned to procure a swarm of bees for making the homoeopathic tincture of Apis mellifica, so I got into communication with a friend of mine who rather prided himself upon his practical knowledge of bee-keeping, and accordingly I arranged to meet him at his place in Essex to collect the swarm.
Having been stung in my time, I did fancy the job, but forewarned is forearmed, and I took with me some solution of Camphor, Belladonna, and Apis mellifica in case of accident, and, with a large wide mouthed bottle and a bottle of dilute alcohol, I arrived at my friend;s house.
He soon invited me to an inspection of the hives, warning me at the same time that the bees were in a very excitable state owing to their having been disturbed some days before. Of this we soon had experience, for, on approaching the hives, we were warned of immediately by a swarm hovering angrily about us. In the circumstances we thought it best to beat us. In the circumstances we thought it best a retreat and wait an opportunity to approach the hive when all was quiet.
My friend then placed the wide mouthed bottle over the exist of the hive and tapped gently at the back of the hive, and the bees made a rush for the opening to escape were inside there was a terrific fight, as they were endeavouring to sting his hands which they could see through the glass, covering the bottle on the inside with their virus. When they had exhausted themselves I poured in the dilute Alcohol and soon all was quiet.
Suddenly, however, we were attacked by about a dozen bees from another hive, and they began to settle about my friend;s head. I made a hasty retreat to escape their vengeance, but he, being more accustomed to their attack, was not so careful and brushed them away with his hand. At the time he remarked that he was not quite sure whether he had or had not been stung, but he seemed to think no more about the matter when, shortly after, he began to feel unwell, went indoors and lay on the cough. He became faint and slightly delirious-the poison had worked very rapidly.
The remedies I had provided for myself came in useful. I gave him 5 drops of solution of Camphor every five minutes, and the third dose removed all feeling of faintness and he felt better. But now the most remarkable symptoms followed-his face and neck became swollen and a rash came out on the neck became swollen and a rash came out on the body resembling Scarlet Fever.
I gave him Belladonna, five drops every half hour for 6 doses. He went to bed, and I heard from his wife that the Belladonna had removed the rash and inflammatory condition of the skin and he was feeling normal, but a swelling had appeared round both ankles and his feet were uncomfortable, and there was a suppression of the renal functions. I had left some Apis mellifica 3x with him with instructions to take five drops every two hours should any other symptoms follow; I heard later that the Apis mellifica had cleared up all signs of the sting.
This was a remarkable case, as my friend had kept bees for years, and this was the first accident.
