THERE are a lot of lazy wasps around at the moment, just waiting to be trodden on or sat on. The standard treatment of an ice-cube works well enough, but this can be difficult to lay your hand on in the middle of the countryside.
As an alternative, Mr Stanley Green from Cambridge reports that, in his part of the country, ''the application of a cut onion is speedily and remarkably effective''. Indeed, when his children were growing up, he says, ''I always used to keep an onion (and knife) in the car while out in the country, for just such an emergency''.
Mrs Agnes Bantock from Hertfordshire agrees: ''In the Thirties, I used to help at Girl Guide camp,'' she recalls. ''There was always a string of onions hanging outside the cookhouse in case anyone was stung, especially on the lips or in the throat. If this happened, the girl had to bite an onion to stop the swelling and relieve the pain."
If anyone can explain why onions should be an effective antidote I would like to hear from them.
