Alternative medicine's Hembing long an advocate of apitherapy
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)