> an unlikely new garment for injured penguins — snug red vests threaded with copper and zinc that they hope will help the aquatic birds heal faster.
Ointments with zinc oxide and with basic carbonates of copper were already frequently used in the Greek-Roman Antiquity.
For instance Pliny the Elder described their medicinal uses.
Pure metallic zinc was unknown in the Antiquity, but brass, i.e. the copper-zinc alloy, was in widespread use in the Roman Empire, for various items that were intended to be resistant to rust, e.g. for belt buckles. When brass was smelted, some of the zinc evaporated and it was oxidized by the air, then it condensated as white zinc oxide on the colder parts of the installation, from where it was collected and sold to medicine doctors, for the preparation of medicinal ointments.
The basic carbonates of copper are the green corrosion products that cover copper and bronze objects that are exposed to the atmosphere. In Antiquity, that corroded layer was removed and used in the preparation of ointments.
The article says penguins have long necks and are quite flexible so they can bendy around and bite peck at their wounds too. No mention of a cone of shame but the vests do look adorable too and have added microbial benefits.
"Contact killing" is real [1]. A copper ring will definitely kill some bacteria/virus on the skin immediately near where they touch. Related, most copper solutions are considered hazardous waste.
> an unlikely new garment for injured penguins — snug red vests threaded with copper and zinc that they hope will help the aquatic birds heal faster.
Ointments with zinc oxide and with basic carbonates of copper were already frequently used in the Greek-Roman Antiquity.
For instance Pliny the Elder described their medicinal uses.
Pure metallic zinc was unknown in the Antiquity, but brass, i.e. the copper-zinc alloy, was in widespread use in the Roman Empire, for various items that were intended to be resistant to rust, e.g. for belt buckles. When brass was smelted, some of the zinc evaporated and it was oxidized by the air, then it condensated as white zinc oxide on the colder parts of the installation, from where it was collected and sold to medicine doctors, for the preparation of medicinal ointments.
The basic carbonates of copper are the green corrosion products that cover copper and bronze objects that are exposed to the atmosphere. In Antiquity, that corroded layer was removed and used in the preparation of ointments.
Is there any equivalent to this in human medicine? Copper-and-zinc-infused hydrocolloid bandages, perhaps?
Using a vest is probably more fashionable than the cone of shame that other pets get
Pets get a cone of shame in order to help wounds heal faster? I thought the cone of shame was to prevent biting/picking at the wound.
The article says penguins have long necks and are quite flexible so they can bendy around and bite peck at their wounds too. No mention of a cone of shame but the vests do look adorable too and have added microbial benefits.
D bi itj fæst ut’n sinkvæst
It's not a coincidence that this miracle is only being done on animals, where the legal protections of medicine are less.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionized_jewelry
Copper is a well known antimicrobial and copper paint is used on ship hulls as an anti-fouling layer.
Yes, penguin conservationists do this to scam the penguins... You didn't really think that one through did you.
"Contact killing" is real [1]. A copper ring will definitely kill some bacteria/virus on the skin immediately near where they touch. Related, most copper solutions are considered hazardous waste.
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3067274/