PROVING OF THE APIS MELLIFICA Or, Poison of the Honey Bee, A REPORT TO THE f Central New-York Homoeopathic Society, fclv L. BISHOP, M. F. HUMPHREYS A. E. MUNGER D., ) S, M. D., [ :, M. D. y Committee. COPY-RIGHT SECURED. UTICA, N. Y.: PBINTED BY H. H. (X'ETISS, DEVKRKUX BLOCK 18 52. 1 F'l-. . W-- PROVING APIS MELLIFICA: Or, Poison of the Honey Bee, A REPORT TO THE Central New $)ork §omceopatl)ic Sotitty, \ M. d., ) IREYS, M. D., \ *GER, M. D. ) L. BISHOP, F. HUMPHREYS, M. D., }■ Committee. A. E. MUNGER, COPlf-RlGHT SECURED, /fall UTICA, N. Y. H. H. CURTISS, PRINTER, DEVEREUX BLOCK. 1852. VlBK £341? I To the Members of the Central New York Homoeopathic Society. GENTLEMEN :— The Committee to whom was confided the arrangement and publication of the Provings of the Apis Mellifica, beg leave to present the following: They deeply regret that so few of the members of the Association have taken part in the provings, or contributed in any way, to our knowledge, on this sub- ject ; and also regret the necessity of putting to presa so meagre and fragmentary a contribution to our common storehouae, when so much might have been easily and pertinently added They trust that the drug may be re-proved and experi- mented upon by the members, and that we may, ere long, poasesa a full and complete proving of this valuable medicine. The symptoms are copied from the reports of the several physicians who obtained them, and who are responsible for their truth. The signs are used in the usual signification, viz: The ordinary type for pure pathogenetic effects; the star (*) is prefixed to those which have been confirmed by cures; and the cypher ( ° ) for symptoms which have disappeared under the action of the drug without having been observed as pathogenetic. We have omitted the detail of the several provings, as we were anxious to confine the report to the smallest practical limits; and have also, for similar reasons, omitted our clinical remarks, leaving every practitioner to draw out, for future comparison and detail, such clinique as his individual experience may sanction. L- BISH0P> F. HUMPHREYS, A. E. MUNGER. APIS MELLIFICA. The virus of the Honey-Bee, with which these experiments were instituted, was obtained by placing the living Bees in a large, open-mouthed vial and pour- ing alcohol over them when in a state of excitement. Apis Mellifica.—Poiaon of the Honey-Bee. Duration of Action.—For many days. A ntidotes.—Ar6en. U Canth. J ? GENERALITIES. — General feeling of lassitude, second day.—Wells. General feeling of lassitude with trembling.— Wells. Sudden prostration of the vital force, severe vomiting, profuse diarrhoea, cold extremities, paleness of face, severe griping pains in the abdomen, pulse feeble, scarcely discernible at the wrist; no redness or pain in the part stung. [From a sting on the eye- brow.] Apis Mel., 3d, 5 gib., and not repeated. Reaction came on in 10 to 15 minutes ; improvement continued. Some redness of the part stung appeared on the abatement of the general symp- toms.—Bishop. SKIN—Prickling all over the body, most on the back and palms of the hands, the face, forehead, and under the eyes, mostly in circumscribed points, immediately on taking the drug.—Humph- reys, Hays and W. * Eruption resembling nettle rash came out all over the body of a man, soon after being stung.—Humphreys. ° Nettle rash in a lying-in woman.—Humphreys. c Large, hard elevations like musquitto bites, upon the back and legs of a child, accompanied with stinging, itching and burn- ing.—Humphreys. * Blotches on the body and back of the hands, attended with stinging like nettles, second day.— Wells. Itching pricking in the skin on different parts of the body, more on the lower extremities, and continued through the day, 1st day. __Wells. ° Sensation of burning heat and stinging in various portions of the surface.—Bishop. ° Eruptions upon the whole surface of the body somewhat re- sembling measles, with great heat and purplish circumscribed hue upon the cheeks.—F. D. Eruption like nettle-rash over the whole body, second day after taking the 30th att, attended with burning and itching.— H ells. 6 PROVINGS OF THE APIS MELLIFICA. 