|
|
Article: Who knew?(Bellamy the lion treated with gold salt for arthritis)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Current Science, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- February 10, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
ROME, Italy -- Bellamy the lion has gone for the gold. The elderly king of the zoo here suffers from arthritis and has had great difficulty walking lately. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that causes swelling, pain, and stiffness.
In December, the zoo's vets tried a treatment on Bellamy that has been used on human arthritis patients for more than 60 years. They injected him with gold sodium thiomalate, or gold salts. Gold salts are not a cure for arthritis, but they can reduce inflammation and relieve pain and stiffness. The treatment has been used on dogs, cats, and a tiger, but Bellamy is thought to be the first lion to receive it.
The ...