Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)
I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?
The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you



--


James (ukjay)

http://www.ukjay.co.uk

Garden WebCam,Photography,Competitions,Weather (AWS)

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)
I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?
The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you

James (ukjay)
http://www.ukjay.co.uk
Garden WebCam,Photography,Competitions,Weather (AWS)

On your own admission it was *you* who attacked the Quince not the other way
round:-)
The usual technique of soaking in hot water and much picking and piking of
flesh with a darning needle will work eventually but not without pain.
Birdwatching is much safer:-)

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?


Have plenty of bandages handy, a bucket of water and a mop,
drink two bottles of whisky, put your finger on a chopping block,
hand your wife the cleaver and try and look the other way.

While on the other hand -

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.

I'd be lost without these. As they're invaluable both for removing
the otherwise almost invisible tiny spines of species such as opuntia
which can be very irritating to the skin but not immediately painful,
and also for handling tiny seed of species such as mammilaria.

If there's any of the thorn still standing proud of the skin, or
it can be made to do so then having some extra magnification
to see what you're doing - indeed the same goes for all splinters etc
- can be a great help.

A few quid well spent, from an optician etc near you.


michael adams

....







The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you



--


James (ukjay)

http://www.ukjay.co.uk

Garden WebCam,Photography,Competitions,Weather (AWS)

michael adams wrote:
"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?


Have plenty of bandages handy, a bucket of water and a mop,
drink two bottles of whisky, put your finger on a chopping block,
hand your wife the cleaver and try and look the other way.

While on the other hand -

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.

I'd be lost without these. As they're invaluable both for removing
the otherwise almost invisible tiny spines of species such as opuntia
which can be very irritating to the skin but not immediately painful,
and also for handling tiny seed of species such as mammilaria.

If there's any of the thorn still standing proud of the skin, or
it can be made to do so then having some extra magnification
to see what you're doing - indeed the same goes for all splinters etc
- can be a great help.

A few quid well spent, from an optician etc near you.


michael adams

...







The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you



--


James (ukjay)

http://www.ukjay.co.uk

Garden WebCam,Photography,Competitions,Weather (AWS)



Yes I have found my magnifying thingy Michael (forgot the proper name
for it)
But as for a needle??????
I can see that the thornny remains are just proud of my skin
so maybe it will be easy to remove it????

Oh the pain the pain!!!!!

UkJay writes
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)
I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?
The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you

Try a bread poultice - moisten hazelnut sized piece of bread and strap
it firmly over the splinter. Leave it on till tomorrow, and with luck,
when you remove it, you will find the splinter in the bread, not in your
finger.

Last time I took a brat to the GP with a splinter, I was told they don't
attempt to remove them if there isn't enough to get hold of with
tweezers - the body will eject them sooner or later.
--
Kay

michael adams writes

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.

As a result of regularly handling cacti, I don't get spines in me ;-)
But then I don't grow Opuntias.


--
Kay

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...

michael adams wrote:
"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?


Have plenty of bandages handy, a bucket of water and a mop,
drink two bottles of whisky, put your finger on a chopping block,
hand your wife the cleaver and try and look the other way.

While on the other hand -

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.

I'd be lost without these. As they're invaluable both for removing
the otherwise almost invisible tiny spines of species such as opuntia
which can be very irritating to the skin but not immediately painful,
and also for handling tiny seed of species such as mammilaria.

If there's any of the thorn still standing proud of the skin, or
it can be made to do so then having some extra magnification
to see what you're doing - indeed the same goes for all splinters etc
- can be a great help.

A few quid well spent, from an optician etc near you.


michael adams

...







The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you



--


James (ukjay)

http://www.ukjay.co.uk

Garden WebCam,Photography,Competitions,Weather (AWS)



Yes I have found my magnifying thingy Michael (forgot the proper name
for it)
But as for a needle??????
I can see that the thornny remains are just proud of my skin
so maybe it will be easy to remove it????

I'd try a blunt ended tweezers. As opposed to rounded ends. If they're
not blunt already then file them down until they are. And filed
straight across like a chisel rather than at an angle. Press down
hard on either side of the splinter\thorn until you can get a
definite purchase. And then pull it out gently, straight out
not at an angle hence the chisel tip, otherwise it might
break off. This seems preferable to poking about with a
needle unless its absolutely necessary. If you've already
soaked it then let it dry out again first, as soaking it
may weaken it and make it more likely to break off.
It's after you've got it out, that you want to be liberal
with the antiseptic.


michael adams










Oh the pain the pain!!!!!

"K" wrote in message
...
michael adams writes

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.

As a result of regularly handling cacti, I don't get spines in me ;-)
But then I don't grow Opuntias.


--
Kay

I've got some really old opuntia microdasys with very long chains
of pads, all grown from seed. And as you know the spines are
in the glochids, the brown felty buttons. You can brush
against them without noticing, and only afterwards do you
notice the irritation on your skin. Whereas the fine spines
from the likes of strausii - silver torches and similar
species don't seem to irritate at all.

michael adams

....

