Not an ant-idote.Not an ant-idote Medical students at Tulane UniversitySchool of Medicine in New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded arguably went beyond the call of duty when they tested the validity of an old folk remedy recently. In what they believe to be the first controlled clinical study of the effectiveness of meat tenderizer A meat tenderizer can refer to a tool or a chemical used for tenderizing meat. The tool is also known as a meat mallet, and is a product used for tenderizing slabs of meat in preparation for cooking the meat. to relieve insect stings, 22 of the med school's more stoic students allowed themselves to be stung on the forearms by imported fire ants. As reported in the June JOURNAL OFTHE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is the largest organization of dermatologists in the world. The Academy grants Fellowships and Associate Memberships, as well as Fellowships for Nonresidents (of the United States of America or Canada). , half the sting sites were treated with meat tenderizer dissolved in a few drops of water, while plain water was applied to the other sting sites. The tenderizer contained papain papain: see papaya. , an enzyme that breaks down protein and has long been considered to be an anti-inflammatory effective against the pain-producing proteins in insect venom. But the study showed that "there is no significant difference between treatment with meat tenderizer and treatment with placebo,' as measured by changes in blood flow at the sting sites and by student reports about itching itching or pruritus Stimulation of nerve endings in the skin, usually incited by histamine, that evokes a desire to scratch. It is often transient and easily relieved. Pathological itching with skin changes usually signals dermatologic disease. and pain. However, one member of the teamnotes, fire ant venom contains little protein compared with some other insect venoms, and further studies would have to be performed to see if the tenderizer is effective against wasp or bee stings. So far, there are no reports of volunteersfor that study. |
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