0 A ringworm on the neck of a girl aged 12, inflamed and ex- coriated by the clothing, with one dose 30th attenuation. * Sensation of burning heat and stinging in various portions of the surface of the body at the same time—Bishop. ° Hard, livid, purplish tumors, or small elevations upon the forehead, face and lower limbs.—Bishop. * Furuncles, and large swellings of every description, or local inflammations attended with them, and accompanied with stinging pains.—Humphreys and many others. * Nettle-rash in numerous instances.—Humphreys and many others. * Oedematous Swelling of the extremities.—Humphreys and others. SLEEP.—Fidgety restlessness in the latter part of the night. —Humphreys. Night sleep is full of dreams.—Humphreys. This symptom repeated in every proving. Night sleep is yet full of dreams, mostly of traveling, eleventh day.—Humphreys. Disagreeable dreams about fiends.—Wells. Frequent waking, first night, and dreams with vexatious cares about various kinds of business.—Wells. Sensation as of movement from place to place, mostly traveling by railroad.—Wells. FEVER.—Pulse 95, full and strong.—Bigelow. Pulse increased 20 in a minute, full and strong, second proving. —Bigelow. Sweat breaks out occasionally.—Bigelow. Sweating and dryness of the skin, alternately.—Bigelow. Occasional feeling of chilliness.—Bigelow. Inclination to yawn.—Bigelow. Slight chill soon passing off, followed by fever at night— Bigelow. Pulse accelerated, first day.—Wells. Heat at night with agitation, first night.—Wells. Pulse increased from 65 to 77, first day.—Wells. General feeling of heat, worse in the chest and stomach, first day.—Wells. MIND.—Irritable disposition the eighth day, nothing appeared to satisfy him, all out of place.—Humphreys. Unfitness for mental exertion.—Humphreys. Wells. Dread of death, or sensation as if he should not be able to breathe again.—Bigelow. SENSORIUM.—Confused vertigo for several days, at times very violent, worse when sitting than when walking, and extreme when lying down and on closing the eyes, from several strong doses.—Humphreys. Head is dull and slightly confused.—Humphreys. PROVINGS OF THE APIS MELLIFICA. 7 c Crazy, wild, blind staggers in horses, old observation.— Humphreys. Furious mania?—Humphreys. HEAD.—Weight and fullness in the upper part of the head. —Bigelow. Heaviness and pressure in the head continued three or four days, commenced one hour after taking 1 drop of the 3d att.—Wells. ° Great sensation of rush of blood to the head.—Bishop. Headache over the eyes, which is dull, heavy, tensive, with pain through the orbits, lasting but a short time. This headache has occurred in three provings.—Humphreys. Pressing pain in the sinciput with vertigo, immediately.— Humphreys. Pain in the sinciput and confusion of the head.—Humphreys. Disagreeable headache in the sinciput.—Humphreys. Sensation of dullness across the forehead just over the eyes, third day.—Kellogg. Violent headache, mostly confined to the forehead, with fever, second day.—Bigelow. Burning and throbbing in the head aggravated by motion and stooping, temporarily relieved by pressing the head firmly with the hands, with occasional sweat for some hours.—Bigelow. Dull pressive headache in the upper part of the forehead, as if it would burst, extending to the temples.—Wells. Violent pressive pains in the forehead and temples for several days.—Humphreys. Dull, heavy headache on rising, continued till 3 o'clock, P. M., second day.—Wells. Oppressive headache when in a warm room and reading.— Bigelow. Boring pains in the temples, continued for several days at in- tervals, lasting only a few minutes at a time, commencing the third day, after taking 3 drops of the third att. every morning — Wells. Slight aching in the left temple.—Humphreys. Violent sharp pain in the left temple.—Humphreys. Violent aching pains through the temples, and organs of caus- ality, comparison, mirthfulness and ideality.—Bigelow. Boring pains in the temples every morning on waking, for three mornings.—Wells. . Dull heavy pain in the right temple on waking in the morning, soon changing to the left, first day — Wells Throbbing, painful sensation m the temples— Bishop. ° Sharp pricking pains in the temples and across the forehead. —Bishop. Dull ache in the occiput.