Peter Bray wrote:
>  Yet 
> the effect is said to consistently work.
Anecdotal, maybe, but your statement is a bit too universal. It 
certainly does not work for me nor my wife who sufferers greatly from 
allergies. Nor have I seen anything in any scientific papers that back 
up the statement.

My guess is placebos would work as well, since you are usually talking 
about the degree of suffering. That is so subjective that your desire to 
suffer less could color your perception. Your mind can reduce symptoms 
all by itself. Suggestion is powerful. "This won't hurt a bit!"

Also, since pollen and other allergens also vary in intensity or amount 
by season, weather, and year, it would not be difficult to ascribe 
reduced symptoms to honey while it may be something entirely different.

Add one more point that seems to actually be truly universal. When it 
does not work on a practitioner who says it does, the cause is always 
ascribed to something else, like mold, trees, whatever, even though it 
may be the original allergen. So honey (or whatever) maintains its 
potency even though it never worked in the first place.

Anecdotal evidence trumps science every time.

Bill Truesdell (Ah, ahhh, ahchooooo)
Bath, Maine

******************************************************
* Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at:          *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm  *
******************************************************