What, if any, treatment was used for Tracheal mites?  Menthol in August or
grease patties continuously during ALL of 1997?  I suspect NEITHER, because
your hive condition "sounds" like the "dwindling disease", now called acarine
disease meaning infestation by the microscopic Tracheal Mite.
The "drooling" honey might have been caused by broken wax cells caused by wax
moth larvae tunnels when it was still warm.
The GOOD procedure done was the continuous feeding of sugar syrup, because
most packages just are not fed enough to enter the winter with lots of stores
and lots of young bees caused by 1:1 sugar syrup stimulated feeding of the
queen.
Best that you talk with your state bee inspector or extension agent, because
diagnosis by LETTER from some area different than Maryland is a POOR
substitute for accuracy.
For the future, remember that death by Tracheal mites usually occurs in cold
weather, particularly December and January; whereas death by Varroa mites
usually occurs in July, August, or September.  Note I said "USUALLY".
To be successful during these last 15 years (mites came in 84 and 87), you
HAVE to know all about mites, or you will lose bees, lose bees, & lose bees.
I hope that I have helped.  George Imirie