—Hays w muttering, incoherent talking. Gave Aconite, Bry., Hep. and other remedies, for three days without any benefit. Respiration very laborious, requiring unusual aid from the abdominal muscles; face flushed with increasing livid appearance ; 4th day, pulse not as frequent, but feeling under the finger like shot or some spheri- cal body, gliding along the artery; cough attended with the ringing sound pecu- liar to affections of the upper portions of the respiratory tubes. Prognosis unfa- vorable, deeming it probable the patient would die in spite of all my efforts. Left her three doses of Apis M., 3d att. Next day found her much better, face natural, pulse much improved, fever nearly gone, appetite improved, had slept well and without the usual mutterings, fright, &c. Continued the medicine in diminished doses, and next day found her so much better that I dismissed her as cured. September, 1850. [Case No. 7.] M. T., ret. 8 years. Gastro Enteritis, ushered in by vomiting, extreme pain and tenderness in the region of the stomach and upper portion of the abdomen, fetid breath, foul tongne, constipation, disturbed sleep at night, muttering, &c, much disturbed from dreams, pulse frequent, wiry. After one week's treatment, during which time there was not much abatement of the vomiting, or even any of the prominent symptoms, gave Apis M., 3d att, three doses; next day found him better, rested quite well during the night, tenderness and pain much less; and from this time, the prominent and troublesome symptoms abated, passing off entirely in a week. [Case No. 8.] J. S., set. 6 years. Chronic diarrhcea and general emaciation. Sequelae of measlea. In this case there had been only a partial developement of measles upon the surface, attended with fever and cough for two months, and then general emaciation, with tenderness of the bowels, loss of appetite until he was reduced to a mere skeleton. He then received from me a few drops of Apis M., winch immediately improved his appetite, bowels became regular, his flesh returned, and he continued quite well for some months. Dec. 28th, 1850, saw him again; dry white tongue, loss of appetite, feverish heat during the night, and other times pale, emaciation going on. A few doses of Apis M. again set him right Saw him again about the 1 st of January, 1851, and, at the request of his mother, left him a number of doses of Apis in case he should need it at any time in future. He soon after got a dose and grew worse, got another and then another, resulting in the developement of a tumultuous action which, for nearly 24 hours, seemed 20 CASES FROM PRACTICE. to threaten his life. At this time I was from home attending the meeting of tbia Association, at Utica, and did not see him until the paroxysm of excitement had nearly subsided. From his mother I learned the following particulars of the case : General heat and redness of the surface, like scarlet fever, with some eruption like measles, cough and laborious breathing resembling an alarming stage of croup, muttering, delirium, &c. He got an emetic of Ipecac from an Allopathic physician, which seemed greatly to mitigate the symptoms, and when I saw him the next day he was quite comfortable. [Cask No. 9.] Mrs. C, set. 40. Gastralgia and Bilious Diarrhoea. Pain and tenderness at the pit of the stomach, with burning sensation, as in some cases of acidity; fecal discharges, yellowish, bordering on green, nearly painless. This lady had occa- sionally been subject to long and severe affections of the stomach, sometimes connected with obstinate constipation, at other times, diarrhcea. She attributed it to erysipelas, which at times made its appearance upon the lower limbs and upon various portions of the body. I have seen it occupying the lower limbs in the form of dark purplish and painful tumefactions attended with much constitu- tional disturbance. I have treated her Homoeopathically for what she called her " Erysipelas in her stomach." From these attacks she would, after a long time, recover, but the results of medical treatment were not at all satisfactory to my- self. At this time she had been laboring under the usual precursory symptoms, which had often ushered in a long and protracted disease of the stomach. For about two weeks the symptoms, it is true, did not indicate per se any thing of peculiar