Alternative medicine's Hembing long an advocate of apitherapy

JAKARTA (JP): Prof. Dr. Hembing Wijayakusuma, probably the most famous advocate of alternative therapy in the country, made a startling discovery years ago when he lived next door to a beekeeper.

Although he received many stings in the course of his work, his neighbor never complained of health problems.

"I was able to compare him with his peers of the same age, many of whom were suffering from rheumatism, a problem which he never developed," he said.

He looked into the effects of bee venom on human health, and has read scientific books on the subject since 1950 when he was an adolescent.

"I learned that apitherapy could prevent and cure diseases. At first, I practiced it on myself."

Hembing, a former lecturer at the North Sumatra University School of Medicine, said apitherapy and apipuncture, the practice of using bee stings at acupuncture points, were the same thing.

"I had previously studied acupuncture because I realized bee sting therapy could enhance the benefits of acupuncture points," Hembing said.

A graduate of the Chinese Acupuncture Institute, the 61-year- old Hembing was the first person in Asia and the third person in the world to receive The Star of Asia Award, being honored in Perth, Australia, on Sept. 30, 1990, for his work in apitherapy.

The award, the highest honor in alternative therapy, is administered by the Open International University for complementary medicine.

He also received a gold medal from the Indonesian minister of forestry and plantations on Mar. 21, 2000, for his work in apitherapy.

"Based on my experience of using acupuncture with honey bee venom, I have found it extremely effective for treating rheumatism, and also very good for treating muscle strains, hemiplegia, facial twitches and spasms near the eyes, migraines, neuralgia and other things," he said.

Hembing said the practice had been around for thousands of years.

Bee venom is effective and active in causing not only a hyperemic reaction on the skin's surface, but also within the body, he noted.

"Once it is absorbed in the blood, it stimulates the pituitary gland to make ACTH (a protein hormone of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland), which stimulates the adrenal cortex to make cortisone and improve blood circulation to the muscles and internal organs and improve the oxygen flow in the areas that are sick. The effect happens quickly but it remains in the system," he said.

Categorized as a nonpeptide, the venom contains antihistamines and 55 types of enzymes and amino acids which have therapeutic properties, he added.

To determine if a patient is hypersensitive, he first performs an allergy test, waiting 15 minutes to see the patient's reaction.

If the patient turns out to be hypersensitive to the bee venom, therapy is stopped, Hembing said.

The side effects of apitherapy depend on the amount of venom that is absorbed.

If we are stung by a honey bee, he said, usually the reaction consists of a hot sensation and itching, which is accompanied by a small white swelling in the area that will change to red and disappear within a few hours.

"Apitherapy cannot be used on all patients, and there should first be a consultation between the patient and myself. It (apitherapy) has to be agreed to by the patient and at their request, and also it must be based on their diagnosis, so I can get a concept of what therapy should be used."

Bee sting therapy cannot be used on people with hypersensitivity, tuberculosis, diabetes, hypoglycemia, serious kidney disease, heart disease or gonorrhea, Hembing warned. (Maria Kegel)