[gwx]

Hey...

I do know that wasp stings are alkaline...

And vinegar consists of acetic acid, which is actually acidic...

So can't vinegar counteract the effects of wasp stings?!!

The whole question goes :

"An old chemistry textbook contains the sentence : "Sodium hydrogencarbonate is used to counteract the effect of bee stings"

(i) What can be deduced from this statement about sodium hydrogencarbonate?
(ii) Suggest why vinegar is not effective against wasp stings "

For part (i), if bee stings are acidic, then sodium hydrogencarbonate should be alkaline? Am i right???

For part (ii), I don't know. So I'm asking here...  Dont acid and alkalis neturalise!!

[xiankai]

i) sodium bicarbonate is baking soda as far as i know, and its alkaline, yes.

ii) and vinegar is a weak acid, so it may not be completely effective.

in acetic acid (full name is ethanoic acid), for every 1000 molecules of it that are dissociated, only 3 hydrogen ions are displaced(or something like that)

[gwx]

Hmmm not sure about that but I suspect its a typo  
will ask my chem teacher soon, haha

[ATMyller]

I'm not sure about wasps, but bee's venom is supposed to be acidic because among other various poisons it contains formic acid.

[chemistrykid]

Bleach should help it, because bleach contains NaOH, which is alkaline, as we al know! :p

[Donaldson Tan]

do not self-treat. go and see a doctor. a wasp sting isn't only formic acid. the sting comes with protein that causes your blood to coagulate and destroy your tissue as well.

even if wasp sting is acidic, treating it with bleach won't help. firstly, you might cause chemicai burn to yourself, by pouring bleach on the exposed flesh. Bleach actually contains sodium chloroate(I) and sodium hydroxide. chlorate(I) is a pretty strong oxidising agent. secondly, by aggrevating your wound, you increase your susceptibility to infection. thirdly, you might be allergic to wasp stings, in worst scenario, causes allergic shock, which may lead to death.

signs of 'shock':
1. feeling lerthagic, yet restless
2. pale and dry skin
3. rapid shallow breathing
4, rapid shallow pulse
5. delayed capillary refilled action when u pinch the fingernails.

Hope this helps  :animal_rooster:

[constant thinker]

I agree with geodome. From expierence you shouldn't use bleach at all. I got bleach on my foot when I cleaning my bath tub. It looked like a 3rd degree burn. It hurt and I had to walk on it. Also adrenaline is used to treat shock for bee stings I think. They would most likely give you a shot of this if you had an allergic reaction and went to the hospital.

[billnotgatez]

papain

Paste of vinegar/baking soda/meat tenderizer

http://slate.msn.com/id/2088863

[Donaldson Tan]

I agree with geodome. From expierence you shouldn't use bleach at all. I got bleach on my foot when I cleaning my bath tub. It looked like a 3rd degree burn. It hurt and I had to walk on it. Also adrenaline is used to treat shock for bee stings I think. They would most likely give you a shot of this if you had an allergic reaction and went to the hospital.

actually, they will give you promethazine injection to suppress any possible allergic reaction. i used to be a paramedic before I embark on my university study.

[billnotgatez]

geodome -

Did you read the link I provided with my last post?
Some home remedies do work - a doctor suggested to me to use papain mixed with water and it worked.

Regards,
Bill

[Donaldson Tan]

what is papain?

[Grafter]

From the site that billnotgatez referenced:

Chalk one up for the meat tenderizer, which contains papain, an enzyme found in papaya that supposedly breaks down the toxins in bee (and other) venom.

[billnotgatez]

Grafter -
Thank you for taking the time to read the link I posted.
Regards,
Bill