Sunday 4 April 2010

Stung By A Hundred Bees

Being stung by a bee would have most people rushing to hospital, except at one Chinese clinic where patients queue up to be pricked into good health. Bee sting therapy, which involves placing live bees on a patient's body at certain pressure points, dates back over 3,000 years in China and was considered legal in 2007.

It is similar to acupuncture in that it uses bees' stingers instead of needles and the same principles, but the bees' toxin, which doctors say is a natural medicine, is essential, making the treatment like an injection. Doctors at the Kang Tai Bee Clinic in Beijing say the bee therapy has proved effective in curing diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis, as well as a list of other ailments.

2 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

uhhh... doesn't it kill the bee when it stings? Seeing as how CCD could soon leave us devoid of bees, I find this practice ethically questionable.

Gerard said...

Yes, the bees die. And you're right, it can be questionable.

But it probably isn't for people suffering from rheumatism or arthritis. If bee venom can cure them, or at least ease their pain, I can understand why they don't say no to the therapy.