Apis mellifica appears in 12 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.
- Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“Poison of the Honey Bee (Apium virus.) Adapted to the strumous constitution; glands enlarged, indurated; scirrhus or open cancer. Women, specially widows; children and girls who, though generally careful, become awkward, and let things fall while handling them (Bov.). Bad effects of acute exanthema imperfectly…”
- Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Apium virus. Poison of the honey-bee. Preparation , Tincture of the working bees (made by putting them alive into alcohol), or of the poison sac, carefully extracted. Authorities. [No. 2 to 8 , from proving of Central N. Y. Hom. Soc., 1852; 9 to 24 , from Hering's Amer. Arzneipruf.; (Bee-bread symptoms by Whitmore…”
- Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“The Honey-Bee Acts on cellular tissues causing œdema of skin and mucous membranes. The very characteristic effects of the sting of the bee furnish unerring indications for its employment in disease. Swelling or puffing up of various parts, œdema , red rosy hue, stinging pains, soreness, intolerance of heat, and…”
- Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“CELLULAR TISSUE: EYES. FACE. FAUCES. OVARIES. SEROUS CAVITIES. SKIN. KIDNEYS. BLADDER. Nerves. Respiration. Heart. Blood. Right side; right to left. HEAT: ROOM. Weather. Drinks. Fire. Bed. Hot bath (Op.). Touch, even of hair. After sleep. 4 P.M. Pressure. Suppressed eruptions. COOL: AIR. Bathing. Uncovering. Slight…”
- Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Apium virus. Honey-bee poison. N. O. Insecta. Tinctures are made of the whole bee; and of dilutions of the poison with alcohol. Abscess / Ankles, swelling of / Apoplexy / Asthma / Bladder, affections of / Carbuncle / Chancre / Constipation; of sucklings / Diarrhœa / Diphtheria / Dissection wounds / Dropsy / Ear…”
- Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Poison of the Honey Bee. Apium Virus. Among all our drugs this is the one of which we have the most different preparations. There is but one right kind. It is the pure poison, which is obtained by grasping the bee with a small forceps, and catching the minute drop of virus suspended from the point of the sting, in a…”
- Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“This remedy has so many symptoms on the surface of the body we will study the outer aspect first. All over the body is found a thick rash, sometimes of a rose color. It is rough and can be felt as a rough rash under the fingers. The patient at this time is greatly distressed by heat and the skin is sensitive to touch…”
- Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Burning and stinging pains. Great debility, as if he had worked hard, he must lie down on the ground. Great sensitiveness to the touch and to external pressure, especially on the abdomen. Sensation of soreness, as if bruised. Tension (over the eyes, behind the ears, in the neck, and a tension involving the head of the…”
- Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Restlessness, continually changing his occupation. Delirium, (after suppressed scarlet eruption). Awkwardness, he breaks every thing. Jealousy, (in women). Giddiness when sitting, standing, lying, when closing the eyes, with nausea and headache. Congestion to the head, with suppressed menstruation. Pressing pain in…”
- Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: the honey bee. Cancer of the tongue (Br.). BURNING AND STINGING PAINS. Scarlatina, dry nose and throat, with hydrocephalic symptoms (Hr.). A most important remedy in hydrothorax and also in basilar meningitis of children, after effusion (Fr.). SENSATION OF SORENESS, AS IF BRUISED (Arn., Bell., Lach.)…”
- Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Burning, stinging pains (like bee stings); eyelids; throat; panaritium or felon, hemorrhoids, ovaries (especially right one), breasts (mastitis), skin (erysipelas, urticaria, carbuncles). Great œdema; general or local (face, ears, eyelids, especially lower); throat (diphtheria); genitals (especially scrotum); skin…”
