When camping out, these troublesome insects can inflict much torture,
and one way of keeping them out of a tent is to hang up a piece of raw
meat outside it for them to settle upon. To paint freely woodwork and
canvas with petroleum and ordinary oil mixed together is another way of
keeping insects at a distance. For the stings themselves, a mixture of
common soda and salad oil mixed together is a great means of allaying
the irritation. Pull out the sting if it is still visible and bathe
with warm water and common salt, then with oil and soda. Rubbing the
body freely with oil or fat is a preventive of insect bites, and it is
said that those who will eat spices freely, particularly cinnamon, will
never be bitten.