Got a cut? Put on some Pepper!

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Sharp side towards her hand and guess what?

She will be using a cutting board in the future</font color=blue>

I hope you're right, but I've been trying to get my wife to quit using sharp knives to cut toward her hand for 36 years and she still does it (and cuts her hand every once in awhile)./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I may have to try that pepper on her the next time.

 

[Bird]

When I was 18, I bought some styptic powder from my barber. It was a yellow powder in a little round wooden box about the diameter of a quarter and maybe a half inch deep. I'm not sure now of the spelling but think it was Itsapeech styptic powder. Amazing stuff; just touch your finger to it and then to a cut and that tiny bit stopped bleeding immediately, and that little box lasted me over 10 years. And when I tried to buy more, I was told they had to take it off the market because it was so good that people might use it, stop the bleeding, and not get medical attention that was needed./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[Chuck52]

Bird,

I ran across a few sites that advertised styptic powders. No way to tell what they contained, however. Some were aimed at veterinary use, like for when the nail clippers draw blood. The stuff I found in the Merck Index looked like it might perhaps be easily modified to have more, shall we say, interesting physiological effects. It is described as being pale yellow, so maybe it is what was in the stuff you had.

Chuck

 

[Bird]

I'll have to do some checking on that, Chuck. I sure haven't seen anything like it in the drugstores, so I'm wondering whether a prescription is necessary to buy the stuff.

 

[GaryM]

Back in the 1950's, my Dad used a product that I recall was named BFI or BF powder. It came in a metal can about an inch and a quarter in diameter and abot 3 inches high. It was a yellow powder too. Just shake some on the wound and the bleading stopped. Might be similar to what your barber had.

 

[GaryM]

OK, should have searched Google first.

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp14123_333181_SESpider/BFI/Antiseptic_FirstAid_Powder.htm

Not in a metal can anymore!

 

[Bird]

That's interesting, Gary. Of course it says antiseptic instead of styptic; maybe it does both.

 

[PhilNH5]

Ranchman,
I don't think I would use straight household bleach in that bee sting remedy. Bleach is 5.25% Sodium hypochlorite and you are right in that it is a base. But it is a strong enough base as to be corrosive. I imagine that bleach entering the sting puncture site would be pretty painful.

Maybe a diluted solution of bleach would work. But I don't know. I would just be leary of straight bleach.

Phil

 

[Dozernut]

A big component in some of the sting kill swabs is ammonia. I'm not advocating that you put straight ammonia on a bee sting, just that it is a component. It will relieve the pain and itching from a sting.

 

[RanchMan]

Phil -

I did a little more research since my post (by way of entering "bleach sting remedy" in Yahoo...) and have found that the dilution of bleach with water as you suggested pretty common. There seems to be some disagreement as to what the ratio should be (e.g. 1:1, 1:10, etc.), but you seem "right on target".

As far as <font color=blue>"...bleach entering the sting puncture site would be pretty painful."</font color=blue>, seems like that would be true too. But then again, the ignition coil/cattle prod solution brought up by Ed sounds kindof painful too. (I'd REALLY like to see someone try that one out!!!)

Tell ya what, in the name of science, I'd be willing to help out with this experiment. We need a someone here to receive 2 stings, I'll administer the bleach and the cattle prod to the subject and record the reactions. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Heck, I think that this could be fun!!! (at least for me.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)