POISONOUS HONEY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2130, 21 May 1889, Page 2

POISONOUS HONEY.

Referring to the recant remarkable case of a number of Maoris near Mttata, Bay of Plenty, having been poisoned by eating honey, Mr R, do Thierry Informs the Anok'aid " Herald" that, on one oooailon, be wai travelling along the *ea-oo»st with soma Maoris, when they fell m with a stare of honey aooumulated by some wild bees. Mr de Thierry and one of the natives ate heartily of the hooey as they found It. Soon after Mr da Thierry was affeoted with giddiness, and fell down, feellug very HI. The native who had eaten with him was similarly affected. Tho Maoris promptly adopted remedial measures, such as they had probably tried before m similar oases. They kindled a fire, piled some seaweed upon It, and held Mr de Thierry amongst the fumes till he beoome so tick that he vomited freely. By and by he got better, and' the Native, under similar treatment, alio recovered. Mr deTolbrry a«ya that the poisoning arisen from the bees baying access to the karo (pittosparum crassifolium) a tree or shrub which grown all round the coaat of New Zealand At a certain season a kind of gum exudei from the karo, whloh the bees uee for the wax of the oombs. The poison Is In the wax, not In the honty. This matter Is tf laaportanoe, for beekeeping is now general, and the karo li being generally planted, as It mtket i> pretty and uiof al h dge, It oan stand any amount of stormy weather, and 1110 the spray of the tea.