Delicate Osmosis
Some years ago a learned journal called the Veterinary Record reported the down-to-earth skills of a certain Philip Ryder-Davies who is, as you might suspect, a doctor of animals. Mr Ryder-Davies was summoned professionally to attend to a stallion which had been less than successful in performing the fuction for which both nature and his owners intended him, having been kicked by a reluctant mare right where it hurts most. By the time the vet arrived the injured organ was grossly swollen and, despite three days of intensive therapy, using all the most modern pharmacopoeia, the swelling continued to increase to such an extent that Mr Ryder-Davies was forced to contemplate amputation of the affected part — which would have left the stallion with all the testosterone appropriate to the appellation, but no means, so to speak, of fulfilling his potential.
Fortunately, as he turned the problem over in his mind, Ryder-Davies recalled a science lesson from his school-boy days, in which an egg had been used to demonstrate osmosis. Taking a raw egg, the lecturer had carefully removed the shell and then placed the egg, its inner membrane unbroken, in a strong solution of sugar. (If you wish to try this at home, salt will do as well.) As the concentration of sugar outside the membrane was greater than that inside, nature attempted to even the two out, sucking water from the egg and attempting to put sugar into it. However, while the water passed easily through the fragile membrane, the sugar could not, with the result that the egg shrank drastically as all the water was removed from it.
Our Philip promptly fashioned a sort of harness that went around the stallion‘s hindquarters, from which was suspended a container full of a strong sugar solution. The stallion's swollen member was inserted into the container and left to soak, with most happy results. Within 24 hours the swelling had disappeared and shortly thereafter the animal was able to resume the activities for which he was prized.
As mentioned above, it does not matter whether the solution is sugar or salt, so long as it is strong enough. By the miracle of osmosis the concentrated solution will remove water from whatever is immersed in it and, unless the water is replaced in some way, the object will shrink. Any men who join the Digging Up the Past tour of the Middle East may wish to take note of this scientific fact and ensure that, when they go for their swim in the Dead Sea, they imbibe adequate liquid refreshment afterwards!
