Wasp and Bee Stings

Abstract

As we are now in the thick of the wasp season, it may interest some of the readers of NATURE to know that cocaine is a remedy for wasp or bee stings. It acts apparently not only as a temporary local anæsthetic, but seems also to have the power of destroying the poison of the sting. I happened to have some 1/6th grain cocaine tabloids for hypodermic injection when a lady was badly stung by a wasp a year or two ago. Such stings have a great effect on her, not only producing a very large and painful swelling, but making her feel more or less unwell for two or three days. One tabloid dissolved in a few drops of water, and applied with the finger at once, almost removed the pain; a second, applied an hour or two after, completed the cure. A few days later I found the cocaine equally effective in the case of a young girl who had been severely stung. Since then I have kept a small bottle of a strong solution of cocaine ready for use, and it has always proved effective. It should, of course, be applied as soon as possible, but only two days ago I found that it gave great relief seven or eight hours after the sting.