I have used Adolph's meat tenderizer on stings, a couple times.  It does
seem to take a bit of the swelling down.
 
>maintain heartbeat and breathing at an ordinary level.
 
Is this the psychological effect of doing something, keeping the person
from panicking and hyperventilating because they're afraid of being stung?
 
This sounds like mixed ideas---the heart rate and breathing makes me think
that someone has confused sting treatment with reducing *an allergic reaction.*
This is actually common---I've known people who claim they are "allergic"
because the area hurts and swells---which is common, when you've been injected
with a toxin!  A *real* allergic reaction, resulting in anaphylaxis, is quite
another thing (I've had these from a scallop allergy, and they are *scarily*
dramatic!)  If you even *suspect* this is a true allergic reaction, don't even
bother with this stuff, but get this person to treatment!
 
Jane B.