I'll tell two that might help educate the group a tiny.

1. I used to be of the indestructible age when living in the islands.
   I would snorkel from mid day to dinner time.  Eat lunch out of
   a rubber tube with a plywood bottom...    Cut myself on coral plenty
   of times.  But due to the quality of salt water white flesh grew over
   the cut and was spongy but almost healed when going home.  [ good one ]

2. Bad one: A cousin was a Sea Air Rescue crew and dove off plane (sea
plane)
   many a time in near and distant islands.   Then one day they went
surfing.
   They had turn around time a wait for a pickup - so they took their
boards.
   "Bird" was his nickname.  He landed in a bed of fire coral and like fire,
    the burns were 60% or so over his body.  It is very dangerous.  He
was in
    constant pain (years later even) his body looked like a skin cancer
patient.
    He took his life since he had none to live for.  A young man and
nothing
   could be done.

   Fire coral uses spears in the attack.  They invade the body and
constantly
    rake with body movement on the nerves.

For years Mom and I were known carriers of coral in our blood.  Too many
cuts.
I don't know if I have any now, someday I'll find out again.  Coral like
iron.
I was kept from giving blood.

Martin  [ islands == Kwajalein Atoll -- Marshall Islands ]


David Kirsh wrote:
> John,
>
> I think I'd rather have smelly feet than untreatable sewage
> accumulating in my community!
>
> It reminds me of the problem arising out of the indiscriminant use of
> antibiotics: the development of resistant strains of micro-organisms
> such as staph aureus. I've heard there's a new treatment-resistant
> infection in the Middle East that wounded troops are contracting,
> resulting in increased amputations.
>
> To keep this shell-related, I recall scraping my knee slightly on a
> reef in Thailand while collecting shells. The skin healed. However, a
> week later my knee became inflamed and I had to take antibiotics. Thank
> goodness for antibiotics...I lived to enjoy my shell haul.
>
> David
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------