> Ronn!Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ticia wrote: > >>Deborah Harrell wrote: > >>>Warren Ockrassa wrote:
> >>>Isn't pee supposed to be good for jellyfish > stings?
> >>I seem to recall that it might help with the pain > from > >>some type of marine sting...but I'll look into > >>that another time.
> >It's the ammonia (= waste product), which helps > against the sting/bite and > >itching, not sure whether it's also an antiseptic > (though pee is sterile > >except for bladder/ urinary tract infections). They > >also sell bite relief sticks with ammonia in them.
> Part of it is that insect venom in particular is > acidic¹ and ammonium > hydroxide (the compound formed when ammonia gas is > dissolved in water) is a > mild alkali and neutralizes the acid. > _____ > Frex, the scientific name of a family of ants is > "Formicidae" and ants > inject formic acid (HCOOH), both words derived from > "formica", the Latin word for "ant" . . .
While my diver friends swear by the 'urine fix' (if you're hours out from shore/medical attention, you'll do what you gotta...) for seabather's eruption (jellyfish larvae stings), this site advises against it: http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/aa121164.asp
However, the above site does advise "...If vinegar ["Soak a compress in vinegar and apply to the affected area to prevent further stings"] is not available, unseasoned meat tenderizer, baking soda, or one-quarter-strength household ammonia may be useful for treating jellyfish stings. Avoid getting these products in your eyes. Meat tenderizer or baking soda may be sprinkled directly onto the affected area or made into a paste by adding water and then applied to the skin. Apply meat tenderizer to the skin for no longer than 15 minutes. Household ammonia may be used as a compress and applied to the affected area..."
So both basic and acidic solutions are useful -- and I have successfully used vinegar/water mix for sunburned skin and baking soda paste on mild thermal burns myself.
This site has info including diagrams and electron micrographs of nematocysts, the stinging structures of corals and jellyfish: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/rs/
And check out the acceleration of the triggered nematocyst! "...Under certain specific conditions, the most exterior portion of the capsule may rupture, releasing all of the internal contents. "Releasing" is much too mild a word to describe this process, though. It is not an exaggeration to refer to the contents as "exploding" from the cell. When the capsular contents are blown out, the internal thread is turned inside out and exits the capsule. Generally, the tip of the thread is hollow and the capsular contents will be sprayed from the tip of the thread.
"It is impossible to watch the contents of the capsules themselves as they exit the nematocyst. However, the internal nematocyst thread may be filmed as it leaves the capsule using ultrahigh-speed photography, and is by no means easy to do. When it is done properly, however, a timed record of nematocyst discharge is available. From one such record, it was estimated that the tip of the nematocyst thread is forced out of the capsule at the astounding acceleration of 40,000g! Even though the tip of the thread is minute, with such acceleration driving it, it can punch through almost all biological surfaces, including some mollusk shells, arthropod exoskeletons, and human skin..."
"...the cellular contents discharged by the nematocyst may be anything from toxins to digestive or lytic enzymes. Most of these materials are proteins..."
--which explains why both acidic and basic solutions would affect these stings: degrading or denaturing the protein toxin/enzyme.
Note that my explanation of how ammonia works specifically mentioned insect stings in which acid is a major component of the venom and is a major source of the irritation.
--Ronn! :)
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