(The Honey Bee)
Medicinally, bee venom is used in several diseases. In ancient times,
it was used to treat insect bites and st ings. Apis is especially useful in
the illnesses caused by honeyb ee stings and like ailments.
The typical pain of the Apis patient is fraught with burning and piercing sensation. Cold applicati on relieves the pain while heat
aggravates it. The symptoms usually begin on the right side and then
spread to the left. The skin fe els sore and cannot tolerate any
pressure. Even the touch of clot h is unbearable. The patient feels
intense heat in the blood and is relieved by exposure to the open air. He is worse for heat (feeling heat). Apis is very useful in every kind
of inflammation and swelling aggravated by exposure to heat or heat
application. This is the best remedy for Meningitis also. When used
promptly, it also prevents the su bsequent development of epilepsy
whereas even if Meningitis is cured by conventional treatment, some long-term complications persist, one of which is epilepsy. If cold,
rather than warmth, worsens th e symptoms, Apocynum should be
used instead. In the later part of pregnancy , some women develop convulsions
(Eclampsia). The general perceptio n is that in such a condition, a
patient gets relief from a hot ba th. However, if the patient’s
constitution is that of Apis, a hot ba th leads to severe convulsions to
the extent that due to constricti on of the cervix, the baby can die in
utero. If not treated i mmediately, the mother may also die. Similarly,
small children, of Apis temperament, can also fall into a state of convulsions with a hot bath and thes e convulsions can result in their
death. It is extremely important to know if the sympto ms worsen with
heat or cold. If heat aggrav ates the symptoms, Belladonna 1000 and
Aconite 1000 should also be added to Apis and repeated 2 to 3 times
within 15 minutes. If the condition is aggravated by cold, Mag Phos
should be administered. Apocynum is the ideal remedy for a c ool disposition and Apis, that of
a hot disposition. If a child does not like to be covered but kicks the
cloth off, this shows that he does not like heat.
The salient sign of Apis is that the affected area swells and throbs
(as after a bee sting). Apocynum does not exhibit this feature.
Sometimes, the swelling of Apis a ppears in the outer lining of the
brain. Typically, the patient feels wo rse in the heat and feels severe
throbbing. A young child cannot e xpress himself and suddenly
screams loudly. The doctor should ta ke immediate notice of this sign
and administer Apis. Apis also affects the membranous c overings of the heart, lungs and
liver. In other words, it works mo stly on the coveri ngs rather than
these organs themselves. Apocynum, like Apis, also affects the coverings. Both these remedies aff ect the secretory membranes of the
abdomen like those of the intestines or kidneys, which filter the blood
and produce urine. In both, the body swelling is soft and pits on pressure. In Apocynum, the swelling (Oedema) may become rather hard.
The Apis patient with a kidney di sease will show soft baggy swelling
below the eyes. If along with this, the kidneys have a throbbing pain,
or there is a sign of worsening of symptoms by heat, this is a clear
indication of Apis. The affected eyes show severe swel ling of the eyelids and Conjuctiva,
along with bright redness, a piercing pain in the eye and
aggravation of the symptoms by heat. Such a patient will not be able
to open his eyes in bright sunlight. In Apis, some signs and symptoms manifest themselves on the right side . On hearing bad news or out of
jealousy or sheer dislike, the right side of the body may be
paralysed . However, the ailments of the eye and throat begin on the
left side and then migrate to the ri ght side (like Lachesis). In Apis,
cold water gargles, instead of warm water, relieve the throat discomfort. In Apis, the abdomen (belly) becomes markedly distended with
wind or gas , causing spasms below the ribs on th e right side and then
possibly on the left side also, like a vice. Pressure on the affected area
of the belly relieves the discomfort. Apis is the sure-shot remedy if the symptoms aggravate with heat. Apis shows its beneficial effects in ten to fifteen days, however, it starts relieving the distension and spasm of the abdomen immediately af ter use. In an hour or two, the
Apis Mellifica 73 effect is well evident. It works fairly fast in Meningitis, unless it is
associated with Hydrocephalus . Apis will relieve the swelling of the
membranes of Meningitis, but the cu re of Hydrocephalus will not be
achieved without Silicea, which is the correct treatment for this condition. Silicea should be starte d in small potency and then
advanced steadily to very high po tency. In abdominal distension,
Apis gives immediate relief. However, in some chronic intestinal problems, it has to be used over a long period. As a matter of principle, in slowly progressive illnesses, the treatment
will also be effective gradually, wher eas, in sudden acute illnesses, the
response to the medication is also prompt. In kidney disease, when
Apis has to be used over a long pe riod, this does not mean that the
appearance of its beneficial effect will also take that long. If Apis starts working in kidney disease, the kidneys start forming urine
within seven to ten days, which is a clear indication of its effect,
although complete recovery will take time. In such a situation, the potency should be incr eased gradually with longer intervals in
between. This way of administrati on is called rising potency and is
described in detail in the chapte r on Tuberculinum and Bacillinum.
Adjutant: Natrum Mur
Antidotes: Cantharis, Ipecac, Lachesis, Ledum, Natrum Mur
Potency: 30 to 200
