I watch a lot of shows on the Discovery Channel... Or rather listen to them while I'm working...

Every once in a while I'll hear something so interesting that I will stop what I'm doing and turn my attention to the television. I pick up a lot of interesting ideas and good information at times. However and somewhat unfortunately, it also means that I miss a lot of show titles, and I forget to check the digital guide for this information, so please forgive the fact that I can' remember the particular show I saw the following on.

There was a show on last year in which they talked about electrical shocks used for venomous spider bites such as the Brow Recluse's. Several doctors were using modified personal protection devices to shock the site of venomous spider bites to neutralize the poison.

They mentioned that scientific studies were being done to test the theory currently, but other than the positive personal accounts given by doctors and patients not much more was given.

In another interesting part of this show it was mentioned that in some cases, over time, Brown Recluse Venom would in some way reactivate and cause damage, even years after the initial bite. So, some of the people interviewed carried their own shockers with them... Weird...

Now my grandfather would wake up, and almost every morning shock himself with an electric fence charger he kept in the kitchen.

Many years later we found out that he had been doing this since he was diagnosed with cancer that he refused treatment for.

The doctors didn't understand how he managed to live so long in what most would call a normal lifestyle with such an advanced case of cancer. And when I say normal, of course I mean minus the self imposed electric shock treatments... HAHAHA

Who knows if those shocks did anything or not, but he claimed he felt better afterward, so we all just kind of cringed and hoped he wouldn't accidentally electrocute himself. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Granted, I should mention that this man, when told how much he was going to be charged to have some of his teeth pulled so he could be fitted with dentures, went home and pulled those teeth himself with a pair of pliers. OUCH!

DISCLAIMER: Don't try any of the above on yourself just because you read something about it in a forum... In a post by a graphic designer of all things... LOL