interest or difficulty, only in connection with past experience and obser- vation, in her particular case. I left her three doses of Apis, 3d att., with direc- tions to repeat once in 12 hours if no aggravation of symptoms occurred, but if any occur, to omit the medicine entirely. The first dose increased the burning sensa- tion in the stomach, also the diarrhcea. This aggravation subsided in 8 or 10 hours, with great improvement in all the symptoms. She repeated the 2d dose which brought up the burning pain in the stomach, and also the 3d; the aggravation soon subsided, and I never knew a more perfect, and speedy cure, than was produced by the three doses of Apis in this case. Her erysipelatous affection has never made its appearance since. [Case No. 10.] S. A. W., set. 36. Took one drop of Apis M. for periodical headache, with direction to repeat ad libitum. The first dose promptly suspended a paroxysm in its incipient stage. No Homoeopathic remedies had ever before had any effect to stop his headache. The same result was obtained the 2d and 3d time. He then requested a supply of the remedy to be used as occasion required, which was furnished him with directions not to use too much of it. This advice he did not heed. He got an aggravation of his complaint, and at length developed in his chest, the true pathogenetic symptoms of the virus (viz.) sensation, as if having been bruised, jamed or beaten. Dr. Kellogg has given the Apis M. with decided benefit in the case of a female who had suffered for years under symptoms of general prostration, particularly in cold weather, attended by Asthmatic symptoms, as cough, choking, pain in the CASES FROM PRACTICE. 21 chest, with coldness and deadness of the extremities, and purplish livid hue.— Also, in some cases of chronic sick headache, where there seemed utter prostra- tion of the central ganglionic nerves. REPORTED BY DR. GREENE. [Case No. 1.] W. C, set. 3 1-2 years. Ascites. Abdomen very much distended with serum, countenance sunken, pale, sickly, pulse quick, rather wiry, appetite poor, urine scanty and high colored. He had an attack of enteritis in September last, from which he rapidly recovered. I supposed that to be the cause of the present dif- ficulty. I administered in their turn Ars., Dig., Dulc, Merc, China and Sulph., but with no decided effect. The effusion still continued to increase up to Feb. 10th, at which time there was much difficulty of breathing except in nearly an erect position. At this time I performed the operation of paracentesis, drawing off some 7 or 8 lbs. of a dark, sizy, muddy looking serum. I then gave one drop Apis three times a day, for five or six days, with two doses Merc, Sol., intermedi- ately, at which time the urine became more free, although there had been some more sensation of fluid in the abdomen during that time. Finding the quantity of urine increased and the general symptoms better, I gave 4 or 5 pellets of Apis, 3d att., three times a day, and continued that treat- ment five or six days, his health still improving. I then reduced it to twice a day, which he has continued to the present time; and there are now no dropsical symptoms and the boy is lively, appetite good, bowels regular and every way in a promising condition for perfect health. Repeated Med. only every third night. Hamilton, Feb. 28th, 1851. ----- [Case No. 2.] Erysipelas of the whole of one side of the face and nose; swelling under the eye resembling that produced from the sting of the honey bee. Apis, 3d att., 10 or 12 drops in a glass of water; dose, spoonful repeated in one to three hours until better. Swelling subsided entirely, and the next morning the young lady returned to her school and has had nothing of the kind since, to my knowledge. REPORTED BY DR. WELLS. [Case No. 1.] Mr. N. P., ret. 70, has shortness of breath, oppression qf the chest on taking an inspiration, and sensation of heat in the chest. These symptoms had been grad- ually increasing several weeks. Took Apis, 3d att., once a day, and was completely relieved in one week. [Case No. 2.] Mr. N. B. has had pains in the left hypochondriac region, extending upward into the chest. This case of several years duration, had not been benefitted by the usual remedies, Arnica, Sulph.