Friday, February 22, 2008

Healing With Crab Shells

The Manchester Evening News (UK) reported tomorrow on a new discovery.

Scientists have invented a fast-healing dressing made out of crab shell which could dramatically increase a patient's recovery. Crabs are renowned as nature's healers because of a mineral in their shells, called chitosan.

The ingredient, harvested from crabs, prawns and other crustaceans, can rapidly clot blood.

It also has strong anti-bacterial properties.

Experts at the university have now managed to create a textile which they say could cut days or even weeks off normal recovery times.

They have created a prototype 4-inch square dressing which could be applied for cuts, grazes or surgical wounds but further testing and safety trials must take place.

This is really great. Anything that speeds up healing is good, but to get it from seafood restaurant trash is even better.

I just wish they were quicker about getting these things out to the market. I could have used this after I cut my thumb when we were snorkeling in St. Maarten. It took forever to heal.

1 comment:

janice said...

Had you known......

You could have wandered by the seafood buffet, grabbed a few crab legs and pulverized them into a fine powder and added it to some neosporin. Viola! healed!