Thursday, 8th December 2005 (5197 views)

An arthritic lion has had his pain relieved with 50 gold pellets.

The 24-carat gold pellets were inserted into Bellamy the lion in the hope of alleviating the pain in his muscles.

Gold is thought to bind with compounds in muscle tissue to reduce pain, in this case in his spinal muscles close to the joints.

After a 3½ hour operation, Bellamy was said to be in a better condition.

"Obviously, I can't ask him but I can observe him and it looks like the pain is absolutely reduced," commented the chief veterinarian at Bioparco Zoo in Rome, Klaus Gunther Friedrich.

Although the technique has been used on dogs, cats, tigers and humans before, Bellamy is the first lion to receive the treatment.

Gold has many medical applications including its use in drug delivery microchips, ear implants and dental work.

It is frequently used due to its biocompatibility and was conclusively found to be an effective rheumatoid arthritis treatment after the Second World War.

 

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