Bee Venom Therapy; Bee Venom, Its Nature, and Its Effects on Arthritic and Rheumatoid Conditions.

For centuries folk-lore has continued the idea that various diseases, "rheumatism" in particular, can be cured by bee stings or by the use of bee venom. The idea has been the basis of a therapy that has been dropped and revived many times. It is Beck's belief that it has been discarded so often not because of its lack of value but because of the difficulties inherent in the use of actual bee stings. Recently (1928), bee venom has been made commercially available in ampules for ready use. Bee venom therapy has regained considerable popularity in Europe but remains practically untried in this country. The author purposes to give a detailed description of the present status of such therapy in its modern modification and to present the results obtained by foreign workers, in order that "apitherapy" may at last be taken out of the hands of the laity and placed