"UkJay" wrote
My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)
I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?
The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you


Oh dear, I do hope there are no Rats around your garden with you suggesting
it being overgrown etc as they carry Weil's Disease in their urine and even
the slightest hint in a cut will allow you to catch it. It's a lethal
disease if not caught early.
I trust your Tetanus inoculations are up to date too you wouldn't want that
either or, indeed, gangrene which is not pleasant. (speaking from
experience!)
Was it a dirty thorn?

:-)

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

michael adams writes


I've got some really old opuntia microdasys with very long chains
of pads, all grown from seed. And as you know the spines are
in the glochids, the brown felty buttons. You can brush
against them without noticing, and only afterwards do you
notice the irritation on your skin.

By which time you've transferred them from the original site to every
intimate part of your body.


--
Kay

I once had a splinter from a fence approx 4mm x 10mm go under a
fingernail...Ouchhhh!!
Now I know how those poor P.O.W's in in Japan must have felt. No tweezers
required here, just a large set of pliers and a sharp tug.

--

Regards
p.mc


"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"UkJay" wrote
My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)
I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?
The last time this sort of thing happened I ended up with a septic
infection
And I don't want that again thank you


Oh dear, I do hope there are no Rats around your garden with you
suggesting it being overgrown etc as they carry Weil's Disease in their
urine and even the slightest hint in a cut will allow you to catch it.
It's a lethal disease if not caught early.
I trust your Tetanus inoculations are up to date too you wouldn't want
that either or, indeed, gangrene which is not pleasant. (speaking from
experience!)
Was it a dirty thorn?

:-)

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK




I once had a splinter approx 4mm x 10mm from a fence go under a
fingernail...Ouchhhh!!
Now I know how those poor P.O.W's in Japan must have felt. No tweezers
required here, just a large set of pliers and a sharp tug.

--

Regards
p.mc

"K" wrote in message
...
michael adams writes


I've got some really old opuntia microdasys with very long chains
of pads, all grown from seed. And as you know the spines are
in the glochids, the brown felty buttons. You can brush
against them without noticing, and only afterwards do you
notice the irritation on your skin.

By which time you've transferred them from the original site to every
intimate part of your body.

Speak for yourself.

No, they actually irritate the skin on the hands. More especially
the backs of the hands and the fingers. Don't ask me how they get
there. Within a very short time as well.

The most troublesome cacti IMO but not iritating are one variety
with prominent tubercles which have hooked spines and produce lots of
offsets. They were originally from mixed seed and are either dilicothele
(sp)
or m.longimamma (sp). It's impossibe to brush against them wearing a
jumper without carrying off at least one offset which is then like
disgorging (or whatever it is they do) a fish. All cacti with
hooked spines can be a pain in fact. Its just that as the ones
with plentiful offests are so easy to propagate there are far
more of them in various stages of growth to get in the way.
Its easy to see how they get carried around on animal's coats.


michael adams

///






--
Kay

"p.mc" wrote in message
...

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?

snip

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.


Hee! Hee!...I use small field glasses (binoculars) Hold the lens near the
offending prick (no pun intended) and don't forget you have to view it
from
the opposite end as you would normally, they effectively become like a
microscope :-))

....

Each to his own. You'd need another hand to do that. Yes I know the more
fortunate among us still have two, but that seems more awkward to me with
extra apparatus in the way.

I also use an eyeglass handling really tiny seeds. I actually space
mammilaria seed singly when sowing. When there's less chance of causing a
disturbance with an eye-glass.


michael adams

....







"My little tip"

--

Regards
p.mc

"p.mc" wrote in message
...

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?

snip

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.


Hee! Hee!...I use small field glasses (binoculars) Hold the lens near the
offending prick (no pun intended) and don't forget you have to view it
from
the opposite end as you would normally, they effectively become like a
microscope :-))

"My little tip"



Yeah nice troll. I just fell in.

You hold the binoculars in one hand, and use your other hand to
hold the tweezers to take the splinter out of er.....


michael adams

....






--

Regards
p.mc

On Sun, 14 May 2006 20:45:06 +0100, michael adams wrote
(in article ):



"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"UkJay" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

My wife is usually the one who does the gardening, but today I decided
I would
Clear a way to get through a path to our garage.
I got to work on cutting away at a quince bush (or whatever it's
called)


I now have a sore finger after a thorn attack
Any ideas how to remove this?

snip

As a result of regularly handling cacti, many years ago I bought
myself a jeweller's eye glass - the actual magnification number
wore off years ago, and a large pair of tweezers.



I also use an eyeglass handling really tiny seeds. I actually space
mammilaria seed singly when sowing. When there's less chance of causing a
disturbance with an eye-glass.

With poorer eyesight these days, I'm really taken by the idea of a jeweller's
eyeglass. Do you remember where you bought yours?



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk