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THE
USES OF GOLD
MEDICINE AND
HEALTH
Gold is valuable to modern medicine because it
is non-toxic and biologically benign, one of the
most efficient conductors of electricity, and
its density enables it to be seen under electron
microscopes. And although gold is virtually indestructible,
it is a soft metal, easy to work with, shape,
flatten or draw out into microscopic strands.
DENTISTRY
Most gold used in dentistry is in the form of alloys,
which are mixtures of gold and other metals, such
as platinum, palladium, silver, copper and zinc.
Gold is non-toxic and biologically inert, which
makes gold ideal for use in dental procedures. It
is easy for the dentist to manipulate, but strong,
stiff, durable and tough -- it never wears or tarnishes.
It is also very resistant to chemical attack and
does not corrode.
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EYE
SURGERY
Accidents, disease or surgery may cause a condition
called Lagophthalmos, which is the inability to
close the eyelids fully. In order to keep the eyelids
moist, doctors previously resorted to sewing the
eyelid half shut, but a new gold eyelid implant
is now the current form of treatment. These gold
"eyelid load implants" are surgically
inserted into the upper lid and allows the eye to
blink normally. The muscle that opens the eyelid
works to hold the eyelid open; then, when the muscle
relaxes, gravity exerted on the gold causes the
eyelid to drop. Gold is the best choice for this
device as it does not corrode and will not react
with tears.
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LASERS
One of the most promising new areas of medical treatment
is in the use of ion lasers, the interior surfaces
of which are coated with gold to control the focus
of the beam. In one development, gold vapor lasers
create a high intensity red light with the required
wavelength to seek out and selectively destroy cancerous
cells without harming healthy neighboring cells.
A new lightweight laser, designed by the military
and using gold plated contacts, enables medics to
seal battlefield wounds in the field, thereby reducing
blood loss and improving survival chances for the
seriously wounded. In hospitals, this new design
will allow lasers to be brought to critically injured
emergency patients without moving them, saving minutes
and lives.
Surgeons use gold instruments to clear clogged coronary
arteries. Injection of microscopic gold pellets
helps retard prostate cancer in men. Some forms
of cancer are treated with colloidal gold. Lasers
with gold-coated parts literally give new life to
patients with once-inoperable heart conditions and
tumors.
These gold-reliant lasers are revolutionizing medicine
- from pinpoint destruction of cancerous cells to
rapid emergency surgical procedures, to delicate
surgery on eyes and brain tissue that was previously
not possible. Most recently, gold-coated lasers
are being used to rejuvenate skin tissue damaged
by burns and injuries, while leaving the surrounding
healthy tissue unaffected. Because of its inert
and benign nature, gold can be used inside the human
body without fear of corrosion or harmful physical
reactions in most cases.
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RHEUMATOID
ARTHRITIS TREATMENT
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that
afflicts approximately millions of Americans, mostly
women. Gold has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid
arthritis since the 1920s, and has been a standard
treatment since the 1960s. Gold treatment includes
different forms of gold salts, an effective medicine
for controlling some types of arthritis. For many,
but not all patients, it helps relieve joint pain
and stiffness, reduces swelling and bone damage,
and lessens the chance of joint deformity and disability.
Gold can be taken either by injection or in pill
form. While the reasons for the effectiveness of
gold are not completely understood, according to
the Arthritis Foundation, it appears that gold affects
the process that causes joint pain and swelling.
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THERMOMETER
Gold is a key component of modern thermometers that
can read human body temperature in two seconds,
just by holding the thermometer against the outer
ear. The readings are accurate because the eardrum
shares the same blood vessel system as the hypothalamus,
the organ that controls the core body temperature.
The thermometers contain a gold coated tube -- known
as a "waveguide" -- that directs heat
from the ear to the temperature sensing element
in the device. Waveguides have been essential components
of electronic systems such as radar and microwave
telecommunications. Since gold is the most heat-reflective
metal, none of the heat radiated from the ear will
be lost warming up the tube of the thermometer.
A result, gold is the metal of choice in the FirstTemp
Genius® for providing a non-invasive method
of monitoring body temperature -- especially invaluable
when monitoring babies or unconscious patients.
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RESEARCH
Laboratory coupling of tiny gold particles with
DNA has produced new microscopic structures that
are opening a range of research, treatment and diagnostic
possibilities in fields such as biochemistry, genetics
and medicine.
Soon doctors will be able to test patients for infections,
cancer, AIDS, and other diseases and get immediate
results by using genetic probes affixed with clusters
of gold molecules that adhere to targeted DNA material.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) developed a microchip, the size of a human
thumbnail, with more than 1000 separate tiny compartments
that can hold medications in solid, liquid, or gel
form, and dispenses them from under the patient's
skin. The silicon chip is covered with thin gold
foil. Medicine is released when a tiny electrical
charge is applied between the gold cover and a gold
electrode, opening the desired compartment.
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