Before the epipen, I imagine the mortality rate would be pretty high, and it didn't arrive on the market until 1983.
People in anaphylactic shock sometimes (often?) need more than one dose, and antihistamine should be taken asap. The epinephrine just bridges the gap until the antihistamine kicks in.
I liked the Ana-kit because the syringe had 2 doses in it (you turned the plunger 90° for the second dose) and the antihistamine. It was much cheaper, and it was pretty easy—- just pull off the needle cap, stick your thigh to the hilt, and press the plunger.
Despite the relative ease of autoinjectors like EpiPen, I was pretty upset when Ana-kit was discontinued and I had to start carrying EpiPens. That’s why I always get the generic 2-pack prescribed and keep it in a ziplock bag with a couple Benadryls.
"To slow absorption of injected antigens (e.g., insect stings), a tourniquet may be placed proximal to the injection site. "
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/1001/p1325.html
The article says that tourniquets are no longer recommended. It doesn't seem like a tourniquet would be of any help if you ingested something but reasonable for insect stings. Anyone who has taken a first aid course gets warned multiple times about the danger of leaving a tourniquet on too long but maybe random people aren't aware of it.