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Potato Powder Stops Bleeding, May Help Surgery

Posted by timothy on from the a-spud-for-your-spurting dept.

Big E writes "'A powder made from the common potato appears to help blood to clot, closing minor cuts and aiding surgical procedures, new research suggests'. Reuters story is here. According to the company that produces it, Medafor Inc. , it is "Effective even in areas of profuse bleeding". That's a bit more than closing minor cuts and they are seeking approval for use during chest and intestinal surgeries. Maybe this will prove to be the biggest thing since the Band-Aid maybe even revolutionize emergency & combat medicine." Here are some Scanning Electron Micrographs of this sweet potato in action, too.

4 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. Ouch. by NegativeK · · Score: 2, Funny

    Combat medicine? Looks like the stereotype of the bad soldier peeling potatos is about to gain more merit.

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    This statement is false.
  2. I can see it now by ealar+dlanvuli · · Score: 2, Funny

    The marriage of Mr. Potato Head and "Middle-class-white-houswife-3kids" Nurse Barbie, the new craze for Matel.

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    I live in a giant bucket.
    1. Re:I can see it now by Conare · · Score: 2, Funny

      From the article:
      "It is very effective, and it appears that there are no side effects."
      Except that some of the test subjects later reported being able to replace their noses with their ears. http://www.hasbropreschool.com/mrpotatohead/

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      Stop Continental Drift! Reunite Gondwanaland!
  3. In related news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...scientists from the University of Louisville in Kentucky have determined that redheads need, on average, 20% more potato powder to stop the bleeding from those massive flesh wounds.

    Dr. Bubba Jones, chief research scientist at said university, declined to mention why so many of his team's studies have focused around redheads. His only comment was "Now listen, there ain't no correlation 'tween the color of mah' neck and the color of mah' test subjects' hair!"