Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

Copper pennies, bee stings, and folk medicine
We do find copper coins mentioned as a curative in traditional folk medicine sources, though it is rarely in the context of insect bites or stings. In western countries the medicinal use of copper has generally been confined to the treatment of rheumatism ("Place a penny in the shoe or wear a copper bracelet around the wrist to relieve chronic pain") and warts ("Rub a copper penny over a wart 20 times and it will disappear"). The practice of rubbing copper coins on the skin, called "coining," is even more common in Asian folk medicine, which holds it to be helpful in treating fever, coughs, colds, and other mundane complaints.
For bee stings in particular, topical home remedies of every conceivable kind have been tried and sworn by, including raw garlic, onion juice, chewing tobacco, wet tea bags, dill pickles, and even store-bought meat tenderizer. The latter actually works, believe it or not, because it contains an enzyme called papain which breaks down the toxins in insect venom.
Ironically, bee stings themselves � the very affliction we seek to cure � are believed to have curative powers by practitioners of Chinese folk medicine, who for 3,000 years have prescribed bee venom to relieve arthritis, back pain, and even liver disease. Bee sting therapy has also become popular of late in the United States as an alternative treatment for multiple sclerosis. According to proponents, bee venom contains melittin, an anti-inflammatory substance believed to be 100 times more potent than hydrocortisone. Please note, however, that no major clinical studies have yet been published to verify the treatment's effectiveness. Moreover, some people are allergic to bee stings and risk a severe reaction, even death.





testimonial story on:


http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/med.../bee_sting.htm

Re: Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

Benjamin Franklin did experiments and proved wearing or carrying copper provided no relief from rheumatism or arthritis.

Here we are over 200 years later and people are still buying into this.:banghead:

Re: Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

My 3 1/2 year old daughter got stung twice in an hour last week while swimming, the first time we put a penny on it mainly for the placebo effect, bee stings don't bother her to bad . I think she shares my gene structure, bees don't bother me much either, I got stung about 10 times once while on an enduro dirt bike race all's it did was get me high with an added energy boost. Aaaaaanyway when she got stung the second time I asked her what we should put on it to make it feel better, well she didn't buy into the penny placebo for one second she told me "cookies"......I swear to God that little kid is funny as hell:wink:

Re: Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

I don't find the copper penny trick works for me, but a Canadian maple helps most ailments. Simply apply a shiny maples liberally to sore or aching joints, then add up their value and remember they're yours. You'll feel a LOT better!

Re: Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

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Re: Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
 

Best remedy I've ever seen for bee and wasp stings was laundry blue. Remember that blue cube grandma had for getting the shirts white? A drop of water on that and apply.


Can't find them to safe your life here anymore.