Man grows back finger with "pixie dust"

[icerat]

In summary, a guy chopped off the end of his finger in an accident, about half a centimetre or so. He got some "pixie dust" from his brother and sprinkled it on the finger every day. 4 weeks later, voila, his finger had grown back!

Now before you jump to conclusions, read the full story -

The man who grew a finger (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7354458.stm).

Quite amazing.

[Professor Yaffle]

There's already a thread on this. I'll see if I can find it.

[DouglasL]

Very Cool. I want half a ton. :)

[icerat]

I did look first for another thread, must have missed it.

[Professor Yaffle]

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=110772&highlight=finger

[icerat]

ahh, more than 3 weeks back. This was a new story on BBC, I didn't look that far back. Nevertheless, definitely adds more info to the story.

[vexed]

I cut off the knuckle on my middle finger once, on accident, which looked similiar to the man's wound. I did nothing more than apply bandages and within weeks a full recovery, without pixie dust even! I didn't realize I could have made the news with such a story.

[Bikewer]

I thought pixie dust made you fly....man.....

[Dogdoctor]

Not too amazing. There are no controls for this so who knows how many fingers would grow back without the pig bladder. I cut the top of my finger off doing the incredibly stupid task of attempting to clean the out flow slot of my shredder chipper without turning it off. His injury looked more severe than mine but still who knows what would have happened without the stuff?

[icerat]

Actually I find that amazing too. Amazing what our body can do itself!

[robinson]

21st February 2007, 03:44 AM

Lost a fingertip? Try some pig bladder powder! (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=2362557#post2362557)

[Dogdoctor]

Actually I find that amazing too. Amazing what our body can do itself!

That is true. That is also why people think primitive peoples medicines work and that herbal medicine developed thousands of years ago worked. I mean how could we have survived without modern medicine? It's amazing.

[Deetee]

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=110772&highlight=finger
I missed this thread from a while back.
My professional medical opinion is right there along skeptigirl and Joe the Juggler.

This guy has lost the very tip of his terminal phalanx and regrowth of skin and subcutaneous tisue is not unusual. The nail bed was unaffected and so the nail has regrown normally. Obviously the doctors who thought he might need a small patch skin graft were wrong - he didn't.

The whole story is hyped froth to help promote his brother's regeneration business. Not that I dismiss the possibility of there being an active chemical/biological substance that can stimulate some tissue regeneration, but this case is not evidence that would withstand any degree of proper scientific scrutiny.

[Gravy]

I missed this thread from a while back.
My professional medical opinion is right there along skeptigirl and Joe the Juggler.

This guy has lost the very tip of his terminal phalanx and regrowth of skin and subcutaneous tisue is not unusual. The nail bed was unaffected and so the nail has regrown normally. Obviously the doctors who thought he might need a small patch skin graft were wrong - he didn't.Regrowth of the bone, however, apparently is somewhat unusual in an adult.

[Gravy]

Man grows back finger with "pixie dust"Correction: it was pigsy dust.

[Rolfe]

This was on TV last night, and the amount of finger the patient indicated he'd lost would have involved the nail. I was thinking, if this can regenerate to the point of getting a nail back when it was lost, they're on to something. However, it seems far more likely the patient was exaggerating the extent of the injury.

Just a thought. The material is derived from pig bladder. Does that mean that Jews, Moslems and vegetarians are likely to refuse this treatment if it ever became widespread?

Rolfe.

[icerat]

That is true. That is also why people think primitive peoples medicines work and that herbal medicine developed thousands of years ago worked. I mean how could we have survived without modern medicine? It's amazing.

Well, many "primitive" and herbal medicines have active ingredients that make a difference, it's not just the body healing itself. That's why pharma. spend a fortune chasing up and testing traditional medicines from around the world. Why waste thousands of years of trial and error research?

[H3LL]

First, I object to the term "Pixie Dust" when it's supposed to be science not [Rule 10]ing magic.

Second, this seems like poor science (maybe it is more like magic).

Third, I understood that tips of fingers were the only part of humans that grow back naturally. Mrs. H3LL chopped the end off her finger and it grew back just fine. I suspect some exaggeration in this claim as mentioned above.

Fourth, Darat; Jews and Muslims can just pray as they have a Big Sky Pixie of their own. Atheist vegans and veggies are screwed.

Fifth, there is no fifth, I just like the word.

.

[Gravy]

This was on TV last night, and the amount of finger the patient indicated he'd lost would have involved the nail. I was thinking, if this can regenerate to the point of getting a nail back when it was lost, they're on to something. However, it seems far more likely the patient was exaggerating the extent of the injury.Links to photos are in the other thread, as are quotes from an independent researcher who's studied the issue of regrowth for many years. He's found that if the nailbed isn't destroyed, the fingertip can grow back like new, including nail and bone (without the help of pixie dust).

Just a thought. The material is derived from pig bladder. Does that mean that Jews, Moslems and vegetarians are likely to refuse this treatment if it ever became widespread?

Rolfe.Interesting question. I could see major lawsuits arising from "unclean" beast parts being introduced in someone's body, so I wonder if doctors are told they need to inform their patients what this is. This type of extracellular matrix (not in powder form) is commonly used in certain surgeries and veterinary applications, at least in the U.S. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device.

[dogjones]

It's on "How Stuff Works" - it's GOTTA be real!

http://health.howstuffworks.com/extracellular-matrix.htm

[FireGarden]

When I saw this on the BBC, I was under the impression the guy had lost the finger to beyond the nail. But even if it was less, the healed version doesn't look scarred. So it can it be just ordinary healing?

Just a thought. The material is derived from pig bladder. Does that mean that Jews, Moslems and vegetarians are likely to refuse this treatment if it ever became widespread?

Rolfe.

Don't know about vegans, but according to this old article:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week621/cover.html

Major religious traditions have generally supported xenotransplants, based on the idea that God gave man dominion over the animal world. Judaism and Islam, which prohibit the eating of pork, allow the use of pigs to save a life.

And Muslims can eat forbidden food if they are "forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression".
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Holy_Qur%27an/Al-Meada

So I don't see why non-life saving medical treatments would be avoided.

[robinson]

I wonder if human bladder powder would work as well?

[Professor Yaffle]

Another link for you:

http://www.badscience.net/?p=664

[FireGarden]

A lot of experts saying that nothing special has happened.

I am amazed.
I didn't realise we had it so good in the self-repair department.

[Rolfe]

Come to think of it, I chopped a very small piece off the side of a fingertip about two years ago, and was very unsurprised when it healed more or less perfectly (though that fingertip still looks slightly narrower than the corresponding one on my other hand).

Rolfe.